Gene Pitney might not get a song out of it, but we're 24 hours from Charleroi. There is a distinct lack of harmony around.

The low countries are hosting football's chiefs, but for two of them the wagons are slowly circling. Over in the Germany camp on the Dutch/Belgian/German border there is so much alleged division it must be difficult not to get hit by crossfire. But the sitting targets are not all German. Spa, the leafy southern Belgian town famous for its water and its minerals, has been transformed into a rifle range these past few days. This is where England are based. At one end of the range is Kevin Keegan; at the other end are the critics, a group of journalists Keegan has taken to calling "You People".

Yesterday's daily target practice at England's pine forest camp had Keegan dodging the bullets again. Is this the most pressure you have been under in your managerial career? How can you replicate Portugal's tactics in training? Is Alan Shearer really the man to get England goals? Do England now have a losing mentality?

Keegan had some ammunition of his own yesterday. "You must cringe at some of the questions you hear being asked by your colleagues," said Keegan of the British journalists, "or I hope you do." In surrendering a two-goal lead in Eindhoven on Monday night, Keegan's players unintentionally created a new blood sport, or at least gave the pack a new hound to chase. Keegan looks perturbed by the hungry demeanour of those with the dictaphones. It is hardly an unfamiliar position for England's manager.

Yet it cannot be pleasant. Asked a question about the fact that Germany made him as a player - so could victory tomorrow make him as a manager? - Keegan replied: "It won't make me as a manager but it might buy me a bit more time with You People." The pack sniffed. What did he mean "a bit more time"? Was he already considering his future, 15 months into the job? Keegan took it on the chin. He knew the agenda. "Win, lose or draw against Germany," he said, "I'll still be here the next day." He is contracted to take England through to the next World Cup.

The "I WON'T QUIT" headline safely assured, the pack moved on. Knocks and strains? "The same as before with Tony Adams and Steve McManaman. They will probably be fit if we get through the group stages. There is still a slight chance Steve McManaman will be fit enough to play against Romania." Yet McManaman is due to train today which means he could be fit for tomorrow.

But what about Oliver Bierhoff's injury, that must be good news? "I am never pleased to see any player injured," said Keegan. "I mean that sincerely. I'm disappointed for the lad. But Germany is not my concern."

Keegan's burden is that England is everybody's concern and the doubts about Alan Shearer are beginning to emerge again. His lack of direct goal threat on Monday has brought him back into the sights.

"Obviously I'm a lot more confident in Alan Shearer than some of you, judging by what you write," said Keegan. "He wants to go out with a bang. Don't underestimate him. People like Alan Shearer have made a career out of proving people wrong."

To an extent the same could be said about Keegan's playing career. And now it is most certainly true about his management of England. Lose tomorrow and Keegan knows there will be an almighty clamour to have him removed before England play their first World Cup qualifier in October -

against Germany. The pressure, he said, comes with the job: in fact he said he relished it.

"Expectancy is something that I have always encouraged. When I went to Newcastle that's what I set out to do, to make people expect more of themselves, to make the club realise how big it was. And I've tried to do that with England. I still think we can win Euro 2000. I know we still have it in our own hands if we want to do that. If we win the next two games, we're through. If we draw and win the last game, depending on results, we could go through."

Keegan is forever enthusiastic. The cynics, though, were taking bets on which England team would lose first tomorrow, the footballers or the cricketers.