29 June 2006
I DON'T CARE IF WE PLAY BADLY - AS LONG AS WE EVENTUALLY WIN THE CUP
Sven: Spain played well in this tournament - but now they are out.
Darren Lewis In Baden-Baden
SVEN GORAN ERIKSSON last night admitted he does not care if England win the World Cup playing "bad football".
The under-fire manager has been lambasted for England's failure to entertain or sparkle on their way to the last eight in Germany. But in the build-up to Saturday's quarter-final clash with Portugal, Eriksson said: "To win the World Cup, I am prepared to do whatever it takes.
"If that means to play bad football all the way, then okay. Come on, who cares?"
The Swede maintained his optimism while fans are fret about his apparent indecision over the best England system and line-up.
Eriksson said: "I am not frustrated. I am very happy to be in the position we are.
"Football is very strange. I think Ivory Coast played very well, so have Ghana, Holland and Spain. But where are they now? Home! All of them.
"These four teams all played very good football. You do try to play good football but the most important thing, absolutely, is to win.
"If you don't do that now, you're on the next flight home and I don't want that to happen.
"Here, they don't give you a premium for beautiful football. We are going to try to play as good as we can, and I'm sure we are going to play better because in every game we have taken a little step in the right direction.
"I don't like 'if' as in 'if things go badly'. Things will not go badly. They will be fine. If it goes badly, we will have to try something. But things are going to be very good."
John Terry, Jamie Carragher and Paul Robinson are all on yellow cards going into the do - or - die clash in Gelsenkirchen.
Eriksson will be warning his players to watch their step against Portugal, who were involved in the Battle of Nuremberg against Holland in which 16 yellow cards were shown and four players sent off.
"I speak to them before every game about referees, tackles and stuff like that," said the Swede.
"Four years ago you could do some tackles and get away with it. Today you don't get away with anything. It is important not making bad tackles when you absolutely don't have to do it."
Eriksson expects Gary Neville to be fit. The right-back has missed England's past three games with a calf strain but took part in training yesterday.
Eriksson said: "He did everything and did not feel anything after the training. His experience might be very important to us in a game like this."
mirror.co.uk
I DON'T CARE IF WE PLAY BADLY - AS LONG AS WE EVENTUALLY WIN THE CUP
Sven: Spain played well in this tournament - but now they are out.
Darren Lewis In Baden-Baden
SVEN GORAN ERIKSSON last night admitted he does not care if England win the World Cup playing "bad football".
The under-fire manager has been lambasted for England's failure to entertain or sparkle on their way to the last eight in Germany. But in the build-up to Saturday's quarter-final clash with Portugal, Eriksson said: "To win the World Cup, I am prepared to do whatever it takes.
"If that means to play bad football all the way, then okay. Come on, who cares?"
The Swede maintained his optimism while fans are fret about his apparent indecision over the best England system and line-up.
Eriksson said: "I am not frustrated. I am very happy to be in the position we are.
"Football is very strange. I think Ivory Coast played very well, so have Ghana, Holland and Spain. But where are they now? Home! All of them.
"These four teams all played very good football. You do try to play good football but the most important thing, absolutely, is to win.
"If you don't do that now, you're on the next flight home and I don't want that to happen.
"Here, they don't give you a premium for beautiful football. We are going to try to play as good as we can, and I'm sure we are going to play better because in every game we have taken a little step in the right direction.
"I don't like 'if' as in 'if things go badly'. Things will not go badly. They will be fine. If it goes badly, we will have to try something. But things are going to be very good."
John Terry, Jamie Carragher and Paul Robinson are all on yellow cards going into the do - or - die clash in Gelsenkirchen.
Eriksson will be warning his players to watch their step against Portugal, who were involved in the Battle of Nuremberg against Holland in which 16 yellow cards were shown and four players sent off.
"I speak to them before every game about referees, tackles and stuff like that," said the Swede.
"Four years ago you could do some tackles and get away with it. Today you don't get away with anything. It is important not making bad tackles when you absolutely don't have to do it."
Eriksson expects Gary Neville to be fit. The right-back has missed England's past three games with a calf strain but took part in training yesterday.
Eriksson said: "He did everything and did not feel anything after the training. His experience might be very important to us in a game like this."
mirror.co.uk