In times of need, teams look to captains for their example, for the focus and leadership to guide them through rough seas.

When the skipper's reaction to a performance that is falling apart around him is to shake his head, shrug his shoulders and stand waiting for somebody else to do his work for him, then one or two might start shouting 'Mayday!'

England were in need of guidance in the 2-1 win over Malta in Valletta. They got only the downside of Alan Shearer and with just a week to go before Kevin Keegan's side meet Portugal in Eindhoven, his captain's form must be the coach's biggest concern.

Shearer may affect a lack of concern about his six-game goal drought, pointing to the 12 games he had gone without scoring before Euro 96 and the manner he repaid Terry Venables' faith then.

But that was a different Shearer - four years younger, lacking the physical scars of two subsequent operations and with his international career still looking forwards rather than facing the final chapter.

When that version of Shearer did not get the ball, he would go looking for it. Now, aware that he has had to adapt his game to his body, the Newcastle man is left imploring others to do it for him.

Malta's collection of enthusiastic but limited part-timers should have presented the perfect opportunity for a player as streetwise as Shearer to add to his 28 England goals and give Keegan's side a morale-boosting launchpad for their Euro 2000 campaign.

Instead, Shearer was the embodiment of all England's worries.

At the back, they were undone time and again by simple diagonal balls, with goalkeeper Richard Wright as nervous as a newborn kitten, conceding two penalties with unnecessary dashes from his line, even if he redeemed himself by keeping out David Carabott's second legitimate spot-kick in injury-time.

In midfield, only Paul Scholes and the increasingly assured Nick Barmby were on the pace. Up front, Shearer's disaffected dis-play gave Kevin Phillips little chance to impress.

Malta's view of the England skipper was encapsulated by defender Brian Said, who remarked: 'Shearer was complaining and moaning all the time about getting no service. He wanted crosses whipped in from the wings but they just weren't coming.'

Shearer's frustrations were summed up by the unpleasant and needless elbow he appeared to thrust into the face of Darren Debono, which left the central defender with a smashed nose.

Yet, the onus must be on Shearer himself to get it right. It is not enough to shout and scream for the ball. He has to make himself more available by running into channels so he can be picked out.

There are plenty who believe Keegan has got it wrong by effectively guaranteeing Shearer a starting place at the tournament which will bring down the curtain on his international career.

Keegan says he will not hesitate to drop him and Shearer insisted: 'If anybody thinks I will get my place on sentiment alone, they don't know Kevin.'

But the reality is that the coach views Shearer as a talisman. That means Michael Owen, Robbie Fowler, Emile Heskey and Phillips are competing for one place, aware that if they fail alongside Shearer, it will not be the skipper who is made the fall-guy.

There is a reason for that. The statistics tell the story and you do not discard somebody who has scored 28 goals, including seven in nine major championship matches, until you have a proven, better alternative.

The trouble is that you cannot turn form on and off like a light bulb, certainly not at the highest level.

Unless you are right in every aspect, you will not deliver and over the next week, Keegan must find a way of helping Shearer recapture some of his zest. It is clear that Shearer would prefer to be partnered by Heskey.

Just as Duncan Ferguson takes so much of the physical pressure off Shearer at St James' Park, the Liverpool hulk demonstrated against Malta his capacity for absorbing the kicks and bruises when he replaced the skipper - who was unconcerned by his jarred knee.

Despite Heskey's reward of his first England goal to win the match, Keegan must decide if playing crash-bang-wallop will lead to success. The fact that Owen was the only unused outfield substitute in a match of a ridiculous 17 changes suggested that he will partner the captain next week.

One problem was that Shearer's apparent indifference - although the Debono incident proved he was not entirely unconcerned - spread through the ranks, a sign of disinterest that would not have encouraged unyielding faith the length and breadth of the country.

But it must be put into context. England went into Italia 90 on the back of a late, late equaliser by Steve Bull in Tunisia, while the last game before Euro 96 was the shocker against the Hong Kong Golden Select.

If England had taken the chances that fell to Shearer, Phillips, Barmby, Fowler, Scholes and Heskey, it might have papered over the evident cracks.

Perhaps it was better that they did not. This was an ineffective and unconvincing display that proved once and for all how important Tony Adams, incapacitated by a stomach bug, will be in the weeks to come.

While Shearer remains the captain, he is not the inspirational chief lieutenant that Adams becomes the instant he sets foot in the dressing-room.

When it comes to rattling cages, there is nobody better and it is hard to believe that England's performance would have been so impoverished with the Arsenal skipper in the middle of the back four.

Keegan was looking for a display full of positive intent, clever passing and movement, solidity at the back and a little swagger of unquestioned belief.

Instead, his side stared over the precipice of abject humiliation as they were caught up in the holiday crowd atmosphere.

It was simply not good enough. Keegan conceded that but he remains convinced that Adams will make all the difference. 'Tony is the key,' said Keegan.

'You want him there. It's not just England. If you look at Arsenal as well. When he's not been there, they've not got the same results. He's a leader, an organiser and a very experienced player.'

Adams' verbal leadership will be all-important at Euro 2000. Keegan added: 'In the dressing room before the Ukraine game I sat back and watched Tony spend two minutes on his own with Steve Gerrard. That was the best two minutes Steve will have in his life.

'He was telling him about the game at this level and that he should have no fears. It's much better coming from him than me.'

Keegan badly missed Adams, both on the pitch and in the dressing-room, as the shortcomings of the 4-4-2 system he will use next Monday were laid bare.

'We were too predictable on the ball at the back,' said the boss. 'Martin Keown and Phil Neville were on the ball a lot but neither really hurt anybody with that possession.

'The boys know I want somebody to come out with the ball. Tony did that against the Ukraine. He just came out five or 10 yards, which releases the inventive players in an area where they can cause a bit of damage.

'It's not enough at this level for somebody just to be a good defender. He has to be a very competent defender and be able to come out with it.'

Those words hint at good news for Sol Campbell, despite another below-par performance, and a place on the bench for Keown, who had waited eight years to score his second England goal.

Campbell has the ability to bring the ball out and benefits from Adams' advice in his ear - but he must start listening hard.

As Keegan conceded, similar lackadaisical displays in Euro 2000 would see his team 'picked off' and such weak defending would leave him 'distraught'.

At least Barmby is buzzing and further proof of the damage David Beckham's dead-ball delivery can pose gave Keegan something positive from the match.

But they were crumbs of comfort. If England are to make an impact, they must be right in every department and must score goals. Shearer remains the most likely source - but only if he is absolutely right.

Malta (3-5-1-1): Barry (Muscat, 90min); Debono (Camilleri, 33), Buttigieg (Chetcuti, 55), Said (Okonkwo, 78); Carabott (Ciantar, 90), Brincat (Holland, 82), Vella (Theuma, 41), Turner (Veselji, 87), Spiteri (Dimech, 78); Agius (Mallia, 60); Busuttil (Nwoko, 46). Booked: Carabott, Theuma.

England (4-4-2): Wright; G Neville, Keown (Southgate, 59), Campbell, P Neville; Beckham (Barry, 79), Wise (Ince, 68), Scholes (McManaman, 68), Barmby; Shearer (Heskey, 51), Phillips (Fowler, 59).

Referee: Stefano Braschi (Italy).

Man of the match: Nick Barmby.