Becks remains unfazed

But Beckham made it clear he was not going to join the debate about his position at a press conference following training.8220;To be honest I8217;m not sat up here to discuss my own performance,8221; he said. 8220;There8217;s an agenda out there. I8217;ve got my agenda, and my agenda is to win the World Cup. I8217;m sat up here as the England captain in a very good situation. We8217;re in the last 16, we8217;re very confident going into the game. I8217;m not sat up here to discuss my own form, that8217;s for you guys to do.8221;

Eriksson has stressed repeatedly that Beckham8217;s position is safe but denied suggestions that the Real Madrid star was an 8216;untouchable8217;. Asked if he could ever envisage hauling off Beckham in the way that Portugal coach Luis Felipe Scolari controversially replaced skipper Luis Figo at 2004, Eriksson was adamant he would. 8220;I8217;m prepared to do whatever I have to if I see things going wrong,8221; he said. 8220;Whatever.8221;

Eriksson has never substituted Beckham for tactical reasons during a competitive fixture, and only replaced him against Sweden in the 2002 World Cup when he began to tire in his first match back from a long lay-off.

8220;I have taken off Beckham before,8221; Eriksson said. 8220;I8217;m not married to him, even if you think I am. He8217;s the captain, but he8217;s treated in all the same ways.At the dinner table, on the bus, on the pitch, training, matches 8212; exactly the same as all the others.He doesn8217;t have any favours just because he8217;s the captain.8221;

While Beckham has had a hand in two of the five goals England have scored and remains arguably the world8217;s most accurate striker of a ball at set pieces, the 31-year-old has struggled to offer width. His lack of pace was highlighted during the 2-0 victory over Trinidad and Tobago last week, when the introduction of Aaron Lennon in the second half made an immediate impact and paved an English win even as Bechkam was shunted to right-back position.