Shearer criticizes Capello's England record

Published Nov. 21, 2010 4:17 p.m. ET

foxsports

Former England captain Alan Shearer added to the recent criticism of Fabio Capello by questioning Sunday whether the national team has improved since the Italian coach took charge nearly three years ago.

Capello has come under fierce criticism from the British media since England's disappointing World Cup campaign in South Africa earlier this year, and the team's 2-1 defeat to France at Wembley on Wednesday has provoked further debate about its future under the manager.

''Fabio's been here for two-and-a-half years and I'm not sure we've actually gone forward in that time,'' Shearer, who scored 30 goals for England in 63 appearances, told BBC Radio.

''If every England player was fit, I'm not sure that he'd know what system he wanted or what team he wanted to play.''

Capello replaced Steve McClaren as England manager in December 2007 and was hailed as a savior as he guided the side through World Cup qualifying with ease.

But England was eliminated in the finals by Germany in the second round, prompting criticism of his squad selection and tactics. The team started its 2012 European Championship qualifying campaign with wins over Bulgaria and Switzerland but a dire 0-0 draw at home to Montenegro, followed by the friendly loss to France, has led to Capello coming under more fire.