England manager Fabio Capello believes his side were given one of
the toughest Euro 2012 qualifying draws in Warsaw on Sunday
morning.
England will face Switzerland, Bulgaria, Wales and Montenegro
and Capello was not exactly jumping for joy.
The Italian told Sky Sports News: "I think the worst groups
were Group A and Group G and we got Group G.
"It's a tough group because each game will be strong games to
play."
On England's opponents, Capello added: "Wales are one of the
best teams now, although they are very young.
"Switzerland have qualified for the World Cup and are one of
the best teams at the moment."
Former England manager Terry Venables also believes Capello's
men have been handed a tough task.
"I think that's one of the harder groups," he told Sky Sports
News.
"But when you are one the favourites you've just got to say
anyone will do. The top seeds are way ahead of everybody else."
He added: "I think Switzerland are a difficult team. I think
they've improved tremendously the last few years."
Capello knows all about Wales' current crop of exciting
youngsters already, having shared a flight with John Toshack on the
way to the draw yesterday.
"Wales will be my first derby," said the Italian. "It will be
good because they are a very young team.
"I spoke with John Toshack on the flight over. He told me the
average age is 22 and he had some really good young players.
"It will be interesting - for me and England."
It is less than five years since the last meeting between the
two countries, when Joe Cole's solitary goal proved enough to
clinch an England victory at the Millennium Stadium.
A side coached by Sven-Goran Eriksson had already beaten
Wales at Old Trafford and given the respective status of both
nations, it would be a major shock if England did not complete
another double.
In fact, while Capello claimed Group A - headed by Germany
and including Turkey - and Group G - where England ended up - were
the toughest, it is difficult to agree with the Italian.
Wales are beatable, despite the talents of Aaron Ramsey and
Jack Collison, while Montenegro - a country England have never
faced as an independent nation - won only once in the recent World
Cup qualifiers and finished bottom, even if six draws from 10 games
indicates an obdurate nature, especially in Podgorica, where only
Italy beat them.
Dimitar Berbatov's Bulgaria will present a bigger challenge,
especially if Martin and Stiliyan Petrov are both fit but, in the
same group as Montenegro, they never looked like reaching South
Africa.
And, in a group of just five teams which, in addition to one
of the home nations was Capello's major hope, Switzerland do not
appear to pose that much of a threat, even though they will be
joining England at the World Cup.
Indeed, the Swiss were Capello's first opponents after he had
replaced Steve McClaren as coach.
That match, at Wembley in February 2008, ended in a narrow
victory, with Jermaine Jenas and Shaun Wright-Phillips scoring the
goals for a team that included David Bentley.
Much has changed for the Three Lions since then, as Capello
is the first to admit.
"I remember that first game very well," he said. "What I
remember most was that the training session the day before was very
good. When I came away from it I was really happy.
"But after the match I had a completely different feeling.
"The players I watched in the match were not the same as the
ones I had seen in training the day before.
"But we have improved a lot compared to what we were like
when I started as manager.
"Now when we play against Switzerland it will not be the same
game."
