Update: Fabio Capello approved as next England manager by the FA.
Last season when Fabio Capello landed in Madrid as the messiah for Los Merengues, I was quite excited – Beckham’s team would have a top-notch manager after a long time (with all due respect to Quieroz, he isn’t top notch) and finally we’ll see Real Madrid winning again.
For the first few months the dream was on hold but as the season wore on, slowly and surely the Real Madrid players put together an amazing string of performances to lead the club to the La Liga title. Like it or not, Capello had a role to play in Madrid’s revival.
Now that he’s expressed interest twice in the England job (once while commentating on an Italy game and then in his BBC Football Focus interview), let’s examine the possibility more closely.
I have to point out that my preference for the role would be Mourinho, because of his familiarity with the English players. Martin O’Neill is an unknown quantity and I would prefer Lippi and Klinsmann over MON any day.
However, Mourinho and O’Neill have said no, there’s no knowing what Lippi / Klinsmann are thinking (but those are the type of names we should be going after), so we, the fans, are left with discussing whether the only interested candidate at this point is suitable or not.
Here are my top 10 reasons for why Cappello will be a good choice to manage England – let me know what you think.
- Capello’s club record is better than Eriksson’s. It might not be an accurate indication of managerial quality (although if you see the disparity between Eriksson’s and McClaren’s club management records and then the same disparity between their performances as England manager, you’ll notice a distinct pattern) but for a manager to win league titles in his ‘only’ season at a club is saying a lot.
- Capello won’t play nice with the media, and it’s about time that we had a manager who said what he thought instead of pandering to public opinion. Capello probably won’t give a damn about the fans either, which is fine by me as long as he helps us win something.
- Capello’s mentality of ‘winning above everything else’ is exactly what England need right now. At a time when the nation and the players doubt themselves, Capello is the type of person who can get them to start fighting again.
- England need to rebuild – Capello, because of his managerial stature, can drop stars and pick ‘stars-in-the-making’ for the future.
- On the flip side, England need experience and quality going into the future – Capello has the balls to stick by players who are needed to help England do well in South Africa 2010 – assuming England qualify, that is.
- Capello’s experience in Serie A and La Liga will be immensely valuable in allowing him to point out where local academies are lacking in their training of English talent. Anally defending the nation (or anally berating it) is not the answer – we must find solutions, and Capello is the type of manager who can point them out.
- England have lacked tactical discipline and footballing intelligence – Capello can instill that, to a degree, in his players.
- Capello is capable of dealing with the pressures of management at the top level – a certain former manager was not.
- The players need to be dressed down and shouted at sometimes – on other occasions they need to be told that they can win. Motivation and the hairdryer treatment are part and parcel of management, but English players haven’t had such treatment for too long now. And yes, Capello can give that to them.
- Bringing Capello onboard is a major statement of intent – instead of pandering to misguided notions of ‘continuity’ and ‘Englishness’, the FA would be investing in one thing only – results. And if the FA gets bothered about England playing ugly, Capello is the sort of manager who would flip them off and keep doing his job. Someone badly needs to tell the FA to go fuck themselves; odds on Capello doing this?
Perhaps it’s a mark of desperation that I’d have preferred Capello flipping off English fans during the Andorra game than have McClaren scribble notes, but England are in desperate times. If Mourinho isn’t coming (and Hiddink / Scolari are busy with Euro 2008), then it’s between Lippi, Klinsmann and Capello. And right now, Capello’s the only one willing to take on the failure that is England.
Ahmed,
Some good points, I would like Capello myself. His team at Milan in the 90s was awesome. But do you think if he started giving his opinions to the media, that the FA would like that? Then again, they did want Scolari I suppose.
I will never forget the team he managed on Championship Manager 01-02. Batistuta, Montella, Samuel, Cafu, Candela, Totti, Emerson. Now I consider myself the best manager known to man on that game, but Capello always ran me close.
Good points Ahmed. To me above all, the English FA should answer the most basic question there is: “do we want to win something?”. Capello is a winner, he’s widely demonstrated that over the years: the England job will be a great challenge, and there’s no guarantee he will succeed, but he’s the best bet the FA can make right now.
Forget Lippi, I’d be very very surprised to see him land the job after his declarations to the Italian media.
