Fabio Capello was lured from Italy by the England Football Association to win two trophies and restore a nation’s battered morale. To date, he is failing spectacularly while earning a sum of money that would make 99.9% of the world’s population positively giddy. Jealous? You bet I am.
Winning the 2010 World Cup was the first objective set for Don Fabio and we all know how that turned out. Victory in Euro 2012 is the next target. However, qualification to that tournament is looking a lot trickier than it should - and then of course, there is the ongoing task of restoring our morale and standing in the eyes of the footballing world.
Unfortunately this is the area where he is having the biggest problem and what is most troubling is that this is the department where he is meant to be strongest. The fact is that Capello was originally hired because he was said to be a brilliant tactician, a disciplined leader and fearlessly single-minded.
With a contract that runs until the summer of 2012 he still has time to reclaim that perception and it begins tomorrow night in Cardiff when his Three Lions take on the Welsh Dragon at the Millennium Stadium in Group G.
England currently lies in second place, three points behind surprise group leaders, Montenegro while Wales sit at the foot of the table, winless and pointless. The form book screams no contest but then again, the form book doesn’t know what is going on inside the England camp.
Once more the England set-up feels and looks like a troubled place. John Terry has been reinstated as the full-time captain a year after off-the-ball incidents saw him replaced by Rio Ferdinand and then Steven Gerrard. Ferdinand who is now injured and unavailable for selection, like Gerrard, thinks he has been slighted by Capello and his right hand man Franco Baldini regarding the surprising U-turn.
Now in most countries, including Italy, the captaincy wouldn’t be an issue. But in England, being named the captain of the national side is everything. It is what every player dreams of and the iconic black and white picture of Bobby Moore holding aloft the Jules Rimet trophy in 1966 is proof of that.
In my mind, team spirit, a quality that is not measurable or easily identifiable is now questionable. Terry frankly admits that he’s not everyone’s cup-o-tea. His failed mutiny last summer is testament to the fact that he does not have the support of the whole team, as the cadre of players supporting him was suspiciously absent.
There is no doubt that Terry is a leader, a warrior, but Capello has given the rest of the team an excuse for failure. Footballers love nothing more than an ‘out’ for a poor performance and this is the perfect opportunity for Terry’s teammates to point a finger at their coach and captain if the result in Wales is anything but positive.
Look, personally I don’t care what Terry does off the pitch, however, as the England captain his behavior let us down. He says he reformed and Capello seems to think a year without the armband is enough of a punishment. But I can tell you that a leopard doesn’t change its spots and it surely can’t be long before there’s another lurid story featuring JT.
It seems to me that Capello has lost belief in himself and his decision making ability. He’s second guessing himself. It’s a startling fall for a man who on a day-to-day basis was one of the best club coaches football has ever seen. I think he finds that in the international game, he has too much time on his hands and hence too much time to over think decisions.
Yes, his options for the captaincy are limited when it comes to the old guard. Ashley Cole has as much baggage as Terry and is plain 'loco.' Wayne Rooney is simply too volatile and cannot be trusted to keep his cool. That leaves a straight choice between Gareth Barry and Frank Lampard. Barry has experienced captaincy before with Aston Villa and in my mind wouldn’t be the worst choice while Lampard, who is not the most vocal, would lead by example but neither would have sent a message that Capello is the man driving this ship.
What Capello should’ve done in my book was go for the choice that would’ve had English football buzzing and buzzing in a good way. On Saturday, Jack Wilshire will be 19 years and 84 days old and he is the future of this country. His performances this season for Arsenal have screamed class, maturity and most importantly, leadership.
I mentioned Bobby Moore previously and his appointment to the role of captain was greeted with more than raised eyebrows. He was just 22 years and 48 days old when he led England for the first time. His international experience at that time was 12 matches. However, he would hold the post for over a decade. A period that marked England’s greatest ever period in the international game. Ironically Moore’s last ever game for England was against Italy at Wembley. The Three Lions lost that day to a goal scored by Fabio Capello.
Would it be risky? Absolutely but what a message to send to the nation and our flagging belief. Here is someone that everyone would support, someone for kids to look up to and most importantly, a break from the past.
Fabio Capello has missed a golden opportunity. Let’s hope it’s the only opportunity he misses over the coming year-and-a-half.
Nick Webster is a senior writer for FoxSoccer.com covering the Barclay's Premier League and the English national team.
