England simply must play better against Turkey than they did in Liechtenstein - the stakes for Euro 2004 qualification are just too high for anything else.
Sven-Goran Eriksson's side were desperately disappointing, even in victory, and the need for a win at Sunderland's Stadium of Light is clear.
If they do not win this game there is every chance they will need three points in the decider in Turkey to avoid the play-offs, and that would be a very tall order.
But in a perverse way, I feel confident England will play better against superior opposition in the Turks, despite events in Vaduz on Saturday.
England's side have big game players used to playing important matches every week - and I think they will be fired up for this on Wednesday.
 Heskey's power and pace, if he wants to use them, are very big assets, but he needs to show he is really hungry against Turkey Former England captain Terry Butcher |
Eriksson's men can turn around all the recent doom and gloom with one victory against Turkey.
England need to be more fired up. I want to see more passion. I want to see better passing, better ball retention, and more service to the front men.
They must get out of the blocks quick and make life as difficult as possible for Turkey.
There have been calls for Everton's Wayne Rooney to replace Emile Heskey alongside Michael Owen, but I think this would be a very big game to put the boy into.
But we need to see Heskey at his best if he plays.
Heskey's power and pace, if he wants to use them, are very big assets, but he needs to show he is really hungry against some tough Turkish defenders.
One thing is for sure - this is a massive, massive game.
It is easily the biggest, setting the World Cup aside, since England faced Greece in that crucial qualifier at Old Trafford.
And in Turkey, they face high quality opposition.
Turkey are a very strong attacking force and will be ultra-confident after finishing third in the World Cup. This was a massive boost for them.
They have got maximum points in Euro 2004 so far, and are scoring lots of goals.
But they give teams a chance and do believe England will get opportunities to score against them.
Turkey have good players who play in the top leagues all over Europe, so they are clearly a very talented side.
They pass the ball well. Tugay orchestrates and dictates things from the middle of the park, as we have seen with Blackburn this season.
Turkey are based upon a solid defence and have a very good goalkeeper in Rustu, while others play within the framework of the team.
But Turkey also have a bit of devilment, panache and skill. They do something different, which can catch teams out.
But I think England will respond to the challenge of playing a better team in Turkey.
England should still have hope and optimism about the team.
They simply can't play as poorly as they did against Liechtenstein - and I'm banking on it being a case of cometh the hour cometh the men.
MMIX
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