Three reasons he should not be England manager:
1. He can sometimes have too much faith in player he considers good, but are in reality flops.
2. He plays defensive football, which is fine for a team who can do that. England however lack the discipline to do that and they will be burned at the stake if they defend against a team like France.
3. His ‘fuck off’ attitude towards fans and the media might cause fans to turn against him, especially if he does not win every game. The FA seems to be prety responsive to the fans’ wishes.
Well, the positives seem to take over and make him a good candiate on paper, but then again: on paper the England squad looks pretty good.
Anthony – I’ll bet you have not taken Nottingham Forrest to the Premier League title 😉
Can he speak English?
Capello may very well be a fine manager and he can get the most out of teams but his style of play he imposes is defensive in nature and unattractive. Regardless of England’s problems, the nation should not have to endure boring football, even if he turns a defeat into a draw. I doubt very much if England players have the grit and discipline to play in that kind of system. And although I salute his “fuck you” attitude to the media, I do not like the fact that he shows stupid stubborn streaks towards quality players just because they don’t suit his style of play. David Beckham is a key example. Only after an injury crisis did he give Beckham a chance to perform for Real last season. And perform he did as he was clearly the club’s best player in the second half. Capello is too rigid and stubborn. I also think his poor command of English could be a bit of a problem. For me the ideal choice is none other than Juergen Klinsmann.
10 REASONS WHY JÃœRGEN KLINSMANN SHOULD BE ENGLAND’S NEXT MANAGER:
1. He is a great and very positive motivator as well as a public relations dream.
2. He will introduce new age training techniques and positive tactical system for fast attacking football. Under Klinsmann, Englnd will learn to play a much more attractive brand of football that will cause opposition sides great problems despite the talent that is a available. With Klinsmann, it’s more about positive energy and the system than whether the squad is loaded with world class talent.
3. He performed wonders for a German program that after 2002 was in a very similar shape as England are today.
4. He has the courage to get rid of the old school players and negative mindset, who are clearly not living up to their high expectations, while bringing up younger players who will buy into the program and who will work hard with enthusiasm and spirit.
5. He will insist on his own people working around him and a for the FA to be at a far enough distance so that he can get on with the difficult task of changing the mentality and way things have been done for generations.
6. He is highly respected and very well liked in England.
7. He speaks fluent English and thus, communication with the squad as well as the media and fans should be no problem.
8. His changes will take time to work but his patience, determination and confidence will eventually pay off, by not just winning over the squad, media and fans, but that his changes will follow him into future generations of managers and grass roots development. (ei; Just look at the German team today under Lowe)
9. He has great energy and has an incredibly high work ethic that will transfer on to his players.
10. He’s a winner and he knows what it takes to succeed at the highest level because he has played for winning organizations his entire career.
Capello with Alan Shearer as an assistant would be my choice. Because of Capello’s substandard English you would need a third member of the coaching team, one who is fluent in English and Italian. Any thoughts?
I like your article, and there are a lot of good points, but ultimately… it all boils down to one thing for me.
He has a similar continental record to Eriksson, and the Swede hardly seemed to excel on the big stage. He could be worth the gamble though – he does at least seem interested, more than can be said for either of the previous two England managers.
Frankie, I agree with you. I’m fluent in English and Italian, although I’m not sure the FA would want me…
italian…english…. its gotta be gianfranco zola!
i know hes in the italian youth set up, but you know hes worth the trouble!
Kibzie: Zola, is a great shout. The FA should throw money at him to loosen the grip of the Italian youth set-up. After all the FA spent about £35m on Eriksson and McClaren, and are still the undisputed richest FA in the world.
GT: throw your hat into the ring! You never know, as well as being the richest, the English FA are also still the undisputed chumps of the world!
Wilson and Andrei… Defensive football?
Come off it, its about winning. When is the last time you have seen England play exciting football? Forget that, good football even.
For whatever reason, when players pull on the 3 Lions, their technical standard drops. Croatia and Russia were much better to watch.
You think if England started playing exciting football they would beat, Argentina, or Brazil, or Germany or even Croatia next time?
They cant compete, they have to play to their strenghts and I think Capello will do exactly that.
You also need to score to win games so I’m pretty sure he’d make sure there was an attacking threat, just with a lot more discipline than SCS has shown.
