Jenas the lone answer on a night of endless questions

Three days ago, cigarette advertising hoardings were banished to history in this country on the basis that they were advertising a product that is potentially injurious to the nation's health. In the same week, we arrived at Upton Park to be confronted by posters featuring the images of Michael Owen, Rio Ferdinand, Ashley Cole and David Beckham, standing like soldiers at attention, with the legend: "Pride. Belief. Passion." One could be excused for suggesting that these advertisements, produced by one of the Football Association's "partners", Nationwide, should also have been banned. On the basis of what we witnessed against Australia, it was a gross misrepresentation of the truth.

Fortunately, the initially po-faced spectators who had paid considerable sums for the doubtful privilege of viewing this spectacle eventually relished some of the gallows humour. "Are you Roeder in disguise?" someone cried to general merriment, though that is a slander of the West Ham manager, because, for all his fallible rearguard, at least his team are organised, balanced and committed.

None of those words should have occupied the same sentence as that of England after the seniors' risible attempts in the first half. The second instalment of the friendly, drawn 1-1, was a courageous attempt to reduce the 2-0 deficit. The circumstances under which it was played, with a United Nations resolution just about being required to prise the players from their clubs, and with ludicrous restrictions on their deployment, should have warned us what to anticipate.

Yet, this is the only friendly of the season and they tend to be less rigorous exercises than competitive games (certainly, that's the manner in which old England approached it). There is no reason why some players shouldn't have played for 60 or so minutes, followed by limited substitutions, as other nations' players, France included, did on Wednesday.

Ultimately, most football followers will back the national coach when it comes to club v country spats. Eriksson is aware of that, but would seemingly leap through any hoops presented by the Premiership clubs rather than dictate his policy over friendlies, and then negotiate from a position of strength under his terms. We've had the England squad with no game – that "get-together" last last year – now a game with a sizeable squad, of whom the key players were unable to play anything like the full duration.

The conclusion can have satisfied no one, apart from certain club managers and those who'd made the short trip from the Aussie stronghold, Earls Court. "You'll never win the Ashes," they sang, almost defensively at first. Then, once Tony Popovic popped up, kangaroo-like at the far post, it was like old times at the MCG.

An hour or so after the double-header found Sven Goran Eriksson up against the wall, outside the press room toilet, the England coach's words being analysed even more intently than those of Dr Hans Blix. One should explain he was there due to the logistical limitations for interrogations at Upton Park, although in fact, Eriksson does backs-against-the-wall Q & A sessions better than just about any manager, and certainly better than his predecessor, who if he had seen his team perform with a similar absence of individual wisdom and collective cohesion and then received a similarly hostile reaction would have been hotfooting it back to his North-east bolt-hole.

"It [the result] disturbs me, in a lot of ways. But not as half as much as when we drew against Macedonia at home," Eriksson insisted. "That was important. It's important today also, but in a friendly you do a lot of experiments. The negative was the lack of concentration, but the positive was a second half with a lot of interesting young players. I think that was worth the price of the ticket."

Against the England seniors, Australia performed as Australia of any sport tend to do, with the purpose and conviction of a small country punching way above its weight of population. Mark Viduka has likely not played as convincingly all season. Yet, even if you accepted that qualification, it was possible to ask pertinent questions, the principal one being why did not some of the 16 substitutes start the game? Why David James, when a review of England's keepers would have convinced most judges that Paul Robinson should have started.

Then there's the matter of Rio Ferdinand and Sol Campbell. We've observed them in tandem sufficiently to recognise that they are not the most telepathic pairing. Why not start with Wes Brown, who increasingly looks the intelligent player he has always promised to be and suggested a hint of a Bobby Moore in front of the stand that bears the former England captain's name, and then pass the baton on to Ledley King?

It was no surprise to this observer that Jermaine Jenas rose to the occasion, in admittedly restricted circumstances. It will also not surprise him if the former Nottingham Forest midfielder becomes the more significant international of the Newcastle pair on display, Kieron Dyer flattering briefly before disappearing. It could be that Jenas, operating on the right, might offer the chance for Beckham to transfer into central midfield, where, for England, he could be more effective.

What Eriksson really made of it all is impossible to discern. He would no more boing-boing, in Martin O'Neill fashion, on the touchline or display his ire afterwards than Ann Widdecombe would take up lap-dancing. Perhaps he needs some anger management – to instil some. The problem is that when your teams have won just four out of 17 games, lack of animation tends not to be viewed as a quality.

He was asked if he felt under pressure. "Maybe, maybe not," he said after some consideration. "But if I'm half-killed in the journey, who cares; it doesn't matter as long as we do what we are here to do." With that, he departed, pondering no doubt that, with Liechenstein next, it can only get better. On this evidence, some may may beg to differ.