Sven out of Ten
SVEN GORAN ERIKSSON may have addressed the Oxford Union in his customary calm and dignified manner, but the queue to see the England manager stretched out of the gate for more than two hours prior to the event, and he received a rapturous reception when he appeared in the chamber.
Although Sven declined to give any official interviews, I was privileged enough to chat to the man himself at drinks before the meeting. As quiet and shy in person as he appears in public , he asked us about sport at Oxford, and we took the opportunity to ask him about some of the emerging talents in English football. James Beattie, currently the leading English goal scorer in the Premiership by some distance, he said, should be given his chance against Australia in the friendly later this month. He also spoke of the young English goalkeepers breaking through into premiership first teams this season, such as Paul Robinson and Chris Kirkland.
David Davies, executive director of the FA, appeared with Sven, and spoke of his first encounter with the Swede in November 2000, when he was sent on a "secret mission" to the Stadio Olimpico in Rome. He described the then Lazio manager as a "wonderful coach", and said he was the best person in the world to achieve the FA's number one priority of winning a major football trophy by 2006.
Both men then answered questions covering all aspects of the game, from England selection policy to the financial and political aspects of modern football, although as usual Sven was very diplomatic and careful not to divulge too much information on matters relating to his team.
Throughout the evening it was apparent that the Swede was keen to show his commitment to the FA and the English national team. I asked him if he would consider accepting the Swedish Manager's job (many sportsmen say their greatest ambition is to lead their country), and although he said that, should such a situation arise he might be tempted, he immediately reaffirmed that he was very happy at England, that we are "The Best Footballing Country", and that any other job would be a step backwards.
The first of the England side to be brought up was goalkeeper David Seaman, the 39 year old, whose place has been called into question in recent months. When asked if he was still England's number one, Sven wouldn't commit either way ("you never know in life"), but admitted that Seaman would no longer be playing friendly internationals.
Naturally he was also asked about England's continuing struggle to find a good left sided midfielder. He pointed out that there are lots of options, Trevor Sinclair and Kieron Dyer for example, but he conceded that there are no David Beckhams in that position and that Ryan Giggs "would be perfect", adding later that he was reason enough to want a British national team.
Other selection issues covered were those concerning former Leeds players Lee Bowyer and Jonathon Woodgate following their much publicised court case last spring. Eriksson said that since the world cup they have been considered as any other English players would have been. As far as the boy wonder, Wayne Rooney is concerned, Eriksson said he is "One of the biggest young talents", but said that at 17 you never know what the future holds.
When asked whether he'd like to see Celtic and Rangers play in the premiership, the England coach said yes, but that he'd also like to see Paris St. Germain, Barcelona etc. play in such a league too. Davies was far more cautious on this issue, and spoke of the balance between top flight, lower league and amateur football that needs to be maintained in this country, and that any money made by the FA should be distributed at grass roots level.
Eriksson dismissed claims that the salaries paid to the top names in the game are ridiculous, comparing them to actors making a film (a fair analogy). "Thierry Henry plays like he has a jet engine up his...", and is worth every penny of what he is paid.
Of course many questions focussed on World Cup 2002 and the lessons England learned there. Eriksson described it as a "great learning experience for our young team." He conceded that although his team often produced good football for 45 or 60 minutes, they never sustained it for the full 90, and spoke of the need for greater fitness, a shorter domestic season, one more week's preparation. When asked about the famous 5 -1 thrashing we dished out to Germany in the qualifiers, he claimed we didn't deserve it! "In life you have those lucky days. Everything worked 120 per cent."
"Ulrika Questions" were conspicuous by their absence (girlfriend Nancy Dell'Olio was in the front row). The only hint at the matter was when he was asked how he had found the British tabloid press, to which he replied that on footballing matters they were by no means the toughest opposition he had faced (in Italy, he said, if you lose one or two games they try to kill you.) On non footballing matters he described them as "Awful", but added "but that's life".
As expected, Sven gave nothing away on his coaching policies, steered clear of saying anything controversial, and showed his commitment to England at every opportunity. All this reaffirmed my faith in him as England coach, however: the top man needs to be a real diplomat wherever he is, a description which fits Eriksson perfectly.
Undistinguished Career in the Swedish League as a right back, cut short by injury in 1975 when playing for Karlskoga in the second division.
1979 Swedish Second Division with Degerfors 1981 Swedish title with IFK Gothenburg 1982 UEFA Cup 1983 Portuguese league and cup double at Benfica 1984 Portuguese League 1986 Italian Cup with Roma 1991 Portuguese League with Benfica 1994 Sampdoria, Italian Cup 1998 Italian Cup with Lazio 1999 European Cup Winners Cup UEFA Super Cup 2000 Serie A title and Italian Cup with Lazio
P W D L F A 23 11 9 3 44 21
Jan 2001: Joins England with their World Cup Qualifying Campaign floundering, following poor results against Germany and Finland. Sep 2001: After 5 wins in his first 5 matches, Sven becomes a national hero when England thump Germany 5-1 Oct 2001: David Beckham's last minute equalizer against Greece secures England's place in the World Cup Finals. Jun/Jul 2002: Leads England to the quarter finals in Japan and South Korea, only to lose to Brazil.
6th Feb 2003