外界認為埃裏克松統率的英格蘭隊至今仍表現得令人失望，但瑞典人拒絕接受這一批評，他公開表示在世界盃的歷史上，從來沒有哪支冠軍球隊是一直髮揮得非常出色的，英格蘭隊參賽的目標是力爭好成績，而不是娛樂大眾。
鏈結 http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=372670&cc=4716
Eriksson: England not here to be entertainers
Sven-Goran Eriksson insists teams do not win the World Cup with an exhibition of flair football.
Eriksson hit back at critics who claim his England team have bored their way into the last eight of the competition.
They will take on Portugal in the quarter-final in Gelsenkirchen on Saturday and the manager expects them to find their best form.
Eriksson said: 'I don't remember any team who started the World Cup in a perfect way and went seven games and won it in big style every time.
'You have to suffer in a tournament like this.
'Look at Argentina. They couldn't resolve the situation in 90 minutes against Mexico.'
Eriksson defended his team's efforts in the first four games of the tournament.
The Swede said: 'We didn't concede any goals in open play.
'We conceded two really stupid goals from set-pieces, that's all.
'If we can perform as we know we can I think we have a really, really good chance.
'When we know we can do better and we are already in the quarter-final, I think that is a strength for a team.'
Eriksson insists he will not be motivated by revenge against Portugal boss Luiz Felipe Scolari.
Scolari is Eriksson's nemesis - the man who dumped him out of the last two major competitions and was the first choice to replace him as England boss.
But Eriksson said: 'It doesn't really matter. I am not a man of revenge.'
Scolari broke English hearts at Euro 2004 when his Portugal team beat England on penalties in Lisbon.
Eriksson's team were seven minutes from victory when sub Helder Postiga equalised to take the game into extra-time.
Sol Campbell thought he had scored the winner but it was ruled out for a foul and England crumbled from 12 yards.
Two years earlier, Scolari's Brazil ended the English dream in Japan on their way to becoming world champions.
Michael Owen put England ahead but Ronaldinho won the game with a 50-yard free-kick which caught out goalkeeper David Seaman.
Owen is at home nursing his ruptured knee ligaments but Scolari's squad took a battering in yesterday's stormy win over Holland. Influential midfielders Deco and Costinha were sent off and will be banned and Cristiano Ronaldo is fighting to be fit.
Luis Figo has been cleared to play, however, after FIFA insisted he will not face further disciplinary action for a headbutt on Mark van Bommel.
Eriksson still rates Scolari's team as one of the sides capable of going all the way in the competition.
The England boss said: 'Technically they are very good. They have a lot of players who can beat people, quick players.
'I suppose they will play 4-3-3. They are one of the teams who can win the World Cup.'
The England boss declared himself satisfied with the 1-0 win against Ecuador and the performance of Wayne Rooney, up front on his own.
Eriksson said: 'He played very well in that role alone up front. He holds the ball and he will be better. That worked very well.
'If we want to play like this of course we have to give him support all the time and I think we did it OK.
'Physically he is getting better and better. It's the touch sometimes that takes time. What he needs is to play football.'
作者-趙海軍
責編：佟杉杉