Where did it all go wrong?

This debate is now closed. A selection of your emails appears below.

Sven-Goran Eriksson arrived in England to a luke-warm reception from press and public.

But the Swede put a demoralised England back together, and began his reign with five consecutive victories.

He presided over England's triumphant 5-1 victory over Germany in Munich - and guided the team to the World Cup, eventually going out to Brazil in the quarter-finals.

But, recent months have seen the departure of two of his closet allies: FA chief executive Adam Crozier, and assistant coach Steve McClaren.

And now Sven is set to meet FA chairman Geoff Thompson for talks that could spell the end of his tenure.

Why has Eriksson fallen from grace? And can he recover?

This debate is now closed

Earlier comments from the likes of Kristian Ward and David Bay claim to be non-xenophobic. Yet they push for the appointment of an Englishman as the England manager - but who would that be.

Sir Bobby is a fantastic manager (I am a biased Newcastle fan) but he will be 71 next year. The last Englishman to win the League was Howard Wilkinson and look where he has ended up. The last Englishman to win the FA Cup was Joe Royale. I can't even remember the last Englishman to win a European trophy (Clough?).

FACT: Sven has won more than any perceptive English manager. Under English managers we have failed to qualify for the World Cup and the European championships. Sven is doing a great job and I for one cannot think of a suitable replacement.
Keith Whalen, UK

Come back Adam and help Sven against the money-grabbing Premiership chairmen; have they got no pride in the England team. All most of them are bothered about is reaping in loads of money and keeping their shareholders happy.

The FA have already made England the laughing stock of world football over the way they have handled the Wembley issue, now they seem destined again to shoot themselves in the foot.

Just let Sven get on with the job of leading us into Euro 2004 glory.
Malc Wheildon, England

England need Sven. They have nobody of his calibre to replace him with.
T Allardyce-Lewis, Scotland

This is another ridiculous situation that the FA have landed English football in. Here is a coach that took over a side that was in absolute ruins and took them to the last eight in the world within 18 months.

Instead of praising that achievement and building on that solidly for the future, we now find that we are serious jeopardy of losing the coach that got us there. Just let him do his job. Can anyone think of a better alternative - I don't think so.
Richard S, UK

I think that the circumstances surrounding Sven are the result of a deep rooted pro-English culture throughout English football. Time and time we hear how foreign imports have spoilt the game. However, given the ITV fiasco, how are clubs meant to afford over-rated, over-priced English players?
Chandan, UK

Typical, the one good coach we have and we let him slip through our fingers - surely the fact that Man U, Barca and Italy are interested confirms his ability, and if that isn't enough, look at his past record.

I think the FA is corrupt, full of old fogies in it for themselves. Crozier was right to go.
Carl, UK

I heartily disagree with the person who wrote that the most important thing is the professional clubs and not England. Surely one is born English, not Arsenal, Manchester United or Everton!

In my opinion, it is the greed of the Premier League clubs that will destroy the game in England, and if Sven does resign, which I hope and pray he does not, I believe there is no way back for Thompson and the rest of his cronies, they must all resign.

It is only when the game is run properly with independence from the Premier League will there be any stability. You don't see the Bank of England being run by the Chairmen of Barclays, Lloyds and HSBC do you!!
Thursty, England

I notice that all those who would have Sven removed from his post on account of his nationality are not suggesting a replacement. Might I suggest that, before we go on about getting an Englishman for the job, we actually go and find one capable of it?

I mean, who is there? Terry Venables? Let us not forget that Mr V never played a qualifying game in his period as England manager, he subjected us to the horrors of results such as the 0-0 in Hong Kong.

We all remember beating the Dutch and getting to the semis of Euro '96, but we don't remember the games we should have lost against Switzerland and Spain in the very same tournament.

Those that suggest Eriksson should be removed on account of his results are not reading them with any perspective, and to remove him for any other reason (especially without a qualified replacement ready and waiting) is definitely folly.
Dave H, Kent, England

The majority of the supporters are very happy with Eriksson, it's only the peripheral football followers like the ignorant Kristian Ward (below) who complain.

The man has lost one competitive game and got us to the last eight of a World Cup we were convinced we wouldn't reach! And Kristian, you say he ruined Lazio and Sampdoria? I seem to remember European trophies and league titles rather than failure.
Danny, UK

England is one of the big boys but we seem to act like idiots at times. Here we are, with a promising young team looking good for the future and all we do is fuss over tabloid nonsense. It's a joke. Keep it up Sven; we (people concerned with football) are right behind you.
Kate O'Brien, England

Since Sven took over the England job, England has become genuine contenders for tournaments. The English should realise they are lucky to have such an intelligent and successful manager and hope he stays for years to come. He will definitely take England to an even higher level.
Craig, Scotland

It's sad that the FA are attracting publicity for internal politics. We need Sven to be well out of this side of things. As coach he needs to be accountable and measured only on the team's performance, not the ridiculous off-field distractions.
Andrew Shaw, England

When is this country going to grow up? We strangle ourselves. We hate success, and turn every corner hoping for failure. Sven has lost one game. One game - and that was to Brazil in the World Cup quarter-finals, the eventual winners.

We loved Sven when we beat Germany 5-1; then we hate Sven him when we draw with Macedonia. Which is it? Judge Sven if we don't get to Euro 2004. Otherwise except the natural volatility in football results - and grow up!
Hoops, England

Before the Ulrika story broke, Sven was completely supported by nearly everybody in English football. It is a shame that people have let such a pathetic kiss-and-tell tale interfere with such an intelligent and successful football manager.
St�phanie, UK

I would love to see the back of Eriksson I don't know why he was hired in the first place. He had both Lazio and Sampdoria in dire straits and has managed to get just two decent results, Argentina and Germany.

