WHEN the England football team meets their old adversary Germany next month they must do so with one clear aim - to win.

To the modest British, it's an all-too-alien concept because to have any confidence in this country is considered over-confidence. So it's left to a Swede to try and instil some semblance of self-belief in a side renowned for its losing ways.

"If we go to Germany and are afraid of attacking, afraid of the atmosphere, afraid of Germany, then it might be better to stay at home," says manager Sven-Goran Eriksson. And he's right.

How many times have we seen the team crumble under the pressure of the big game? A lot of the time they are beaten even before they walk on the pitch, overawed by the opposition, intimidated by the occasion. When the whistle blows, they end up going backwards instead of forwards, they take too much notice of the opposition rather than play their own game. And even as they approach the ball for the fateful kick, in the inevitable penalty shoot-out, the players know as well as we do, they are going to miss.

Contrast that with the swagger of the German players as they drill the ball into the back of the net, only to strut in front of the English crowd, taunting a nation which prides itself on modesty and reserve.

Unfortunately, in some ways, winning isn't part of the British psyche - unless it really matters, such as times of war, when the bulldog spirit finally emerges in a do or die battle for justice. You only have to listen to our sportsmen and women, whether it's football, cricket, athletics or motor racing, to see the desire to win isn't there.

So even before the event, the excuses begin - they're not at full-fitness, they are carrying an injury, the car's not balanced. It may be true, but how many times do you hear a German say that, or an American? Tennis player Pete Sampras, for instance, is a master of mental resilience which is reflected in his success. German Formula One world champion Michael Schumacher exhibits so much self-belief it is often construed as arrogance. Meanwhile, Scotsman and second place McLaren driver David Coulthard is "realistic" about his chances, as he blames his car and his bad luck.

Ask an American what he is good at and he will tell you. Ask a Brit and the reply is likely to be "well, I'm not bad at this or the other". It's ingrained.

But maybe things are changing; maybe Eriksson can change it in some small way too. He wants people who are mentally and physically strong. He wants people who are ready, willing and able. He wants people who don't rely on excuses.

I noticed in the situations vacant section of The Northern Echo a BBC advertisement seeking staff. It sells the reporter's job by listing recent exclusives the radio station has been involved in and then details the sort of person required. There may be some hope of a change, then, in the BBC request: "Only winners need apply."

However, I did hear a story the other day of a young job applicant who sent her prospective employer a balloon which floated out of a box. On it was written: "Congratulations, you've picked a winner." Needless to say, she didn't get the job. In other words, you can go too far.