Like Marco above said, if we want to win something, we get a winner.
Great Points .. i agree with u .. and alan shearer like some said before as an assistant and i think england should get better. Capello is a great manager, and i think would be the best if the take a foreigner … and as u said in the article he achived more than ericsson but just with clubs, no for national team and this is queite diffrent u can’t choose anybody u want i like in the club u got money u baying a player and is ok :). Anyway i’d like see capello as a manager of a national team.
ohmygosh; It sounds like you like your football to be like English cuisine, BLAND and BORING. And if that’s what you want mate I hope you get Capello. He won the league at Real last year and the got the sack. Why? Because the brand of football he was feeding the loyal fans of Real was abhorant to their high expectations. The Real board are committed to attacking and attractive football. Winning is important but entertainment dollar and a classy attacking style of play is also important. England do not have the depth and quality to play a defensive game and fight for a 1-0 win. They have offensive minded undisciplined players who want goals. You are better off with a Klinsmann who can work wonders with that kind of mentality.
Interesting article, Ahmed, along with very thought-provoking comments.
I think that Mister Capello would be the right choice for England. If he made Zola second in command, as was suggested by Kibzie, it would be a good way to ease his acclimation into English football. Perhaps Gianluca Vialli might be another option. And let’s not forget David Beckham’s potential role in the equation. Despite their problems earlier this year, Beckham holds Capello in high regard. Whether he features in a Capello England selection would remain to be seen; however, he has direct experience with his coaching methods and personality.
V. Wilson made an excellent analysis with regards to Juergen Klinsmann. He would be a better choice, but here is why it will not happen. Mr. Klinsmann left the fishbowl of life in Europe to live in relative obscurity in Southern California. In fact, a few years ago, he was able to play under an assumed name in an amateur league.
Mr. Klinsmann has stated many times that he wants a National team appointment; however, he places his family life first. He is married to an American, and his children have grown up in California. Given some of his comments in the past, I doubt that he would take another “commuting” job. Even one as prestigious as the manager of England.
Some may deride Capello’s style of play; however, to quote Carlo Ancelotti, “If you want entertainment, go to the cinema.” I realize, as fans, that we want to see quality football that has aesthetic and artistic value. But if you want results, Don Fabio Capello has produced them. As I stated above, I believe that it would take a concerted effort to ensure a collective success.
Great article, Ahmed.
Apart from the coaches, England will need a top class sports psychologist – and I mean top class. What is it with the psyche of English footballers once they put on an English shirt? They rarely seem able to hang on to a lead against a big team in the really big games. And when they concede one goal why do they almost always immediately concede a second? Consider these little gems.
Euro 2000: England beating Portugal 2-0 end up losing 3-2. England beating Romania 2-1 at half time, end up conceding a last minute goal and losing 3-2, when a draw would have been enough to make the QF.
World Cup 2002, QF: England beating Brazil 1-0, end up losing 2-1.
Euro 2004: England beating France 1-0, miss a penalty, and then go on to concede two very late goals and lose 2-1. In the QF, England are beating Portugal 1-0 with minutes left on the clock when they concede a late goal and eventually go out on penalties.
World Cup 2006: in the QF, England blow it again in a penalty shoot out against Portugal.
Euro 2008 qualifiers: England concede one goal against Croatia in Zagreb and then 8 minutes later concede a second. They lose 2-0. England winning 1-0 in Moscow, concede two late goals and lose 2-1. England needing only a draw at home against Croatia concede a goal from an horrendous goalkeeping error, then a few minutes later concede a second. Having got back to 2-2, and needing only a draw with a few minutes left they flunk it again and lose 3-2.
This is a bad record of capitulation. Pull on an England shirt and all too often in the really big games, the Three Lions seem to crumble mentally and turn into 11 lambs. Where is the warrior spirit? Where is the mental toughness?
England footballers have a long record of capitulation under pressure. England didn’t lose to Croatia because English players are technically inept; or only because of McClaren’s tactical confusion. A factor in their defeat is that too many England players too often seem to lack the mental toughness to deal with situations of high stress. Something needs to be done to address this. Ultimately, England were knocked out of World Cups and Euro championships in penalty shoot-outs in 1990, 1996, 1998, 2004 and 2006 not because of a lack of technique, but because too many players were unable to perform when placed under stress. This is a matter of psychology, and not simply a failure of technique.
