Eriksson wary of Brazil clash

Sven-Goran Eriksson believes a World Cup quarter-final clash with Brazil would be ‘‘tricky’’, and has dismissed suggestions that the South Americans have a dodgy defence.

England won through to the last eight with a comfortable 3-0 win over Denmark and now will meet either Brazil or Belgium next Friday.

Eriksson told Sky Sports News: ‘‘Brazil is a tricky one, very tricky, it would have been nice to play them in the final.

‘‘But their job is still to do against Belgium, we did our job and did it well.’’

Despite comments being made about Brazil’s defence during this world Cup, Eriksson insisted there were few weaknesses in the South American team.

‘‘They have very good defenders,’’ said the Swede. ‘‘I saw part of the game against Costa Rica but in that game they wanted to score lots of goals.

‘‘They had a very attacking line-up with plenty of attacking midfielders and even attacking wing-backs, so something had to give.

‘‘Other times I have seen them they have defended very well.’’

Eriksson revealed that he and his coaching staff plan to travel to watch Brazil’s match with Belgium and that some players may also attend the game.

Asked how the team had prepared for the game with Denmark, he said: ‘‘I try to make the players

stick to your tactics and organisation as much as possible and I think we haven’t done it always, but very often we were disciplined on the pitch.

‘‘It is important as a player to know all through the 90 minutes what to do, when you defend, when you attack it’s a sort of security you can never forget.

‘‘But to improvise, you can never teach them how to do that, and you need that in football as well.’’

Eriksson also reserved special praise for the England supporters in Niigata.

He added: ‘‘The fans have been absolutely fantastic; in the stadium, going back to the hotel, leaving the hotel this morning, people everywhere couldn’t imagine that England and Beckham should be so popular, It’s like playing at home.’’

Eriksson also spared a thought for new knight Sir Bobby Robson, who invited him to Ipswich in an observatory role in the early 80s when Sven was a young coach at Gothenburg.

He said: ‘‘I am extremely happy, congratulations, I am going to phone him later. He deserves it, he

has been in the job for many years, he is a real football man - very dedicated.

‘‘I think I met him in 1980 or 1981 the first time, I was no-one and he had Ipswich.

‘‘He invited me to sit on the bench and I couldn’t believe what I was hearing, but he was a gentleman and I was happy for him.’’