Optimism greets Eriksson

Eriksson will be in charge for England's friendly with Spain

The wait for Sven Goran Eriksson to take up his new post as England coach has been reduced after he resigned from Lazio.

The last few months of uncertainty are finally over for the FA and Eriksson may now take charge on 1 February, five months earlier than expected.

The news is a welcome boost for English football, as the national side fights to qualify for World Cup 2002.

Caretaker coach Peter Taylor believes it is "in the best interests for England" that Eriksson's arrival is closer.

He now has a chance to help England qualify for the World Cup

  Trevor Brooking

Taylor, who will be working closely with Eriksson, said: "No-one was sure when Sven was coming over here to take charge of England and it is good that it is going to happen now, sooner rather than later.

"It is good news that he can come over straight away. It clears a lot of things up for us.

Excellent coach

Taylor, aided by Steve McLaren, would have been in charge for England's friendly with Spain at the end of February, and admits:"It would have been nice to have been in charge for the Spain game.

Taylor: happy Eriksson will arrive sooner

"But at least I've done the job for one game and what is in the best interests of England is what counts.

"I am sure that Mr Eriksson will talk to Steve and myself and we will do everything we can to help him. "

And despite Lazio's poor run of form recently, Taylor still believes in Eriksson's ability.

He said: "I think he has had a couple of bad injuries to key players which have affected his team and results.

Opportunity

"As soon as he became England manager, supporters were saying what a fantastic manager he was but then they changed the next minute which is sad because he is an excellent coach."

Sport England chairman Trevor Brooking shares Taylor's optimism, but insists that Eriksson must be given every chance to succeed.

Eriksson's arrival will lift all the players in the England set-up

  Paul Parker

"He now has a chance to help England qualify for the World Cup - and we have to give him that chance.

"It's going to be difficult for him because he is the first foreign coach.

"Lots of sports have gone down that road and now that football has as well, he has to be given that chance.

"If he can achieve get the results in the qualifiers against Finland, Albania and Greece then England should achieve a play-off place at worst in the qualifying group."

England expects

But former England international Paul Parker is in cautious mood.

"People will be looking at Eriksson and thinking England have a new manager, so the team will start winning," he said.

Parker has issued a warning for expectant England fans

"But Eriksson has the same players as Kevin Keegan, who at Euro 2000 were not good enough.

"People got carried away and thought that because we had drawn with Argentina and Brazil before Euro 2000 we would go on and win the competition.

"They should stop kidding themselves.

"England should have just been happy to be in the competition at all. They were fortunate enough to get there.

"Eriksson's arrival will lift all the players in the England set-up because they have a point to prove.

"It will generate more enthusiasm for the friendly with Spain but we will learn nothing from the game unless the opposition take the game as seriously as we will."

Wholehearted support

"Eriksson's arrival will lift all the players in the England set-up because they have a point to prove.

He is a good coach and an excellent communicator

  John Barnwell

"It will generate more enthusiasm for the friendly with Spain but we will learn nothing from the game unless the opposition take the game as seriously as we will."

Despite his initial disappointment at a foreigner being appointed, League Managers' Association chief executive John Barnwell offered his support for Eriksson.

"To have things hanging in limbo does not do our cause any good or make his job any easier," said Barnwell.

"The sooner he is here and getting on with it, the better.

"He is a good coach and an excellent communicator and the FA will be relieved to get him through the front door and working.

"We were in favour of an English manager in charge of the national side.

"But now he has been appointed it is in everyone's interests to support Sven-Goran Eriksson wholeheartedly."