by Frank Malley To err is human - but to do it as often as Paul Robinson is a sign.

A sign that England manager needs a new goalkeeper if England are to qualify for the European Championships.

That surely is what Steve McClaren learned from a 2-1 defeat against Germany at Wembley which in parts was good and in others horrid.

Of course, anyone can make a mistake, such as Robinson's howler to gift Germany a first-half equaliser and a goalkeeper's lot is scrutinised more closely than most.

But the evidence against Robinson is mounting by the week.

No desire to revisit all Robinson's dodgy moments, suffice it to recall the air shot which turned into Gary Neville's own goal against Croatia last October.

Since then every time Robinson has donned the green jersey he has worn the expression of a rear gunner on one mission too many.

Positioning awry, sights a shade wonky, nerves shot to pieces.

He is the man whose movement has been criticised at the heart of Tottenham's struggling start to the season.

But for England the cracks are threatening to become McClaren's San Andreas fault.

There should have been no danger when Bernd Schneider salvaged a clearance by the touchline and whipped in a cross just under Robinson's crossbar. No German shirt within 10 metres.

A goalkeeper in command of his senses would have played safe and tipped the awkward ball over his crossbar and allowed his defence to regroup.

Inexplicably, Robinson flapped at the ball with two palms and volley-balled it into the path of Kevin Kuranyi - who promptly smashed it into the net.

The momentum which England had wrested when Frank Lampard had scored after nine minutes swiftly evaporated, the 'Ten German bombers' anthem of the more neanderthal England supporters was silenced and Germany were in the ascendancy.

And that is the point. Just as goals change matches so do howlers, Robinson's diffidence sweeping through England like a bushfire which was not helped when the goalkeeper flapped and missed again at a header from Christoph Metzelder.

True, he could not be faulted for German's second goal, a Christian Pander left-foot screamer which shot past him in a blur.

But the damage had been done. The trust with his defence, such a vital part of the international fabric, had been torn.

So it was no surprise when the biggest cheer of the night greeted the sight of David James taking his position between the posts at the start of the second half.

The fact is James is the Premier League goalkeeper in form, a man full of confidence and on that basis who cares if he is 37?

Not that the goalkeeping question is McClaren's only concern.

He must also wonder who is going to score the goals to prise European Championship qualification.

Lampard's first international goal for a year was welcome, especially as again there had been a sprinkling of boos as his name was announced.

But Alan Smith and Michael Owen, who had hardly pulled up any trees against Brazil in June, again failed to convince.

For Owen it is a matter of match sharpness and considering he had played just 20 minutes for Newcastle this season and just six matches in all since the World Cup perhaps we should not be too critical.

The bottom line, however, is that the last time England met Germany Owen scored a hat-trick in the famous 5-1 win in Munich when Sven-Goran Eriksson was hailed as a football genius.

How times have changed.

Eriksson proved not to be the saviour, the so-called 'golden generation' proved to be not so golden and Owen's career has been derailed by one injury after another.

England need the old Owen. Or to be more exact the young Owen. The one who burst on to the international scene with that wonder goal against Argentina in 1998.

The one who has scored 37 goals for his country and who once seemed a racing certainty to eclipse the 49-goals record of Bobby Charlton.

It could still happen, the desire is there and England were not short of chances. We should also remember that McClaren had only two training sessions with a squad decimated by withdrawals.

If that helps put England's first defeat at Wembley in perspective then we should also note that as many as nine of the starters here will probably begin against Israel.

Then they will need goals - and a goalkeeper who does not give them away.