Sven-Goran Eriksson was celebrating in rain-soaked Slovakia last night as two second-half goals gave England victory ahead of potentially embarrassing revelations about his private life.
His team's crucial victory provided a brief respite for Eriksson, who last night pledged to fight on as England manager despite a bar rage of publicity over alleged comments he made about star players during his affair with Ulrika Jonsson, the television personality.
One the eve of today's newspaper serialisation of Honest , Jonsson's autobiography, allies of the Swedish coach made clear that he had not made remarks about any players or officials, suggesting that his former lover's version of events 'could not be trusted'.
In a highly unusual move, Athole Still, Eriksson's trusted personal manager, spoke publicly about the England manager's feelings, amid mounting speculation that he might consider walking away from the job because of the relentless press interest in his private life.
'He will stay under any circumstances, regardless of controversy surrounding this book,' Still said. 'He is determined to see the job with England through to the 2006 World Cup, and is happy to do so.'
Taking a swipe at Jonsson, Still said it would not 'be like' Eriksson to have talked privately about any players or officials.
'One has heard rumours in the past few days about some things that may be in there,' said Still, who has been Eriksson's confidant for the last decade.
'I have never heard him comment negatively about any England player in terms of character or anything like that, or about any of his colleagues at the FA. So if there are any comments like that, I would treat them with the greatest scepticism.'
Sources at the Mail on Sunday , which begin publishing Jonsson's memoirs today, claimed last night that Eriksson had made indiscreet remarks to the former Gladiators presenter about both individual England players and figures within the FA, which pays his £2 million-a-year salary.
However, in what appeared to be an orchestrated attempt to defuse talk of Eriksson quitting, his friends rallied to his defence yesterday, after Jonsson claimed in a Daily Mail interview that the England boss had told her he planned to dump his girlfriend, Nancy Dell'Olio, after this summer's World Cup.
Jonsson also alleged that Eriksson had had several previous affairs during his four-year liaison with Dell'Olio before he began seeing his fellow Swede after they met at a party last December.
She also claims that he has stayed with Nancy only because she has extensive knowledge of his views and behaviour, including one 'gold nugget of information', which could hurt or humiliate him.
But a close friend of Eriksson suggested Jonsson was now taking public revenge on Eriksson after their affair foundered in April. The friend suggested she had read more into the affair than she should have.
'Do we not have more than a modicum of the Edwina Currie in this, the scorned woman?' she said.
Unlike previous scandals involving England managers such as Glenn Hoddle, who was sacked after making unpleasant remarks about God and the disabled, the FA does not intend to respond by forcing out Eriksson.
It is not only the book serialisation with which Eriksson has to contend. On Thursday Channel 4 will transmit what it says is a 'revelatory' documentary about Jonsson, in which she talks about her relationship with Eriksson.
· An England football fan wounded by security guards in Slovakia spoke last night of his terror as 'shot after shot after shot' was fired at supporters in a crowded bar.
Phil Holland, 31, needed emergency surgery to remove a bullet from his leg after he was hit early yesterday, hours before England were due to play Slovakia in the Euro 2004 qualifier in Bratislava. Another fan was also shot.
The second wounded man, Gareth Jones, 30, from Coventry, was in a stable condition in hospital after being shot in the neck.
