Capello Confirms 2012 Departure

Last week, Fabio Capello confirmed that he will be stepping down as England manager after the 2012 European Football Championships in Poland and the Ukraine.  The 64-year old has decided that he will not renew his current contract, and will instead enjoy retirement.  For some, they will claim that Capello shouldn’t be in the job even now, after England’s dismal showing at the World Cup finals.

Despite victories over Bulgaria and Switzerland in the opening rounds of Euro 2012 qualification, Capello is unlikely to enjoy the rapport he had with the fans before the diabolical tactical decisions, which along with abysmal performances from top players, led to the Three Lions dramatic failure in South Africa.  Nevertheless, his record as a manager worldwide cannot be discounted, even if his reputation has taken a battering from the events on the football field this summer.

The bookies are already taking bets on who will be the next England manager, with the former Aston Villa boss Martin O’Neill the frontrunner with many sources.  The FA has also confirmed that the next manager of the national team will be an Englishman – so the names of Steve Bruce, Harry Redknapp and Sam Allardyce are bound to be thrown into the selection process too.  Despite this claim by the Football Association, the likes of current Turkey gaffer Guus Hiddink and Real Madrid supremo Jose Mourinho feature heavily on the odds with Sky Bet.

Only time will tell who will succeed Capello, but with a win ratio of 70.9%, better than any England manager has previously managed, they may have a tough act to follow, no matter of the big tournament failure that Capello suffered this summer.

LATEST ODDS WITH SKYBET TO SUCCEED FABIO CAPELLO AS ENGLAND BOSS IN 2012

2/1         -              Martin O’Neill                     (Unemployed, left Aston Villa in August 2010)

4/1         -              Stuart Pearce                    (Current manager of the England Under-21 side)

4/1         -              Harry Redknapp                 (Current manager of Tottenham Hotspur)

5/1         -              Roy Hodgson                     (Current manager of Liverpool)

10/1       -              Sam Allardyce                    (Current manager of Blackburn Rovers)

12/1       -              Jose Mourinho                    (Current manager of Real Madrid)

16/1       -              Guus Hiddink                     (Current manager of Turkey)

16/1       -              Marcelo Lippi                     (Stepped down as Italy boss after the World Cup)

20/1       -              Luis Felipe Scolari              (Targeted by the FA in 2006, former Chelsea manager)

20/1       -              David Beckham                  (Currently playing for the LA Galaxy in the MLS)

20/1       -              David Moyes                      (Current manager of Everton)

20/1       -              Steve Bruce                       (Current manager of Sunderland)

20/1       -              Frank Rijkaard                   (Current manager of Galatasaray)

Slovenia 0-1 England: Energetic England Progess Into Knockout Stages

Now that’s more like it.  Once more, when the chips are down, England pull out a performance full of blood, sweat and determination.  A tense, but thoroughly deserved 1-0 win over Slovenia at the Nelson Mandela Bay in Port Elizabeth sees Fabio Capello’s men edge into the knockout stages, with a performance that will make the nation belief again.

It was a match that England had to deliver, after two stuttering and abject displays against the USA and Algeria.  Capello made three alterations to his line-up, with Matthew Upson replacing Jamie Carragher at the heart of the defence, due to Carragher’s suspension.  James Milner, fully fit after a virus took over from Aaron Lennon on the right-side of midfield and Jermain Defoe was drafted in for the inadequate Emile Heskey upfront.  All three made significant contributions to the winning performance.

Upson made a last-ditch challenge in the dying stages to deny Slovenia their best chance, but it was Milner and Defoe who were the main men, becoming English folklore heroes in the process.  The moment came on 23 minutes, when Milner, who combined well on the right-hand side with Glen Johnson all day, swung in a wicked ball into the penalty area.  Defoe, who had barely had a touch upto that point, stole half a yard on his marker, and powered a rasping drive past the despairing Slovenian goalkeeper, Samir Handonovic, despite him getting both hands onto the effort.  The relief in the celebration could be seen, as could the cheers in Port Elizabeth and back home in many houses, pubs, offices and schools across the UK.

