David Beckham expects Michael Owen, who struggled against Paraguay before he was substituted 10 minutes into the second half, to "come good", he said today.

"With Michael coming back, 55 minutes was good," said Beckham. "He's got his fitness levels back up. Michael will come good, he always does in major tournaments."

The England captain said that he and his team-mates appreciate Sven-Göran Eriksson's decision to let them spend time with their families at their World Cup training camp.

England have been given plenty of time to relax since beating Paraguay 1-0 in their Group B opener on Saturday, before returning to serious training today.

The Real Madrid midfielder believes the break can be beneficial as England seek to book a place in the last 16 on Thursday by beating Trinidad and Tobago.

Beckham told a press conference: "We're here to do a job and hopefully go all way, but it's always nice to see the families because we are away for five weeks. We are taking it seriously but a free day with family is nice. We've had a day and a half off and it's given us a chance to get rid of blisters and knocks."

Beckham believes former Manchester United team-mate Dwight Yorke presents a real threat to England in Thursday's match in Nuremberg. "Dwight has always been a threat to defenders in any game - he's one of the best forwards around. He's one of the great strikers and has been for many years. At United we won the European Cup, the league and the FA Cup - and he was a huge part of that team. It'll be nice to see him - but he's a player we have to be aware of. He's their star player - the one all their players probably look up to because of what he's done outside his country."

Trinidad and Tobago opened their Group B campaign with a goalless draw with Sweden - a result which surprised many people, but not Beckham.

The 31-year-old continued: "We always expected it to be a tight group and we always knew there were going to be tough games."

Asked how England would respond to criticism for their second half display in Saturday's 1-0 defeat of Paraguay, he added: "Work hard and get on with our training - that's the only way we can respond. If you listen to every bit of criticism as a player its going to affect you - and you can't let that happen."

The captain believes England's strength in the middle of the park will be key to their progress. "We're very lucky with our midfield - it's one of the best in Europe if not the world. With Frank (Lampard) and the way he's been playing at Chelsea, with Steven Gerrard and what he's done for Liverpool and having a player like Joe Cole on the left whose not afraid to run at players."

At the same press conference, Owen Hargreaves emphasised that he had full confidence in his own ability despite criticism from sections of the England support and from the media. The Bayern Munich midfielder was booed after coming on as a second-half substitute in the opening group victory over Paraguay, but claims the hostility towards him comes from people who have not seen him play on a regular basis.

He said: "I don't think I have to prove anything. I have achieved a lot in my 25 years, I've won the Champions League title and domestic titles, and played over 40 games in the Champions League. In the biggest games I've always played my best games, and the most important thing is belief in yourself and belief from manager. I was quite surprised there was criticism [at his inclusion in Eriksson's squad]; I would never have expected that to happen. Some people tend to have an opinion who don't know me; they don't see me week in and week out."

Hargreaves believes he would have a better chance to impress if given the chance to play from the start, as he did against Sweden and Argentina in the 2002 World Cup before coming off injured in the latter match.

He told Sky Sports News: "You take confidence from games you've played and I have had great experiences up to now. It's very difficult when you come on to impress - you're just on there to hold on and get the result. When I get the chance to play for 90 minutes I'll be ready to go. But it's difficult to have expectations [of starting matches]. It is a great team with great individuals . . We are successful as a group; we all have one goal, that is to come back as World Cup winners."

Hargreaves believes the fact he has never played club football in England counts against him and admits the booing makes his job more difficult but he is confident he can prove his critics wrong. "I was very surprised there was any criticism at all," he said. "I've never really encountered that. The situation would be easier if every time I came on they cheered. People who don't see me can be a bit sceptical and I can understand that but I believe I can prove those people wrong."

Hargreaves added: "I'm a defensive midfielder - that's my job, to get stuck in and make tackles. My job is to protect the back four and get the ball to Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard. I've played a lot of positions and I think my best position is defensive midfield whether that be for England or for Bayern."