Sven Goran Eriksson News Archives

Looking through the Soccerlens postbag this week we found a letter from a man much in the news at the moment. He has written for our help as he feels he is simply misunderstood:

Dear Soccerlens,

I have been reading your website for some time in an attempt to gain a deeper understanding of the game of football. I must say I find the writing of Graham Fisher to be particularly enlightening.

I need your help with a very difficult problem. I have made a sound decision based on my extensive knowledge of the game but it appears that most other people think I am wrong. I am disappointed to discover that in England people are allowed to disagree with me. In the past I would have had them….never mind, they’ve proved nothing!

People say my knowledge of football is lacking but I can assure you that I have followed Manchester for many years. I was surprised when I saw us play for the first time and we were wearing blue shirts and not the famous red ones, and I also found that we no longer played at Old Stratford, which was disappointing.

Read the rest of this entry »

It be foolhardy to suggest that Thaksin Shinawatra knows more than the average football fan. He might know how to make money, and avoid going to jail, but in terms of pure footballing knowledge he would be more Macca than Rafa, if you catch my drift.

But the Manchester City owner does not consider Mr Eriksson to be the ‘right man’ for the job. That raises a host of interesting questions, such as:

Did Shinawatra really do his research last summer or did he just hire the most high-profile, unemployed, english-speaking manager available on the market?

Read the rest of this entry »

Roy Keane insists that Sunderland haven’t yet secured their Premier League future.

A fourth consecutive win for the Black Cats at home to Manchester City on Saturday will all but see the north-east club safe.

Read the rest of this entry »

Manchester City manager Sven Goran Eriksson still believes that Manchester City can make it into Europe this season. I’m not going to argue with him (or other Manchester City fans) but I’d just point at their recent run in the league and ask - why are you trying to pretend you’re Keegan (we’re going to finish in the top 10) or Wenger (I didn’t see the points difference)?

Anyway, jokes aside, Manchester City (9th) are only 4 points behind Portsmouth (6th) (although the goal difference makes it 5 points) and a win against Chelsea would give them a huge boost and possibly help them overtake one of the three teams ahead of them if they were to slip.

Read the rest of this entry »

I’m sure many of you would never have given Millwall manager Kenny Jackett a second thought. His team currently sit in 18th place in English League One. He has never held down a really high profile job and to my knowledge has never been linked with any top jobs when they have become vacant or been mentioned when discussing the fine young managers and coaches in England.

I know Kenny Jackett because is a bit of a legend at my beloved Watford. He was part of the team in the glory days for Watford under Graham Taylor back in the eighties. I’ve always followed his career, but a closer look at what he has achieved reveals a remarkable record.

Prior to taking on the Millwall managers position Jackett had been working as a coach under Sven Goran Eriksson at Manchester City. Somebody mentioned to me the other day that I should investigate the possibility that City’s slump in form had coincided with him leaving the club. I was doubtful, but the facts and figures are amazing.

Jackett left Manchester City to take up his new post on November 6th last year. Prior to his departure City had won eleven of fifteen games played. Since his departure they have won just five of twenty-one.

Read the rest of this entry »

When Sven-Goran Eriksson reflected on Manchester City’s surprise derby win at Old Trafford yesterday, he could have been forgiven for concentrating only on the goalscorers who had ensured the club’s first league double over their near neighbours since 1970, and their first win in enemy territory since Denis Law’s backheel and United’s relegation in 1974.

And after all, Darius Vassell & Benjani have both come in for plenty of criticism in their City careers, Vassell for his lack of conviction, and Benjani for what some perceived to be a lack of hunger to play for the club (missing two separate flights to Manchester on deadline day does tend to give that impression), so a bit of healthy praise for both would have been understandable.

Read the rest of this entry »

It wasn’t a good day to be a Manchester City player. They were comprehensively outfought by a Sheffield United side that last week were comprehensively outfought by a Sheffield Wednesday side deep in relegation trouble. To add insult to injury, they returned from their humbling to find their dressing room had been raided by the most brazen of thieves, leaving the squad around £2000 light. And as if that wasn’t bad enough, for Michael Ball there was the additional shame of being nutmegged by a balloon for United’s opener. And that isn’t just a harsh euphemism for the oft-derided Jonathan Stead either.

Read the rest of this entry »

The next seven days could well be crucial for Manchester City’s season. And not just for the fact that they visit Sheffield Utd on Sunday in the FA Cup, before a trip to basement side Derby next Wednesday. Those two games are big games of course, but manager Sven-Goran Eriksson’s activity in the transfer market before the window slams shut next Thursday could well be the difference between a European place, and a place amongst the also rans.

Read the rest of this entry »

The season is at a distinct crossroads for Manchester City at present and it seems as good a time as any to analyse the positives that have propelled them, in contrast to recent seasons at this stage, into the top-half and also the negatives that have forced limitations on them to break into the elusive top-four.

Read the rest of this entry »

Just a single win in the last six Premier League games for politician-turned business tycoon Thakshin Sinawatra’s Manchester City and already there are talks that Sven Goran Ericsson would be provided a look at the transfer market at the fag end of January to bring in extra recruits, possibly a high-profile striker, to restore an increasingly frustrating Champions League qualification march. City controversially earned a point against an energetic West Ham side to keep the unbeaten home run going at the City of Manchester Stadium which saw them go fifth in the Premiership table.

The point here is, can Sven Goran Ericsson keep up his promise to the Eastlands fans of qualifying for the UEFA Cup next season?