After that, England should have had more goals, and were unlucky to not win by more than the final 1-0 margin.  Defoe missed a glaring chance moments after the interval, with Handonovic increasing his price tag at Serie A side Udinese, by producing a string of top-class saves to keep Captain Steven Gerrard frustrated.  His best save, was when a hard-working and committed Wayne Rooney escaped the offside trap, but scuffed his shot when in a glorious position.  Handonovic did enough to get a fingertip onto the shot, and diverted it onto the post.  Slovenian chances were few and far between and when they came, either John Terry would throw some body part at it, or David James would comfortably hold onto the controversial Jambalaya ball, which would have made Robert Green squirm on the dugout, after his glaring error in Rustenberg eleven days ago.

Despite the major positives, there are the usual negatives.  Rooney limped off with twenty minutes to go, with an ankle problem and the doctors will be hoping it is only a knock, and nothing more severe.  Also, Landon Donovan’s 91^st minute winner in Pretoria for the USA not only broke Slovenia hearts and sent them tumbling out of the competition, but booted England out of top spot in Group C.  It means a trip to Bloemfontein awaits on Sunday afternoon, with the old enemy Germany the possible opposition, should they get the three points they require against Ghana in Soccer City tonight.

For now though, England won’t worry about that.  Pride, confidence and belief is restored; the criticism and lack of team harmony can be forgotten now.  The job has been done, although via the hard route and the knockout stages begin at the weekend, with England still in business and very much alive and kicking in the World Cup.

Phew!

England 0-0 Algeria - Shocking Performance Leaves England On The Brink

England’s over-paid footballers produced a shocking performance in Cape Town tonight that pretty much leaves their 2010 World Cup dreams in tatters.  Their limp display in the 0-0 draw with African outsiders Algeria leaves Fabio Capello’s side needing a win against Slovenia in Port Elizabeth on Wednesday to even escape Group C.

Following Saturday’s average 1-1 performance with the USA, Capello decided to drop Robert Green, following his horrific clanger in Rustenberg and bring in the experienced David James.  Gareth Barry returned from injury, in place of James Milner, which pushed Captain Steven Gerrard onto the left-side of midfield.  This tactic, on Capello 64^th birthday was a massive mistake.  Gerrard produced an error-strewn display, and once the captain produces this, then it will hurt the confidence of the other players.

Capello must take some of the flack from tomorrow’s damming newspaper headlines, especially for taking off the only player who looked like a serious threat, Aaron Lennon for Shaun Wright-Phillips, who failed to get into the game.  His persistence to stick with the ailing Emile Heskey is beyond belief.  Heskey scored only three Premiership goals throughout last season and by the end of it, was in the reserves at Aston Villa.  He is not England material, and Darren Bent must be wondering back at home, what he had to do to get in the squad.  Whenever Heskey gets the ball, he dithers, sloppily gives away possession or falls over like a flat pancake.  Technically, it means we only play with ten players.

It wasn’t even England’s lack of goals that frightens the fans; it was the lack of courage in the final third and even the lack of attempts in goal.  England looked nervous and frightened all over the park, especially in the final third, where are finishing looked more like a Sunday League side.  The players need to take courage and responsibility for their failings, and if they don’t, an early flight back to Luton next Thursday beckons.

Slovenia’s 2-2 stalemate with the USA earlier today leaves the group wide open, but Fabio Capello will be scratching his head and wondering where the qualifying form has gone.  England end up on the brink of a humiliating embarrassment, and an indigenous exit from the FIFA World Cup, if things don’t change ASAP. 

This was a miserable 64^th birthday to forget for Fabio Capello.

England 1-1 USA - Green Gaffe Hands Americans Unlikely Point

It’s never easy supporting England at major tournaments, isn’t it?  Once again, 20million of us found this out, following a frustrating opener to the 2010 World Cup campaign in the altitude of Rustenberg.

