JUST as rain is associated with Manchester, so England’s performances have become synonymous with spluttering mediocrity this season, but while the weather conformed to stereotype last night, Sven-Göran Eriksson’s team did not. In their last competitive fixture before the World Cup finals, a sunny disposition was restored with a 2-1 victory over Poland even if, in the context of their dominance, the narrow margin of victory was disappointing.

Few at the Football Association, who intend to bid to host the tournament in 2018, will give a hoot about the scoreline. Poland were not treated to the sort of thrashing that the nation craved after four lacklustre displays in succession, but England have finished top of group six, which may have a positive effect on their seeding for Germany next summer.

Pressure, too, has been eased away from the England head coach and his players, who will spend the next eight months coping with heightened expectations rather than navel-gazing. “I always said we would qualify and now I say we’re going to do a very good World Cup,” Eriksson said. “This was much better, but we have a very, very good team.”

The evening was not without its jarring episodes. Eriksson’s recent loss of face with the public was made evident when a section of the Old Trafford crowd jeered his decision to replace the lively Shaun Wright-Phillips. Peter Crouch gambolled on to the pitch to the sound of boos, which should serve as a reminder to the Swede that goodwill cannot be relied upon without some nurturing on his behalf. Crouch may not have excelled against Austria on Saturday, but Eriksson was dismayed by the striker’s treatment.

“I don’t know if it was for me or Crouch, but anyhow we won the game,” he said. “I’m sorry if someone thinks he is not a good football player. He had played 1½ games for England before today and it is very harsh to judge him after that. He offers something different.”

Eriksson is aware that not all of his decisions will be met with approval — Sir Alex Ferguson, the Manchester United manager, who is not blessed with fit left backs at present, will be aggrieved to learn that Kieran Richardson apparently sustained a minor injury in training on Monday and aggravated it the next day — but the head coach defended his decision to replace Wright-Phillips. “I understand the crowd because he gave flair,” he said, “but he took a bad knock and hasn’t been playing much.”

Michael Owen’s claim that England rouse themselves against sturdier opposition was proved partially accurate and the Newcastle United forward led by example. Owen, who deputised as captain for the suspended David Beckham, scored his 33rd goal in 74 international appearances to give England the lead. It was his 22nd strike in competitive games, a figure that Gary Lineker also reached but none has bettered.

Owen, who also helped to create Frank Lampard’s winner, described his flicked effort as “like (Johan) Cruyff, or the nearest I’m going to get to him”, but England did possess a genuine artist in Wayne Rooney. “He’s 19 and has 27 caps — that’s absolutely incredible,” Eriksson said. “He’s not a talent, he’s a world-class player and that’s it. He can be better, but he’s fantastic.”

While they lost cohesion after Tomasz Frankowski equalised against the run of play in the 45th minute, there was no resemblance to the Three Lions side that miaowed so pathetically against Denmark, Wales, Northern Ireland and Austria. “The mood in the dressing-room is very happy,” Lampard said. “When we play like that, any team would find it hard to live with us.”

The FA hopes to be the host if, as expected, the World Cup is held in a European country in 2018. “If this is the case then England . . . will be in a position to mount a strong bid,” Geoff Thompson, the chairman, said. “Our stadia . . . are certainly among the world’s finest and our passion for football, combined with the worldwide interest in the English game, will undoubtedly contribute to the weight of England’s cause.”

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