England can win World Cup if Rooney is not send off
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Sven Goran Eriksson feels England would probably have won the World Cup if Wayne Rooney was not sent off, but does not blame the striker for The Three Lions' failings in Germany.
England were knocked out of the summer tournament on penalties by Portugal after a 0-0 draw in the quarter finals.
The Swede's agent Athole Still has confirmed the ex-England coach feels he failed in his job in being unable to guide the team to at least the semi-finals of the World Cup.
But Still was quick to dismiss any notion that Eriksson blames Rooney for the side's exit and takes full responsibility for The Three Lions' demise.
"I said that Sven felt he was gutted after the World Cup," Still told Sky Sports News.
"He, himself, felt that 'if I don't get the team at least to the semi-finals I will consider I failed'. By his own level of judgement he did fail.
"But I know that he felt if he had a full 11 men for the second half against Portugal that we would have beaten Portugal.
"Even with 10 men we deserved to beat Portugal and we should have done.
"I said that if Rooney hadn't been sent off then Sven believed we would have won the game and probably gone on to win the World Cup.
"Then they (Talksport) said he blames Rooney. Sven has never blamed a single one of his players since the World Cup.
"It would be quite wrong to say he blames Rooney for not winning the World Cup. We could just as well say he blames the referee for unjustly putting Rooney off.
"Let's make that clear. He has not, and never has been, blaming any of his players. He blames himself."
England were knocked out of the summer tournament on penalties by Portugal after a 0-0 draw in the quarter finals.
The Swede's agent Athole Still has confirmed the ex-England coach feels he failed in his job in being unable to guide the team to at least the semi-finals of the World Cup.
But Still was quick to dismiss any notion that Eriksson blames Rooney for the side's exit and takes full responsibility for The Three Lions' demise.
"I said that Sven felt he was gutted after the World Cup," Still told Sky Sports News.
"He, himself, felt that 'if I don't get the team at least to the semi-finals I will consider I failed'. By his own level of judgement he did fail.
"But I know that he felt if he had a full 11 men for the second half against Portugal that we would have beaten Portugal.
"Even with 10 men we deserved to beat Portugal and we should have done.
"I said that if Rooney hadn't been sent off then Sven believed we would have won the game and probably gone on to win the World Cup.
"Then they (Talksport) said he blames Rooney. Sven has never blamed a single one of his players since the World Cup.
"It would be quite wrong to say he blames Rooney for not winning the World Cup. We could just as well say he blames the referee for unjustly putting Rooney off.
"Let's make that clear. He has not, and never has been, blaming any of his players. He blames himself."
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