A horrendous error by West Ham’s Robert Green, somehow fumbling a Clint Dempsey shot that looked easier to save with his eyes closed earned Bob Bradley’s USA a hard-fought and deserved point on Saturday night.  Once again, the Three Lions opening performance will have not set the alarm bells ringing in the camps of fellow favourites Brazil, Spain, Argentina, Holland and Germany.

And it had all started really well for Fabio Capello’s men.  Just four minutes had been played, when Wayne Rooney, Frank Lampard and Emile Heskey all linked up beautifully in the build-up to England’s first goal of the 2010 finals, scored by the new skipper, Steven Gerrard.  If you were watching ITV HD, 1.5million missed the goal, but the other 18.5million would have been roaring around the country to the delightful start.  Sadly, this brilliant advantage was squandered six minutes before half-time, by a blunder of the first magnitude.  

Green, only selected ahead of David James and Joe Hart a mere two hours before kick-off had been given very little to do, and the evidence of the error he made suggested he must have been half asleep.  Fulham winger Dempsey did well to evade the pressing Gerrard three times.  His shot was ambitious and looked absolutely no threat.  However, Green produced the clangers of all clangers by allowing the ball to slip through his grasp and trickling into the net.  It was a horrendous moment which only guarantees Green’s participation in the traditional Christmas Blunder DVD’s, rather than a place in England’s next team.

By then, Capello was already looking animated on the touchline.  James Milner, still suffering from a virus that had plagued him all week, looked out-of-sorts and once booked, was replaced by Shaun Wright-Phillips.  This was a surprising move, with many believing Joe Cole might have been a better bet.  At the interval, Ledley King’s groin couldn’t keep up with the pace, and with indications that he might be out for three weeks, his selection looks like to be a gamble too many, especially after the injury that Rio Ferdinand picked up in training ten days ago.  Jamie Carragher replaced him at half-time, and when he was easily skinned by the threatening Jozy Altidore, questions were asked about the pace of the England defensive unit.  In this exchange, Green did at least bounce back, by producing a good save at his near post, which rebounded onto the post and away from danger.

Only in the last twenty minutes did England threaten to score again, with Emile Heskey missing a one-on-one, smashing a shot down Tim Howard’s throat, which had he placed it either side, would have beaten the Everton goalkeeper.  Wayne Rooney was well marked out of the entire game, but he produced a few moments of quality, which included a long-range effort which had Howard scrambling.  Wright-Phillips also had a chance which he squandered and eleven minutes was nowhere near enough time for Peter Crouch to make any impact.

By far, this wasn’t the start that Operation Capello had in mind.  However, England drew their opener in 1966 against Uruguay, and still won the Jules Rimet trophy.  We lost the 1986 opener to Portugal and drew the first game of the 2002 tournament in Korea against a far better looking Sweden side.  The Three Lions are notorious slow starters, so surely we can only get better.  Whether we have World Cup winning potential will only be realised more when our second game takes place, on Friday night in Cape Town against African outsiders Algeria. 

Let’s not give up and keep the belief….   

Woeful Walcott Pays The Price & Misses The Cut

After many hours of speculation on Tuesday afternoon, Fabio Capello puts us out of our misery, and named the twenty-three Three Lions he will take to South Africa, with one mission.  To win the World Cup!  One of the unlucky seven players to miss out though, is the powerful Arsenal winger Theo Walcott.

Whereas there were the expected cuts in the form of Scott Parker, Michael Dawson and Adam Johnson, Capello’s decision to leave Walcott behind could be seen as a very risky one, especially as Theo could have been used as an impact substitute, as he showed in Arsenal’s first-leg Champions League quarter-fight fightback against mighty Barcelona in late March.  However, Capello knows what he is doing and I firmly back him on this decision.

