As I’ve commented on RoundandWhite, my problem (if I was an English football fan) would be less with what Sven has actually said to the undercover reporter and more with what the motives of the newpaper and journalist in question were. Leading up to a World Cup campaign the News of the World seems to be more interested in discrediting the manager and destabilising the England team’s chances of doing well in Germany this summer than in helping to create a situation whereby preparation is allowed to continue unhindered and then, after the finals when the inevitable disappointment of elimination happens, pursue their vendetta against Eriksson.

To do so a few months before the World Cup even starts is a disgraceful piece of treason against the English FA and it’s players and management and I’m sure the FA will be reserving some special treatment in future for the News of the World with regards access to their representatives.

As for the Swedish philanderer himself, I doubt too many would be shocked to hear that Rio Ferdinand is “lazy”, Michael Owen only went to Newcastle for the money and that Wayne Rooney’s temper problems are the result of his upbringing but nonetheless they are hardly inspiring words from a national manager about three of his top players in the run up to a World Cup.

Let’s not forget what happened to Roy Keane after his “motivational” outburst against his fellow Manchetser United players a couple of months ago. In the words of The Boss, Bruce Springsteen, “They?re still there, he?s all gone” which might make Sven get the feeling that almost all of his elusive nine lives have been used up as England manager. If the World Cup doesn’t come back to England with him this summer, maybe the News of the World will get their way after all.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 17th, 2006 at 11:32 am and is filed under International Football - England. You can subscribe via RSS 2.0 feed to this post's comments. Both comments and pings are currently closed.