World Cup 2014: England will do well to reach quarters - Eriksson
Last updated on .From the section 2014 Fifa World Cup
Former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson says his 2006 squad had a better chance of winning the World Cup than Roy Hodgson's 2014 team.
Eriksson took England to the quarter-finals in Germany and says the current crop will do well to match that.
The 66-year-old Swede said: "I don't think any team were better than England at the World Cup in Germany.
"I don't believe England have the chance to win this time. The quarter-finals would be a good achievement."
Eriksson, who is manager of Guangzhou R&F in the Chinese Super League, says he misses being in charge of England.
He said: "I would like to be involved still, especially when you go to the World Cup.
"That was great. To have 60 million people behind you all hoping and dreaming that you can reach the final - it's beautiful."
Eriksson managed England from 2001 to 2006, overseeing a squad including players such as David Beckham, Michael Owen, Rio Ferdinand and Ashley Cole.
Under Eriksson, England reached the quarter-finals in the 2002 and 2006 World Cups as well as the same stage in the 2004 European Championships.
Steven Gerrard, Wayne Rooney and Frank Lampard are the only members of Hodgson's youthful squad to have played in the 2006 tournament, when England were beaten on penalties by Portugal after suffering the same fate in Euro 2004.
Eriksson said: "We lost on penalties again but I don't think Portugal - or any team - were better than us at that time. The margins are very small.
"This time England has changed a lot, with new players.
"I think they will go through the group stage and then it depends on who they meet."
| Eriksson's England (2006) | Hodgson's England (2014) |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers: Paul Robinson, David James, Robert Green | Goalkeepers: Fraser Forster, Ben Foster, Joe Hart |
| Defenders: Gary Neville, Rio Ferdinand, John Terry, Ashley Cole, Sol Campbell, Jamie Carragher, Wayne Bridge | Defenders: Leighton Baines, Gary Cahill, Phil Jagielka, Glen Johnson, Phil Jones, Luke Shaw, Chris Smalling |
| Midfielders: David Beckham, Michael Carrick, Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard, Owen Hargreaves, Jermaine Jenas, Stewart Downing, Joe Cole, Aaron Lennon | Midfielders: Ross Barkley, Steven Gerrard, Jordan Henderson, Adam Lallana, Frank Lampard, James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Raheem Sterling, Jack Wilshere |
| Forwards: Wayne Rooney, Michael Owen, Peter Crouch, Theo Walcott | Forwards: Rickie Lambert, Wayne Rooney, Daniel Sturridge, Danny Welbeck |
Speaking to BBC Radio 4, Eriksson gave his backing to Fifa president Sepp Blatter, who has been criticised following allegations of corruption in the decision to award the 2022 World Cup to Qatar.
Eriksson said: "Blatter has been great for Fifa for many years now. He has huge experience. He's been great for football and the World Cups. Fifa has got bigger and bigger during his time, so I think he's done a lot of good things.
"I really hope the accusations are not true because it would be too bad for football. It's bad for everyone in football."
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