GORDON STRACHAN backed James Beattie's England bandwagon after watching his star striker sink Sunderland.

Beattie's solitary strike, his 17th of the season, was enough to give Saints a hard-fought and vital 1-0 win at a windy Stadium of Light last night.

The win puts Saints back up to sixth in the Premiership table and means they have now completed the double over Sunderland after last month's 2-1 St Mary's win.

Asked if Beattie was now ready for the England squad to be announced a week on Saturday, Strachan said: "I hope James Beattie has done enough and I hope he gets in the England squad.

"It is nice to have players from Southampton in the England squad.

"People can benefit or crumble from playing international football. I think he will have a good laugh.

"He has scored 16 league goals and you can't argue with that.

"He had a bad start and he has come back well, he has been good for us and we have been good for him.

"With his goal I thought he might strike it early like against Middlesbrough, but he made the right choice and finished it well."

With Manchester United visiting St Mary's on Saturday, Strachan knew his side's third 1-0 away victory of the season was important.

He said: "We are delighted, it was a great victory for us, absolutely fantastic.

"We didn't expect a classic game of football, but our commitment was excellent.

"We can afford to be a bit more relaxed at the moment than Sunderland and the win makes us feel a bit better about ourselves and adds to the confidence we have got as a group.

"The difference between us and Sunderland is that we have built up a bit of a comfort zone."

He added: "Sometimes we were not composed but when that final ball went in Beattie was composed.

"It was a difficult pitch, very windy and not the best for a good game. We just had to be very professional and we were.

"I thought Matthew Oakley and Anders Svensson were outstanding and showed a special type of bravery."

Strachan also confirmed Rory Delap had followed Agustin Delgado, Jason Dodd and Wayne Bridge to suffer a calf injury this season.

He joins Claus Lundekvam and Delgado as an injury worry for Saturday, with Bridge and Marian Pahars definitely out.

Saints physio Jim Joyce was assessing the extent of Delap's injury today, but the player must be a doubt for Saturday.

The Republic of Ireland international said: "It is very sore at the moment. It does not feel as bad as the last time I had a calf problem but I felt it tighten and I am hoping that is all it is.

"It was very frustrating to have to come off and I just hope I am OK to face United."

Sunderland boss Howard Wilkinson, meanwhile, pulled no punches in assessing his team's performance.

He said: "I am not going to defend us. We must all take responsibility. The fans deserve more than they are getting and that was unacceptable.

"We can't make any excuses, I'm an experienced manager and these are experienced players. I'm not questioning their commitment, but I can see why some fans would."

Saints' success means Sunderland have won just 11 of their last 39 at home in the top flight since they beat Ipswich 4-1 on New Year's Day, 2001.

That record is threatening to cost them their place among English football's elite.

And while Wilkinson admits it has become a psychological problem, it is one to which he knows he must find the solution by the time Charlton arrive on Saturday.

"Clearly, we have to be better than that," he said. "We're running out of games. You're in the lifeboat, you're rowing and you're bailing, and there's only so long you can do that.

"That's the bottom line. Is it tactical, is it technical, is it this, is it that? The problem is here, for some reason, but the fact is it's unacceptable whatever the reasons."

Charlton have snapped up ex-Saints centre-back Tahar El-Khalej on a four-month contract.

The Morocco international, 34, was released last Friday and has gone straight into the Charlton squad for tonight's game against.

Boss Alan Curbishley moved because Gary Rowett is not expected to be fit until the weekend at the earliest after a knee injury, while fellow defenders Mark Fish and Paul Konchesky face bans.

Curbishley said: "Tahar has been in the country for some years, has acclimatised to the Premiership and fits the bill.

"I'm delighted to have signed him and feel quite fortunate to have got someone with his Premiership experience at such short notice.

"He can play in a number of positions, including centre-half and right-back, so I had no hesitation in bringing him in."