Should Sven be SACKED ?

[Easy 10]

Simple question, straightforward answer. Sacking him would be costly, thanks to the FA falling over themselves to get him to sign a new contract. But taking that out of the equation, and based purely on his ability as England coach, should he remain in the job and see us through to Germany 2006 ?

Personally, I think he should go. Now. Eriksson has inherent weaknesses which he is unwilling or unable to change, and he is now holding this team back.

1. Form and injury is irrelevent to him. He will select his favourites regardless of who is performing, and whether they are 100% fit or not. Quite apart from Beckham, did Ledley King really deserve to be dropped after France, in favour of a cumbersome, half-fit looking Terry ?

2. He cannot motivate. I cannot remember seeing an England team coming out for the 2nd half and taking things by the scruff of the neck when they've desperately NEEDED to.

3. He doesn't react to the circumstances of the match. Is he REALLY as tactically astute as we are led to believe ? It seems to me that if its all going wrong, he has no Plan B, and would rather perceivere and "hope" it all comes right in the end.

4. He is a nice man, but with this, he is weak. He bends over backwards not to upset managers, and this came to a zenith with the Australia humiliation. Sven tries to be all things to all people, avoids confrontation, and goes out of his way not to upset anyone. He has all the backbone of a jellyfish - he clearly does not make demands on anyone, least of all the players, some of whom know that they only have to turn up to be selected.

Sven should remember, he's not the England manager to make friends - he's there to get the very best he can out of a very talented squad of players he has at his disposal. This is, without doubt, the BEST crop of England players we have had in years, and we should be doing FAR better than bowing out at the quarter-fina stage (AGAIN). With the right coach, this team could really go places. But I fear that under Svens passive, friendly guidance, this team is doomed to underachieve.

Over to the wise old sages of NSC.

 

[Marc]

I dont think he should, barring the Portugal game and maybe the swiss one (even though we won comfortably) we playes some excellent footy against the French & Croats. Give him the qualifiers and WC2006 (if we make it of course) and then see what happens.
In the meantime sacking him now wont solve much as IMO there is'nt anyone available to take over. Curbishleys too young and not experienced enough and I'd prefer an Englishman next and there just is'nt anyone right now that springs to mind.

 

[Marshy]

Agree entirely, he should go now.

I raised a thread the day after the Portugal defeat and it provided quite a broad band of views.

As i said, Id go for O'Neill or Wenger.

 

[Schrödinger's Toad]

I've always backed him, and probably still would, but our departure from Euro 2004 has planted the seeds of doubt in my mind.

Twice we have led through early goals, and twice we have sat back, defended for 80-odd minutes and lost, looking like we've been playing for 90 days rather than minutes, unlike the energetic, innovative opposition. I had hoped after Brazil, Sven would have learnt, and would have taken the game to Portugal.

As it stands, I struggle to see how we are going to go forwards, so maybe Sven should step down, if only there were an alternative

 

[perth seagull]

No. Despite a few flaws Sven is the best man for the job.

Realistically we were never going to win Euro 2004 anyway because our players simply aren't good enough.

 

[Icy Gull]

When you consider the manner of our exits from the last World Cup and Euro 2004 anyone who doesn't question Sven's tactics and powers of motivation must be watching a different team than the one I saw.

The only reason most people are putting forward for not sacking him is the cost and the alternative managers. Hardly a sound reason for keeping him on .

 

[Easy 10]

Apologies if this has been covered, I've not been around much lately. But I have now lost all faith in the fella

OK, maybe Sven isn't a complete failure as England boss...but we have now had two consecutive tournaments which have effectively been p1ssed up the wall at quarter-final stage, and both times the whole damn thing has been there for the taking.

In 2002, had we pressed home the advantage we had (numerically as well, remember !), we would have been in the last 4 with Germany, South Korea, and Turkey. To win the WORLD CUP.

This year, we would have been in the last 4 with Holland, Greece and the Czech Republic.

Both of the last tournaments represent a MASSIVE missed opportunity for England. Both times I think we have had the personnel to win the thing, and both times we have gone out with a whimper because the coach has simply not been bold enough. To have learnt so little from the last World Cup is absolutely criminal, and no amount of platitudes from the players, from the FA, from the coaching staff about how wonderful Eriksson is for England, will cut it any more. In fact, the self-delusion which is being spouted at the moment from the England camp about how "unlucky" we were (pick your own reasons) is staggering.

Right now, the FA, Eriksson and the players need to be taking a cold, hard look at exactly WHY they failed again, instead of patting each other on the backs and saying "there there, we'll just have to go out and win the 2006 World Cup won't we". If we are to get the best out of this squad of players, we need new ideas and a new philosophy. I don't think Eriksson is capable of providing that. Therefore, we need a new manager.

 

[perth seagull]

When you consider the manner of our exits from the last World Cup and Euro 2004 anyone who doesn't question Sven's tactics and powers of motivation must be watching a different team than the one I saw.

But we were beaten by superior teams both times, especially in 2002.

 

[Icy Gull]

But we were beaten by superior teams both times, especially in 2002.

