From Upton Park to Osaka: how Sven built his team

England's record in the World Cup

The beginnings were not propitious. Scene One was beside a toilet at Wembley. It was October 2000 and Kevin Keegan, having overseen a losing start to England's World Cup qualifying campaign, delivered his resignation to Adam Crozier, the Football Association's chief executive.

Scene Two took place in a bare gymnasium at Helsinki's Olympic Stadium four days later. Poor officiating had cost England victory against Finland, leaving them bottom of Group Nine with one point from two games. Howard Wilkinson, the caretaker manager, was asked if the World Cup should be written off and the rest of the ties used as a test bed for young players. He did not, as oft quoted, agree but regarded the suggestion plausible enough to reply: "It is something the new manager will have to consider."

Though it was not evident at the time, that night was the nadir of England's qualifying campaign. Future scenes would owe more to Hans Christian Andersen than Ingmar Bergman as Sven Goran Eriksson rescued England's ailing campaign in increasingly dramatic style.

Eriksson, having been swiftly identified as Keegan's preferred replacement, was in the stand a month later as another caretaker, Peter Taylor, followed up on Wilkinson's musing by fielding a young team in Turin. The revival dates from that night. David Beckham was captain, Rio Ferdinand started his first match in 19 months, Emile Heskey led the line like a lion.

Eriksson was impressed and, with Lazio faltering, left Rome earlier than anticipated giving him time to revive the qualifying campaign in person. His first task was to acquaint himself with current and prospective internationals. In his first 41 days he watched 25 matches, beginning with a trip to Upton Park and a look at Joe Cole. "He asked me how old he was, was he 20 [he was 19]?" said Harry Redknapp, West Ham's then-manager, with pride. "He said he thought Joe was a good player."

By mid-February Eriksson, who would carry on watching matches like an addict scoring fixes, had seen every England international of the previous 12 months and plenty more besides. His first squad included Cole and five other uncapped players: Chris Powell, Michael Ball, Michael Carrick, Gavin McCann and Ashley Cole. A mass audition, and handsome victory, against Spain at a freezing Villa Park followed. Yet of the new boys only the Coles, neither of whom played that night, would make it into the World Cup squad.

There would be plenty of other false trails as Eriksson went on to create 15 new internationals in the 43 players he capped, among them Michael Ricketts and Ledley King. A string of seasoned players made way. Steve McManaman, Darren Anderton, Kevin Phillips and Andy Cole were tried and discarded. Dennis Wise, Paul Ince and, more contentiously, Graeme Le Saux, were not even tried. Tony Adams joined Alan Shearer in international retirement but David Seaman, Teddy Sheringham and Martin Keown stayed on and remained in the frame.

The regular debutants and huge squads gave the impression of constant experimentation but Eriksson had identified his key players early on. Eight of the team which started the March tie against Finland also featured against Germany six months later and, but for injury, would have been taking the field against Sweden on 2 June.

Another key element was soon apparent. Eriksson was "lucky". The Finns would have drawn but for a last-minute save by Seaman. So would have Albania, a few days later, but for an errant linesman's flag. This fortune was never more apparent than in the final qualifier against Greece when, again in the final minutes, Sheringham won a dubious free-kick and Beckham scored.

But luck evens out and, having reached the finals, England were given a forbidding draw. Fortunate with injuries during qualifying, Eriksson then had to travel to Asia with several key players missing and others of doubtful fitness.

These absentees have tempered an optimism about the team's prospects which peaked with September's 5-1 win over Germany. Home draws against Greece and Sweden, and a defeat by Italy in Leeds, had already introduced a sense of perspective. England thus arrive in Japan less favoured than their 10-1 odds suggest. There are, as ever, problems on the left flank and a lack of depth elsewhere, especially at right-back where Gary Neville will be missed, not least for his link-up with Beckham.

To have a chance of winning England needed their six core players – Seaman, Beckham, Ferdinand, Paul Scholes, Steven Gerrard and Michael Owen – to be fit and in-form. By the time England left to start their build-up in Dubai, two of this group were already injured.

Yet if victory is unlikely this summer much good work can be done towards the 2006 tournament. Players like the Coles, Joe and Ashley, Darius Vassell and Owen Hargreaves could have their progress significantly accelerated.

Much depends on the first round of matches. Nigeria have a habit of starting hot and could upset Argentina. If England then beat Sweden, for the first time since 1968, the prospect of advancing to the easier half of the draw opens up. Few gave Bobby Robson's team much hope in 1990 yet Gary Lineker, David Platt and Paul Gascoigne took them to the semi-finals, the latter two becoming stars in the process. Could Owen, Danny Murphy and Joe Cole do the same?

1930, 1934, 1938
Did not compete.

1950
England were soon on their way home from Brazil after a 1-0 defeat at the hands of the United States.

1954
England reached the quarter-finals in Switzerland but lost 4-2 to the defending champions, Uruguay.

1958
A 1-0 defeat against the USSR in the Group Four play-off game ended England's hopes in Sweden.

1962
England reached the quarter-finals in Chile where they lost 3-1 to the defending champions, Brazil.

1966
Geoff Hurst scored a hat-trick as England beat Germany 4-2 to claim the Jules Rimet trophy at Wembley. The hosts drew with Uruguay in their opening game before defeating Mexico and France. Argentina were seen off 1-0 in the quarter-final before a 2-1 win over the classy Portuguese in the last four.

1970
England were beaten 1-0 by Brazil, before seeing their hopes finally killed off 3-2 by West Germany in the quarter-finals in Mexico.

1974, 1978
Failed to qualify.

1982
England went out after draws against West Germany and Spain, the hosts, in the second round.

1986
Diego Maradona's 'Hand of God' goal helped to see off England 2-1 in the quarter-finals in Mexico.

1990
Paul Gascoigne cried after England lost on penalties against West Germany in the semi-finals in Italy.

1994
Failed to qualify.

1998
David Beckham was sent off after a Michael Owen wonder goal as Argentina won on penalties in the second round in France.