Sven Eriksson Quotations

When it came to the last 10 minutes, I think we controlled it and they seemed to be out of ideas. Then, when we thought we won the game, it's a bit of a delusion to draw it. And, of course, the delusion is even bigger to lose it.

Wales made life difficult for us, especially hanging in during the first half when I thought we played well,

Many times the words I say don't come out in the papers. I could have as many examples as you want.

One of Beckham's sons is in hospital and that was the reason he stayed in Madrid.

Of course it's a worry. We want to see him on the pitch as soon as possible. I can only wait and see what is happening with him. I think he's one of those players who will get in form rather quickly, with the body he has.

No one is untouchable, it would be unfair to say that.

My dream is the same as your dream, and all the fans and the players - to win a big tournament. We've gone out of two tournaments on marginal, almost nothing. In eight months, we start the big party again.

Now there's been an agreement and we have to look at the World Cup and concentrate on that.

Obviously I'm very disappointed for Michael. It's very bad luck for him and for Newcastle United.

If we go on like this, we will win the group.

If we play like that again we may not even get to the World Cup.

If we keep this spirit and the quality it will be very difficult to beat us. We won the group, I am very happy for the team. They had one chance and they scored, but apart from that we have to be happy.

I have concerns about all of them, I would say, because we're in the middle of March and the season finishes for them at the beginning of May.

I don't have any problem with Beckham as captain. I have not spoken to him about the dismissal. I don't know what happened but you do get sent off in football. He is going to be captain in Germany.

I don't know what it means, but I'm not that pessimistic, I'm born that way. Miracles happen in life now and then.

I can almost see him in the future ... as a leader. I think he has those qualities.

I am happy with the overall balance of the squad. I hope they all stay fit. If they do we will have a very very good team.

I am quite sure we will do better but I don't think we can go out thinking we can make a draw. We have to go out to win because it is dangerous. We will try to win the game, that is the best thing we can do.

I am quite sure they are a little bit angry, they want revenge. I think they've wanted that since Monday morning. They look forward to the game, they've been waiting several days now so the players will react very well.

I am very excited about this World Cup. With the blend of quality, youth and experience we have in our squad, we are confident of beating any opponent.

I am thrilled by this hotel. We have a training pitch five minutes from the hotel and it is not too far for our World Cup matches.

I am very sorry for the fans. I told (the players) that if we are going to play football like this we can forget the World Cup.

I am very sorry and angry about the second half. That was a disaster,

I'm almost sure, 100 percent certain that he will be fit for tomorrow. He did everything today, even shooting at the end, so he seems OK.

I have spoken with the players concerned today and I have been very pleased with their reaction and am confident my relationship with them has not been damaged in any way. I would like to assure everyone, especially the fans, that I'm 100 percent committed to the England job.

I have spoken to David James today and explained to him that, on this occasion, I think it's best not to select him,

I have always been very confident we can win the World Cup.

I had hoped to avoid Sweden. Here in England everyone is counting on a win, despite not having won against Sweden since 1968.

I have lost the players? There is no chance.

I have never been to a funeral like that before. It was beautiful and George and his family got the respect he deserved. I shed a few tears myself.

Frank has been slow in coming to his best but once he gets there he will stay there for the rest of the season.

From what I know about Michael Owen, he would never say things like that. It's not his style.

From what I have read and heard, it could be that Owen is going to Manchester United.

I don't remember anyone making such an impact on a tournament since Pele in the 1958 World Cup in Sweden,

I don't want any injuries. But if we want to give the players a fair chance to feel South American football we should meet these teams and not go into the World Cup playing only European teams.

I don't travel around the world with a school class, I'm not a school-teacher or the father of a Sunday School.

I expect a lot of long balls to James Quinn. They have a very busy midfield so I expect a difficult game. When we're talking about Wales, about Northern Ireland, it's a dream for those countries to beat England and we have to deal with that.

For Wales and Northern Ireland, it's a dream to beat England and we have to deal with that. It's like a derby and, remember Wales, it wasn't easy there.

If you are a Swede living in Sweden, Portugal and Italy you don't know much about cricket. We don't understand, we have never played it. If you live in England, you should go to see it at least once to know something about it.

If we were not in the play-offs, I would not have been here. That is for sure. But if I leave the job, it will be on the England results and not what the press says.

I always said we have to do better than we did in Japan, and that was the quarter-finals, but I also said if we had the players who are fit I think we have a squad who can win the World Cup. I think we are that good, I believe it and the important thing is the players believe it, they believe it much more today than four years ago.

He wins everything up in the air and for such a tall man, he has a very good touch on the floor

He will be fit, I am sure about that. We will have time to get the fitness we want.

He had to pull out unfortunately. They took a scan of his foot and he has a stress fracture. He's probably out for a month at least.

He hasn't had a lucky season, I must say so it's a pity. He is almost for sure out of the rest of tournament, but the good thing is he will not miss preseason and doesn't require an operation.

He has suddenly become a mature player, which he may not have been before. He did what no one else could do (on the pitch), but he did it a little too often.

We suffered, but we did it together as a real football team.

He's a big target man, good header, and he will give Michael many chances to score. I'm sure about that.

He's a good player coming back from an injury. He can rejoin the team for the World Cup.

He seems like a different player and very mature in his way of playing. He's a huge talent and has been doing very well for us

He showed he is important even if he starts on the bench. He was involved in a lot of things when he came on as he was against Argentina in November.

He showed he is important even if he starts on the bench.

When he came into the team he was 17 years old and hardly said a word. When he did say something I did not understand because of his accent. Now he has not only grown on the pitch, but as a person. I can see him having a future as a leader. He has those qualities.

