All's Said And Dunn - the David Dunn column

AFTER all the hype, now it's down to the serious stuff.

And I have to say, I'm really excited at the prospect of Sven Goran Eriksson taking over as manager of England.

Wednesday night's result against Spain was a great boost for everyone connected with English football after months of uncertainty following our Euro 2000 campaign.

But it wasn't the result which impressed me most about Mr Eriksson's first week in charge, it was the fact the new manager is obviously not afraid to put his faith in young players.

And that sends out a great message to every young player across the country.

We're lucky in England in that we have a great crop of young players currently coming through the ranks.

And, if I was picking the England team, then like Eriksson I'd placed the accent firmly on youth.

For what it's worth, this is the team I'd pick for the forthcoming World Cup qualifier with Finland.

In goal, I'd go for Nigel Martyn because I think he's a great keeper who hasn't really had a fair shout at international level.

In my back four, I'd go for a mixture of youth and experience with Sol Campell and Wes Brown as my centre backs, alongside Gary Neville and Ashley Cole.

I rate Wes as the best defender I've ever played with, while I've seen a lot of Ashley with the Under 21s and the more he plays, the better he becomes. In midfield, I couldn't resist the temptation of going with Joe Cole alongside Paul Scholes. Again, I've worked with Joe in the Under 21s and he's an amazing talent -- a bit like Gazza but trickier!

And, if you don't know what he's going to do next, then what chance do the opposition stand?

On the right, it's got to be David Beckham. He's such a great crosser of the ball and a player I really admire.

But it's a tougher call on the left because that's an area where we've struggled in the past.

I think I'd go with Steve McNamaman. He's in great form for Real Madrid -- and he can run at people.

Up front, I'd bring back Robbie Fowler. Not only is he the best finisher in the business but his movement is phenomenal as well.

And alongside him, I'd opt for Teddy Sheringham just ahead of Emile Heskey.

It's a close call but Teddy just edges it because he can also come off forwards and act as a link up man.

So there you have it. I know it's an attacking line-up but it's a game we simply must win.

On a more personal note, I was disappointed with our performance against Spain's Under 21s this week.

They were brilliant technically -- even on a poor pitch -- and the way they knocked it about, you'd have thought they were playing on Wembley.

But it's important we learn from that and take those lessons into our next game.

I just hope my return to St Andrews in 10 days time is a much happier experience.

Have a good week.