By Mighty Reds
March 1 2006

SVEN – INSPIRED BY SMOKIN’ JOE Sven Goran Errikson has revealed how meetings with Joe Fagan, Liverpool manager, helped inspre his footballing beliefs. The England coach has always had a great admiration for the history and tradition of the Reds and says that chats with manager of the time, Joe Fagan, helped him to understand the workings of a successful football club.
Sven’s England team take on Uruguay at Anfield tonight in a pre World Cup friendly.

Sven said:

"As a young man I came here to Anfield now and then, and I visited the famous boot room," he explained.

"Joe Fagan invited me there 30 years ago. I saw them training and I saw them play in games many times and I learned many things.

"Joe was a very nice man and I got to know him quite well. They were always very helpful and I learned a lot. But I think all the world learned from the great Liverpool teams of that time. They kept the ball, kept things simple. It was very difficult to attack against them.

"You can smell the history of this stadium. Liverpool have won the Champions League five times. It is one of those great, great clubs.

"You can compare them with Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Manchester United you can't forget, of course, although maybe they would like to here! Ajax also.

"But you have one very special thing here which makes me freeze, and that's 'You'll Never Walk Alone' when it is sung before the teams come out.

"I don't know if they will sing it tonight, probably not, but it is a very special song."