FORMER Arsenal player and manager Don Howe believes England desperately need a midfield maestro of the calibre of Cesc Fabregas if they are to compete at the the highest level.

Howe, who spent two years as an Arsenal player and three years at the helm between 1983 and 1986, recognises that England can boast the talents of midfield general Steven Gerrard and the prolific Frank Lampard in the middle of the park. But the former right-back insists they lack that bit of finesse and precision that Fabregas gives the Gunners to function efficiently together.

"I know I’m opening myself up to accusations of bias here thanks to my connections with Arsenal, but at the moment coach Fabio Capello does not have a midfielder of Fabregas’ stature," Howe said in his column in the Daily Telegraph.

"OK, we have Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard who would make their way into most teams, but neither of them possesses the passing range that makes Fabregas so distinctive.

"He might not chip in with as many goals as Gerrard or Lampard but when it comes creating chances he’s a class apart from that pair who are too similar for England’s good. You just need to see Arsenal in action to see how influential Fabregas can be.

"As soon as he is on the ball, striker Emmanuel Adebayor will instantly move a few yards off his marker to create some leeway because he knows Fabregas will be looking to get the ball into his feet. Adebayor will also know that the weight of the pass will be perfect.

"As we saw during the European Championship when he played a starring role for Spain, Fabregas’ ability to move the ball around ensured the midfield and attack knitted together.

"That’s not something we have been able to say about England for a long, long time."

Howe pointed to Wayne Rooney's frequent isolation up front as a major concern for England and maintained that he would be allowed to perform at the peak of his powers if there was a Fabregas-type player conducting the orchestra just behind him.

"I think back to the friendly in France last season when Wayne Rooney was playing as a lone striker and was rendered so isolated that his influence was negligible and England lost 1-0. Fabregas would make sure Rooney was busy and that would bring the best out of the Manchester United forward.

"Should Rooney be deployed as the lone striker, Chelsea’s Joe Cole is the one who has what it takes - with no Fabregas to call on - to invigorate the England attack. When it comes to dribbling, Cole has all the tricks and he is the one who Rooney will be relying on to help him wrong-foot the Czech defence."