WHENEVER the discussion turns to whether Peter Crouch should start for England, the argument goes that he is no Emile Heskey.
Too true he's not - Crouch scores goals.
The Spurs beanpole bagged a double to take his tally to 18 in 35 games for his country as England completed a superb World Cup qualifying campaign with a ninth win in 10 matches
Heskey cannot hold a candle to Crouch in the goalscoring stakes. The Villa sub has hit seven in 57 games over a decade - a record of less than one in eight.
Crouch's record is better than one in two, more prolific than even Wayne Rooney. But still Heskey is the preferred candidate for his ability to hold the ball up and bring others into the action.
Crouch can link play too, though, and, while he has only begun three games for Fabio Capello, he has scored in each of them, all qualifiers.
He has struck in his last six starts going back over two years - and has netted 16 on the 18 occasions he has been named in the first XI. There is a message there somewhere.
Yet clearly he still has a way to go to convince Capello. The manager was hardly lavish in his praise. "I know he scores goals," said the Italian. "He is one part of the squad."
Poor Crouchie. While he works his socks off trying to get on the plane to South Africa, bearded-wonder David Beckham trots on for half an hour and gets the man-of-the-match award.
The decision was made by ITV pundit Steve Bruce, the Sunderland boss, to general incredulity, including from Beckham himself and Capello.
Yes, Becks did his bit, setting up the second goal and hitting the outside of the post but no way could his performance overshadow that of Gareth Barry and Crouch. Crouch took just four minutes to register again for England and owed much to the vision of Barry.
Back in for Michael Carrick, Barry had an excellent game in the holding role but showed he can create goals with a glorious ball to his old Villa team-mate Gabriel Agbonlahor.
The young striker has pace to burn and got behind the defence to cross low into the six-yard box, where Crouch slid the ball over the line with the sole of his left boot.
It is said Crouch doesn't score in big games but he doesn't get to start in them. Perhaps it's time he did.
Capello experimented with all-out pace around Crouch, using Agbonlahor as his side-kick, Shaun Wright-Phillips on the left and Aaron Lennon on the opposite flank.
The trouble for Wright-Phillips was that because he is so one-footed, he was continually having to cut inside, although he did go close early on with a shot which fizzed past the post.
Neither Wright-Phillips nor Lennon can cross like Beckham, which is one of the conundrums for Capello. They have speed but the final ball leaves a lot to be desired.
Agbonlahor showed his blistering pace by sprinting from halfway and smashing in a shot which was saved by Yury Zhevnov.
England's finishing was not all it could have been, however, and Glen Johnson sliced an effort so badly wide from eight yards that the ball flew out for a throw-in.
Capello was getting animated on the touchline, just as in Ukraine, shouting at his players and raising his arms in exasperation.
But, with England having already qualified for the World Cup finals, this was a subdued affair played out in a three-quarters full stadium.
England were in control and for Ben Foster, in for the injured David James, it was a welcome easy ride after a torrid time for Manchester United recently. He did get to make one good save as he sprang to his left to keep out a shot from Sergei Omelyanchuk.
Frank Lampard had a free-kick pushed over by Zhevnov after the break and then Capello ruled it was Beckham time and on he came to earn his 115th cap.
Within two minutes, he spotted Wright-Phillips free on the edge of the box and took a quick corner.
The Manchester City ace hammered his shot goalwards and Zhevnov tamely pushed it into the net.
Carlton Cole replaced Agbonlahor as Crouch's partner, hoping to redeem himself for missing a good late chance against Ukraine.
Cole did so, collecting a ball from Barry and firing in a drive which the keeper shovelled straight to Crouch, who tucked away the chance.
There could have been more as sub James Milner worked a piece of magic and hit the inside of the post then Beckham, looking for his first England goal at Wembley, struck the outside of the left upright.
How the Becks' fan club would have loved to see that one go in.
