Denmark's speed on flanks is greatest threat to England

Anyone who witnessed Denmark's destruction of France at Inchon on Tuesday will know the size of the task facing England when they take on Morten Olsen's team in Niigata today. I was one of those privileged to be there and the way the Danes left the world champions so demoralised was the strongest possible warning for Sven Goran Eriksson and his men.

By the time Jon Dahl Tomasson inflicted the coup de grâce to complete Denmark's victory it was only adding insult to injury. Thomas Gravesen had found substitute Kasper Bogelund on the left in the space vacated by Bixente Lizarazu (Ashley Cole be warned) and, although I thought Tomasson pulled back Marcel Desailly by the shirt before racing to hit the ball first time underneath Fabian Barthez, it was another piece of fine play that led to the goal.

This was just one example of the Danish efficiency which has characterised their play since 52-year-old Olsen took charge in July 2000 to replace the successful Swedish coach, Bo Johansson.

The Danes are co-ordinated in the most positive sense, using the ball well and playing tightly as an organised unit. Although having to play two of their three matches, against Senegal and France, in the heat of the afternoon, they continued to perform as a compact, cohesive, pressing unit, involving great expenditure of energy.

In what is becoming a familiar scenario in this competition, Stig Tofting and Thomas Gravesen ruled the midfield against France, the crunching tackles you would expect from such a fearsome-looking pair being complimented by passing of a quality that would surprise anyone who has not seen them play for Bolton Wanderers and Everton in the Premiership. There is no need for nutrient enriching mousse for this pair. In this respect they are in direct contrast with David Beckham, but follicle artistry is not what this game is about. It is football artistry. On both counts Beckham and England should win. But why, then, are the Danes so successful?

Behind the bald and bitter pair, young Christian Poulsen of FC Copenhagen did a fine holding job in front of two stalwart centre-backs, 24-year-old Martin Laursen of Milan and the experienced 32-year-old captain, Rene Henriksen. Poulsen received a second yellow card and will be ineligible, although I doubt whether he would have played anyway.

Olsen, a shrewd coach, changed from his normal 4-3-3 to a 4-1-4-1 for the France game and it was successful. He may be tempted to repeat the idea by playing Bogelund, the 21-year-old PSV defender, in the holding role.

Although it is to be hoped that Paul Scholes, David Beckham or Nicky Butt get forward from the midfield, there will be no Zinedine Zidane for them to contend with in that hole just off the front. If this is the way Olsen intends to play, Ebbe Sand, the Schalke 04 striker, may again be sacrificed, although he started Denmark's opening two matches in Korea. However, if Tomasson is unfit, Sand could play from the start.

Where Denmark excel in an attacking sense is through the use of their wide players, Dennis Rommedahl of PSV on the right and Chelsea's Jesper Gronkjaer on the left. Martin Jorgensen of Udinese, who replaced the injured Stamford Bridge man against Senegal, may well begin in the wide left berth. What England will have to guard against is the pace, particularly of Rommedahl, on the flanks. If Arsenal's Cole overlaps, as he has been doing so well, Rommedahl is likely to exploit his temporary absence. If Rommedahl switches wings, as he did to score the opening goal against the beleaguered French, Danny Mills will be required to be wary against his electric pace, especially if Beckham moves freely into central midfield as he did against Nigeria, leaving Mills in a one-versus-one situation.

Sunderland's Thomas Sorensen has done really well in goal so far, but where Denmark can be exploited is on the left of their defence. The squad captain, Jan Heintze, another PSV player, is approaching his 39th birthday and did not feature against France. He was substituted after 57 minutes against Senegal and his replacement from Manchester City, Niclas Jensen, although having performed competently, is inexperienced at this level.

The left centre-back, Rene Henriksen of Panathinaikos, although a threat at set pieces, lacks the pace and mobility to deal with Michael Owen. So, passes between the left-back and left centre-back, carefully weighted into space, will cause havoc against a back four which pushes up in traditional fashion.

