Fabio Capello admits he is not sure how to improve the mindset of the England players as he prepares to take on Hungary in a friendly on Wednesday. (Eng 2/7 to beat Hungary)
England were roundly criticised for their performance at the World Cup in South Africa, as they crashed out of the tournament 4-1 to Germany in the last 16.
Steven Gerrard’s men began badly with a woeful performance in a 1-1 draw with the USA and then put in an even worse display against Algeria, before edging into the knock-out phase of the tournament with a 1-0 victory over Slovenia.
The thousands of England fans had high hopes of an improvement as the tournament progressed but England were comprehensively outplayed by the Germans and sent home with their tails between their legs.
Capello promised change after hanging onto his job and he has brought in several young players for the national side’s first outing since the World Cup debacle.
The Italian tactician admitted that his players in South Africa were way below their best and he believes it will be hard to alter the thought process of the current crop of players charged with the task of getting the fans back in love with the England side.
“South Africa wasn’t good but we did not play at the same level that we played in qualification,” he said. “When you play a World Cup competition, you have to arrive in really good physical condition.
“We were not so fresh as the games we played before the World Cup. We changed some things but it was not enough.
“Another thing really important thing is the mind of the players. We played not with confidence but with fear. I don’t know what we have to do to improve the mind of the players.”
The veteran manager has had to deal with the international retirements of Wes Brown and Paul Robinson ahead of the Hungary friendly but denied that he has trouble communicating with his players, saying that he accepts their decisions to call time on their international careers.
England will be looking for a solid performance and a resounding victory at Wembley on Wednesday as they look to regain the confidence of the nation ahead of the upcoming Euro 2012 qualifiers.
England face Bulgaria and Switzerland in September before Montenegro arrive for the third qualifying match in October. (England 9/1 to win Euro 2012)
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