Stubborn Capello, Threatens England`s Progress

Fabio Capello, the most expensive international football manager, failed to lead England to victory against Montenegro at Wembley last night.

The English football Association is paying the man who was employed in 2007, 6 million pounds a year, whilst his backroom staff also rake in an astonishing 4 million a year.

That’s 10 million pounds a year, for a management team that led us to draws against Algeria, USA, and a humiliating 4-1 defeat to arch rivals Germany in the Last 16 of the World cup.

Montenegro, a country with a population of 700,000, which is the equivalent to the size of Leeds, a team ranked 40^th in the world rankings, left Wembley top of group G after earning the best result in their short history, a 0-0 draw.

This draw now leaves Montenegro 3 points clear, with England still to visit Montenegro along with trips to Wales and Bulgaria.

Montenegro had won their previous 3 games by 1-0, and they came so close to repeating that score line once again.

Had the 25 yard lob from Milan Jovanovic gone inches lower, instead of smacking against the England cross bar, with Joe Hart beaten all ends up, then England`s qualification hopes would have been in serious doubt.

The Wembley crowd were having flashbacks of South Africa 3 months ago, as Capello showed no tactical awareness to change a formation that seems out of date for international football.

Questions must be asked of the England regime once again.

Can we continue to play 4-4-2? Did we really need a holding midfielder? Why was Wayne Rooney trailing out to the wings to receive the ball? Why was Steven Gerrard so deep? 

A Peter Crouch header over the bar and an Adam Johnson free kick was all England could manage in the first half that saw a well organised, well drilled Montenegro team put ten men behind the ball.  

Wayne Rooney tested Mladen Bosovic twice in the second half in another lack luster, desperate performance by the Manchester United striker. The anguish and frustration was there for all to see.

England failed to create chances, just as they did against Algeria; this was reflected by the jeers of the strong 70,000 Wembley crowd, of which thousands left early, and who could blame them.

Yet Capello said after the game `The goalkeeper was the best player for Montenegro. This is football, not boxing, where you win by punching the opponent more’. Tonight we did create chances."

I think it`s fair to say the majority of the Wembley crowd would have liked to put a couple of striking blows in Capello`s direction themselves.

Rio Ferdinand was back with the Captain`s armband on after missing the World Cup, but was never really tested.

Capello promised after the World Cup that youth would be given a chance, enter 33 year old Bolton striker Kevin Davies for his England debut, Davies played 20 minutes and got booked.