When the decision came through at approximately 1pm on Sky Sports News, I was initially surprised, considering that Walcott had started England’s recent two unconvincing warm-up wins against Mexico and Japan.  However, he has paid the price for a woeful season, punctured by injuries and a loss of form.  Walcott was the talk of the squad four years ago, when Sven Goran-Eriksson showed he had really lost the plot, and picked him.  Then, he had never even played a Premiership game for Arsenal, and he wasn’t even used in the tournament.  This time, he has made the headlines, but for his absence rather than inclusion.

Apart from the Barcelona home game aside, everytime I’ve seen Walcott this season, he has looked out of his depth and lacking confidence.  It isn’t totally his fault, with the injuries he has had, but it is no good having someone who looks like they can’t even play 45minutes in the squad.  Against Mexico and Japan, he looked rigid, and although he could run with the ball and beat defenders, he quickly looked bereft of ideas and creation.  Confidence in football is a big part in anyone’s game, and that is something that Walcott lacks at the moment.  Arsene Wenger must also take some of the blame, for failing to allow Walcott the chance to develop as a football player.  Theo will have other chances in the future, he’s only 21, but this is the right call.  Hopefully for himself and Arsenal, it will spur him onto greater things.  That hat-trick in Zagreb against Croatia, back in September 2008 must seem like a century ago.

So, Walcott joins the likes of Marcos Senna, Ronaldinho, Karim Benzema, Joao Moutinho and Esteban Cambiasso who have failed to make the final squad cut.  Who else has Fabio left out?  The decision to axe the likes of Parker, Dawson and Johnson is no surprise, as they had little or no chance to strut their stuff in the recent friendlies.  Everton’s Leighton Baines has missed out, paying the price for a poor performance against Mexico.  Stephen Warnock of Aston Villa will go instead, as cover for Ashley Cole.  Despite a dreadful season for Manchester United and an insipid display against the Mexicans, Michael Carrick held on to his place, meaning there was no place for Tottenham hopeful Tom Huddlestone.  Personally, I would have gambled on Huddlestone, largely because of his young, fresh impetus.  However, Capello has gone for Carrick, probably as an insurance policy, in case Gareth Barry does not recover from his ankle injury, sustained last month. 

The final name to miss out is Sunderland’s Darren Bent, who despite scoring twenty-five Premiership goals this season will not go to South Africa.  The experience of the bumbling clown that is Emile Heskey has been chosen, despite only netting three goals for Aston Villa last campaign.  Bent also missed out four years ago in Germany, so it’s a double blow for him to suffer.  He didn’t play well against Japan in the first 45 minutes on Sunday, but then nobody did.  If we needed goals, he would be a better bet, should Wayne Rooney, Jermain Defoe and Peter Crouch fail to perform when required.

The talking is almost over, the time has come for Fabio Capello and the Three Lions to end forty-four years of hurt.  No excuses can be afforded now; it is time for these twenty-three to deliver on the big stage!

ENGLAND SQUAD FOR THE 2010 WORLD CUP FINALS

GK: Robert Green (West Ham United), David James (Portsmouth), Joe Hart (Manchester City)

DEF: Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United), John Terry (Chelsea), Ashley Cole (Chelsea), Glen Johnson (Liverpool), Ledley King (Tottenham Hotspur), Jamie Carragher (Liverpool), Matthew Upson (West Ham United), Stephen Warnock (Aston Villa)

MID: Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), Gareth Barry (Manchester City), James Milner (Aston Villa), Joe Cole (Chelsea), Shaun Wright-Phillips (Manchester City), Aaron Lennon (Tottenham Hotspur), Michael Carrick (Manchester United)

ATT: Wayne Rooney (Manchester United), Peter Crouch (Tottenham Hotspur), Jermain Defoe (Tottenham Hotspur), Emile Heskey (Aston Villa)

England 3-1 Mexico - More Work To Do....

For Fabio Capello, Monday night’s 3-1 win against Mexico at Wembley must have felt like more questions had been posed than answers.  Remarkably, despite Wembley’s awful pitch, all English players came through the game unscathed without any further injury scares, as the Three Lions bid farewell to their boisterous fans on a winning note.  However, it was far from plain-sailing.

