It was dressed up in a passionate and voluble defence of his captain Alan Shearer.

But when the demons in Kevin Keegan's fevered imagination spilled out across the floor of the makeshift marquee which served as a press room in Charleroi, immediately after the 1-0 win over Germany, it perhaps said more about the weight of pressure beginning to crush the England coach than anything about his skipper.

''Alan Shearer has answered his critics again. Just give him two or three days before you start on him again,'' said Keegan, his voice threatening to crack with emotion.

''You've knocked him, you've pummelled him, you've questioned his right to be in the side and be captain. He's never ever given anything but 100 per cent when he's pulled on that shirt.

''You people are responsible for Alan Shearer retiring from international football. Not Alan, not me. Because nobody can take a pummelling like that and keep coming back. Not even the greatest boxer in the world.''

And another England coach had fallen out with the Press - no surprise there then.

Except that Keegan's rant was patent poppycock. And you found yourself thinking of that spontaneous combustion on satellite television when with the title fading away from his Newcastle team and Alex Ferguson getting under his skin Keegan launched into the ''I'd love it if we beat them'' soliloquy which has gone down in football folklore.

Oh how much more magnanimous and dignified to have kept one's counsel in victory, at least until real, lasting and worthwhile triumph had been achieved.

Truth, as they say, is the first casualty of war. The same can often be said of football. So let's have the truth.

At present England have three points and lie second to Portugal in Group A of the European Championships and need a draw against resourceful Romania to go through to the quarter-finals.

They played with heart and passion against Germany, though little guile, and deserve their few days in the Belgium sun like any side who have lifted themselves off the floor and through their own industry and ingenuity engineered a fresh chance of glory.

But, whatever Keegan says, whatever hypocrisy he feels inclined to spout in the truth-blinding mist of emotional triumph, let's not get carried away with the relentless tub-thumping of England's infernal travelling band and the copious renditions of 'Rule Britannia' and the National Anthem.

Nor with the jingoistic reminders that it was England's first competitive victory over Germany for 34 years.

Let's not declare the dawn of a new footballing empire on one scrappy, however stirring, skirmish with a Teutonic version of Dad's Army.

The Germans were ageing and fading. In Lothar Matthaus they had a man of 39 in virtual semi-retirement who was their man-of-the-match.

The rest played like Wimbledon on a wet Wednesday night - the sole intent seemingly to hoof the ball up the field in the hope that two muscle-bound strikers could get on the end of a Hackney Marsh-style punt.

Whatever Keegan says, for a large period - the first 35 minutes for certain - England were not much better as they indulged in that irritating and depressing trait which is becoming as English as bacon and eggs, frittering possession.

True, they were desperate not to surrender the space and freedom which had seen them punished so dearly against Portugal and Dennis Wise and Paul Ince unsurprisingly sat deep to protect a defence which looked more solid for the introduction of Martin Keown.

Their passing, however, was often poor and Keegan's concern for more caution was highlighted by the introduction of Steven Gerrard, who brought fresh legs and energy to a tiring midfield.

Amongst Keegan's curious post-match tirade, however, there was an undeniable truth about Shearer.

''He's a man among men and that's why he captains my England side,'' said Keegan.

''And if he changed his mind he would captain my England side if I'm still manager when we start our campaign in the World Cup qualifying.''

But when Keegan's tirade was over, the rattles had been returned to their prams and Charleroi could once more sleep the one persistent thought was that England played like a side whose weaponry depends on free-kicks and set-pieces and precious little else.

It has often proved a winning football formula this soccer by numbers - it could well be enough to get the draw required against a Hagi-less Romania.

The chances are it won't be nearly enough to eclipse a blossoming Italian side in the likely quarter-final.

That's not meant to knock, nor meant to be gratuitously negative. However unpalatable, it happens to be a truthful opinion.