Gianluca Vialla could be an alternative to Zola, but whether he would want to work under Capello could be a problem. Egos could get in the way.
Zola on the other hand is working his way up, and one day is likely to manage the Italian side itself. Spending three years working under Capello, one of the top managers in world football would do his development no harm and that’s the way he is likely to view it, unlike Vialli.
Ohmygosh –
“He plays defensive football, which is fine for a team who can do that” notice I said that it is fine to play that kind of football, but England cannot. They simply do not have the discipline and they will be burned by San Marino if they try anything like that.
I personally do not think either Capello or Lippi to be the best choice for the England post. Capello brand of football requires certain types of players (at least in the defense and midfield) : defensively aware, good technique and most importantly disciplined. In a club side, he could buy those players and had day to day training with the squad to instill his values. Both will be missing in the England setup. And I do not believe that the current England squad already excels in the above and that the only decision Capello has to get right is team selection. His lack of English knowledge is a barrier too.
Klinsmann looks like the perfect choice but non-footballing reasons make his candidature a difficult proposition to support.
I would guess that FA will go for someone who has already managed a team in England or played in England setup. Which basically scuttles down the list of candidates to a not so impressive one. For one, despite his relative inexperience at this level I would not be averse to seeing Martin O’Neill managing the Three Lions.
I had FM 08.. It says that Beckham hates Capello a 100%..
Beckham sure will not want Capello as England manager.. LOL..
I agree Capello would be a good choice. Yes he is defensive but that is how you win world cups. So often England score a goal in the knock out stage but fail to defend their lead.
He plays 4-4-2 which shouldn’t be a problem for the players, and is big enough to earn the respect of the players.
I know there is a difference between international and club football but the similarity is you need to be able to win the big games, so Capellos European experience will be invaluable.
He also managed to get Real Madrid, a team of ageing galacticos, to play organised, disciplined, albeit boring football and win the league. Imagine what he could do to england
Two stories being carried in the News of the World today support the views expressed above.
First, on the need for a first class coach fluent in English and Italian. Apparently Capello has said that he would name Gianfranco Zola in his coaching team if he gets the job. The FA should bite Capello’s hands off and get him in as soon as possible. He is obviously the stand-out candidate. Alan Shearer (or Tony Adams) and an English goalkeeping coach could make up a really impressive Anglo-Italian coaching team.
Second, the point I raised in an earlier post about the need to address the inability of a generation of England players to cope with situations of high stress is recognised by one of England’s own. England striker Michael Owen says that what is needed is an improvement in the psychological preparation of England’s players. Owen says: “How we as players cope with [that] pressure is where the problem lies” [News of the World, 25.11.07]. England’s woeful record of capitulation from winning positions, makes this a pretty straightforward observation. Addressing it is critical to England’s ability to perform at the highest levels.
All the technique in the world and all the tactical awareness of a coaching genius ultimately won’t save you, if too many of your team become flaky under pressure. It is stress – not technique – in the big high pressure games which stops you from doing the simple things you normally do – like pass the ball 10 metres to a player wearing the same colour shirt, or move into space to give a colleague an option to pass to, or keep defensive discipline when you take a lead, or convert penalties in penalty shoot-outs!
I am beginning to think that it is not because England players care too little about winning that they succumb to pressure; it is probably because they care too much. They need to develop a bloody-minded “up yours” attitude to the press and public and just do their own thing for themselves. Like the Italians did in the 1982 and 2006 world cups; like the French did in the 1998 world cup. These teams and their coaches were under tremendous criticism from their own media and fans, but they closed ranks, didn’t let it get to them and after some indifferent performances went on to win the world cup.
There are few in world football with a better “up yours” attitude to media and “fans”, than Capello. For England, he would be just what the doctor ordered.