In contrast, from what I have seen on television, the England defenders, superbly controlled by Rio Ferdinand, are not pushing up as they normally would do in the Premiership. Against Nigeria, the game became stretched and was very long, resulting in huge uncommon spaces remaining between the back four and middle, and between middle and front.

This prevented England being caught out by a ball over the top, but it left oceans of space in which the opposition could play in midfield and allow the game to be most unlike the normal English club fixture. Significantly, too, it meant that Cole's splendid overlaps had often to start from a deep position. He was understandably exhausted and was substituted.

I contend that it will be in Denmark's interest to make the game compact, and I'm sure that England will respond similarly, resulting in a typical European Cup tie. England struck the most decisive blow of the whole competition by beating Argentina, so what I cannot understand in the post-game analysis of the Nigerian match is why there was so much carping and criticism, especially as it has not all being plain sailing for Eriksson.

The England manager's perennial problems filling the left of midfield have conspired to push Trevor Sinclair into the limelight. At 29, he thought that his last chance of playing in a World Cup had passed him by when Beckham and Kieron Dyer recovered from injury.

The West Ham player flew home from Asia only to be recalled 24 hours after Danny Murphy broke a bone in his foot. Then Owen Hargreaves' injury propelled Sinclair right into the spotlight after only 19 minutes of the Argentina game. A burgeoning left-side partnership with Cole is the pleasing outcome. This could be another critical area where the uncompromising Thomas Helveg of Milan, the Danish right-back, struggles against genuine pace and close footwork.

My information is that, as usual, Sven's preparation is meticulous. To practise penalties including the lonely, nerve-racking walk from the centre circle is not only sensible, but innovative. Will he, as the great Bill Shankly recommended, not allow the same player to take a second penalty, thus putting the pressure and more decision-making on the kicker rather than the goalkeeper? If Beckham scores from the spot during normal time, would he then be one of the first five kickers if the game, as well it might, goes to penalties after extra time?

Another minor tactical discrepancy – although it could turn out to be a major factor – is to see the left-footed Cole defend corners at the left-hand post. Surely he would protect the line better with his favoured foot were he positioned at the other post? This would allow his right-footed colleague to be more comfortably placed at David Seaman's left.

I believe in two things in football coaching. The first is that the biggest mistake is to be afraid of making one. Neither Eriksson nor Olsen is afraid to be pro-active, so we should witness a positive, fascinating tactical battle with changes from the bench during play and substitutions, like that of Italy's Alessandro Del Piero, which could be decisive.

England have the stronger bench but they should beware the pace of Peter Lovenkrands, of Rangers, who had a wonderful end to the domestic season by scoring twice in the Scottish Cup final against Celtic, should he be unleashed from the bench. Secondly, the easiest team to coach is someone else's. Consequently, I have not lost a game since coming to Korea!

Head to Head: England v Denmark

1910: Denmark 1 England 2 (Friendly)

1911: England 3 Denmark 0 (Friendly)

1914: Denmark 0 England 3 (Friendly)

1948: Denmark 0 England 0 (Friendly)

1955: England 5 Denmark 1 (Friendly)

1956: England 5 Denmark 2 (World Cup qualifier)

1957: Denmark 1 England 4 (World Cup qualifier)

1966: Denmark 0 England 2 (Friendly)

1971: Denmark 2 England 3 (Friendly)

1972: Denmark 1 England 2 (friendly)

1978: Denmark 3 England 4 (Euro 80 qualifier)

1979: England 1 Denmark 0 (Euro 80 qualifier)

1982: Denmark 2 England 2 (Euro 84 qualifier)

1983: England 0 Denmark 1 (Euro 84 qualifier)

1988: England 1 Denmark 0 (Friendly)

1989: Denmark 1 England 1 (Friendly)

1990: England 1 Denmark 0 (Friendly)

1992: Denmark 0 England 0 (Euro 92, Sweden)

1994: England 1 Denmark 0 (Friendly)

Total Record: England 15, Denmark 1, Draw 4.