With the opening match of the World Cup just over a fortnight away against the USA in Rustenberg, Capello used the chance to experiment with a new formation, as all of Chelsea’s winning FA Cup stars sat this friendly out due to mutual agreement with the Stamford Bridge club.  James Milner and Michael Carrick played as two holding players, with Steven Gerrard out wide.  This didn’t work, as the talented Mexicans took command of a positive first 45 minutes.  Time and again, they threatened the English goal, with PSV Eindhoven left-back Carlos Salcido producing the closest effort, brushing the post with a bending curling shot.  However, Mexico’s ineptitude at defending set-pieces cost them, as they were 2-0 down by this point.

Fifteen minutes in and Gerrard’s corner was flicked on at the back post by Peter Crouch, and played into the path of fellow Tottenham colleague, Ledley King, who was given the freedom of the penalty area to score only his second international goal.  For King, this was his first start for England since June 2007, and everyone will be pleased to see him come through the game and the aftermath with no problem.  Despite a few shaky moments at the back, alongside the out-of-form captain, Rio Ferdinand, King’s place in the final 23 looks secure now.  Crouch continued his remarkable scoring record, by handling in England’s second goal from one yard out, after Wayne Rooney’s header was tipped onto the crossbar by the Mexican goalkeeper.  With the last kick of the first half, ex-West Ham striker Guillermo Franco almost embarrassingly got the North Americans their deserved registration on the scoreboard, tapping home after Leighton Baines had failed to deal convincingly with a Rafael Marquez goal bound header.

The second half was far more pedestrian, with only one moment of real significance.  Liverpool right-back Glen Johnson’s first international goal, straight after the interval was a beauty.  On his weaker left foot, Johnson combined well with Theo Walcott to produce a stunning effort into the top corner.  He won’t score many better.

So, the positives were no injuries, the result, Johnson’s excellent performance, Crouch continuing his scoring run for England, which might have put him in pole position to be Rooney’s strike partner at the finals, instead of the bumbling Emile Heskey and the brief impacts by Aaron Lennon and debutant Adam Johnson, which showed with pace and freshness, they could be major impact players off the bench.

Negatives was the performance of Baines, who got skinned almost everytime and looked lost on the pitch.  As Stephen Warnock has not player under Capello, Baines probably will go to South Africa, but we must hope that Ashley Cole stays fit all summer.  Another one to struggle was Carrick, who has had a poor season for Manchester United and now is carrying that form into international level.  Unless Gareth Barry is eventually declared unfit, Carrick might not make the final cut, especially with the promising Tom Huddlestone and more consistent Scott Parker on his tail for his place in the squad.

Sunday’s warm-up, at high altitude in Graz against Japan might tell us some more about England’s chances for the forthcoming finals, but after this performance, Fabio Capello will have plenty of food for thought, despite the pleasing final scoreline.

Fabio Picks His Final 30 - Will It Be Enough For The Three Lions?

On Tuesday, Fabio Capello has some tough decisions to make and tricky questions to answer, as he name his 30-man provisional squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup finals in South Africa.  By June 1^st, he must cut seven more from the list.  Eyebrows were certainly raised by the selection of some, though all the familiar and predicted names made the list.  

The squad in full is:

GK: Joe Hart (Birmingham City), David James (Portsmouth), Robert Green (West Ham United)

DEF: Leighton Baines (Everton), Jamie Carragher (Liverpool), Ashley Cole (Chelsea), Michael Dawson (Tottenham Hotspur), Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United), Glen Johnson (Liverpool), Ledley King (Tottenham Hotspur), John Terry (Chelsea), Matthew Upson (West Ham United), Stephen Warnock (Aston Villa)

MID: Gareth Barry (Manchester City), Michael Carrick (Tottenham Hotspur), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Tom Huddlestone (Tottenham Hotspur), Adam Johnson (Manchester City), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), Aaron Lennon (Tottenham Hotspur), Scott Parker (West Ham United), Shaun Wright-Phillips (Manchester City), Joe Cole (Chelsea), James Milner (Aston Villa)

