England need a winter break, says Sven-Goran Eriksson

England will struggle to win the World Cup or European Championship unless the Premier League introduces a winter break, says Sven-Goran Eriksson.

Sven-Goran Eriksson: England need a winter break
Calling for a change: Sven Goran-Eriksson says the fixture schedule takes its toll on the England team

The former England manager believes the English "will never learn" because of the Premier League's desire to feed lucrative television markets around the world at a time when other major leagues sensibly pause for breath.

Eriksson also believes the weight of public and press expectation hangs too heavily on England players, inhibiting them at tournaments, and condemns the new Football League rule on substitutes that restricts his ability to nurture youngsters.

"It's more difficult for England than other countries to do well in a big tournament,'' said Eriksson, now manager at Leicester City. "You have to have a break. You need to give every Premier League player seven days away to fly to wherever they want. They can have sunshine, relax and then one week of preparation and then start again.

"Owen Hargreaves was the fittest [in tests before the 2002 World Cup] because he had the long winter break [with Bayern Munich]. Uefa did medical research into injuries in the big leagues in Europe from March 1 to the end of the season. England were higher with injuries than anyone else [by four to one]. You don't learn, because the Premier League want games to be played all the time. So people can watch it everywhere.''

The lack of a winter break also harmed clubs, Eriksson added. "If you took a break it should be easier for the clubs to win in Europe."

During his time as England coach, from 2001 to 2006, Eriksson lobbied club managers for support on the winter break – and the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsène Wenger backed him – but the Premier League resisted. The battle between clubs and country runs long and hard.

"Players belong to the clubs,'' Eriksson reflected ruefully. "With friendly games, the club managers say to their players 'stop playing'. But being England manager is not an impossible job, absolutely not. It was fun. In 2004, we were not far away. In 2006, we should have done better. We should have made the final.

"The worst moment in my career was to lose that penalty shoot-out in Germany [against Portugal]. Coming into the dressing-room, what could I say? It's finished. But we should take penalties better. The walk from the middle line to the spot, with all the thoughts running through your head, it doesn't matter how famous a football player you are, sometimes the best misses [like Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard]".

One of the most technical, Wayne Rooney, had already been dismissed for tangling with Ricardo Carvalho. "If you have 11 players on the pitch it would have been better. What should I tell Rooney? Start to scream at him? I tried to tell him that it was not the most clever thing to do. Stand up and defend yourself, and learn from this.

"I said to you reporters 'don't kill Rooney'. It could have been very easy for you to kill him. Don't kill him, kill me. You don't need me any more. You need Rooney if you are to win a big tournament."

Even amid all the heat and heartache, Eriksson retained his sangfroid. He always did with England. Even when the players threatened to strike, when his private life was splattered across the front pages or when key players were injured on the eve of tournaments, the Swede kept calm and carried on.

"I wasn't always calm inside. The players know if I get angry. They feel it. It happened with England when I said 'you don't dare behave like this'."

Given the team's travails under Steve McClaren and Fabio Capello, England's three quarter-finals under Eriksson increasingly resemble a golden age.

"I am getting better and better! Of course, I laugh about that. The expectations on England are too high. Before the big tournaments start, the expectation with England builds up and up and up, and you are more less world champions before you have kicked a ball. I don't know whether it is to do with '66 but you build the players up too much." Yet he understands the constant craving of the England support.

"They are fantastic. I loved every second of being England manager. The English are obsessed with football. That's why managers want to work in this country. Someone told me that the Championship is the fourth most-supported league in the world. And it's the second division.''

Walking down the corridor to his office, Eriksson paused to admire the pictures depicting past Leicester players. There's Gordon Banks holding a ball with Peter Shilton, master and apprentice. There's Frank Worthington spinning away from Newcastle United's Malcolm Macdonald. There's Alan Smith holding off Nottingham Forest's Chris Fairclough and Johnny Metgod in 1987. As Eriksson reaches his office, Alan Birchenall strolls past, beaming away.

Leicester are the 13th team (club and national) the itinerant Swede has worked with. "I have never lost that love. It's a drug. It's very difficult to live without it. Match days are beautiful days, sitting on the bench trying to be more clever than the other guy sitting on the bench. You don't lose that desire for winning.''

Yet Capello is retiring after the Euros. "Do you think Capello will handle that? After England I had one year off and it was awful. I got frustrated and nervous, which never happens with me. I was invited to Australia to give talks and after three days I went back home. I should have been there for two weeks.''

Manchester City eventually beckoned, seemingly bankrolled by Thaksin Shinawatra. "In the beginning it was good with Shinawatra, but he didn't understand football – he hadn't a clue. He thought beating Manchester United twice in one year was normal. 'Tell the players they must be more aggressive', he said. When we won he invited me for dinner. When we lost he didn't even say hello."

Eriksson, 63, continues to have Thai employers, who have renamed the Walkers the King Power Stadium after their duty-free business. "Shinawatra was in politics. These aren't. They are very successful businessmen in Thailand with real money behind them. The owners have been great, getting the stadium better, investing £3 million in the training ground and spending money on players [now touching the £10 million mark after Gelson Fernandes's arrival on Thursday]. They do it for one reason only: the Premier League.''

Michael Johnson, the injury-stalked midfielder, has come on loan from City. "I have a good story for you. One day, at the end of the season with City, Hamann knocked on the door and came in. 'I just want to tell you one thing.' 'Yes, Didi, what is it?' 'I have never ever played together with such a good midfielder as Michael Johnson.' Didi has played for Bayern Munich, Liverpool. That's a compliment. Michael seems fine. In style, he's between Lampard and Gerrard, box to box, can defend, score goals, can see passes, rather aggressive. He's only 23. Michael could play for England."

A coach who wants to give English talent a chance, Eriksson seethes with anger over the Football League's diktat to allow only five subs instead of seven.

"It's crazy. You will not find one manager or player who agrees with this. When we have seven, you could take in one or two young players and when you are winning 3-0 with 20 minutes to go, OK, in with the young one. That possibility has been taken away. It's absolutely bad for the long-term development of young players. I have spoken to Fifa and Uefa about it. They had nothing to do with it. It was sanctioned by the FA. We are going backwards in football in England.''