Interesting with the debate about how well England played at 2018 world cup....I thought the football England played at 2004 and 2006 was pretty dreadful.
2002 was good though and that was a nice period when he first took charge. Obviously 5-1 in Germany was top class and the high point of his reign. Also at World cup beating Argentina 1-0 and playing really well in that game (remember Sheringham having a volley saved after 20 touch passing move) and then comfortably defeated Denmark who'd just knocked France out and had a really solid team.
Unlucky to then meet Brazil rather than get Germany's path to the final, could've shown a bit more belief once Ronaldinho got sent off (remember Southgate comparing him to Ian Duncan Smith
) but I wouldn't fault him too much.
After that the football gradually got worse. 2004 was really all about Rooney, France didn't have a clue how to handle him in the 1st game and neither did Swiss or Croatia (although that was probably worst Croatia NT I've ever seen).
In the Portugal game IIRC the flow was England scoring very early, Rooney then getting injured and England pretty much 18 yard box defending for rest of the game. In those times England had ridiculous strength at defence and in midfield but not much upfront beyond Rooney and Owen, had Vassell and Heskey getting loads of caps in that period.
From that England moved to just individualism really. No great football but just waiting for any of Beckham, Lampard, Owen or Rooney to pop up with a goal.
Sven was actually getting panned before that World cup. In September 2005 were pretty lucky to beat Wales 1-0 and then lost dismally 1-0 in Belfast to Norn Iron. This is before they got reasonanbly competitive:
At the World cup I remember England scraping past Paraguay 1-0 (set piece own goal), taking 80 minutes to score v Trinidad and Tobago and then Sweden outplaying England.
Then got past Ecuador with another set piece goal (sound familar?) and then it all ended on penalties to bogey team Portugal.
His selection in that World cup was also odd. England only selected 4 strikers, one was just turned 17 and never played (Theo Walcott), Rooney was just coming back from an injury and never looked fit, Owen had his injuries and was declining as top level striker and then did his ACL in Sweden game so were just left punting long balls up to Crouch and he'd only been at Liverpool for a year at that point so had little experience of top level.
For all the talent not even making a semi fiinal was pretty disappointing and I'd certainly rank the first half of his 6 years in charge as much better.