As Beckham's form improved, Eriksson found himself with increasingly little reason to look elsewhere for the centre of England's team.
Beckham had returned to the national side as the reigning Ballon d'Or winner and FIFA World Player of the Year. No player based in English football had previously completed that double in the same year, and the achievement had elevated his standing even further.
For Eriksson, there were practical reasons to build around him.
The scandal surrounding the England manager had weakened his position within the FA, and results had become more important than ever. Beckham had already shown against Northern Ireland that he could dictate England's play from deep midfield while providing the leadership Eriksson needed from his captain.
There were external considerations too.
Beckham's popularity in Britain had become extraordinary since winning the two major individual awards, while his worldwide profile had risen to another level entirely.
He might not have been universally regarded as the most technically gifted footballer in the world, but in terms of fame and commercial value there were few who could approach him.
Ronaldinho was a phenomenon.
Zidane remained one of football's greatest names.
But Beckham occupied a different commercial universe.
New Manchester United's commercial department had been quick to exploit that appeal, just as it had carefully built the identities of the club's other young stars.
Ronaldo was the fearless, flamboyant prodigy.
Kaká was elegant, disciplined and devout.
Messi was the quiet genius who still seemed almost like the boy next door.
And Beckham was football's most recognisable global celebrity.
Few clubs possessed such a wide range of marketable personalities in the same squad.
That helped explain why New Manchester United's international profile had already overtaken several established Premier League clubs and was beginning to challenge Manchester United's commercial dominance.
Sponsors loved them.
Broadcasters loved them.
Supporters from completely different backgrounds could all find someone in the squad with whom they identified.
The club's consistent charity and community work only strengthened that appeal.
England benefited from it as well.
For the latest internationals, Eriksson selected four New Manchester United players.
Beckham.
Terry.
Curtis.
Ishmael.
The first three had become important members of the senior side.
Ishmael was not yet a regular starter for Mourinho, but he had impressed whenever given an opportunity and remained one of the most highly regarded academy products at Newton Heath.
There were even reports that Eriksson was considering Michael Johnson for a future call-up.
From a footballing perspective, the idea made sense.
Johnson's energy, defensive work and ability to carry the ball forward could complement Beckham well in midfield.
Commercial considerations existed too.
Major sponsors such as Carlsberg and Pepsi had shown increasing interest in England's New Manchester United contingent, particularly as national-team sponsorship agreements demanded more advertising appearances from senior internationals.
But Ishmael's selection could hardly be dismissed as a commercial decision.
He had already impressed during his first senior England camp.
His size, pace and willingness to attack defenders gave Eriksson a completely different option up front.
Once Ishmael built momentum, he was extraordinarily difficult to stop.
For now, however, Rooney and Owen remained ahead of him.
Both were in excellent form, and Eriksson trusted them.
Curtis faced a different challenge.
Terry had already established himself in the starting eleven.
Rio Ferdinand remained one of England's most experienced centre-backs.
Sol Campbell was still part of the wider picture.
Initially, Curtis appeared to be competing merely for the third or fourth position in the hierarchy.
That had begun to change.
Manchester United's inconsistency had exposed Ferdinand's occasional lapses in form, while Curtis and Terry had formed the most reliable central-defensive partnership in the Premier League.
New Manchester United possessed the division's best defensive record.
Curtis also offered something Eriksson increasingly valued.
He was willing to step out of defence with the ball.
When space opened in front of him, he could carry possession into midfield and take pressure away from Beckham.
That made it easier for England's captain to concentrate on organising the game rather than constantly dropping towards the centre-backs to begin every attack.
Eriksson decided to take the chance.
Curtis started ahead of Ferdinand.
The youngster knew exactly what the opportunity meant.
The match was played on familiar ground, in front of supporters who had watched him develop.
He responded immediately.
In the 23rd minute, Beckham swung in a corner.
Curtis attacked it aggressively.
Header.
Goal.
England led.
His influence went beyond the goal.
Curtis repeatedly stepped forward when England had possession, helping move the ball through midfield, while he and Terry dealt comfortably with everything Azerbaijan attempted at the other end.
England kept another clean sheet.
Curtis scored.
Gerrard scored.
Rooney scored.
Beckham scored.
Lampard scored.
England 5-0 Azerbaijan.
For Eriksson, it was another result that eased the pressure surrounding him.
England then spent four days training at Newton Heath before travelling to Cardiff to face Wales at the Millennium Stadium.
Eriksson kept the same central-defensive partnership.
Terry and Curtis started.
Ferdinand remained on the bench.
Campbell did not make the matchday squad.
Owen had suffered a minor foot problem in training, so Ishmael was named among the substitutes as cover for Rooney.
England controlled the match almost from the beginning.
With Beckham setting the rhythm in midfield, they moved the ball patiently and repeatedly forced Wales backwards.
Rooney eventually broke the deadlock.
Later, Ishmael came on and scored the second.
Wales 0-2 England.
Beckham neither scored nor supplied the final pass for either goal, but his influence on the match was obvious.
His recent run of performances had transformed expectations around the national team.
The English press, so quick to turn against him in the past, was now discussing whether Eriksson had finally found a system capable of getting the best from his captain.
Beckham remained cautious.