ATT: Darren Bent (Sunderland), Peter Crouch (Tottenham Hotspur), Jermain Defoe (Tottenham Hotspur), Emile Heskey (Aston Villa), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United)

The surprises were the selections of Ledley King and Jamie Carragher.  King’s form of recent for Tottenham has been nothing sort of stunning, but his injury history would suggest taking him in the final 23 would be a massive gamble for Capello.  Carragher has been persuaded out of international retirement, having not played for his country since 2007, but he won’t be guaranteed a first-team place and he quite probably is more likely to be warming the bench more often than not.  Plus, his form for Liverpool has been very patchy this campaign.  This can only suggest that Capello can’t trust Glen Johnson’s defensive naivety, plus the form of disgrace former captain John Terry and Rio Ferdinand’s tendency to break down with injuries.

In the midfield, Fabio has taken another risk, with the selection of Gareth Barry.  An ankle injury suffered in Manchester City’s penultimate Premiership match against Tottenham Hotspur has left the ex-Villa player with a race against time to be fit for the World Cup opener in Rustenberg on June 12^th, against the USA.  Injury keeps Owen Hargreaves and as expected, David Beckham out, whilst Stewart Downing was a shock absentee from the final shortlist.  Instead, Adam Johnson’s gamble on swapping Championship football with Middlesbrough for Manchester City in January, as he has managed to win himself a chance of making the plane.  An out-of-form and out of contract Joe Cole is his rival for the left-midfield place, with Ashley Young another missing out.  Tottenham’s Tom Huddlestone and West Ham’s Scott Parker have been rewarded for their fine campaigns with the chance of going to South Africa, though one, maybe both may miss out on the final cut.

Upfront, Capello looked set to pick Bobby Zamora, after his tremendous season with Fulham.  However, Zamora, who limped through 55 minutes of Fulham’s brave defeat in Wednesday’s UEFA Europa League final, told Capello he would be unable for selection, as he requires minor surgery on an Achilles problem.  With Gabby Agbonlahor fading badly with club form, and Carlton Cole’s fitness problems a gamble too far, it made Capello’s striking dilemma not an issue, with Darren Bent, 2^nd top English goalscorer this season, at Sunderland joining the regulars, Wayne Rooney, Emile Heskey, Jermain Defoe and Peter Crouch. 

Who makes the final 23 remains to be seen and Capello must make his final decision whilst on a England training camp in Austria, but he has picked a very strong initial 30-man squad, one of the strongest out of all the major nations.  Staying injury-free and playing well in England’s final friendly on home shores against Mexico in ten days time could provide to be the final piece in the jigsaw for Fabio, as he seeks to end forty-four years of hurt.

David Beckham - The End of the Road For An International Legend

David Beckham’s World Cup dream ended in agony last night, as he was carried off on a stretcher in the San Siro in tears.  The 34-year old, who was desperate for a place in Fabio Capello’s final 23-man World Cup squad ruptured an Achilles tendon in the dying stages of AC Milan’s scrappy 1-0 win over Chievo.  With Milan’s excellent contacts, Beckham flew to Finland today for an emergency operation.  It is predicted that Beckham will be out of action for at least four months, meaning that playing in South Africa is now no more than a distant memory.

This is a shocking injury to pick up; an Achilles tendon injury is hard enough to recover for a youngster at their peak, so at Beckham’s age, you can imagine that it could be a career-threatening injury.  Not only will he miss the World Cup, but Milan’s late run-in in their bid to wrestle the Serie A title from their bitter rivals Inter and the majority of the MLS season with his parent club, LA Galaxy.  It was widely believed that Capello was going to pick Beckham for the summer extraganvanza, because of his experience and know-how in major championships.  Had he gone, he would have been the first England player to play in four consecutive World Cup finals, and though many, including probably him knew that starting England’s opener against the USA on June 12^th were very slim, he was set to have a pivotal role from the bench.  Beckham was a useful weapon for Capello to have, especially if England were hanging onto a narrow lead, as he can whip in a dangerous cross or free-kick and be excellent in the form of keeping ball and time wasting.  His knowledge of gracing himself on the major stage would have been vital to his rivals for a berth in the right-side midfield role, likely to be between Shaun Wright-Phillips, Aaron Lennon and James Milner, though Theo Walcott should now not be discounted.

