Hero Cohen attacks Eriksson reign

By Chris Charles

WALES v ENGLAND Kick-off: 1500 BST, Saturday 3rd September Venue: Millennium Stadium, Cardiff Live coverage on BBC Radio Five Live and this website Player-power claim denied Terry Butcher's view England team news Wales team news

England legend George Cohen has hit out at Sven-Goran Eriksson ahead of Saturday's crucial World Cup qualifier against Wales.

Cohen, one of the stars of 1966, said he was annoyed by the coach's lack of ideas in the last World Cup and backed Steve McClaren to replace him.

The former England right-back told BBC Sport: "Sven didn't have any other plan against Brazil in the 2002 semi-final.

"I think the better scenario is that his assistant McClaren takes over."

Cohen is also unhappy with England's attitude to friendlies, particularly the abject display in Denmark, which saw Eriksson's side trounced 4-1.

"What upset me about the Denmark game was all the people saying it was only a friendly," he said.

"But we took 7,000 fans over to Copenhagen who paid good money to get in, never mind the travelling expenses and the cost of staying there.

"Then we performed like we did and said it doesn't matter. Well it does matter.

"Some of our guys back in the 60s and 70s couldn't have played in a five-a-side match without being competitive. It's just the way you were.

"Instead we've had all these cameo appearances that rather devalues the England cap."

After the Denmark game, Eriksson displayed a rare show of emotion, saying: "I'm very sorry for the fans and I'm disappointed.

"It was a disaster how we played football. I told the players that if we play football like that we can forget about the World Cup."

Cohen helped England lift the World Cup in 1966

Despite his own misgivings, Cohen, who has recently released his autobiography, said he expected England to "win well" in Cardiff.

But he was concerned they may come up short again in the World Cup if they had not learned from previous mistakes.

"I think we've got the players to win the tournament - and I've been saying that since the last World Cup," he explained.

"What happened against Brazil was outrageous. They were down to 10 men but we were down to nine.

"Owen wasn't fit and Beckham should never have been playing. How can you be an inspirational captain if you're not fit - you just cannot do it.

"In fact in the last two competitions, Beckham was carrying an injury in one and in the other said he wasn't fully fit because Real Madrid hadn't trained him hard enough.

"Now that is the doziest excuse for a bad performance I have ever heard in my life! Any pro footballer who doesn't take care of his own fitness should be looking at himself in the mirror and saying 'what am I doing here?'"