Part of that conclusion was based on the build-up to the

Part of that conclusion was based on the build-up to the World Cup that had seen England suffer a succession of injuries which at one time raised the doubt they could get a team up.This had the effect of reducing national optimism to the lowest level I can remember before a major championship, but not that low that we were prepared for the poverty of the performance against Sweden last Sunday, from which they were lucky to escape with a point.Friday’s performance raises even more questions about what the hell they were up to in that first match. The questions won’t be asked, of course, and Eriksson will get the credit for selection and tactical changes that the pundits were begging for all week.Not that Eriksson escaped criticism, but it seemed that most in the media did not relish doling it out. It was a little like carping at the Queen because it rained on her Jubilee parade.In yesterday’s media reaction you could sense the relief that they were able to pile praise on England after the digs they’d been applying to Eriksson’s ribs during the previous five days This represents another aspect of Eriksson’s luck. Most people want him to succeed.The point has been made before that no previous England coach has carried such unqualified backing from his employers. The young professionals at the hub of the Football Association have seen to that, and they can’t be blamed for attempting to establish a feel of continuity and collective will around the national team.The appointment of the England coach used to be the subject of a vote that was rarely unanimous, and those who voted against inevitably formed a caucus that quietly set out to pick holes in his reign.Thankfully, Eriksson will avoid that particular quirk of an England coach’s existence and revel in the free hand; so much the better if it’s a lucky hand. Regular good fortune counts as an ability in the world of sports leadership, and not the least of Eriksson’s fortune is having had an emerging giant at the heart of the team.Eriksson deserves credit for helping provide the responsibility that has nourished David Beckham. Even fuddy-duddies who look askance at the fashion of the modern male must take pleasure that such a remarkable man is taking shape before our eyes.Beckham was a massive force in a team performance that embodied many of the often-derided English qualities of speed, strength and courage.

Even the fourth-minute injury to Owen Hargreaves worked in their favour. Trevor Sinclair came on and the resulting reorganisation couldn’t have worked better if it had been planned for a year. All Sinclair could have hoped for this summer was free membership of BA’s frequent flyer club, and now he is a vital cog in England’s whirring machinery.Some managers inherit great teams, some create great teams and others have great teams thrust upon them. As long as a great team emerges, who cares?The professional at workWhere Rivaldo made his big public relations mistake when Hakan Unsal of Turkey deliberately kicked the ball at him was to fall holding his head.If he’d clutched his genitals instead, the world’s attitude would have switched from extreme indignation to deep sympathy. And when the replay showed that the ball had hit him halfway up the thigh the sympathy would have been joined by admiration. Most people outside the game were shocked by his blatant deception that led to Unsal’s dismissal from the game. Then they were shocked again by both Fifa’s mild punishment of a fine that was small change to the Brazilian and his attitude to the offence.He was unrepentant.

Unsal was wrong in kicking the ball at him, so he was trying to ensure the Turk suffered the top penalty. So what if it was near the end of the match; Unsal would miss the next game, and as Turkey are Brazil’s main rivals in the group his absence would be to the South Americans’ advantage. Having spent a lifetime close to professional sportsman I am not surprised at this rationale. They take the same philosophy into their games of five-a-side or head tennis. They’d kick their grannies to get an advantage.David Beckham admitted last week that he would assist his country’s cause if the rules needed bending. Michael Owen knows that a run into the box can be more valid than a telling pass to a colleague because you can tempt a defender into a desperate lunge. Last Friday proved that.By no means does that amount to cheating, but it is professional to be mindful of the possibilities.