When they get to the finals they will be one of the teams capable of bringing the trophy home. This match is a hiccup for them.

We must have a manager before the World Cup starts. If we wait until after, that's too late.

He was here this morning but we sent him home because he's not ready. He will be out they think for at least four weeks,

He was absolutely fantastic. The development of that player - a couple of years ago you knew he would be that good. But today he was very good. I think he was our best man today.

He is still an important part of this England squad.

I talked to the Swedish coach before the draw and we agreed we did not want to meet at this World Cup. But overall we are happy with the draw, its not easy but it could have been worse.

I talked to Sol Campbell and he wants to be at the World Cup, that's for sure.

It is a concern but you can't worry about that because we have to beat Croatia or draw with them to go through. As a manager I can't think about leaving Rooney out and hope we win the game. He has to play and hopefully he will be clever enough not to get a yellow card.

I thought England would be in Group A but Poland came up, so for England it was good. Going to Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Armenia is a long way.

I think the fans must have had a very hard time choosing because we are lucky enough to have a number of really outstanding individual players.

I think the FA must have a new manager before the World Cup starts because if they wait until after it's too late.

I was disappointed it wasn't reported that I said Rio Ferdinand was the best defender in the world and that Wayne Rooney was the best footballer in the world.

I think we played very well. They scored a fantastic goal but we created the chances during the 90 minutes and I'm very happy we could win in the end.

I will not rule him out until the doctors tell me there is no chance. No one wants that to happen. Everyone hopes he can take part in the World Cup at some stage.

I think so, miracles happen in life now and then.

I think England should be happy, there are groups much more difficult than England's. The man after me will be happy with this draw. It's very interesting and very good.

People are always asking that a person should be perfect. Wayne is a genius as a player - he has everything - and he also has a temperament. But you can't ask people to be perfect.

Real Madrid wants David to train with the club this week. We never expected David to be with us for the first game, and I understand and respect their view that they want him with them until the end of the Spanish season.

Suddenly, one free kick and one penalty destroyed the evening for us. Football is tough sometimes. We are a little bit down in the dressing room, but it is important tomorrow morning that we keep our heads up.

I think if it is tactical things that have gone wrong then you talk about it. What happened last night, I don't think you talk about that. It happens, unfortunately.

It has been a difficult start to the season for us but, together with our victory over Austria, this is the reward for all the hard work that has been done over the last year.

I think he is a long-term name. He is a very big talent.

I think he will play but I'm not sure. The decision will be taken after practice tomorrow.

I think Michael Owen will play against Northern Ireland, although he hasn't played much football this season, so we will see on Monday and Tuesday in practice.

John Terry will be there. Yesterday he did everything and today he did everything. He looked fit and sharp.

I'm sitting here with press clippings in front of me and they write that I'm considering the job, but it's not true.

Michael is a fantastic striker and very important for his club and for England. I hope he returns to fitness as soon as possible, and I will follow his progress closely.

We have to try and win the ball early even the weather is a little bit against it. We have to be as motivated and concentrated as we were against France for 93 minutes if we want to beat Switzerland. It's not going to be easy at all, absolutely not.

We had a long chat, the agreement was very easy, they are going to do everything they can to get him fit as quickly as possible. We know, of course, it is a serious injury.

We had a long chat and they will do everything to make sure he's fit as soon as possible. We know it's serious. He'll stay in Manchester and we still hope he'll take part in the World Cup. You don't take unfit players.

We have a lot of options -- Hargreaves is one and came on very well against France. You could put in Nicky Butt and change the midfield around a little bit, so we will see.

We are in the most difficult group. No doubt about that.

We still have a very important match against Poland on Wednesday and we will now be focusing all our efforts on winning that match and finishing top of the group. But of course it is a lovely feeling to know that nothing can change the fact that we are going to be there next year.

We are meeting one of the best teams in the world. It's important for our confidence that we do well in this game and important for the England fans as well. If they see we can play good football against Argentina it gives us more hope for next summer.

We learned that if we don't stick together, if we don't show up as a unit, a team, we are not that good.

This time we don't meet until the last group match. Hopefully, both countries will be through to the next round by then.

This will be the players' home and set the atmosphere as we prepare for all of our games. Hopefully this hotel will be the launch pad for us to achieve success in Germany.

Well, he's one of those knocking on the door. He's doing better and better. I saw him twice and went to see him again. He's knocking on the door. He's young, if he's not going to the World Cup, I'm sure he will play for England one day.

We all have knives to our necks, if we want to play in the World Cup. I'm sure they and we will respond in a very positive way. I could not even dream of not qualifying for the World Cup. We have to win those two games. I have no doubts that the players are good enough.

This season we haven't performed as we should do, and we have to do that tomorrow.

Together they have played well in the past and I think they are doing well. Michael Owen has not scored a goal in this tournament yet, but he will score. I'm not worried about that.

To have the same preparation as all the other countries is important. It would have been very difficult to have one week less.

What can I say about him that has not been said? He was absolutely fantastic. Wayne deserves all the attention and front and back pages for what he is doing here.

The priority is a sage, inspiring, leader-by-example who is unyielding in principle and valor.

Every time France doesn't win a football game it is a surprise. I think they (Croatia) played very, very well and it will be a tough game on Monday for us.

Everything depends on how many injuries we have. The door is open to everyone but if everyone is fit then I'm quite sure of 19 or 20 at least.

Did I ever doubt that Beckham should carry on as England captain in the future? No way. I have never doubted that. Of course, I appreciate his apology. I haven't read it exactly, as I was with the team. But that's very good.