The Guardian says that Sven 'took his players by surprise, having reconfigured the side in a way that had not been spoken about or worked on during what was an extensive period of experimentation in the games leading up to the tournament.'

The Daily Mirror has reported that 'Michael Owen furiously demanded showdown talks with Eriksson after being substituted in England's World Cup opener.'

Owen was hauled off after just 55 minutes of the Three Lions' win over Paraguay. An 'angry and frustrated Owen' then 'watched the rest of the game in a sulk and was later furious in the dressing room.'

Sven is said to have placated the striker and publicly continues to insist that the striker remains central to his World Cup plans. However thoughts are that Owen was badly off the pace against Paraguay in Frankfurt and this may ve the reason for the surprise return of Wayne Rooney.