We have gone out of two big tournaments on marginal things, almost nothing Sven-Goran Eriksson Eriksson says places up for grabs

The Newcastle striker says accusations that the England coach does not show enough passion are unfair.

"That's the way he manages. He was like that when he was appointed and he won't change so people shouldn't complain," Shearer told BBC Radio Five Live.

"A manager should be judged on results and he has guided us to the World Cup finals as he said he would do."

Interview: Former England captain Alan Shearer

Interview: Former Ireland boss Jack Charlton

Shearer was critical of England's performance in their 1-0 win over Austria on Saturday, accusing them of lacking "adventure and enthusiasm".

He continued: "I don't think confidence is particularly high and you can see that in the performances.

"Hopefully now with the objective achieved, the players will relax a bit and you might see more style and flair."

Jack Charlton, who won the World Cup with England in 1966, believes while Eriksson is not the kind of manager to shout and bawl, the Swede does need to let his squad know who is in control.

"He is a guy that will talk to people," Charlton said. "He is a very quiet sort of man. He talks in a very nice, quiet unassuming way.

He's got to find a way when things are not going too well to fire these players up. Former England defender Lee Dixon

"I've never heard him shout at anybody. He never stands up during a game and points at somebody and says 'you're not supposed to be doing this, you're supposed to be doing this'. That's not him.

"I think you need to be frightened of somebody. It's no good his assistant telling you, the man himself should be doing it."

But Charlton is confident England's players will perform in Germany 2006 and added: "I think if all the best players - and we all know who they are - play we will expect and get good performances from them."

Former Arsenal and England defender Lee Dixon agrees that Eriksson needs to work on his pre-match talk and believes the Swede could learn something from Gunners coach Arsene Wenger.

"He (Eriksson) has lost a bit of the dressing room," Dixon, who won 22 England caps between 1990 and 1999, told BBC Radio Five Live.

If England perform like they have they will not get past the second round - it's as simple as that From GS Have your say on 606

"He's got to get that back and find a way when things are not going too well in the dressing room to fire these players up.

"It's alright saying they're all on x amount of money a week and they're wearing the three lions and they've got to get up for it themselves but you also now and again look at your manager just before you go out and think: 'Go on, whatever it is, just inspire me, make the hair stick up on the back of my neck'.

"I've got it now just thinking about what Arsene used to say to me just before we went out.

"It's not shouting, ranting and raving, it's just finding out that the chemistry between the players works and I'm not sure he's got that with his players."