Eriksson urges England to seize their chance

ENGLAND boss Sven-Goran Eriksson has called on his players to “seize the moment” against Denmark today as this could be their best, and potentially only, chance of World Cup success.

Eriksson has a developing young team already being hailed as realistic contenders for the 2006 World Cup in Germany.

However, even a player with the undeniable world-class talent of Paul Gascoigne only ever played in one World Cup, a fact acknowledged earlier in the tournament by Kieron Dyer.

Asked if the key is making the most of what could always prove a solitary opportunity for World Cup glory, Eriksson admitted: “I agree with that.

“You can’t afford to have a bad game or you will be out. That’s why the World Cup is so important and so big.

“For every game you survive, the nerves and pressure on you will be bigger and bigger. But if you are a big team then you have to deal with that.”

Eriksson believes the other vital factors ahead of what is expected to be a tight game in Niigata at the start of the knock-out stages will be “patience, keeping our shape and not being afraid”. Amid the chance of a golden goal or penalty shoot-out, his final message to his team will simply be along the lines of “go out and play football as you can play”. His team and tactics are set to be unchanged.

The penalty-takers are lined up, with David Beckham, Michael Owen, Paul Scholes and Rio Ferdinand all in the frame along with Teddy Sheringham, if on the pitch.

England will look to Beckham and Owen for the inspiration needed to avoid a shoot-out being required.

Eriksson was nevertheless keen to play down any extra pressure on England’s two world-class stars when asked if this is now the moment for them to deliver.

“We have done rather well already. I have been asked about Michael and I’m not worried about him,” he replied in the wake of the striker’s four games without a goal. “Let’s hope he does it in this game. He was very lively in the last game and he will score.

“I hope David Beckham is ready. You can never say that for sure before a game, but I hope all of them will play an extremely good game. We need that to beat Denmark,” he added. “But if we can play more or less as we did against Argentina, I should be very happy.”

Eriksson has no new injury worries, while he is hoping that Owen Hargreaves, who is ruled out of this game, could be fit to return for any quarter-final next Friday against Brazil or Belgium.

He nevertheless warned: “If you think about that then you will not win this game. We have to be very focused as the quarter-final is another life away yet.”

Eriksson also insisted Denmark must not be under-estimated as the pace of Jesper Gronkjaer and Dennis Rommedahl, allied to the finishing of Jon Dahl Tomasson, could still trouble England.

“I would not say that Denmark are average players. If you look at their wingers, their two men up front and their two centre-backs, they are excellent players,” he maintained.

Above all, Eriksson needs his team to show they have matured and developed even in the space of two weeks from their opening game against the Swedes, when they ran out of creative ideas.

“We should be better and better. Every time you have a chance to play a match in the World Cup, it gives you experience and appetite,” he insisted.

“I think we can be better and better but, of course, we have to show that against Denmark.”