Liverpool FC Forum

by **112-1077774096** » Wed Aug 24, 2005 7:05 am

the below is from Brian Reades column in the daily mirror.

SILENT, CLUELESS AND WEAK.. ROBBIE IS SO RIGHT ABOUT ERIKSSON
20 August 2005

ROBBIE FOWLER has never been credited with having the judgement of an ancient sage.

Something to do with his mock coke-snorting crawl down the by-line in a Mersey derby, wiggling his buttocks at Graeme Le Saux, or his taste for 2am pubs packed with drinkers who like to re-arrange celebrity noses.

But this week he seemed wiser than the wizened-up ninja man on the Orange advert, by offering a perfect, first-hand analysis of Sven Goran Eriksson's failings, days before they were laid bare before the world.

In the ex-England international's autobiography Eriksson is damned as a vastly over-rated, long-ball merchant with no imagination or flair, who panders to popular demands, does no coaching, sticks with his favourites no matter how out-of-form or injured they are, and when the going gets tough, he gets going. Into his own shell.

It would be easy to dismiss these words as those of a malcontent in need of a few bob. But firstly Fowler admits he hasn't been worthy of an England shirt for some time, and with ten times more houses than The Queen, he doesn't need the cash.

Secondly, only David Beckham, Tord Grip or an FA Suit would condemn his words. And any of them forced to take a lie test after Wednesday would surely fail.

Forget the apology of a team he sent out for the second half as mentally prepared as a Sunday League alehouse team on New Year's Day, and look at the apology for one in the first half. That 11 (bar Michael Owen) is the team we keep being told is ready to lift the World Cup.

A team containing many young men yet to justify a fraction of their over-hyped reputations, under no pressure to prove they deserve a World Cup place. A defence that lacks concentration, a midfield of ill-suited strangers with no width, scant defensive protection and no fluid link with the attack. A flairless side, as Fowler says, picked by popular demand with no offensive tactic other than a ball over the top to pacy strikers. A team overly-reliant on the precocity of a teenager, with no idea how to change things in big games once Wayne Rooney's not there, or they go behind.

Copenhagen was no one-off. It's the norm for every time an Eriksson side comes up against a half-decent team who want to hurt them. Think back to the slaughter in Spain or Portugal last summer.

When Rooney broke his foot that night, Eriksson didn't have a clue how to respond. Just as he didn't back in Shizuoka, when Brazil first laid the Swede's inadequacies bare.

Over to Fowler. "Everything I had suspected about Eriksson was shown in that match," he wrote. "At half-time you could see the faces of our players. They were shell-shocked. But it was still only 1-1 and it was time for the manager to get to work, change the tactics and instil some belief.

"He said absolutely nothing. Absolutely f*** all. Just stood there with a startled look on his face like he too, believed we were f****d. And that's the way it turned out.

"We just rolled over and died. There was no team spirit, no fight, no togetherness. And the manager didn't say a word."

That was over three years ago. And Eriksson has done nothing since to persuade us that if England faced a similar half-time scenario against Brazil in Munich next summer he would respond any differently. For the first time as England coach, Eriksson got angry on Wednesday. It's an anger he has to turn on himself if he is not to leave his job as an abject failure.

He should start by reading Fowler's words. They are not coated with malice. In fact he calls Sven "a perfectly nice bloke".

They are words of an Englishman who fears like the rest of us that due to the manager's lack of toughness, a fine crop of young players is about to wither on the vine.

Because unless Eriksson discovers the tactical nous of Alf Ramsey and the passion of Bobby Robson, in the words of professor Fowler, come next summer we'll once again roll over and die.

what does everyone else think about sven? i tend to agree with fowlers thoughts 100%. i fear for England with him as manager

by **azriahmad** » Wed Aug 24, 2005 10:06 am

peewee,

you I couldn't give a rat's @ss about England because I am not English!

Just pulling yer leg. You know, I lived in England in 2 spells, 1975-77 ans 1988-93 and I have a lot of affinity for English, especially Liverpool FC.

I just wonder how the English FA can up his wages ant give him such an iron clad contract that it would really hurt them financially if they do fire him before the end of his new and improved contract. The man's a dipstick FFS.

It's true, he has no tactics, has no hairdryer treatment to fall back on and totally sticks with his favourites come hell or high water. That match against Brazil should not have been lost and Brazil were relatively poor that year and was aided by an easy passageway and of course the gift oc a victory by England.

