Destination Germany
bmp, Interesting Article this:
England jet off to the 2006 World Cup next summer, having booked their place with a game to go.
Victory against Austria, along with Holland's win over the Czech Republic, was enough to confirm England's ticket to next year's tournament.
Sven-Goran Eriksson's men eventually finished top of their World Cup qualifying group with a vibrant 2-1 triumph over Poland.
But which players have earned their plane tickets to Germany and who will be left in the departure lounge?
ON THE PLANE
Keepers: Paul Robinson
Defenders: Gary Neville, Ashley Cole, Sol Campbell, Rio Ferdinand, John Terry
Midfield: David Beckham, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Joe Cole, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Ledley King
Strikers: Michael Owen, Wayne Rooney, Jermain Defoe
Barring injury or a major loss of form, Eriksson appears to have at least nine of his line-up already confirmed.
Paul Robinson has established himself as the number one goalkeeper, with David James now seemingly out of the running, while Gary Neville and Ashley Cole have the full-back places nailed down.
At centre-half, Eriksson will most likely pick two from Sol Campbell, Rio Ferdinand and John Terry.
However, while skipper David Beckham's place in the midfield looks assured, there seem to be fresh doubts over the Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard partnership.
England's final qualifying match threw up some intriguing posers for Eriksson, with the Gerrard-less midfield displaying better balance than in recent memory, thanks to defender Ledley King.
HOW ENGLAND COULD LOOK
Feature: Eriksson's dilemma
King anchored the midfield perfectly, leaving Lampard to the role he performs best - setting up attacks, arriving in danger areas and scoring goals.
One way to accommodate the Spurs captain in Eriksson's starting line-up would be to change to a 4-1-3-1-1 formation, with King dropping behind Beckham, Lampard and Gerrard.
This would differ from the 4-4-2 formation - where the troublesome left-wing position has been occupied recently by Joe Cole, who has also shown himself to be a useful squad player.
Up front, Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney are likely to continue their partnership, while Jermain Defoe has probably already done enough to book his place and will be looking to try and push for a starting role.
IN THE DEPARTURE LOUNGE
Keepers: Chris Kirkland
Defenders: Jamie Carragher, Matthew Upson, Glenn Johnson, Wayne Bridge, Luke Young
Midfield: Phil Neville, Owen Hargreaves, Jermaine Jenas, Michael Carrick, Kieron Dyer, Stewart Downing, Kieran Richardson
Strikers: Andy Johnson, Peter Crouch
While Eriksson seems to have the bulk of his key players already formed in his mind, there are still plenty of places up for grabs.
Chris Kirkland's solid form between the posts on loan at West Brom has also seen him establish himself as England's number two behind Robinson, despite niggling back problems.
In defence, Jamie Carragher is likely to receive the call if he continues his impressive form with Liverpool from last season.
Wayne Bridge spent the end of last season sidelined by injury and now faces a battle for a first-team place at Chelsea but he has probably done enough to earn a place as Ashley Cole's back-up.
Phil Neville has been a regular in Eriksson's squad because of his versatility, while holding midfielder Owen Hargreaves is also a Sven favourite.
Jermaine Jenas and left-wing pair Stewart Downing and Kieran Richardson all look to have a promising future with England.
Crystal Palace striker Andy Johnson will have to hope that Eriksson is not put off by him playing below Premiership level, while Liverpool's Peter Crouch might still be hoping that his England career can take off after some mediocre performances.
WAITING BY THE PHONE
Keepers: Robert Green, David James
Defenders: Jonathan Woodgate, Michael Dawson, Wes Brown
Midfield: Wayne Routledge, Nicky Butt, Aaron Lennon
Strikers: Alan Smith, Darren Bent, Darius Vassell, Emile Heskey
Keeper Robert Green earned some recognition for his performances at Norwich but playing in the Championship might hinder his chances.
David James' poor second-half display against Denmark may prove costly as he looks to have slipped down the pecking order.
Real Madrid defender Jonathan Woodgate has also suffered because of his injury problems, while Wes Brown is battling back to fitness after a long spell out and Nicky Butt's England career has gone south since he left Manchester United for Birmingham.
Up front, with Eriksson likely to only take four strikers to Germany, the World Cup wannabes will have to really shine if they are to make the trip to next summer's main event.
However, Darren Bent is earning rave reviews at Charlton, while Alan Smith is still struggling to learn where he fits in at Manchester United.