Anyone (Wilson etc) saying Capello would be a bad coice because of the style of football his teams play really needs to open their eyes. At the end of the day, style is all to do with the ability of the players to consistently do difficult things with the ball, and it has been shown time and again that England are incapable of producing stylish football, regardless of who is in charge. Are the managers the reason why holland, brazil, argentina, spain, france and portugal play better football than us? No its the players, so ultimately the best any england manager can do is win pragmatically, it will never be dnoe in style cos were just not good enough
The traditional English style is to play aggressive attacking football. When England play to their strengths they often do well in games – at least for a period. Which is why England have taken the lead so often in big games: they go out and attack the opposition. In 3 of the last 4 big tournaments (Euro 2000 and 2004, world cups 2002 and 2006) England lost 6 games. In 5 of those 6 games England lost after having taken the lead. In the sixth game (Portugal QF 2006)after extra time the score was 0-0 and England was eliminated on penalty shoot-outs.
It’s when England try to play a different style during a game i.e. defend a lead that they so often come unstuck. They drop deeper and deeper and the defenders boot the ball out of defence, like Sol Campbell did repeatedly the other night against Croatia. This plays into the opposition’s hands and means that you will come persistently under attack and tire out your midfielders who have to spend the game running around chasing shadows. This is one reason why England who often take a lead in big games, concede goals late in a game: the players are knackered. It is not entirely the fault of the defenders; the rest of the team have a responsibility to make themselves available to take a pass from the back four by good movement (look at the Arsenal team for instance – options are always available to the guy in possession).
What the England team need to add to their way of playing is to evolve a defensive style which encourages the players to play the ball out of defence and keep possession of the football, on the simple basis that if you have the ball the opposition can’t hurt you. A master of defensive formations, discipline and organisation like Capello can only help the England game develop. It is said that “attack is the best form of defence”. I think the converse is often true in football, that “defence can be the best form of attack”, i.e DO NOT GIVE THE BALL AWAY. This is the mantra the English players should be playing on their Ipods as they get off the team bus. Keep possession of the football: that is the real skill they need to work on as a team. The Brazilian “step-overs” can be left to the Brazilians (and occasionally Joe Cole!).
There’s one other thing, English goalkeepers. Currently, they are pants. If you don’t have a decent goalkeeper, the best defensive plans, tactical formations will be undone. All it needs is a speculative shot from 35 metres, or missing a cross, or parrying a shot into the path of an incoming striker rather than around the posts. Everyone knows you can’t play confidently as a team if you have a dodgy goalkeeper. The defenders will be tense and nervous, and all game will have bowel movements in the form of bricks.
And how England have suffered from dodgy goalkeepers over the last 8 years in the really big games! Examples: Nigel Martyn against Romania in Euro 2000; David Seaman against Brazil, world cup 2002; David James against France, Euro 2004; Paul Robinson against Sweden, world cup 2006; Paul Robinson against Croatia and Russia away, Euro 2008 qualifiers; and Scott Carson against Croatia at home, Euro 2008 qualifiers.
In almost each of those cases (with the possible exception of Paul Robinson’s horror show against Sweden in 2006) England were eliminated from a World Cup or Euro championship as a direct or indirect result of those goalkeeping howlers. Five different goalkeepers, but none of them in the class of Peter Shilton, Ray Clemence, Gordon Banks or even a David Seaman in his prime(circa Euro ’96).
So guys, is there an English goalkeeper out there that a new England coach can build a defence around?
Frankie, Ben Foster is the name you are looking for! At least I hope so. He looked good at Watford and at 24 he’s got another 10 years to go at the top. I agree that there’s no one else on the horizon.
Second point. It’s funny that so many people dismiss Shearer for England ‘cos of his lack of any sort of management experience. Plenty of people suggest Klinsmann but he was in the same boat when he took over Germany. That was his first management post.
Ian, Ben Foster certainly has the credentials although some people are starting to push the case for Robert Green of West Ham. What needs to be evaluated is not only skill as a goalkeeper, but also temperament, character and strong levels of concentration: in particular, the ability to keep your head when all around you are losing theirs. Men like Petr Cech, Buffon and Casillas are technically very good but they also have superb temperaments and concentration levels. This is the combination necessary for a really good keeper.
england team just need to ask Arsene Wenger if they can watch a training session or 2. when arsenal play football it looks like each player knows what the others are thinking. this comes from training together, what do the england coaches do when it comes to training? they see the players a few times a year, smile for the camera and then complaine coz X, Y and Z are injured again. even stuart pierce at the under 21 level has got the team playing as a team. and give new talent a chance, but not in a friendly without the main 11 players the new players need to play with the first team to get use to playing with them.
