When we don't win the World Cup next year it will be Eriksson's fault. That's the way it works. He knew that when he took the job. That's why the FA made the salary so high and gave him the pick of their best secretary birds.
Eriksson's record speaks for itself: Ulrika Johnson, Nancy dell'Olio, Fariah Alam. His critics argue that he's picked them when they're already past their best and that he should introduce some younger talent. He's often criticised for a lack of variety, but just in that small sample we have three very different and varied women: The Scandanavian blonde TV star, the latin fire of an Italian lawyer and a thick secretary bird who likes Hello magazine. He just needs a ginger one to complete the whole set.
For all his early successes, his recent form has been lacklustre and disappointing, with little to show from his trips to Northern Ireland and Denmark for the disastrous friendly. So much so that there is a growing feeling among the hacks that he's run out of ideas and that when we head back from Germany next year after a quarter-final penalty shoot-out defeat, he will have failed to get so much as a kiss from a single fraulein.
This round of criticism of his credentials has provoked the coach into making a press statement in which he sought to re-establish his determination to do well in Germany next year. "I have pulled ten of the top women in the world", he asserted, "I am confident of success next year." For those hoping for an early resignation, he offered this defiant message "The only way I will leave this job is on results", before going on to add "I have the largest salary in the business, I have the talk and the charm, and when you look at some of the other coaches, I think I look like a good bet, so let's wait and see what happens".
Eriksson has said before that results on paper do not matter. It is in the bedroom where it counts.