Dream start as new boss offers new English hope

But it was the only thing to trouble him as England put on a fresh face for their first foreign boss.

New kit, new manager, new composure, new confidence, new hope that was the astonishing script as Eriksson's England beat Spain 3-0 in Birmingham.

Dream start? Not much. This was the stuff of fantasy, Boys' Own comic proportions.

And all the better because it came against a Spanish side rated among the strongest of recent years.

As if three goals from Nick Barmby, Emile Heskey and Ugo Ehiogu weren't enough, Nigel Martyn even saved a second-half penalty.

Whatever happens from here the sight of an England side cherishing the football, rather than chasing it endlessly and aimlessly as so often appeared the case in the Keegan era, gave a warm glow on a freezing February night.

The sound of fans roaring their encouragement was also in stark contrast to the jeers which accompanied England's last depressing outings against Germany and Finland.

And didn't it all just put in even sharper perspective some of the xenophobic rantings which accompanied the Swede's appointment.

Of course we mustn't get carried away with the first fruit of Eriksson's reign against what was some dreadful Spanish defending.

But then Eriksson had barely had time to learn the players' names, let alone stamp too much of his renowned Swedish precision on the England set-up, after little more than 48 hours with the players - days in which he has retained a studied detachment in training.

A fresh eye, however, rarely ceases to bring an extra edge to the tackling, an added vibrancy to energy levels as players seek to impress the new boss.

We see it time and again in the Premiership and while Eriksson had insisted the emphasis was firmly on performance rather than result there is nothing like a triumph of last night's dimensions to get the momentum rolling.

Just as important to Eriksson, however, were the lessons he could learn to take into next month's vital World Cup qualifiers against Finland and Albania.

And they were sprinkled brightly and breezily around Villa Park like the flags of St George.

Not least in the form of Charlton's left-back Chris Powell, whose debut was something of a revelation.

Dropped by Charlton manager Alan Curbishley at Christmas, Powell, an old pro at 31, had been pinching himself ever since Eriksson's first squad was announced.

He found himself up against one of the best right-sided players in the world in Mendieta and in a first half of rich promise he made the Spaniards seem decidedly ordinary even managing a couple of surging thrusts up the left followed by sumptuous crosses of the sort England have been dreaming for years.

A calf injury saw him replaced at half-time but he more than justified his quixotic selection.

Paul Scholes, whose spirit in defying illness to join the squad so impressed Eriksson, was inspirational as was Barmby.

Rio Ferdinand did enough in his 45 minutes alongside Sol Campbell to suggest his positional naivety is evaporating in direct proportion to the probing of his play-making panache.

David Beckham, perhaps burdened by the additional demands of captaincy, was unusually quiet.

But then there was Michael Owen, a scurrying, scampering menace operating for the main part in the hole behind main striker Andy Cole, and playing like a man on a mission.

Time and again he collected the ball, spun and caused mayhem in the Spanish defence.

There was a purpose and an efficiency about his approach and link-up play which we have rarely seen before in an England shirt.

The added bonus is that he possesses perhaps twice the pace of Teddy Sheringham.

But then Eriksson has been telling everyone in that curiously understated way who wants to listen that England have a bright future and some ''excellent players''.

Last night no-one was disagreeing. If England can build on this promising beginning who knows, World Cup qualification may not be that distant dream after all. All he would have to do then would be to learn that Anthem