The only manager that will be any good for the job will be one that wins a major tournament, but unfortunatly for them that is down to the team.
I predict the next manager will get England through to the wordcup in 2010, but will resign or be sacked when England fail to achieve what the public think the team are capable of.
First, Michael Owen, and now Tony Adams and Fabio Capello. All seem to agree with me [posts 16 and 22] that the major problem for the England players is psychological, not technical (or even tactical). Tony Adams: ‘We need to change. My jaw dropped to the floor when I watched the game against Croatia. The players were gripped by fear.’ (Daily Mail, 27.11.07)
Sid Lowe, the Guardian’s respected journalist based in Madrid, reports that: “Fabio Capello stepped up his campaign to secure the England manager’s job yesterday when he criticised the tactical inconsistencies of the Steve McClaren era and insisted that the players needed a strong psychological coach rather than a technical one – in other words, a man made in his own image”. For the rest of story see link: http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/0,,2217113,00.html
Capello is spot on. The England’s team most basic deficiency is the psychological weight of the Three Lions on the shirt. He can sort it. Glen Hoddle (the former England manager) has also come out in favour of Capello, with an Englishman, like Stuart Pearce, Alan Shearer, Steve Coppell to be groomed alongside him (Sportsweek, 25.11.07). I think you can forget Steve Coppell as a coaching assistant, but Stuart Pearce could be a good alternative to Alan Shearer or Tony Adams. Mentally, Alan Shearer is one of the toughest players England have ever had.
I personally thinks that if Jose Mourinho doesn’t wants the job,it will boils down to a very close battle between these two,Juergen Klinsmann & Fabio Capello.
Style of football-
Fabio Capello:Defensive strategies.Will be creating a water-tight defense and pack up the midfield to get more ball possession.Hit the opponents on strong counter-attacks,relying on the likes of Frank Lampard,Stevie G,Wayne Rooney,Joe Cole,Peter Crouch & SWP.
Jurgen Klinsmann-This man will introduce a totally new style of football to the Three Lions.We will be seeing England playing a kind of fast,attacking-minded football.He is likely to instill a perfect mix of youth & experience blend by playing a high-tempo and very attractive football.
Conclusion:So you prefer to see dull but highly-effective football,for eg.Italy in FIFA 2006 World Cup, or attractive brand of football,for eg.Brazil,?
Language barrier-
Fabio Capello:He doesn’t knows how to speak English but admits he’s willing to pick up classes to learn.So most probably,he will appoint someone as Gianfranco Zola,who is fluent in both Italian & English,as his right-hand man.
Jurgen Klinsmann:Extremely fluent in English,so there’s no such a big fuss about his appointment as the next England coach.
Conclusion-I suppose that Jurgen Klinsmann holds an upperhand here?
Experience-
Fabio Capello-His experience in Serie A and La Liga will be immensely valuable in allowing him to point out where local academies are lacking in their training of English talent. Anally defending the nation (or anally berating it) is not the answer – we must find solutions, and Capello is the type of manager who can point them out.
Jurgen Klinsmann-Besides managing the Germany National football team which ultimately lost to the eventual champions,Italy,in the semi-final stage due to a VERY VERY late winning goal during extra-time period,the ex-Tottenham Hotspurs & VFB Stuttgart star striker has no more other coaching experience.
Conclusion-Fabio Capello will definitely win this,hands down.
The media are reporting today that Capello will be the next England manager, as early as this Friday or Monday next week. He will have a coaching team which includes Zola, and a young English coach such as Stuart Pearce and/or Alan Shearer. Whether by design (“Capello was always the first choice”) or by default (“Mourinho didn’t want it”), the appointment of Capello would be the right decision for the right reasons.
“Can he speak English?”
haha no some fans have setup a site dedicated to supporting capello in his quest to learn the english language.
http://www.capellolearnenglish.com/
Fabio will have no problems learning another language!
capello is the best there is.,,, otto rehagel from greece is also a very capable trainer.. i know him because ime an english guy living in germany 14 years and rehagel has bought teams from the second division to win in the following year the bundesliga too.. and he won the league with bayern munich in his first year and he won in what was the most surprising victory of all the european championship with greece in 2004… i havent heard his name at all mentioned……
boo !