Read Tord's answers

Tuesday, 04 April 2006.

Tord Grip has been working with England for more than five years now and will be looking to build on previous achievements this summer as England head to Germany.

Tord has known Sven since they were players together in Sweden. Tord was right midfield and Sven was right-back. Tord suggested to the young Mr Eriksson that he consider taking up coaching. That's where the story started.

Tord was online this morning and answered a variety of questions, from his footballing experiences and memories to this summer's World Cup in Germany.

Thanks for all your questions!

You can read the conversations below...

Talk to Tord Grip

Lenny Colchester	Hi Tordski, growing up in Sweden, who was your favourite team? Did you have any football heroes?
Tord Grip TheFA.com	Tordski? Well, my favourite team was and is Degerfors. I played for them for 10 years. It was also the first team that Sven and I managed together. He was my assistant in those days. Things have changed haven't they? OK, I'm off now. Great to speak to you all. Thanks again for your support. See you in Germany. Tord.
Philip Reading	If you could take 1 player from any country in the World, past or present, to represent England this summer, who would it be?
Tord Grip TheFA.com	What a question! Well, you have all those names from the past but I think I'm going to go modern and say Ronaldinho. He is a world class player. I like his approach. He loves his football, which is great for all the kids too. The World Cup is about taking football all over the globe and his approach to the game is something that children can enjoy and learn from. Having said that, I'm confident that, if we come up against Brazil, we have the players to deal with him.
John Ipswich	Once the squad for the World Cup has been named, can any changes be made to it, and in what circumstances?
Tord Grip TheFA.com	Yes, there are circumstances where this can happen. We plan to name our squad on the May 8. The FIFA deadline is then on the 15th but, after that point, we can, in the case of injury or illness only, make a change up to 24 hours before our first game. Hope that clears it up for you.
Sean London	What players do you think could be the stars of the England team when they go to South Africa in 2010 for the World Cup?
Tord Grip TheFA.com	Of the current team, there are so many that are still able to play like Rooney, Ferdinand, Gerrard, both Coles, Robinson and I'm sure Michael will still be there too - he's still only 26 so the base will be very experienced. In terms of players that will come through between now and then, I think Walcott could be one, Anton Ferdinand another, Lennon, too, and Reo-Coker is also another with lots of potential.
Kuhan Manchester	What is the best match you have ever seen?
Tord Grip TheFA.com	Hi Kuhan, the game that really sticks out for me is the European Cup Final between Milan and Barcelona in '94 which finished 4-0 to Milan. Do you remember it? Milan were so well organised. Maybe they took football to a new level that night,
Matthew Surrey	Given that you have worked as Sven's assistant for eight years now, has there ever been the temptation to be the manager yourself?
Tord Grip TheFA.com	I have been a manager before. I've managed in Italy, Sweden, Switzerland and Norway where I was manager of the National Team. But when I got the offer to come with Sven to England I decided to take the offer. Maybe this role suits me more because I can be extremely animated on the sidelines!
Anonymous	Who is the best player you have worked with?
Tord Grip TheFA.com	I think there are a few. I have to mention Veron. His vision, technique and physical strength were all extremely high. I will also include some of the current England team in my top 5 but I think it's better for me to answer after the World Cup because that is where players really prove their true quality.
Jamie London	South Korea exceeded expectations last time. Who do you think will be the surprise team at this year's World Cup?
Tord Grip TheFA.com	Interesting! Well, I think that the Ivory Coast could be one. They were in the final of the African Nations. They have Drogba, Eboue, Toure. They normally have Drogba upfront by himself, he's used to that at Chelsea. Their opening match against Argentina could be a fantastic game..
Martin Leeds	What have you made of the England supporters during your five years with us?
Tord Grip TheFA.com	Everywhere we have been in our time here, every club and their supporters have treated us very well. Now we hope we can finally give them a very good World Cup. They deserve that. No other team gets the support that England do at big tournaments. The fans in Japan and Portugal were amazing and behaved themselves fantastically, we need to carry that forward to Germany.
alan bradford	Hi Tord, Fingers crossed Michael Owen is fit for the world cup but if he is not who do you see as a possible shock inclusion to take the 4th/5th striker place? Ashton? Beattie? Harewood?
Tord Grip TheFA.com	We have seen these players all season and they have all scored goals and done well for their clubs. I can't give away too many secrets now and Sven already has a good idea of who he sees being in the squad but in football you just never know...what we can say is that we are fully aware of how everyone is playing..
Paul Northern Ireland	With Michael Owen having only played 10 games for Newcastle, do you think he'll still be on form for England or maybe lacking some sharpness in front of goal?
Tord Grip TheFA.com	Sven and Michael have spoken regularly over the last few weeks. Sven has also spoken to the staff at Newcastle. We all hope and think that Michael will be ready. He is naturally a very fit boy and, of course, has a fantastic record when it comes to World Cups..
Robert Hull	When do you fly out to Germany as you play in Manchester on 3rd of June? Thanks
Tord Grip TheFA.com	The plan is to fly out on the 5th which should give us a good few days to settle in before that first game against Paraguay...
Daniel Birmingham	What has been your favourite game and why?
Tord Grip TheFA.com	Hi Daniel - good question! Two games I have really enjoyed were both against Argentina. We had the game in 2002 which was a game where we played to a very high level for 70 minutes. After that, we had to fight until the end. After a game like that, where you have not had things your own way, you appreciate the victory that much more. I also loved our game against them in Geneva last year because it was one of the best friendly games we've played. I loved watching it and you could see how much the players enjoyed being part of it.
Alex Yeovil	Hi Tord. As a football fan of a club outside the Premier League, how often do the England scouts look at players lower down the system, to see if there are any future talents?
Tord Grip TheFA.com	Hi Alex, we are following the Youth International Teams very closely. Many of these players come from different league clubs. So we can see from that the depth there is at all levels in English football. In terms of the future it looks rather good for England, and so it should be because of the interest in football here.
Elliot Southend	What is the atmosphere like in the England camp during a major tournament?
Tord Grip TheFA.com	Well, Elliot, you can feel as we approach the first game, the players will be more and more focused and contemplating the task ahead. That is good but we don't want them too tense at other times because it takes away energy. It's important too that we keep the variety in what we do, including some social events. We vary the training too. This will be my sixth World Cup and I can't wait!
Jemima Hartlepool	Hello Tord. I know that a long time ago you were involved in coaching women's football in Sweden. Have you seen the England team, and do you think they can qualify for their World Cup next year in China?
Tord Grip TheFA.com	I saw them in a training session in Sweden in the summer. They were near my house in Sweden. Sven has watched them too. I think they will qualify. They have a big game coming up against Austria. I enjoyed my time coaching Sweden's Women's team very much. The standard has improved a great deal since then.
Dwight London	How would you describe your role alongside Sven?
Tord Grip TheFA.com	Hi everyone, nice to speak to you all. I would describe my role as follows: Firstly, I do a lot of scouting. I am part of discussions about all the players we are considering for the World Cup squad. Also before a massive tournament like we have coming, there is so much planning, on and off the pitch, so those things are keeping me busy at the moment.

Web Chat Ended

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04 April 2006