After a Cyprus Cup of mixed performances and largely disappointing results, England are turning their attention to the more important quest of achieving qualification for the 2011 World Cup finals in Germany, writes TONY LEIGHTON.

Sadly the player-unavailability issues that undoubtedly affected Hope Powell’s team in Cyprus are set to continue, with both right winger Karen Carney and central defender Anita Asante certain absentees from the squad that the National Coach will shortly name for the impending qualifiers against Austria and Spain.

As well as missing injury victims Carney and Asante in Cyprus, England were without Eni Aluko and Katie Chapman due to personal reasons while Fara Williams had to return home half-way through the tournament and Kelly Smith – still struggling for fitness – was able to play only one half of one match.

Finishing fifth in a tournament which they had won 12 months earlier was obviously a disappointment, but Powell was making no excuses as she reflected on events in Cyprus while looking ahead to facing Austria on 25 March and Spain a week later.

The National Coach said: “It would be easy for me to say, ‘you know what, we had half our team missing in Cyprus,’ but I don’t want to do that.

“Games like these give some of our less recognised players the chance to gain tournament experience, to try players in different positions, and so although you want to do well in the tournament it serves its purpose in terms of developing the squad.

“As I said after last year’s European Championships, we need to work on the depth of our squad and (in Cyprus) there were certain aspects of our play, like conceding too many goals and failing to take enough of our chances, that clearly showed there is stuff we need to work on.

“If you take into account the Under-23’s then we have got a broad squad, but it’s the depth we need to work on. Players have got to come up to the mark because the expectation on us (after reaching the Euro 2009 final) is so much greater.”

(Left, Powell talks tactics with her Assistant Coach and U-23 England manager Brent Hills. Photos: Mark Hodsman)

Powell’s team will have to perform better against Austria and Spain than they did in Cyprus, where they struggled to beat South Africa and Italy while losing to Canada – the team they beat in last year’s final – and were held to a draw by Switzerland.

There were harsh words at times from Powell, who after the disappointing result against Switzerland said that, “some players need to take a look at themselves,” adding that, “there’s a possibility there could be some casualties,” when she sits down to compile her squad for the World Cup qualifiers.

England have won each of their qualifying group games to date, but Spain in particular will be tough opponents in these next two matches and the National Coach noted: “I want a squad that can get us the results we want from both games.

“We’re at a different stage to this time last year, when we had qualified for the Euro finals and we were building momentum. Now it’s about selecting a squad to get us through our World Cup qualifiers – and with the qualification process so difficult this time, we need to beat both Austria and Spain to keep ourselves on track.”