Sorry that Brazil team with 10 men was there for the taking, if we had just had some belief and inspiration. 45 minutes and not one shot on target was just f***ing embarrasing imo

 

[Marc]

OK, maybe Sven isn't a complete failure as England boss...but we have now had two consecutive tournaments which have effectively been p1ssed up the wall at quarter-final stage

as for this 1/4 final that could be down to a number of things unrelated to Sven, Beckham playing like shit for starters, Rooney going off injured...would we of won if he stayed on? the ref giving a foul for a blatant goal, what if Vassell had scored?!?!
None of those Sven related so to blame him for us loosing to Portugal is abit unfair, ok yes he brought off Scholes and on came Philly but Scholes look knackered in the first half. Could argue why he did'nt bring on Cole/Dyer but thats another argument, at the end of the day a number of things lost us that match not just Sven's tactics.

 

[REDLAND]

But we were beaten by superior teams both times, especially in 2002.

its that FACT which drives shitty polls like this, WHY OH WHY can't we admit we wern't good enough on the pitch and STOP finding a scape goat to blame everything on is beyond me !!

I blame Rooney for our exit last week you could see that when he went off the whole team stop believing that it was there for us. Imagine having to play the Dutch without Rooney we would have been slaughtered, I'm glad I don't have to sit though it !!

 

[REDLAND]

Originally posted by CrabtreeBHA at the end of the day a number of things lost us that match not just Sven's tactics. [/B]

Yer like Portugal being the better team

 

[Uncle Buck]

Sorry that Brazil team with 10 men was there for the taking, if we had just had some belief and inspiration. 45 minutes and not one shot on target was just f***ing embarrasing imo

It comes back to get rid of Sven and who do you bring in? If you can answer that one, then this subject has some credence until then, could people please put a sock in it. I agree we were too defensive, when we went forward in most games we looked lethal, but the tactic to sit on what we have got is frustrating.

What this tournament did show was we were missing Rio, if ever there was a player that has benefited from a ban this was the man. Kirkland should get his chance soon and in Milner and Wright-Phillips there are players that may give us an option on the left, rather than pub footballers such as Alan Thompson.

I agree this tournament is an opportunity missed, but 2006 has always been the target. This is currently the best team since 1990 and in 2006 they will be at their peak.

 

[Marc]

Yer like Portugal being the better team

exactly another one!

Easy i think your jumping ahead of yourself abit, yes Sven has his flaws and we all want stuff to be done our own way...its just his maybe did'nt work out and with all those other values thrown in it made it look worse than it actually is.
Personally i think we'll win out qualifying group and go into WC2006 a better/bigger/stronger outfit than we are now and I'd like to still see Sven "Mr. Burns" Goran Eriksson in charge.

 

[REDLAND]

Wright-Phillips there are players that may give us an option on the left, rather than pub footballers such as Alan Thompson.

I almost though you knew what you were talking about till I got to this bit

 

[Uncle Buck]

I almost though you knew what you were talking about till I got to this bit

I have to say I am dubious regarding Wright-Phillips, but I guess giving him a run out against Ukraine in August has got to be worth a punt.

Otherwise play 3 centre backs, wingbacks and 3 midfielders, then there is no need for a leftsided midfielder.

 

[Easy 10]

as for this 1/4 final that could be down to a number of things unrelated to Sven, Beckham playing like shit for starters, Rooney going off injured...would we of won if he stayed on? the ref giving a foul for a blatant goal, what if Vassell had scored?!?!
None of those Sven related so to blame him for us loosing to Portugal is abit unfair, ok yes he brought off Scholes and on came Philly but Scholes look knackered in the first half. Could argue why he did'nt bring on Cole/Dyer but thats another argument, at the end of the day a number of things lost us that match not just Sven's tactics.

But have you not considered the manner of those defeats ?
I wouldn't have any complaints if I thought we'd given it our all but just come up short. However, both times, we've had the upper hand in those games, and then just meekly surrendered while the opposition trample all over us and play us off the park.

Putting it down to bad luck, or Rooney getting injured, or bad refereeing decisions is just papering over the cracks IMHO, and does not address the real reason why we consistantly fail at this level. The way we played, we would have been extremely lucky had we held out against the Portugese. We got exactly what we deserved primarily because of the negative tactics employed, and secondly because our midfield couldn't pass shit.

 

[Marc]

...and secondly because our midfield couldn't pass shit.

and you blame Sven for that?
Any team of players getting an early goal will will unconsiously (sp?) go into defensive mode when playing the faves/hosts its just natural. On the day against portugal overall we we're not at our best, not tactics wise but playerwise, Rooney went off which as been said already led to the disbelief in the players, the midfield as you have said could'nt pass for shit, Terry having abit of a 'mare at the back...all these things add up to the FACT that we we're not good enough and if Sol's header would've been allowed we know we would've been lucky to get through.

I do have some doubts about Sven and some of the decisions he made during that game and other games but overall to me it comes down to the bare fact that we had the players but they did'nt play to their best. Take Rooney/Ashley Cole/Gary Neville/Ledley King/Campbell out of that equation though as they all had great games IMO.

 

[REDLAND]

But have you not considered the manner of those defeats ?
I wouldn't have any complaints if I thought we'd given it our all but just come up short. However, both times, we've had the upper hand in those games, and then just meekly surrendered while the opposition trample all over us and play us off the park.

Putting it down to bad luck, or Rooney getting injured, or bad refereeing decisions is just papering over the cracks IMHO, and does not address the real reason why we consistantly fail at this level. The way we played, we would have been extremely lucky had we held out against the Portugese. We got exactly what we deserved primarily because of the negative tactics employed, and secondly because our midfield couldn't pass shit.

Indeed OWEN was gifted with our first goal, prehaps EASY we shouldn't bring Owen on till there has been a goal in the game

 

[Marshy]

Agreed Easy, who do you think then as manager ?