Sunday, January 15, 2006
The Media's Svendetta
Fair enough there wasn't exactly a mad rush of contenders eager for the chance to be Ireland manager, but would you ever want to be the England manager with what that job entails?England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson is now facing pressure after an undercover reporter with the News of the World was told that he would quit his job as England manager if England win the World Cup this summer.
Eriksson is also quoted suggesting he would be prepared to become manager of Aston Villa as part of a takeover.
The Football Association refused to comment on the article, which also featured claims attributed to Eriksson about David Beckham and Michael Owen.
Eriksson's agent Athol Still called the article "disgraceful entrapment."
Eriksson, who is under contract as England coach until 2008, was on an FA-sanctioned trip to Dubai when he is said to have been contacted by an undercover reporter who said he wanted to discuss a coaching job at a new football academy in Dubai .
He is said to have told the reporter that Aston Villa was for sale, that England captain David Beckham would return to play in England if Eriksson asked him to, and that striker Michael Owen was not happy at Newcastle.
The paper quotes him saying that five-and-a-half years is "a long time to be England manager. Anyway if I win the World Cup, I will leave, goodbye".
I find this extraordinary! Do the English want to win the World Cup this year or not? If they do, why the hell are they so intent on upsetting the guy that they are depending on to win the competition? What a messed up media that country has!
You tell 'em Sven
Sven's agent Mr Still says there were never any negotiations and described many of the claims as "sheer fantasy".
"Following the discussions the people we spoke to said they had a substantial sum of money to invest in a Premiership club," he said.
"I mentioned Aston Villa and Sunderland. The rest of the conversation was sheer fantasy.
"At no point did Sven say he would not honour his contract with England - he has even talked with me about extending it to 2010.
"He did talk about possibly managing Aston Villa because you never know what will happen in football, but it was all hypothetical.
"There were never any negotiations, it was all just fantasising.
"Sven is really angry that they have done this in a World Cup year. I will have to read the article fully before considering whether we will take any further action."
It doesn't seem to me that Sven-Goran Eriksson has done anything wrong. He was merely speculating on some things.
If I was an England supporter I'd be more pissed off about my country's media who seem hell-bent on causing as much distress to the team as possible in order to shift newspapers.
That country's Press is a shambles and what that man has had to put up with from them is nothing short of obscene. Not that I necessarily want England to win the World Cup or anything but it's just bizarre what they put their own people through.
The English need to learn that while freedom of speech is great and all, sometimes it's better to keep schtum. 'Empty vessels' and all that...
# posted by United Irelander @ 2:13 AM 
© 2008 United Irelander.
