JOE Cole or David Dunn?

It was a debate which raged fiercely after Blackburn Rovers' game with West Ham at the weekend.

And Sven Goran Eriksson might currently be asking himself the same question as he ponders his squad for next week's friendly with Holland.

For me, the answer is simple. Like Rovers boss Graeme Souness, I'd go for Dunny any day of the week.

When I picked up the newspapers on Sunday I was astonished to see some of the national Press jumping aboard the Joe Cole bandwagon by giving him top marks for his performance in the Hammers' 2-0 win at Upton Park.

But as far as I was concerned, the cheeky cockney was largely anonymous on the day, barely contributing to the Hammers' victory.

There's no doubt whatsoever that Cole is a precocious talent who's destined for stardom in the not too distant future.

But to suggest he's England class already is misguided in the extreme -- on Saturday's evidence at least.

Yes, he showed some nice touches which caught the eye and looked good in front of the cameras.

But, generally speaking, the England Under 21 international still looks more like a circus act than a World Class midfielder who sometimes tries to be too clever for his own good -- a bit like Dunn was two years ago.

However, that's where the comparisons stop because Ewood's finest has shown signs of maturing into the complete midfielder over the last 12 months.

Yes, he's still retained that youthful exuberance which first excited the Blackburn End.

But, thanks to the constant cajoling of Souness, I believe he's now developing into the real deal.

And that's why he has the edge over his West Ham counterpart in the race for England places in the build-up to the World Cup.

Dunn deserves his chance for some excellent performances in the Premiership this season, none more so than his displays against Arsenal and Manchester United.

Now it's up to Mr Eriksson to give him the platform to showcase those talents at the very highest level.

England and Ewood expects!