THE jury is still out on Glenn Hoddle.

His own 12 good men and true arrived at the right verdict - but lacked a certain conviction.

Justice was barely seen to be done and, if it hadn't been for the stunning delivery of foreman Alan Shearer, the new England boss would be facing a tougher trial in Georgia next month.

The prosecution has plenty of ammunition.

The Shearer partnership with Les Ferdinand again failed to gel.

Only twice, in the final eight minutes, when the Poles were pushing for the eqauliser and leaving gaps at the back, did the pairing show an incisive edge.

Shearer's second goal was not an example of their widely touted growing understanding at club level.

That initial strike would have landed in Cricklewood but for an initial deflection into Ferdinand's path.

For the rest of the game they were as much in harmony as Pamela Anderson and Rab C Nesbitt.

Hoddle's defensive innovation was pure kamikaze.

The basis of a successful three-man centre of defence is solidity built around three mobile but sturdy ball winners.

It is pointless using two players, Stuart Pearce and Gary Neville, whose own natural attacking instincts have to be curbed.

Andy Hinchcliffe's attacking deficiencies were exposed and David Beckham will clearly not fulfil the necessary defensive obligations of the widest man of a five-man midfield. Beckham looked like a fish out of water. The immaturity displayed in his disgusting histrionics against Rapid Vienna was reflected in his wasteful distribution.

Another to surrender possession all too often was Paul Ince and David Batty would be a more assured distributor and midfield general.

The Poles, on the other hand, crave the ball so badly that it is rarely given away.

They ruminate while digesting the options rather than spitting out control - so commonly England's gut reaction to pressure on the ball.

Their movement was more imgainative, their passing crisp and true, and their technique impeccable.

And this is a side which has not won for 13 games.

Even with a coach who has experienced the continental game at first hand, England look incapable of adopting superior tactical strategy. Steve McManaman most closely resembles their style and, while he was largley anonymous last night, the hopeful punt of a final ball alienates the Liverpool star from a large slice of the build-up.

The case for the defence is easier to make.

Shearer can win the World Cup single-handedly and is so much more comfortable leading the line.

And Paul Gascoigne lasted at least 60 minutes before tripping over his double chin.

The fact that TV pundits try to portray him as a fit and lean version of the 1990 Gascoigne at his best is laughable optimism.

Peter Reid summed up the incredible closeted naivety that is rampant throughout the Premiership.

His pre-match gem that the result would not hinge on the tactics deployed but the individual performance of the 11 men involved is the astounding premise on which our lack of club and country success is based.

The bottom line, though, is another three points.

And I, for one, don't care if we hobble all the way to France playing kick and rush - as long as we don't then moan about losing at penalties when we fail to beat teams in the competition proper.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.