Arnesen travelled to Villa Park to watch Sven's men take on the Dutch and saw them play a more offensive style, with Michael Owen in attack supported either side by Wayne Rooney and Shaun Wright-Phillips.

"I thought it was very interesting to see England play a 4-3-3 formation and I think it was right for Sven-Goran Eriksson to try this out in a friendly match like this," said Arnesen.

"His priority was to try the 4-3-3 system and not just to watch the individual players, so it was totally understandable he did this in a friendly.

"He didn't need to play 4-4-2 against Holland in preparation for the next World Cup qualifiers, because his players know that system inside out."

Speaking in his column for the official Spurs matchday programme, the former PSV Eindhoven player and technical director, who won a string of honours during his time Holland including the European Cup and eleven Dutch Championships, backed Sven's choice to try a new formation.

"I fully agree with Sven's decision," added Arnesen, "and he takes out of that game his ideas for the future. 

"It gave him the possibilities to watch other players like Downing and Johnson. It's not only about seeing them playing in the match itself, but it's also about how they fit in with the rest of the squad, how they train, how they interact and how they are mentally, socially and of course technically.

"Sven will have learnt a lot more about these new players than people appreciate."

The former Danish international also says that the England were unlucky not come away with a win after enjoying a great first-half spell in which Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard was used as an attacking midfielder.

"I thought the game was very interesting, especially when England moved Steven Gerrard from being a holding midfielder into attacking Holland's holding midfielder, Heitinga.

"That changed the game and for that quarter of the match, England pressurised the Dutch much better, played very well and could have scored a couple of goals to win the game. "