THE MODERN GAME

Having found on several moments in his first decade at United that the
boardroom did not share his opinions on crucial subjects, Ferguson is bound
to be aware that there are certain directors who want Eriksson to be his
successor. The FA also knows this.

Ferguson may be unhappy at this line of thought, not just because it is
believed that he wants Martin O'Neill to succeed him, but also because
Eriksson's style of management (and the admiration that goes with it) is so
different from his own. It would not be a leap of imagination to think that
if Eriksson were to take over from Ferguson, it would be regarded as a
change from "old school" to "modern".

As the debate over England's performance against Brazil continues, another
disputed quotation has been entered as evidence against Eriksson. In a book
on the England manager to be published shortly, an England defender is
alleged to have said that at half-time what England wanted was rousing
motivation. What they got was Eriksson's calm. "Instead of Winston Churchill
we got Iain Duncan Smith" is the gist of the allegation.

"I haven't heard that," Eriksson said when it was put to him on Monday, but
he did not seem overly impressed. "If anyone can guarantee me that we
would have done better in the second half if I'd spent half-time shouting then I
will listen to them. But I think it's old-fashioned."