These days it’s hard to imagine Lillian Thuram as anything but a centre back – and a great one at that. However with Blanc and Desailly occupying these positions, Thuram had to make do with right back for World Cup ’98, scoring two goals in the semi-final. It is still very early to be making such exalted comparisons, but why can’t Richards do the same?

Gareth Barry is almost the antithesis of Richards. Where Richards is confident, loud and impossible to overlook, Barry is an unassuming, tidy, docile character. Such traits are generally not appealing to either tabloid writers or the more tactically unaware England supporters and it would seem until now, England managers. Barry’s early international appearances under Kevin Keegan demonstrated great potential – despite poor results. Under KK there were talents emerging, and he was definitely one for the future. However, Keegan quit, Eriksson arrived and after a handful of squad appearances, Barry disappeared. Sven had Chris Powell and Ashley Cole and so didn’t need another left back, as Barry was in those days - or was he a left sided midfielder, or a centre back? And here with lies the problem perhaps – England managers hate players who they don’t know what to do with (note Matt Le Tissier), and Barry’s willingness to muck in wherever Villa needed him to, seemed to count against him. Eventually, he emerged as a consistent left sided midfielder - a position in the England team that had very few capable applicants - yet still Barry was in the cold and unable to break in to Sven’s squad.

Villa supporters of my acquaintance have told me for years that Barry has been criminally overlooked. I agreed he was worthy of a go on the left wing, especially if Alan Thompson and Steve Guppy merited it, yet to be honest, I felt there were far more pressing matters requiring attention – Alan Smith’s permanent residency in the squad for example. However, it is in the supposedly alien position of central midfield that he has shone this past week. Just as the width on the right has never looked more elastic, the ball’s transit through the centre of the park has seldom appeared more effortless. Passes to feet, tidily controlled and then distributed well, with hardly any wastage or unforced error. Barry set about his task without fuss and, defensively, the instincts he developed as youngster served him well – he was regularly back defending against Russia, at one point foiling a promising Russian move in the box. What he also gives England is a left foot at set pieces. How many years has it been since that was the case? His corners set Owen up for the first against Russia, Richards the third against Israel and, just for good measure, it was his pass that allowed Owen to turn and fire the second against Israel. Also worth noting is that Gerrard, by his own high standards, had two fairly quiet games. Had they both been on song, that midfield would be something to behold.

England’s last three qualifiers have been won 3-0, and not one has featured the Lampard/Gerrard combination in the centre of the park. Hopefully, the fallacy that England must be superior if they both play can be discarded forever. On the evidence of these two games, Barry should at the very least stay in the squad and could make the holding role his own. He, along with Richards, Wright-Phillips and Heskey, has taken his opportunity nicely and all deserve to stay in against Estonia even if the senior players are available.

Now, what was that about a crisis?