WITH a World Cup place assured, the squad tinkering will begin. But in thousands of England fans' views the general consensus is Sven-Goran Eriksson's biggest experimentation has already gone wrong.

Peter Crouch's involvement in England's final two qualifying games provided the whole country with a new debate.

For a change it was not whether David Beckham should be in the team, nor did it surround the volatile nature of Wayne Rooney. This time it was much more sinister.

What the hell is Rodney from Only Fools and Horses doing in the England side? It's quite simple, and already been stated: He offers the squad the height lacking up front.

Rooney, Owen, Bent and Defoe. Four in-form strikers but none stand at more than six feet tall. On the other hand Crouch does and, at 6ft 7in, he can also boast some surprisingly quick feet for a gangly man.

The argument against Crouch is that, for all his height, he does not win enough of his headers. Does that matter? His presence in the air is enough to stop defenders from cleaning up at the back and that creates space for the smaller man alongside him.

The criticism he received for his showing nine days ago against Austria was nothing more than disgraceful. A home first cap for his country was greeted with jeers for the way he looks rather the way he plays.

It was reminiscent of the days when John Barnes pulled on a three lions shirt at Wembley, but at least he was given plenty of caps to warrant his barracking.

Crouch, on the other hand, has been singled out before he has even really been given a fair run of matches.

The fact he looks ungamely in his style seems to annoy supporters. Only a hat-trick against the Austrians or Poland would have won the supporters over on either day.

If their judgement of the lanky forward was reached on performances alone, and not looks, then there could be few complaints. That is not the case.

Against Austria he generated most of England's chances. Against Poland he turned defence into attack for Frank Lampard's winning goal by not panicking in his own penalty area, when many other forwards would have just put their finest adidas Predator boot through it.

It is true he is not scoring enough. Liverpool's £7m outlay in the summer has yet to be rewarded with a goal. He drew another blank in the game with Blackburn on Saturday.

In fact it has been the Reds who have not seen the best out of their expensive close-season capture and that is mainly through their own mis-management.

For all Crouch may be a target man, he is not suited to playing as a lone striker and that is what has frequently been asked of him by Anfield boss Rafael Benitez.

The former Southampton man is at his best when he has someone busy with pace around him - an Owen, Defoe or Rooney.

It is for this reason that Eriksson, shy of other alternatives in the target man mould in the final third, sees Crouch as the ideal man that can come on and change things if he has to.

Understandably the Swede is going to start with Owen and Rooney as his partnership for next summer's World Cup if they are both fit and available, but the height of Crouch is a useful tool, in the nicest sense, to have on the bench.

The only other two Englishmen in the Premiership in contention for that role are Emile Heskey and Carlton Cole.

Sven has already been down the Heskey road and given up, while Cole is starring for the Under-21s but at club level he is having to make do with the Chelsea reserves.

Beyond those two, there is Andy Cole, Alan Shearer and Teddy Sheringham. Hence the reason why Crouch is in such a favourable position.

Call him tall, unique, useless or whatever, but Crouch currently has one foot on board the flight to Germany and it is time he was given a break by those in the stands.

You never know he might just prove to be an unlikely hero.