Eriksson puts blame on bad blood

Sven Goran Eriksson yesterday suggested it was not a lack of inner steel that prompted the second-half collapses which undermined England's World Cup but a paucity of iron.

The England manager revealed that the blood and fitness tests he had conducted on the squad showed a "dramatic" decline in performance from January to May. The level of iron in the blood, an indicator of aerobic capacity, was among the telling results. "It is because of the fatigue induced by the season," Eriksson said. Having failed in his campaign for a mid-season break, Eriksson now seeks to bring forward the end of next season prior to Euro 2004.

"If we want to give ourselves a better chance at championships we must have more recovery time," he said. Eriksson has already had two meetings with fixture planners but faces resistance from clubs as the obvious solution, an earlier start, traditionally affects season-ticket sales. It would also limit clubs' scope for lucrative overseas tours.