The inability of Eriksson to motivate is his biggest flaw
IT IS not only friendly internationals that have been rendered unpalatable under Sven-Göran Eriksson. England forfeited their unbeaten sequence in qualifying fixtures under their Swedish head coach last night, a defeat which felt like a betrayal of momentum. With the World Cup finals only nine months distant, a fog of uncertainty now shrouds a squad that has lost its shape, way and meaning. A first defeat away to Northern Ireland since 1927 was deflating enough, but in context with the measly 1-0 victory over Wales and the debacle in Denmark, a theme has emerged. Formation is the word that has dominated the preamble and aftermath of England's past two matches, but a more instructive one would have been motivation. The former is worthless without the other.
In terms of timing, Germany is no longer a distant prospect (although England's travel agents should now probably hold their fire), but the side has conceded a forceful platform in group six against a delirious little country ranked 116th on the planet. It was an ugly performance, full of dainty touches and arrogance. Players are guilty of dereliction, but the failure is one of management. Only Walter Winterbottom, Alf Ramsey, Ron Greenwood and Bobby Robson have filled a tenuous position longer than Eriksson, but longevity has not brought the public closer to him. While his private life has been detailed and deconstructed on a routine basis, he does not exude the avuncular warmth of Robson, Ramsey's sense of stature or even Kevin Keegan's simple passion. This will hardly help his image. Eriksson's character remains hidden in the shadows, but the question of whether anything of substance lies behind the enigma is not satisfied. As the only foreign incumbent, something deep may be lost in translation, but do not count on it; the sign above his desk at Soho Square reads "Speak Low, Speak Slow and Do Not Say Too Much". The saying is John Wayne's, but here it was all too appropriate. The sense of unknown is mirrored within Eriksson's teams. In a coaching career that has encompassed spells in Sweden, Portugal and Italy, he has held only one job - with Sampdoria - longer than this, but the nation is less familiar with his intentions than on the January day in 2001 when he succeeded Keegan. He appears equally bemused by the clamour that surrounds him. He may view the debate about England's playing system as overheated, but it is merely a reflection of the concern that a World Cup is looming without a clear plan and little momentum. Systems are irrelevant without the players to fill them or the means to do so and the suspicion remains that 4-3-3 is a sop to his senior professionals. Eriksson will never lose the respect of a dressing-room because he never seeks confrontation with the powerful elements within it. He admitted this week that the collective form of Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard was a source of disquiet, but then it should have been for years and the shifting of David Beckham to the holding role resulted in the ball repeatedly clearing their heads. Gerrard had muttered on Saturday evening that playing in three different positions over the course of one match was untenable and there is little intimation that Eriksson is adept at influencing events in a positive manner. Brazil and Portugal crystallised that thought and there was a stern reminder of it when composure deserted Rooney in a first half of fractious endeavour. Eriksson left his bench once, shortly after Rooney had been cautioned for leading with his arm against Keith Gillespie and coarsely told Beckham to "**** off", but he neither cajoles or inspires. Northern Ireland paid little heed to the game's niceties, but they played above themselves; it is a very long time since England have been able to make a comparable claim. Their fate was warranted.
quite true...
