Group Six: David Beckham was sitting behind a table so it was difficult to see if his fingers were crossed behind his back but there was a moment yesterday when he publicly acknowledged that Shaun Wright-Phillips might cost him his place in Sven-Goran Eriksson's team.
England's captain quickly jumped back aboard Planet Beckham, saying he "thrived on the pressure", but his tone had changed considerably from the many times when he had talked of winning 100-plus caps without an "if selected, of course" to be heard.
Eriksson, too, has given the impression there is about as much chance of him dropping Beckham as there is of Posh Spice taking out a library card. Yesterday, however, the Real Madrid midfielder had modified his attitude in relation to the outstanding development of Wright-Phillips, first at Manchester City and now in the embryonic stages of his career with Chelsea.
"Shaun's one of the best talents to come out of our country and he's now playing for the best team in the Premiership," said Beckham. "Sven has that ruthless streak in him, believe me. It might not always look like that but it's there and if he thought I wasn't playing well enough, or that Shaun was playing better in the same position, he would be strong enough to say that and take me out of the team. It doesn't matter at all that I'm captain."
A campaign is certainly developing for Wright-Phillips's inclusion on the right, particularly if Jose Mourinho's tutorship can elevate him to a new level, as it has for the likes of John Terry and Joe Cole. Eriksson's support for Beckham has been unwavering but if he goes ahead with his experimental 4-3-2-1 formation against Wales today he might have a serious dilemma ahead of Wednesday's game against Northern Ireland, when Michael Owen will return to partner Wayne Rooney.
If Wright-Phillips excels in Beckham's usual position, would Eriksson do the unthinkable and retain Chelsea's £21-million signing ahead of the Real Madrid superstar?
Students of the Eriksson philosophy - title of thesis: Never Drop Big-Name Players - would say no. In fact, Eriksson has gone on record to say that Beckham is a fixture in the team. Beckham, however, is not so certain. "He might have said that but things can change. If Shaun . . . sets up five goals and we win 5-0, it would be amazing for the team."
Beckham is certainly not against the idea of sitting in a deep-lying central-midfield position, a role in which he is well practised at Madrid. Indeed, he gave his support to the idea when, along with Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard, he was consulted by Eriksson on Tuesday evening, a standard meeting that has been distorted in some quarters with allegations that the players dictated to the England coach their preferred tactics.
"I don't understand where this player-power thing has come from," said Beckham. "We can talk to Mr Eriksson and put our views across but we also know he always has the final say and if he doesn't agree with what we say he will go with his own instincts. It's ridiculous to suggest the players are picking the team."
Describing Eriksson's discarding of David James and Glen Johnson as "not a shock", Beckham went on to describe the Swede as "a forceful manager even if it doesn't come out like that". How forceful might depend on how Wright-Phillips fares against the Welsh defence. Whatever havoc he might wreak, there will be a lingering suspicion that Eriksson will not relegate Beckham to the bench.
One certainty, however, is that it is not a bad thing that Beckham no longer rates himself as undroppable - not for his ego or for the team. With Wright-Phillips coming up behind him Beckham cannot afford any lapse.
WALES (probable): Danny Coyne; Richard Duffy, Robert Page, David Partridge, Danny Gabbidon, Sam Ricketts; Carl Fletcher, Simon Davies, Carl Robinson; Ryan Giggs (capt), John Hartson
ENGLAND (probable): Paul Robinson; Phil Neville, Jamie Carragher, Rio Ferdinand, Ashley Cole; Shaun Wright-Phillips, David Beckham (capt), Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Joe Cole; Wayne Rooney
Referee: Valentin Ivanov (Russia)