Read the rest of this entry »

The transfer window is open, and that means the rumors and news items are going to be flying off the wire with blistering speed for the next month.

Read the rest of this entry »

Here are some notable quotes made during the past year. Each was stated by the named individual; however, my responses were created, and are not meant to represent the views of the individuals. Nor libel them in any way. This is both a factual and (hopefully) a light-hearted article.

Read the rest of this entry »

Grand Slam Sunday headlined Week 17 of the English Premier League season, with Manchester United edging Liverpool at Anfield, and Arsenal poking past Chelsea to remain on top of the league table.

But, that wasn’t the only action worth watching this past weekend, as there were eight fixtures on Saturday that preceded Sunday’s top-of-the-table showdowns.

Who came out of round 17 with reason to smile, and who was left to kick themselves? We’ve got the weekend’s winners and losers below, with a roundup of all of the action.

Read the rest of this entry »

While Don Fabio has been more or less confirmed as the next England gaffer, has the FA made the right choice or is it another instance of going with the second best. The idea is to dispassionately look at statistics and evaluate the various contenders for the England post.

We look at the club and the country record of Don Fabio, Marcelo Lippi, Jose “Special One” Mourinho, Martin O’Neill, Jurgen Klinsmann, Luis Felipe Scolari and Guus Hiddink. Just to compare we also have the statistics on Sven “Iceman” Eriksson and Steve “I-can-do-it” McLaren.

Read the rest of this entry »

At one point last season many feared that Manchester City were possible relegation candidates; this year those feelings appear to have been very distant. Last season Manchester City finished a lowly 14th in the table, just four points above the relegation zone; this year they have roared into third place, just behind local rivals United and free-flowing Arsenal.

The last year has seen many things for Manchester City- the sacking of Stuart Pearce, the takeover by Thai businessman Thaksin Shinawatra and of course the appointing of the controversial Sven-Goran Eriksson as manger. These three things have all contributed to what has been a major reshuffle of the team, and thus much improved performances on the pitch.

Read the rest of this entry »

Note: This article was also submitted and posted at Goal.com, here.

When Sven-Goran Eriksson took the job as Manchester City manager last month there was one thing he could be absolutely sure of - that his every move would be scrutinised by a skeptical press pack just waiting for an opportunity to confirm the theory that here is a manager who has been living for far too long on past glories.

Whether or not that theory will be proven correct remains to be seen, but Sven can surely feel surprised - and more than a little aggrieved - that his remarkable dealings in the transfer market have been met this week with anything other than qualified admiration.

Read the rest of this entry »

News is filtering in today that Sven Goran Eriksson - he of England fame (and a respectable club management career before that) - has agreed in principle to manage Manchester City in a 3 year deal. It’s part of a 3-year plan by Thaksin (as alluded to in earlier comments) to turn Manchester City around and (presumably) take them to Europe.

Read the rest of this entry »

Whether you think Sven Goran Eriksson has a good record in football management or not is irrelevant (and if your eyes deceive, see the damning statistics that confirm him as average) - what really bothers me at the moment is the thought that Manchester City are being bought by a man singled out for trial (and arrest) by his government and that he is the only real option Manchester City have of selling out to.

Talk about bad times.

Read the rest of this entry »

A quick look at today’s top headlines:

Read the rest of this entry »

Long story short - Zahavi speaks to the Israeli press about the Israel v England game, talks about the England squad under Eriksson being jealous of Beckham and about the possible reaction in England towards McClaren if England loses to Israel tomorrow.

Read the rest of this entry »

A bold statement, maybe, but people forget that despite Eriksson’s failure to convert 3 quarter-final berths into something better, England under him were not prone to losing games like they did yesterday.

Read the rest of this entry »

By this point, very few people consider England as genuine contenders for joining Germany and Italy in the World Cup semi finals. And if that was a stretch, hardly anyone would consider the chance of England being in Berlin as being anything more than wishful thinking.

Read the rest of this entry »

Being an England fan is not like being on a rollercoaster - it’s worse. After four years of false starts, under-whelming performances and unfair media criticism, we’re at a point where defeat, even to Ecuador, is a genuine fear for many fans.

Forget about meeting Brazil in the semis - we’re bloody scared that Tenorio and Delgado will pillage England for a couple of goals before half-time and condemn us to infighting and griping of the worst kind.

Read the rest of this entry »

Myles Palmer from Arsenal News Review puts England’s performance last night into perspective:

Read the rest of this entry »

A tale of two halves - England thrilled and entertained in the first before losing the plot and then, embarrassingly, panicking like headless chickens in the second whenever a cross or throw was aimed in the 6 yard box.

Read the rest of this entry »

I have to admit…Eriksson is not much of a tactician.

Let’s look at his predictions. If Eriksson is to be believed…

Read the rest of this entry »

For the last four days England have had the media on their back - everyone and their mother has talked about Eriksson’s squad selection, his tactics and his substitutions has being the main reasons for England not playing to their potential against Paraguay. The media has made fun of England’s problems with the heat, as if England had not known earlier about their first game being played at 2 pm.

In short, the hacks jumped at the chance to bring down a team they had themselves built up heavily in the leadup and are now sharpening their knives in expectation of England failing to perform up to their potential this time around.

Being an England fan and also someone who said that England can win the World Cup if they play well, I think it’s time to set a couple of things straight.

Eriksson On Trial

Read the rest of this entry »