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Capello faces tough task to change England’s “mentality problem”
![RTR2FUS2[2]CAPSMALL](http://blogs.reuters.com/soccer/files/2010/08/RTR2FUS22CAPSMALL.jpg "RTR2FUS2[2]CAPSMALL")
Watching a repeat on Saturday of a TV comedy show first shown early in 2010 offered a stark reminder of how quickly and deeply Fabio Capello’s stock has fallen in the eyes of the average England fan.
As Alistair McGowan gurned his best Capello impression, the Italian-accented words were all about England’s success in qualifying and how they were looking forward to the World Cup with such high hopes.
How odd that sounded when hours later Sunday newspapers quoted Capello as saying he knew England’s South African campaign was doomed because his players were physically and mentally exhausted.
“We knew the situation before the World Cup. I spoke with my staff but I could not come out and say this because psychologically it is not good for the players,” said the Italian. “We tried to do everything. I spoke with the doctors and physios to improve the situation but South Africa was a mentality problem.”
Capello apologised to the fans who travelled to South Africa and said he would have understood if the FA had wanted to sack him.
Could Birmingham’s Hart be Capello’s England number one?
England manager Fabio Capello might well have found himself an unexpected Christmas present this year in Birmingham City goalkeeper Joe Hart.
Filling the gap between the sticks at next June’s World Cup finals in South Africa is perhaps the biggest conundrum Capello will face in the run up to soccer’s most glittering event, but Hart may just have made it a little easier.
from UK News:
Is Fabio being beastly to the WAGS?
In keeping with the spirit of the times and with his own stern image, Fabio Capello has clamped down on the WAGS.
The wives and girlfriends, whose exuberance and excess often made for more interesting viewing three years ago in Germany than the games their HABS were involved in, have been banished to the stands.
Whatever next? UEFA brings out football dictionary
Bizarre as it sounds, UEFA announced last week it was publishing a dictionary.
Teaming up with German reference book publishers Langenscheidt, European soccer’s governing body has produced a dictionary with around 2,000 “official” football terms, handily translated into English, French and German.
You can’t help but imagine some wonderful uses for this important academic work.
It’s sad if Beckham century is all we have to get excited about
It’s just as well Fabio Capello decided to recall David Beckham to his squad for the friendly against France next week because otherwise there’d be very little else for England fans to get excited about.
Assuming Beckham survives the cut on Saturday, fans and the media can amuse themselves by speculating whether Beckham will win his 100th cap as a proud member of the starting line-up, perhaps even as captain, or in a late cameo role that could mark his farewell.
