Sven Simply Didn’t Have the Passion

England’s exit from the World Cup has been dissected by many people since last Saturday, with the blame generally falling squarely at the feet of Sven Goran Eriksson.

Criticised for continually picking Beckham despite his poor form, baffling critics and fans alike with his meddling formations and tactics, and rounded upon for taking a 17-year old to a World Cup and not playing him–it’s not hard to see why there are so many “Sven doesn’t have a clue” headlines screaming from the red-tops. But I think it’s actually much simpler than that: Sven just didn’t have the passion for winning football matches.

How many times did we see the Swede stand up and simply clap when England scored, whilst those around him (the England backroom staff, physios and his deputy McClaren) jumped and whooped for joy? Is it that he simply a mild mannered man, not one for shouting or jumping, but rather one who gets things done with a quiet efficient stealth? Or is it that he’s a bit of a bore, someone who did reasonably well at Lazio but doesn’t have the passion for winning international football matches? Who knows. Put it this way: had Beckham’s teammates simply stood where they were and politely clapped his goal against Ecuador, would you question their commitment to the cause?

I’ve always thought that Sven’s half time team-talks would be interesting to observe. I can’t imagine him giving anyone the Ferguson Hairdryer™ treatment, but then maybe he rouses players in a much more refined way. But if those watching the matches at home (or at least those watching the Portugal game at my flat) were asked, they’d probably say that those players needed a right good bollocking at half time in most of their matches. Portugal aside, England played poorly in every second half of every match in 2006.

David Lacey write in this piece on GU:

Perhaps Alan Ball should have given the team talk. Interviewed on TV before the match he spoke stirringly of the chance Eriksson’s players had to become a part of England’s football history, pointing out that the 1966 World Cup winners were still remembered 40 years on.

Think of the last England game you watched that had you screaming and jumping for joy. I mean, really celebrating. Are you thinking of the Argentina game in the 2002 World Cup? Where Beckham laid to rest a demon that had haunted him ever since France 98 by scoring the winning penalty that helped dump Argentina out. England v Argentina has plenty of history behind it. You’d be hard pressed to find a football match more charged with passion.

Beckham scored a penalty.

Against Argentina.

And it was the winning goal!

I bet if you look back, you were hugging whoever was next to you. I know I was.

Take a look at Sven’s reaction then.

Kind of says it all really.

Now, this isn’t a ‘the England manager isn’t English’ diatribe. I’m talking passion. Sven must surely know what it means to beat Argentina, regardless of whether you’re England or not. It’d be like beating Brazil, Germany, Italy–any top flight nation. If you beat them at a World Cup, and by beating them it means they’re out of the competition, would you not be a bit more roused?

To prove my point, imagine if that were Scolari sitting there. Or Wenger. Or Mourinho. They’d be up there high-fiving McClaren et al.

I just don’t think Sven had the passion. And why would he? £5m a year, free tickets to any Premiership match he wanted and not a lot of work to do in a year. Those facts do not constitute the travesty.

The travesty is that the FA let him stay on for as long as he did.

(Picture taken from this piece on the BBC site about Sven’s 5½ year reign. It’s picture no. 6, if you want to take a look.)