You can't win, Fergie tells Sven
Sir Alex Ferguson has dismissed England's chances of winning the World Cup next summer because he claims that David Beckham and Michael Owen are the only world-class performers at their disposal.
The Manchester United manager, assessing Europe's challenge in Korea and Japan, puts Italy and Spain ahead of resurgent England, but said: 'France are still head and shoulders above the rest.'
His conclusion may surprise his own United players Paul Scholes, Andy Cole, Gary Neville and Wes Brown, as well as the likes of Liverpool's Steven Gerrard and Rio Ferdinand of Leeds. The Scot, who plays host to England and their Swedish coach Sven Goran Eriksson in Manchester ahead of Saturday's friendly against Sweden at Old Trafford, believes Italian striker Francesco Totti has it in him to be the player of the tournament.
Ferguson predicted: 'Beckham and Owen can go to another level, but this will be Totti's World Cup. He is clearly the best - and then there is Patrick Vieira and Thierry Henry for France. Spain also have some interesting youngsters, but Raul is the one who stands out.'
But, ultimately, he believes Roger Lemerre's French team, already World and Euro 2000 champions, are capable of retaining the trophy to become the first European nation to triumph outside their own continent.
Ferguson, who last night saw his shadow squad unceremoniously eliminated from the Worthington Cup at Highbury, also expressed his concern for players of Beckham and Owen's stature.
He said: 'Today's superstars need to be almost perfect and they are condemned to be cold and detached because they need to show they are invulnerable. They have to think and they have to know what to say and how to behave - otherwise they are finished.'
In an interview with an Italian sports magazine, Ferguson also spoke of his reasons for quitting management at the end of this season.
Having been in charge at Old Trafford for 15 years to the day, Ferguson admitted that the changing face of the game had increased the pressure of the job and that it was becoming too much for him.
