ENGLAND captain Alan Shearer yesterday threw down the gauntlet to Argentina, claiming: People are saying that this is our biggest test - but it's theirs as well. They won't be relishing playing us. And as England prepare to face their toughest challenge of the Glenn Hoddle era, the striker is convinced that the side have got what it takes to reach the last eight and spark off huge celebrations back home. ''They've not conceded a goal yet, but I don't believe they've really been tested so far - even Japan caused them a few problems at the back. We've certainly got the ammunition to get a goal or two. After an unconvincing performance against Romania, England bounced back with a tremendous display against Colombia last Friday to book their place for tonight's clash of the titans. Shearer insists that the team have the quality and desire to progress still further, and that the South Americans' billing as one of the pre-tournament favourites doesn't faze them. A great deal is made of the psychological element involved in football these days, and he insisted: There was an aura, a feeling, in the dressing room the other night, that told me we weren't going to get beaten. I told the manager before the game that the feel-good factor was there. That was in evidence straightaway. Shearer accepts it won't be so easy to do the same to tonight's opponents, but added: It was good to be part of such an attack-minded side. They couldn't turn that tide back. We got at them from minute one, and dominated for long periods. It might be difficult to go at Argentina the same way, because they have better players who might hurt us. When you play that way, it's inevitable that you'll leave gaps. When added to Hoddle's recent observation that you can change formation and tactics without altering personnel, that is perhaps the broadest hint so far about the plan for this evening - expect more cat and mouse than bat out of hell. Not surprisingly, Shearer is a big admirer of Gabriel Batistuta, the Argentine striker whose style is more English physicality than Latin trickery. He's an excellent player, he admitted. You just have to look at his record, 40-odd goals in 60-odd games is fantastic. People might say he's only played against the likes of Bolivia and Ecuador, but he's scored goals wherever he's been. He's one of the world's best, without a doubt. BatiGol represents a massive barrier to England's hopes and Shearer does not need telling how much victory would mean to the English people, although not just because of the Hand of God as some sections of the media would have us believe. "Players don't talk about history, he explained. None of us were playing then, none of us were part of the squad, so it had nothing to do with us. We'd like to beat them and then say to the country: �There you are'. We want to beat them first. It's not our style to talk about revenge - you can't do that. You can say it afterwards. We'll leave that word alone until after the game. But if we can do that, it will make everybody believe we can achieve success. A nation is desperate to believe. Tonight, we'll find out if we dare to.

INCE BACKS �NERVELESS' OWEN TO DO THE BUSINESS   MICHAEL OWEN could be England's super-charged hero against Argentina, according to club and international teammate Paul Ince. The Liverpool midfielder feels the jet-heeled teenager has the pace to make nonsense of the bookies' odds and help secure a shock victory. Owen surprised Colombia on his full World Cup debut and Ince believes the 18-year-old will be undaunted by the task of becoming the first opponent to score against Argentina in France 98. Ince, who has shaken off his ankle injury, said: "He was given his first World Cup start in a game where we needed a result to qualify for the next stage and showed no nerves. I think his all-round performance merited a goal. Nothing fazes him. We have Argentina but he doesn't care who he plays against and what reputation they might have. He got beyond the Colombians a number of times and he has the pace to do that to anyone in the world." The tigerish midfielder is convinced England can reach the last eight: We created a lot of chances against Colombia but, in a way, it was a good job that we didn't beat them by four or five goals. If that had been the case everyone might have been going over the top and expecting the same thing to happen today." While Ince was giving Owen a verbal morale boost, central defender Sol Campbell was making mental plans to stop Argentina forward Gabriel Batistuta. The Tottenham star knows he will have to pull out all the stops to contain BatiGol, who cracked the only hat-trick of the competition so far against Jamaica, but relishes the challenge of avenging England's controversial l986 defeat in Mexico. "I've seen Batistuta many times in the Italian League and in this World Cup - and he is deadly in front of goal, he said. If he gets a chance he will bury it - but we will be looking to deny him those sort of opportunities. It will be a great challenge, and the better the striker the more you have got to raise your game - and keep on raising it. Campbell also preached the party line that England can topple the South Americans, who are overwhelming favourites with the bookmakers: There is belief in our camp, and if we can produce a performance which is as good as the one against Colombia, we have a good chance of winning through.

IT'S ALL WHITE ON THE NIGHT		SCHOLES THINKING FAST
GLENN HODDLE believes the omens from 1966 are pointing toward World Cup glory against Argentina tonight. England will run out at the Stade Geoffroy Guichard in St Etienne wearing an all white kit, because the leave-nothing-to-chance coach thinks their red change strip will clash with the colours worn by Danish referee Kim Nielsen. Alf Ramsey's side wore all white in their infamous quarter-final clash with the South Americans at Wembley 32 years ago. It was a game ruined by the brutal tactics of the Argentineans, who had captain Antonio Rattin sent off before Geoff Hurst's first World Cup goal settled it. ''I take your minds straightaway to 1966 and the quarter-final we won,'' said Hoddle. ''We played in white then and that'll do me tonight. I like all white, it's a nice kit. If we're playing in it, then we'll play in it. But, in 1966, it was a good omen.'' The England boss also revealed he will take a private moment in the build-up to get his mind ready for the biggest test he has ever faced. I'll have a moment of thought, Hoddle confirmed. I've always done that, from when I was a player. I try to calm my mind and look at it in a positive way. It's not a religious thing. You have to be focused. "The difficult thing is finding the time, because so many things are coming at you in the build-up to a match like this. But I will snatch that moment, whenever I can.		PAUL SCHOLES has urged England to avoid falling into the trap against Argentina that led to their downfall against Romania. The Manchester United midfielder believes Glenn Hoddle's side paid the penalty for allowing the East Europeans to dictate the pace of the game in Toulouse, which ended in a 2-1 defeat. He feels it is vital that England start at the same high tempo which enabled them to establish a grip against Colombia on Friday. Their pace barely dropped from the first whistle and they ran out comfortable 2-0 winners. I hope we can put a lot of early pressure on Argentina like we did against the Colombians and play the game at the pace that we want to play it, get on top and create a few chances, he said. That was the problem against Romania, when the tempo was slow and we fell into their hands. I don't think we can let Argentina dictate in the same manner. Against Colombia, the tempo of the game was quicker and we did the business. We had a lot more options with the pace of Michael Owen and Alan Shearer plus the passing of Darren Anderton and David Beckham. We went out with all guns firing and that's what we want today. Scholes was voted England's most consistent player in the group stages by French newspaper L'Equipe and he believes he has the shooting power which may prove decisive in St Etienne. England's clockwork orange, who scored a spectacular goal from outside the area in the group game against Tunisia, said: "I am always confident when I am shooting. You have to have the belief that you are going to find the net. There is no point in being negative. It helps me shooting every day in practice against Peter Schmeichel at Old Trafford. You have to produce something special to get past him!"

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