England move to the next step along the road to Euro 2004 qualification on Wednesday desperate for a good result and almost as importantly an up-turn in form.

Slovakia are not the world's worst team but should still be disposed off with relative ease at home.

After all, if you can't win a match like this then you stand little chance in the tournament proper.

But after another decidedly lacklustre friendly against Serbia and Montenegro, Sven-Goran Eriksson needs to realise the massive potential in his strong squad.

The England boss is spoilt for riches but still the team limp from one lame performance to the next, punctuated with the odd cracking display.

And in no position is he more spoilt than up front.

Michael Owen is obviously, and rightly, Eriksson's top dog when it comes to strikers.

But who will partner him at any time is anybody's guess.

You just can't help but feel that James Beattie deserves a proper chance to stake his claim.

The guy is the top English scorer in the Premiership in 2002/03 and has been rewarded for nine months of unerring consistency with 45 minutes in a hotch-potch friendly with Australia, being dropped and then five minutes against Serbia and Montenegro.

Surely we must have just about come to the conclusion that the long-term striking future for England doesn't include Emile Heskey as a first team regular.

His hustle and bustle and physical presence can knock lesser defences out of their stride, but against world class opposition he's not cut the mustard that often.

Darius Vassell is one of those rare players that can look dangerous in international football, but is terrible domestically.

His pace is always a danger but Owen is far better in that role and Vassell is more of a super sub internationally.

Wayne Rooney could be a legend.

Let's hope so, but he could just as easily self-destruct in a year's time - so many have broken onto the scene in a blaze of hype but failed to sustain their level of performance past the first couple of years.

Few in that mould do succeed - that's what makes Owen so special.

But is Rooney really ready to be a regular international just yet?

If you're good enough then you're old enough, but at least a little experience of Premiership football is required.

And as such, he should stay in the squad and figure in the matches but it might be wise to hold fire on relying on him for a while yet.

So then we are left with Beattie. It's impossible to pass comment on him like the other four because we haven't properly seen him play for England.

There are questions marks over whether he will be good enough to step up a level, but you will never know if he doesn't get a go.

If he does and it proves he can't make it, then at least he can be crossed off the list but on the surface he seems the perfect foil for Owen.

Like Heskey, he's strong and powerful, got a good turn of pace and troubles defenders - but, unlike Heskey, he scores a lot of goals.

The idea of all these depressing and tedious friendlies seems to be to give as many English players a chance to prove themselves play for their country as possible.

So why must one of the most deserving candidates continue to wait for his?