Sven has a mind game of his own

14 April 2012

Armed with the humility to accept when he is wrong and the ability to do something about it, Sven-Goran Eriksson has reinforced England's surge to Euro 2004 with a tactical guarantee that seems to cover all eventualities.

A devout 4-4-2 man, the Swedish coach nonetheless now preaches a gospel that embraces the kind of tactical opportunism that produced the 2-1 win in Macedonia on Saturday.

Another three points is the inevitable outcome of tomorrow's clash with Liechtenstein at Old Trafford, although I suspect Eriksson would happily go a goal down to test his own effectiveness as a coach able to shape the outcome of a game from the manager's dug-out.

As England edge closer to next summer's finals in Portugal, it's becoming increasingly clear that his ability to produce a lucid tactical re-think during matches has played a key role in the torturous route through the qualifying programme.

The most relevant test may come in the final qualifying tie against Turkey in what is bound to be a hostile environment in Istanbul next month. Assuming England beat Liechtenstein tomorrow, a draw will be enough to secure a place in the finals.

If the Turks need to win they will have to attack England and score goals, but Eriksson has shown that going a goal behind is no reason for panic. Going a goal up is another thing, as Brazil showed at the World Cup when they came from behind to win 2-1.

That was Eriksson's only defeat in 17 competitive matches though at times since his record has been threatened. In the Euro 2004 qualifiers, for instance, England have trailed in four of six matches. They went on to win three of those four games, with Macedonia holding out for a draw in the other at Southampton in October.

Eriksson's ability to recognise problems and rectify them has been a critical element in rescuing lost causes and prompts the question: why can't he get it right in the first place?

His rethinks always involve some variation on a 4-4-2 theme and his major tactical triumphs are worth a closer look:

October 2001, Greece 2-2 at Old Trafford (World Cup): England's World Cup place was in jeopardy when Eriksson summoned Teddy Sheringham from the bench. His experience played a role in regaining the momentum and, significantly, he scored and won the free kick from which David Beckham hit the vital equalising goal.

Oct 2002, Slovakia 2-1 in Bratislava (EC):

A goal down on an awful pitch with just 30 minutes remaining, Eriksson turned his conventional 4-4-2 into a 'diamond' formation with Paul Scholes at the cutting edge. He supplied the ball from which Michael Owen scored the winner with eight minutes remaining.

April 2003, Turkey 2-0 at Sunderland (EC):

This was the most dramatic example of his tactical interventions. England were making little headway against their chief rivals until the arrival of Darius Vassell from the bench. His impact was immediate and his goal broke the deadlock.

June 2003, Slovakia 2-1 at Middlesbro (EC):

Less dramatic, but nonetheless significant was Eriksson's half-time decision to take off Danny Mills and play Owen Hargreaves at right-back. England went a goal down after 31 minutes but the arrival of Hargreaves settled a hesitant defence.

Sept 2003, Macedonia 2-1 in Skopje (EC):

Trailing again, Eriksson's decision to replace Frank Lampard with Emile Heskey changed the game. Eriksson switched Wayne Rooney to a supporting role and his run and shot, from Heskey's knockdown, put England on the road to victory.

This knack of identifying problems and then solving them has won Eriksson considerable support in the England dressing room. "Granted, we've conceded a few early goals but we must be doing something right to win seven on the trot," said goalkeeper David James. "It's working out to be a half decent formula."

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David Jones (Footballer)

Sven has a mind game of his own

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