His poor tactics and his stubbornness to drop Seaman or pick McManaman, shows England have become the Halifax Town of international football.

I am not xenophobic but just don't think he is up to it so heaven knows why Man Utd are after him!
Kristian Ward, England

Why can we never leave someone in the job long enough to actually do something positive and lasting with the team? You can't turn an under-performing, under-resourced team into a global success overnight - everyone knows that we still have the mentality that if results don't work out (Macedonia?) then the manager must go.

We should be looking to get to and compete for the next World Cup, never mind Euro 2004. Give Sven a chance to build a team properly, and let's get back to the old glory days.
Sam, UK

I can't be alone in my frustration that just as we seem to have the ideal set-up for the future yet again we manage to find a way to self-destruct. Exasperating!
Jon Ryman, UK

Sven has always been open and honest with the media and the players, when he says he is going to stay we should accept that that is the case.

I'm not normally the "conspiracy theory" type but I have to say the events of last week do cause me concern and I wonder who would take over as coach if Sven went - Steve McClaren? - after all he was being groomed as heir apparent and let's face it, every other manager in England has had a go and failed - who else are they going to give it to?
Shirley Anderson, England

Sven has not been a disaster by any means of the imagination, but I can't help feeling there is an air of staleness about him right now. Time to bring back Glenn Hoddle I think.
Darren Rees, Wales

Everyone is coming up with "excuses" for Sven to leave. He only needs one - the press. Please stay Sven; the fans know how good you're doing. Ignore the press.
Pete, England

After the debacles of Venables, Hoddle and Keegan we have had a period of relative calm and some success in the eyes of world opinion. He has been like a breath of fresh air; Sven is good for the game and in particular English football. If the newspapers stay off his back he may prove his critics wrong and win something.
Mr Ray Foster, UK

If Sven goes over this, all those involved in Soho Square, and many on Fleet Street, should hang their heads in abject shame. The loss of a coach whose style relies on building from the grass roots up, would no doubt be something that English football would never recover from, and subject us all to another three decades of mediocrity.
Will, UK

I wouldn't mind if Sven left England. I don't think he is as good as he is made out to be! We need an English manager who likes to play football. Sven plays the long ball too much.
Ben Robertson, England

I am a Swede and have been living in England since the 70's. I was very excited and proud when Sven became the England manager. I'd like to say that you don't need to be born English to support the England team from the heart. The only time I find it difficult is when Sweden play England; I just hope for a draw!

I think that Sven is the best thing that has happened to the FA and the game. His brief is to build an organisation that will have a natural successor from the new breed of managers. There are already a few lining up; Peter Taylor, Steve McClaren, etc.
Lars Mansson, Sweden/England

If and when he does leave the job, the press are only going to say they've been expecting it all along. He's a good manager and I wish everyone would stop asking him if he's going to quit.

Also I wish people would shut up about wanting an English manager, when no-one can suggest anyone half decent to take over from him!!!

I agree with Abdel, he's being hounded out of his job!
Louise M, UK

I find it impossible to believe anyone could consider getting rid of Sven, he's the best thing that's happened to the English team for a long time. We've had two disappointing games - not defeats - and now people want him out?

When playing their best, the sort of game we know they're capable of, the English team would be a tough challenge for any team in the world. At the end of the day the eleven men on the pitch are English and they perform against the best teams in the world, we should be proud of them and their management.
Anton, England

It seems every time someone did well for England they ended up losing their job - Robson, Venables, even Hoddle had some success, only to be given the boot.

Now Crozier goes, and SGE looks like he could be next. I despair of the people in charge of football in this country, especially the failures like Bates and Ridsdale.
James O'Hara, UK

I don't think Sven should go; he hasn't been the perfect manager for England (eg England 2 - 2 Macedonia), but who is good enough to replace him? I think we've used all the English managers now haven't we?
Michael Morter, England

What does nationality, race, colour or religion have anything to do with doing a good job. It is down to finding the best person for the job that counts.

What concerns me is that the next chief executive will be more of a puppet than Crozier, and that does not bode well for the national game.
James Sweeney, ex-pat in Canada

It would be fairly typical of the English to shoot ourselves in the foot here. Blessed with the kind of platform we have dreamed of for years, it all seems to be sliding out of control again.

I hope Sven will stay and see out his time. I couldn't care less what nationality he is, he is good for our game. Exactly the same applies for Adam Crozier, without his forward thinking and the business experience he brought from Saatchi & Saatchi we would never have got this far.

The FA are on the brink of sliding back into the age of the gin and tonic-laden, self congratulating, short-sighted oafs of the past.
Mick Brown, Saudi Arabia

I also have to agree with John D (below) that Dave Bay's comments are worthy only of despair. We have no managers or coaches of significance in this country - well, certainly not to compare with those in Europe.

Anyone who thinks that we are the best at anything is severely deluded. If Ken Bates thinks otherwise, then why has he appointed successive foreigners to manage his own club. We need to understand that the FA needs to undertake a radical shake-up across all areas of football for which they are responsible, and anyone involved in grass roots football in this country will tell you exactly how bad they are at representing them!

However, the last things we need is for the money-mad Premiership chairman to get control of this. Most of them are, one by one, digging their own clubs into financial obscurity, and I give football no more than 10 years if they get to control football here in the UK.
Alan F, UK

It was a sad day for English football when Crozier quit and I pray we do not lose Sven as well. Does anyone have a better suggestion for England manager - I think not.

It is now more than ever that English football fans need to show support for their national coach and not let the press or xenophobic public (sadly there's not only one Dave Bay) push him out.
Craig, Spain