AMID the rancour and recrimination of the Rio Ferdinand affair, one quality of character has been glaringly lacking in the England camp: leadership.

Coach Sven-Goran Eriksson's inertia was fresh evidence of his laissez-faire attitude to the job - remember his impassive demeanour as England succumbed to Brazil in last year's World Cup?

Eriksson, by all accounts, was content to remain circumspect while his indignant charges threatened to boycott tonight's Euro 2004 Group Seven decider against Turkey in protest at the FA's unilateral decision to axe the foolish Ferdinand after he "forgot'' to report for a routine drugs test.

While there is no argument that the FA, who breached their own rules governing confidentiality in such matters, have handled the whole sickening saga in a ham-fisted manner, the actions of the players are indefensible and reprehensible.

As clear as it is that the FA have contravened regulations, Ferdinand has failed to fulfil his obligations with crass stupidity. That is the bottom line.

The FA's new chief executive, Mark Palios, appears eager to make a name for himself and apparently, without consulting Eriksson, decreed Ferdinand should be dropped.

It was a move that threw into focus the distinct dichotomy which exists between the FA bigwigs and Sven and his brooding boys.

Regardless of what happens in Istanbul this evening, that rift can now only widen with one inevitable conclusion: a change of manager.

It is an open secret that there is considerable disquiet at Soho Square over Eriksson's links with Roman Abramovich's Chelsea.

The smart money, as they say, is on Eriksson usurping Claudio Ranieri's position next season, if not sooner.

Even the FA, it is said, are bracing themselves for the possibility of an Eriksson exit before next summer's Euro 2004 finals in Portugal.

The feeling is that he will cite the Ferdinand fiasco as a justification for jumping ship on his £3m-a-year deal.

Eriksson, of course, has an impressive record since he took charge of his first game in February 2001.

Under his tutelage England have lost only one competitive match, the aforementioned quarter-final with Brazil.

But his inaction over the Ferdinand issue calls into question his appetite and suitability for the job.

And while we're on the subject of leadership, what about our glorious captain?

David Beckham has hardly helped matters. The Beckham spin machine went into overdrive yesterday with claims that he stayed up until 2am this week "begging'' ring-leader Gary Neville to abandon the strike threat.

But Beckham was one of the players who voted to take action in the first place.

When Eriksson was appointed, I wrote that his first mistake was endorsing Peter Taylor's decision to make Beckham England skipper.

Even Beckham himself admitted he was "not a natural captain''. I said he was scarcely fit to take charge of a pack of boy scouts.

For all Beckham's heroics since then, I stand by that view and rest my case after the events of this week.

It is a further indictment of our current crop of international players that no-one has emerged as a genuine leader since the retirement of Alan Shearer after Euro 2000. No wonder Eriksson has tried to bring him back.

In the eyes of the country, our players are in the dock. The only way this over-weening, unwieldy bunch can begin to redeem themselves and reconnect with the nation, is by doing what they are very well paid to do - play the game and produce results.

Tonight, of all nights, the nation expects.