It marks the end of an era for Beckham with England.  He is the Three Lions most capped outfield player, on 115 caps, just ten behind goalkeeper Peter Shilton.  He won his first cap under Glenn Hoddle in a World Cup qualifying win over Moldova in September 1996.  It marked the start of a love affair with the white jersey, and a love/hate association with the England fans.  Who can forget France 98 and his stunning free-kick against Colombia, followed by becoming public enemy No.1 for the cowardly kick-out on Diego Simone in St. Etienne.  Following England’s elimination in that tournament by Argentina on penalties, Beckham was used as the scapegoat and rightly so, by both the fans and the media.  However, he steadily rebuilt his international reputation and got the chance to captain the side under Peter Taylor’s caretaker stewardship against Italy in November 2000.

A new dawn beckoned, Beckham dragged England to Japan/Korea with that unforgettable free-kick against Greece at Old Trafford, and then scored the winning penalty in Sapporo that gave England and himself a personal triumph over Argentina.  Latter years under Sven Goran-Eriksson weren’t so good.  A dismal Euro 2004 and a lacklustre World Cup performance in Germany saw many question his desire for the Three Lions again.  After stepping down from the captaincy, Steve McClaren foolishly dropped him, then had to recall him once England’s shambolic Euro 2008 qualifying campaign turned into a bloody mess.  This time, David the Legend couldn’t prevent his side from elimination before the finals, but it was McLaren who was deservedly sacked.

His relationship with Fabio Capello was a mixed bag at Real Madrid when together, but after a move to the United States, Capello insisted that if Beckham had a chance of playing for England again, he had to move on a loan deal to get some competitive football under his belt.  That’s where his love affair with Milan began and he was the star of an ageing and fading side, as proven by his cameo display in Milan’s horrific exit at Old Trafford in the Champions League last week. 

Nearly 35-years old, it is a real danger to write him off completely, but England’s 3-0 qualifying win over Belarus, where he came off the bench and got the man-of-the-match award could well have been the last time we will see David Beckham wearing the pride of his country.  His current impact might have been questioned, but the legacy will always remain and he will be missed in South Africa, no matter what.  David Beckham is a true international legend and I wish him a very speedy recovery.

England 3-1 Egypt - More Positives for Fabio

Last night, England put aside the problems that have been washed up by the British media of recent weeks, with a decent second half performance, giving Fabio Capello more encouragement that his side can go all the way in South Africa this summer.

Despite this, the first half display against African Nations Cup holders Egypt was very flat and lacklustre.  It will have concerned the boss how many wayward passes were happening and the amount of time that the Egyptians were being allowed on the ball.  It will also be notified of Matthew Upson’s stumble and trip which led to Egypt’s opening goal from the Borussia Dortmund striker, Mohamed Zidan.  Although Zidan’s finish was cool and impressive, he shouldn’t have been allowed the chance to shoot in the first place.  The cover for Rio Ferdinand at the back is very worrying. 

For John Terry, last night was a step in the right direction.  He has received his criticisms and boo-boys and rightly so, and his mistakes at Chelsea of late have been repetitive and very costly.  He was booed by many on the team line-up, but those who continued during the national anthems and the game, were largely drowned out by cheers from the majority.  His performance wasn’t error-free, but it had far more conviction than the rest of the back four and he seemed to be the only one able to organize the mess around the team in the first 45 minutes.

