Eriksson v The English Press is a battle that could run and run. Chris Lloyd was at Slayley Hall yesterday to watch round one, Sven's first press conference since England's Euro 2004 failure.

The England team bus stands in a corner of the Slaley Hall car park, its windscreen splattered with more sponsors' logos than summertime flies, even though it has wended its way through Northumbrian lanes to collect the squad from training at St James' Park in Newcastle.

Sven-Goran Eriksson comes running down a little grassy bank beside the bus and heads towards a marquee where he is due to be persecuted by the English media.

Unlike the media, one of whose members is reported to have climbed into Sven's holiday home in Sweden when the news of his affairs was at its most torrid, the English fans have kept a respectful distance from where he is due to appear.

But as he appears, the 100 or so at Slaley Hall - a place so remote that the nearest garage sells a litre of unleaded for 96.9p - come rushing forward.

He was booed by a portion of the crowd at the Millennium Stadium during the Charity Shield, but in the North-East there appears to be nothing but warm support.

"Go on, Sven," they cry. "Good luck, Sven."

That may be support for the friendly against Ukraine or perhaps just for the match with the media.

Sven's a surprisingly small chap, short, lightweight and wiry, wearing his trademark blue-armed glasses and a tracksuit so new that you can still see the packet creases in it.

For one who is said to be the epitome of serenity, ice cool under pressure, he moves self-consciously through the media throng - his fingers occasionally straying up to play around a large red blemish that has erupted on his left cheek.

But when he takes to the stage, he displays a steely self-discipline, despite the constant camera lights blindingly flashing beneath his nose.

He may not yet have fully mastered the English language, but he is in full command of evasion.

Asked about Kieron Dyer's future, Sven swerves: "I haven't followed that story, I must say."

The questions become more pointed and more personal.

What makes you think that your under-performing Euro 2004 squad will do any better in the World Cup campaign? What makes you think that these players, and indeed yourself, will get any better? Do you think you got the best out of the players? Do you share in the country's disappointment at the manner of our exit from Euro 2004, at the way we failed to get out of our own half? Are you too loyal? When the hell are you going to drop David Beckham?

He is dignified but determined in reply. "I think it is easy to put questions like that. You have to help me and find better English players than in this squad. If you find them, I will be prepared to listen. Absolutely."

He even finishes with a defiant little joke about penalty-taker Beckham's lack of luck with his left foot.

Outside, the sun is as warm as the reception from the small boys in their replica shirts. A security guard ejects a professional autograph salesman who thinks the Swede's scrawl will be worth a few quid on the internet.

"We got 18 autographs yesterday," says a mum proudly as her son forces his way to the front. "We ticked them off against the squad list. We got this very blond player and we don't know who he is."

The mum beside her replies: "We got a blond one, too." She takes out her videophone and shows a picture of her son with the mystery player. "That's him. Who is he?"

Perhaps they'll recognise Alan Smith when he runs out tonight.

Sven carries on signing. Not saying anything, just signing and smiling benignly. Eventually, he is bundled into a golf buggy and driven away.

"There he is, look-a," shouts a middle-aged woman, holding her videophone up.

"Awww, it's only his profile," says one of her female friends.

"We don't need that, do we girls?" says the phone's owner, and they giggle as she confirms she wants to delete Sven's picture.

"We need someone younger than that."

Despite Eriksson's dignified bravery at Slaley Hall, should he fail against Austria and Poland in the coming qualifiers, he will not be able to evade the media's calls for him to be deleted from the England job