Keegan's thoughts turn to Romania

After the elation of the historic victory over Germany in Charleroi on Saturday night, England settled down to the nitty-gritty of tournament football at their base of Spa yesterday. It was training as usual.

In becoming the first England manager to oversee a win against Germany in a major tournament since Alf Ramsey in 1966, Kevin Keegan could have been forgiven a measure of euphoria, but the England manager had criticised his players for the same emotion when 2-0 up against Portugal last Monday and he already had Romania on his mind. Realism was essential.

A quarter-final encounter with the Group B winners Italy in the Heysel Stadium awaits next Saturday if England go through, but Keegan was preoccupied with the threat of Romania, and of England' distribution. It must improve.

If Alan Shearer's headed goal was the defining moment of Saturday night, England's at times woeful passing was the most conspicuous characteristic of the team pattern. Throughout the game Shearer, as captain, had dropped deep to urge Paul Scholes, Paul Ince, David Beckham and Dennis Wise to show less haste and more sense in their attempts at retaining possession and Keegan was pleased that the discussion began again as soon as the squad boarded the bus home.

"We talked about how we can pass it better," said Keegan. "If we give it away as much as we did against Germany then we won't go the full trip. We have passed the ball well in training, we passed it well against Brazil, the Ukraine and at the start against Portugal, but we tended to get excited against Germany and tried to do it with one ball. I know there was a lot of tension but I know we can do better."

The man who tried to do it most frequently with one pass was Beckham. Beckham was also booked for a needless spiteful challenge on Christian Ziege, which means another yellow card against Romania would rule Beckham out of the quarter-final should England progress, but Keegan was supportive of the Manchester United player yesterday.

All three of England's goals in Euro 2000 have come from Beckham crosses and Keegan said of his booking: "I'm not going to knock him for it. What I like most about David Beckham is his attitude and his work-rate. He will be a soldier as well as a general. It is unusual to have a player with that much ability with such a small ego."

Beckham's yellow card was the only statistical blemish on the night. Otherwise the good news kept coming. Just as Germany lost one pivotal player in captain Oliver Bierhoff, Romania have lost the talismanic figure of Gheorghe Hagi. Hagi picked up a second yellow in two matches against Portugal and automatically misses the England game.

Then yesterday Keegan was informed by his medical staff that not only is Steve McManaman fit again, so is Tony Adams. Despite Adams' England status, it will be hard for him to displace his Arsenal team-mate Martin Keown or Sol Campbell, both resolute in Charleroi, and McManaman has the greater chance of recapturing his place at the expense of Wise. "I've never been afraid to change a winning team," Keegan said.

In an outburst out of keeping with the rising mood, Keegan, who has had a declining relationship with the national media camped on his doorstep, then accused the press of causing Shearer's international retirement at the end of this tournament at the age of 29.

Praising Shearer's goal and general contribution, Keegan said: "He's proved the critics wrong again. I think he is a man amongst men. He won't say it but it is you people who are responsible for Alan Shearer retiring from international football. If he would change his mind then he would be my England captain in the World Cup. Give him two or three days before you start knocking him again.