Eriksson: Players to keep heads up
(Agencies)
Updated: 2004-09-06 05:53

England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson has urged his players to banish the disappointment of Saturday's 2-2 World Cup qualifying draw with Austria from their minds and make amends by beating Poland next week.

A bungling England let slip a two-goal lead at the Ernst Happel Stadion, while Poland ran out 3-0 away winners over Northern Ireland in Group Six.

England soccer team coach Sven Goran Eriksson speaks at a news conference in Vienna, September 5, 2004. England drew 2-2 with Austria in their World Cup 2006 qualifying match on 4th September. [Reuters]

"I think we played well enough to win and we should have won the game... We didn't and, of course, I'm disappointed," Eriksson told a news conference.

Asked about the atmosphere in the England dressing room after the game, the Swede said: "The mood is not good.

"They know they played well enough to win it but it's not the first time it has happened in football and the important thing is to keep our heads up and go to Poland and try to win.

"With Poland winning and us drawing, the game on Wednesday will be even more important for us."

Eriksson defended goalkeeper David James, who made one perilous sortie that nearly cost England a goal and then allowed Austria's equaliser to squirm beneath him.

"I'm not concerned about his mental state," Eriksson said. "I think mentally he's strong. I'm quite sure he will play on Wednesday."

James told reporters: "It was a mistake and mistakes happen... I'm not going to make out it was anyone else's fault but at the same time I'm not going to hang myself."

Fighting spirit

Austria keeper Alex Manninger acknowledged he had escaped a potential red card when he used his hands to block a Michael Owen shot, with the Austrian apparently outside the area.

After being shown footage of the incident, the former Arsenal player told Austrian television: "I'm half a metre outside."

Austria coach Hans Krankl seemed almost surprised by his unfancied side's fighting spirit.

"I'm very proud of my team," he said. "We were 2-0 down, we scored two goals - and that's not something that happens every day. And it really doesn't happen to a team like ours against such a big name as England.

"I also have to thank the home crowd - with support like that you can make things happen that normally don't happen.

"The team showed the Austrian mentality was not simply to give up when things go wrong."

However, he admitted that during the game: "I was really angry, because we handed both goals to England on a plate... the first goal was ridiculous."

Frank Lampard opened the scoring after England were awarded a free kick in the penalty area when defender Martin Stranzl was judged to have passed back to Manninger.

Stranzl said afterwards he had stopped playing after hearing what he thought was the referee's whistle.

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