NOTHING less than a semi-final spot in next year's World Cup finals will do for Sven-Goran Eriksson and England, according to 1966 legend Sir Geoff Hurst.

Sir Geoff, forever remembered for the hat-trick he scored in the 4-2 win over West Germany which saw Sir Alf Ramsey's men lift the World Cup, is sure the current England side will qualify for the 2006 tournament in Germany, despite their disastrous 4-1 friendly reverse at the hands of Denmark this week. That loss, the worst result in the last 25 years for the national side, saw Eriksson and his players heavily criticised.

The decision to hold the game one week into the new Premiership season and Eriksson's move to withdraw Tottenham striker Jermain Defoe at half-time and replace him with Michael Owen, even though the Real Madrid striker is suspended for the qualifying game against Wales on September 3, were vociferously chastised.

Substitute keeper David James' admission, after conceding all four goals in the second half, that he had not properly prepared himself for action just added insult to injury.

However, Sir Geoff, who was on holiday in France at the time and did not see the game, believes it is completely wrong to press the panic button with England second behind Poland in their qualifying group, and has backed both the decision to stage the game and the credentials of the England boss to lead his team to Germany.

"I think friendly internationals are beneficial because you can't just pick a player out of the Premier League and play him in a World Cup qualifying game," he said while speaking to children at Redcar Town Football Club as part of a McDonald's sponsored coaching session.

"I think that when it comes around to the qualifying games, which are important, you will see a much different England.

"He (Eriksson) is still the man for the job. We are in the process of qualifying for the World Cup, which we will do.

"We are fortunate in that we have had probably the weakest (qualifying) group that England have had for some time. We have had the luck of the draw and you have got to make the most of it. We will qualify, I am quite confident of that."

After reaching the quarter-finals of the 2002 World Cup, only to go out to ten-man Brazil, Sir Geoff believes England must seek to go at least one better in June and July next year.

"We will want to get to the semi-finals. We want to improve on previous performances which means that you want to get to the semi-final," he said.