A first cap for Joey Barton and, alarmingly, all the vindication he can ever have imagined. “Too many people pulling in different directions,” was one of his many disparaging comments about the England team and it had been impossible to discern much effective teamwork by the time that Steve McClaren’s players departed to resounding jeers last night.

Make that four matches without a win for England and what was already a treacherous trip to Israel on March 24 has assumed great significance for the head coach. The confidence of the public (and the players) is ebbing and, given that England trail Russia and Croatia in Euro 2008 qualifying group E, McClaren badly needs the stability and the breathing space of victory in Tel Aviv.

You know it has been a bad evening when it enhances only the reputations of those absent, such as Wayne Rooney — how he was missed — and Steven Gerrard, who wisely fled to the shower at half-time rather than endure any more.

If there was consolation for McClaren last night, it was that he should be able to call on that talented pair as well as Owen Hargreaves and John Terry in Israel. Add Aaron Lennon, Joe Cole, Ashley Cole and Michael Owen, and the head coach could list more than half a team of absentees, but that did not excuse the substandard fare that raised doubts about England’s stand-ins.

Expert View

Coming up short, technically, is at the root of England’s problem. They do everything in a rush

Tony Cascarino

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BACKGROUND

• No answers to Spanish inquisition

• Listless England are left with little to go on

• McClaren fails to come up with worthwhile solution

• Nearly men struggle for X-factor as Sven ghost proves hard to exorcise

This was not even the full Spanish inquisition, with Luis Aragonés leaving out several of his first team, yet still England followed an ordinary first half with a listless second. A bright Kieron Dyer could not be faulted for effort on his return, nor Ben Foster on his debut in goal, but they were only crumbs of comfort.

Barton had raised all these points, and more, in his outspoken interview in The Times in December and the crowd showed which side they were on by roaring his arrival in the 79th minute as a replacement for Frank Lampard.

The first two minutes were excellent as England started brightly. Unsustainable as that sort of tempo was, Old Trafford was entitled to hope that it would last a little longer than one flattering burst.

England’s problem was the inherent lack of balance as McClaren took a novel approach to the left-wing conundrum that has flummoxed every manager going back to Kevin Keegan — namely, by not having any left flank at all.

It has been called a void and, last night, it was exactly that with a right-footed left back in Phil Neville, the narrowest of midfield players in Lampard, and Dyer mostly running through the middle. England had lost cohesion by the time that left-footed, but one-paced, reinforcements in Gareth Barry and Stewart Downing came on in the second half.

It put even more accent on the right flank to be productive, but Shaun Wright-Phillips, predictably, was finding that sitting on the bench at Chelsea is no preparation for international football. Only he knows why he spurned the opportunity to join Martin O’Neill at Aston Villa, but let us hope it is not just because he likes the London lifestyle or the money. He may pick up more medals but staying at Stamford Bridge is only harming his long-term career.

Lennon could only have been a vast improvement and his unavailability for a second successive friendly was keenly felt. The most notable absentee, of course, was Rooney and his back problem meant that Peter Crouch was thrust into the attack on the back of mixed form with Liverpool. That became obvious when, after a wonderful pass off the outside of Gerrard’s boot, he snatched his shot across the goalmouth.

It was not much for England to show for their toil and, as they went into their half-time talk, they would have to concede that they were fortunate not to be behind. Midway through the first 45 minutes, David Villa and Miguel Ángel Angulo had prised open the England defence with alarming ease, pulling Jonathan Woodgate out of position and forcing Gary Neville to come sliding through the penalty box at such a rate of knots that he raced right past Fernando Morientes. The Valencia forward could not even hit the target, slicing wildly with his left foot to mocking jeers.

After 63 minutes, Spain did take the lead. Woodgate was again sucked out to the flanks by Villa and the lively forward, regularly linked with English suitors, wriggled free with a couple of twists and turns. Woodgate was to be replaced soon afterwards and he will hope that, after a four-year absence, a couple of obvious errors do not prevent him being given another chance.

Villa’s cross was flicked on by Rio Ferdinand and fell to Andrés Iniesta near the corner of the penalty area. Excellent for Barcelona this season, the midfield player hit a rising, curling shot into the far, top corner. A goal for England to curse but also to admire.

Helpless on that occasion, Foster had dealt competently enough with anything that did come his way, including a swerving shot from Villa, but you suspect that Paul Robinson will return for a test as daunting as Israel. England will need some other big names back for that trip if, after happily saying goodbye to 2006, McClaren is not to find 2007 giving him even more to worry about.