"We're improving," he said afterwards. "But we've still got a long way to go."
Poland remained one point ahead in the qualifying group.
England's meeting with them in September would be crucial.
And if England wanted to do more than merely qualify for the World Cup, Beckham believed they still needed greater tactical maturity.
A settled structure.
A more clearly defined first eleven.
And a team that remained united when matches became difficult.
While England celebrated two victories, New Manchester United received good news away from the pitch.
UEFA's Executive Committee had met in Nyon to select the venue for the 2006-07 Champions League final.
Four stadiums remained under consideration.
New Manchester United's stadium in Manchester.
The Olympic Stadium in Athens.
The Stadio Olimpico in Rome.
And Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium.
After months of inspections and technical assessments, UEFA made its decision.
The 2006-07 Champions League final would be held at New Manchester United's stadium.
It represented another extraordinary landmark in the club's development.
UEFA's inspection team had praised the venue's modern facilities, technical infrastructure, media provisions and hospitality areas.
The commercial and entertainment district surrounding the stadium had also received excellent reviews, as had the atmosphere created by the supporters.
Together, those advantages were enough to defeat the competing bids from Athens, Rome and Moscow.
For New Manchester United, it was an honour.
It was also an irresistible target.
A Champions League final would be played in their own stadium.
Every player at Newton Heath immediately understood what that possibility meant.
Who would not want to walk out for a European Cup final at home?
That dream belonged to the future.
The immediate problem was Juventus.
The Champions League quarter-final draw paired New Manchester United with the Italian champions.
The clubs already knew one another.
They had met in the previous season's UEFA Cup, when the Red Rebels eliminated Juventus on their way to the trophy.
This time, Mourinho's side would play the first leg in Manchester before travelling to Turin.
The other tie on their half of the draw was Bayern Munich against Real Madrid.
The winners of those two quarter-finals would meet for a place in the Champions League final.
On the opposite side, AC Milan were drawn against Inter in a Milan derby that immediately became the most anticipated quarter-final of the round.
Chelsea received Monaco.
The English media promptly declared Ancelotti's side overwhelming favourites to reach the semi-finals.
The first legs would be played on April 5 and 6.
The return matches followed on April 12 and 13.
Newton Heath reacted immediately.
The moment the draw was confirmed, New Manchester United's analysis department began collecting Juventus footage.
Opposition reports arrived.
Individual player profiles were updated.
Set pieces were catalogued.
Passing patterns were broken down.
Video clips and statistical reports were organised for Mourinho and his staff.
The club operated like a machine.
New Manchester United were hardly unfamiliar with Juventus.
Mourinho was especially interested in the way Capello had shaped them.
This Juventus side differed from some of the more expansive teams Capello had coached earlier in his career.
They were masters of winning narrowly.
Compact.
Disciplined.
Patient.
Almost impossible to dislodge once ahead.
English newspapers immediately identified the central problem.
Do not concede first.
It sounded obvious.
Against Capello, it was almost a tactical law.
One columnist described it neatly.
"Before Juventus score, you may still find a weakness."
"After Juventus score, the rest of the match can become an exercise in frustration."
"They will slow the tempo, close the spaces, disrupt your rhythm, protect their penalty area and punish every impatient attack."
"If Capello's side score in the first minute, he would happily spend the next eighty-nine defending that goal."
It was an exaggeration.
But only slightly.
That was the essence of what many called Capello's 1-0 football.
Mourinho knew there was far more sophistication behind it.
Defending well was not simply a matter of placing ten men behind the ball.
Juventus controlled distances superbly.
Their midfield remained connected to the back four.
Their counterattacks were precise and direct.
Their defenders rarely lost concentration.
And Capello's players were extremely good at making a match uncomfortable once they had something to protect.
That created the central tactical problem.
Attack too aggressively and Juventus could counter.
Sit deeper and Juventus had no reason to open up.
Allow them to score first and the entire tie could become suffocating.
Mourinho eventually posed the question directly to his staff.
"How do we play them?"
The room fell quiet.
Nobody had an easy answer.
Juventus were the sort of opponent almost every manager in Europe would rather avoid.
Their defence was difficult to penetrate.
Their counterattacks were dangerous.
They rarely gave away obvious weaknesses.
And when they moved ahead, they could kill a match better than almost anyone.
Even Mourinho found the problem irritating.
Then Capello appeared on television.
The Juventus manager seemed delighted with the draw.
He spoke confidently about facing New Manchester United and suggested that he had identified a weakness Mourinho's side could not hide.
"I know their Achilles heel," Capello said.
"We'll settle it on the pitch."
It was obvious psychological warfare.
Capello was far too experienced to underestimate the Red Rebels.
He knew exactly how dangerous they were.
But confidence expressed publicly could create doubts privately.
That was often enough.
Mourinho watched the interview in silence.
Then, unexpectedly, he laughed.
Cassell looked across at him.
He recognised that expression.
Mourinho leaned back in his chair.
"Jim."
"Yes?"
"Maybe we've been asking the wrong question."
Cassell waited.
Mourinho stared at the tactical board for several seconds.
Then his smile widened.
"Maybe the way to beat Juventus is to be a little harder on ourselves."
(To be continued.)