It should not be the case as England has one of its best teams ever with the present crop (based on pure abilities, not yet factor in the "application of the abilities" in practice.

Imagine what Bobby Robson could acahive if he were younger with the present English talent. If you people remember, Robson was given the target of winning the world cup and nothing less if he were to keep his job after Italia '90 but of course, they fell to Germany on penalties. What about Sven? No high targets, perhaps just reach the last eight.

I can name several English managers or British ones who can do much better than Sven anytime at getting results. I'm sure Sam Allardyce would mould England into a hard-to-break-down team who never give up chasing the ball and with Rooney, Gerrard and Cole, they can deliver a bit of the unexpected to unlock even the tightest of situations. Others? Steve Bruce can do better than Sven, surely and perhaps McLaren.

Other Brits? Martin O'Neill's England team won't be so meek like the England team at Euro 2004. Even Fergie will be an improvement.

What's so special about Sven? I really wonder. He won the Serie A with millions of the owner's money byt the very following year, they were miserable flops both domestically and in Europe. That is all to his "winner" CV.

Get the playing personnel right. Get Gerrard in the middle and find a defensive midfielder alsongside him. Stop playing both him and Lampard together. Get rid of Becks. Put Terry in the centre and find a more consistent partner for him and not make the flashy but easily distracted Rio an automatic choice. Carra or King are good candidates. Bring back Scholes because ageing as he is, he has an eye for goal and keep him in the subs or play him when the situation warrants.

Really, Sven is a first class plonker but he is a smart one to be able to lure the FA into giving him such a good contract. Lucky for Chelski he did not join them or he would have been fired by the end of last season for failing to win despite overspending.

by **112-1077774096** » Wed Aug 24, 2005 10:09 am

great post mate

yeah, sven seems bullet proof unfortunatley, to be honest i think they wont get rid of him as it will be too expensive to pay him off. i think his contract will be in cast iron

by **azriahmad** » Wed Aug 24, 2005 10:12 am

BTW, peewee, Sven will not gain any tactical nous to reach even half of Sir Alf's abilities and yes, England will yet again flatter to deceive and yes, all of you English friends of mine will be utterly disappointed come the World Cup 2006 because England will fail miserably under the Sven-Becks act.

by **azriahmad** » Wed Aug 24, 2005 10:16 am

Either he is such a great lover or he has this ability to attract attractive girls who are in dire need of TLC because he gets those lovely dishes "on the side".

I can't somehow envisage that he is anywhere near to being a great lover because he is so distant and aloof with no passion or emotion. I remember Ulrika as an attractive weather girl (a bit too skinny but attractive none the less) and from what I have seen, Faria is very pretty. Perhaps he oversells his "England Manager" post to attract these birds!

by **112-1077774096** » Wed Aug 24, 2005 10:17 am

azriahmad wrote:BTW, peewee, Sven will not gain any tactical nous to reach even half of Sir Alf's abilities and yes, England will yet again flatter to deceive and yes, all of you English friends of mine will be utterly disappointed come the World Cup 2006 because England will fail miserably under the Sven-Becks act.

hallaleujah brother

i agree totally, he will play his yes men whether they are best performing or not. its this attitude that annoys me, he must see it doesnt work but he carries on, the same as houllier towards the end of his reign at liverpool.

he should be man enough to admit he has been getting it wrong

by **azriahmad** » Wed Aug 24, 2005 10:41 am

The way the English FA treated English coaches and how they treated a foreign one, one would have learned and wisened up by now.

peewee, I have a cunning plan. Since I am not English, why not I apply for the job after Ericsson leaves. Then I get them to appoint you an my mandatory English assistant. We'd share the loot (the ludicrously lucrative salary and bonuses AND the attractive birds "on the side"), I promise!

by **Big Niall** » Wed Aug 24, 2005 1:39 pm

English managers don't want the job as it has too much hassle. It'd cost too much to get rid of him. Plus lots of English people think he's the reason England never get to a final, its because the players aren't good enough.

Robbie never really had an international career and I always feel that he could have been a striker on the same level as Gerd Muller but he was a bit of a waster.

Considering Robbies managers were Souness, Evans, GH, O'leary (ok he's decent) and Keegan I don't think Robbie would really know a good manager. I mean four of those couldn't manage a fart.

by **Paul C** » Wed Aug 24, 2005 10:54 pm

Big Niall wrote:I mean four of those couldn't manage a fart.

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