ENGLAND'S end of term report is a definite 'can do better'.

Going out of the World Cup at the last eight stage to the probable eventual winners far from constitutes failure. But neither does is constitute success.

Brazil's traditional excellence and their less typical efficiency made a mockery of all the hype that England were the strongest team left in the competition.

The fact is Sven Goran Eriksson has turned England into a potential world force but in reality we are still no better than we were in the days of Lineker, Gascoigne or Shearer. What this team does have on its side is youth. Cole (both Ashley and Joe), Mills, Ferdinand, Butt, Scholes, Beckham, Dyer, Owen and Heskey will all be at or approaching their peak when the next World Cup comes around. But there is still an awful lot of work to do to transform this country's team from perennial also-rans into winners. The big problem throughout this World Cup has been England's failure to create in midfield.

David Beckham worked his socks off throughout the five games but he constantly failed to penetrate opposition defences apart from one glorious pass to Owen in the Denmark game.

Scholes was skilful and tenacious but neither he, Beckham, Nicky Butt, nor Trevor Sinclair gave England what they were crying out for which was a man to unlock defences, either in the mould of a Gazza who could dribble through the back four or a David Platt or Bryan Robson who could get in front of the strikers. Hopefully Joe Cole and Kieron Dyer can provide that for us in the future.

England also needs a striker to share the goalscoring responsibility with Michael Owen. Emile Heskey must start punching his weight and hurting defences.

One area we have no problem is in defence and with Gary Neville to return England should be able to keep the ball out of our net for years to come.