England’s 500^th win in their history was sealed by an impressive 2^nd half display.  Substitutes Peter Crouch and Shaun-Wright Phillips were very impressive, surely having done enough now for their place on the plane to South Africa.  Tottenham striker Crouch, who has recently lost his place in the North London side, Roman Pavyluchenko helped himself to two more international goals.  In 38 appearances, the ex-Liverpool hitman now has an impressive 20 goals to his name – a staggering statistic.  Now, Emile Heskey cannot be considered as first choice alongside Wayne Rooney.  Wright-Phillips, considered by many as 4^th choice on the right-side of midfield, behind Aaron Lennon, David Beckham and Theo Walcott did his chances no harm at all, by setting up a goal and scoring one for himself.  James Milner once again gave a solid and committed performance when he came off the bench.  The Aston Villa playmaker is the most in-form English midfielder in the Premiership and his consistency has to put him in line for a place in Capello’s final cut.

So, who will miss out on the World Cup?  Both Glen Johnson and Ashley Cole face a race against time to be fit, whilst Joe Cole needs first team action desperately at Chelsea, otherwise he could be shock exclusion.  Once again, Walcott’s performance last night was dismal.  After a promising start, he faded badly and must have blown his chance now of playing in South Africa.  If I was Theo, I’d think about booking a summer holiday to the Bahamas, at least he will get a decent tan!

Last night’s 3-1 result was satisfactory and there were more positives than negatives.  After the trauma and scandal that has dogged English football in recent weeks, it was nice to see some much-needed unity last night.  South Africa is inching closer and Fabio Capello can lookback on last night at a job well done. 

See below for my 23-man prediction squad for the World Cup in 2010:

Robert Green, David James, Joe Hart, Glen Johnson, John Terry, Rio Ferdinand, Matthew Upson, Joleon Lescott, Ashley Cole, Leighton Baines, Aaron Lennon, David Beckham, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Michael Carrick, Gareth Barry, James Milner, Wayne Rooney, Jermain Defoe, Peter Crouch, Carlton Cole, Gabriel Agbonlahor

John Terry - A Man Under Pressure?

This blog was first published on January 30th at http://happydude88.livejournal.com/

John Terry may have been heading Chelsea four points clear at the top of the Premiership table on Saturday night, but his actions off-the-pitch were dominating the Saturday newspapers. Consequently, his winner at Burnley will pass no more than into the record books and it leaves a black mark on the FA if they don’t react.

On Friday afternoon, the High Court lifted an injunction imposed by Terry’s lawyers which has seen the tabloids take full advantage of the opportunity. It is alleged that Terry had an affair with French model Vanessa Perroncel. Perroncel was the girlfriend of Terry’s former Chelsea team-mate, Wayne Bridge. It is unclear yet whether the affair took place whilst Terry & Bridge played together at Stamford Bridge. The left-back, who now plays for Manchester City has refused to comment on the story, but as he plays for England, as Ashley Cole’s understudy, this could turn into a very tricky situation.

The FA has refused to comment on the story and Chelsea, as expected, are totally backing their captain 100%. However, the furrowed silence from both camps, plus the clear appeal to have an injunction in place, suggests that JT has been playing away. Not only does his have a fight on his hands to save his marriage with childhood sweetheart, Toni Poole, but the England captaincy. Fabio Capello is currently out of the country, but he has been known for his strict acts of discipline at former clubs Real Madrid, Juventus & AS Roma. Surely Capello has to act and a quiet word won’t do the trick. Although Terry’s place in the side shouldn’t be in jeopardy, his captaincy should be.

This isn’t the first time that John Terry has faced public scrutiny. Only two months ago, the News of the World alleged Terry was present when an undercover journalist accepted a £10,000 bribe for Terry to give him a behind-the-scenes tour of Chelsea’s training ground. Previously, he has also been caught gambling and was involved in an incident back in 2002, outside a nightclub with Jody Morris, which led to an unsavoury trial, which he was eventually cleared. If England ends up winning the World Cup this summer, they need to do it with a captain who is squeaky clean and Fabio Capello has a big decision to make now. Surely, Terry can’t lead the team into the finals now; he is a man now under a lot of pressure to deliver. The FA must act with immediate efficiency.