Glenn Hoddle shrugged off the criticism building around him following England's disastrous start to their Euro 2000 qualifying campaign in Sweden and insisted that he would not be quitting his job.

In fact, Hoddle maintained that he would continue with his plan to hold talks with the Football Association about extending his contract to take him up to the 2002 World Cup. Yet critics still believe the England coach's position has already been harmed due to his reliance on Eileen Drewery, the controversy over his World Cup diary, criticisms voiced by Tony Adams and his continued unwillingness to admit having made any mistakes. While England can undeniably still qualify for the Euro 2000 finals, Hoddle had asked to be judged only on results.

Although Alan Shearer gave his side a second-minute lead, defensive frailties conceded two goals in two minutes to Andreas Andersson and Johan Mjallby on the half-hour, and England painfully failed to get back into the game from then on. Paul Ince even followed in David Beckham's footsteps by becoming the second England player to be dismissed in as many games for a mistimed tackles in the 66th minute. His ensuing suspension, which could be increased if reports that he made abusive comments to the referee and gestures to the home fans on his way off the pitch are found to be true, means he misses England's next match at home to Bulgaria.

So England will enter that game without the spine of their midfield in Ince, Beckham or David Batty, with an injury doubt over Darren Anderton and increasing worries over the temperament of Michael Owen after he was booked for another hot-headed late tackle. Yet, although Hoddle initially walked out of a press conference when asked to commit his future to England, with a vacancy opening up at his former club Tottenham, it later appeared he had not been avoiding the issue, but had simply lost his temper.

When he had calmed down enough to discuss the game in more depth, he showed that none of the unnerving self-belief in his own abilities, which his detractors claim is his undoing, had left him. Hoddle was nevertheless ruffled by the idea of anyone even questioning his position after a defeat by the same score which led to the infamous "Swedes 2 Turnips 1" headline which marked the beginning of the end for Graham Taylor six years ago.