Tag Archives: Capello

Strike duo excite Capello

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Fabio Capello felt hat-trick hero Jermain Defoe’s all-round performance was vital to England’s cause as they beat Bulgaria 4-0 to kick-start their Euro 2012 qualifying campaign (England 9/1 to win Euro 2012).

Capello was desperate for his men to put in a good performance in front of 73,000 fans at Wembley to atone for their dreadful showing at the World Cup, which saw them exit the competition to Germany at the last-16 stage.

It was touch-and-go as to whether the Italian tactician would keep his job after the 4-1 debacle against the Germans but he remains committed to the cause and Friday’s solid performance was just what the nation needed to get the feel-good factor back around the England team after such a disappointing campaign in South Africa.

Despite promising changes, Capello has kept faith with a number of players who were to blame for the World Cup shambles and they repaid his faith with three points to open up their eight-match Group G campaign (England 2/9 to win Group G).

Defoe opened the scoring in just the third minute and added further goals on 61 and 86 minutes, while Adam Johnson netted the other on 83 minutes as England upped their game in the second period to put daylight between the sides.

Defoe was due to undergo groin surgery this week but postponed his operation to play in England’s two qualifiers, and it paid dividends as he looked lively throughout and linked up well with the excellent Wayne Rooney.

Capello was relieved that Defoe was able to play and praised the way that he took his goals and worked tirelessly for the team.

“Defoe is always very important for us,” he said. “He can shoot with his left foot and his right and his performance was really, really good and his movement without the ball was fantastic.”

The veteran manager was also delighted with Rooney’s contribution after asking the Manchester United hit-man to play a slightly different role than he is accustomed to.

“I played Rooney in a position different than usual,” he added. “He did very well. I spoke with him before the game.

“He had to stay just in front of the two central midfielders and from this position to go forward and to be free. The quality of Rooney was really high.”

England will face a much stiffer test against Switzerland away from home on Tuesday but, with Defoe expected to shake off the knock he picked up towards the end of Friday’s match, Capello will be confident of coming home with all three points.

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Capello slams fickle press

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England coach Fabio Capello kicked off the Three Lions’ Euro 2012 qualification campaign in defiant mood despite the country’s dismal World Cup in South Africa this summer (England 9/1 – Euro 2012 Outright).

The Italian has seen his status downgraded from hero to villain over the last 12 months – hero after a near-perfect run in World Cup qualifying and villain after the limp performances heralded just one win and humiliation at the hands of Germany.

Capello says he can live with the vitriol aimed in his direction from the press, though, and has effectively told his detractors that he is immune from the pressure piled on his shoulders.

Speaking ahead of Friday night’s showdown with Bulgaria at Wembley, Capello blasted his inquisitors by claiming: “You create the god, and you create the monster, no?

“I remember what you wrote about me a short time before this period.

“I live the same moment when you write well of me as when you write badly of me. You have to live with the pressure. It is my job.

“This is my team. We lost one game in the World Cup after one big mistake from the referee.

“You don’t remember this. But after this, your opinion about me changed completely.

“You wrote a lot of things differently. But I live with this situation.”

Capello’s position was the subject of an FA review immediately after the World Cup although the fact he had signed a new deal ahead of the tournament, reportedly removing the Italian’s get-out clause, may well have tied the governing body’s hands.

Regardless, Capello will lead England out against Stanimir Stoilov’s side later before the trip to Switzerland for next Tuesday’s clash with the well-organised Swiss.

Bulgaria’s squad is shorn of the services of Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov – he retired from international football in May at the age of 29 after 77 caps and a record 48 goals.

Stoilov can call on the Premier League duo of Stiliyan Petrov and Martin Petrov, but elsewhere there a few household names in the travelling party (England 3/10, draw 4/1, Bulgaria 10/1 – 90 minutes).

However, the same could have been said about Algeria ahead of the goalless draw with the North Africans back on June 18 when England were booed off the field by their own fans, prompting a furious outburst from striker Wayne Rooney (8/1 – England 0-0 Bulgaria).

England will be without Frank Lampard, John Terry, Peter Crouch, Aaron Lennon and Bobby Zamora through injury.

Bulgaria have never won on English soil in five attempts.

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Players still behind Capello – Barry

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Gareth Barry insists the England players (1/12 to qualify for Euro 2012) still believe in Fabio Capello, as the squad go into their Euro 2012 qualifying campaign.

An appalling showing at the World Cup this summer led to many fans and pundits calling for a change at the top.

But Capello, who signed a new deal before the tournament in South Africa, insists he can lead the Three Lions to success and remains intent on reaching the European Championships.

England start their qualifying campaign with a home clash against Bulgaria (England 3/10, Bulgaria 8/1, Draw 10/3 – Match Betting) this Friday, before facing a trip to Switzerland next Tuesday, September 7.

Despite the struggles in South Africa and the major changes made to the squad since then, Barry feels the manager has the full support of the dressing room.

The Manchester City midfielder said: “Everyone is right behind the manager. I firmly believe the players and manager can go on and do great things. He is still the man to take England forward.”

Even though a number of the World Cup squad look to have had their England careers brought to an end, Barry (9/2 to score at anytime v Bulgaria) says nothing has changed in the manager’s demeanour.

The former Aston Villa man added: “He still wants us to play at a high tempo but the whole squad is pretty relaxed. Everything is pretty chilled there so there are not too many changes.”

Capello, though, will be without several key players through injury for the two upcoming fixtures.

Frank Lampard, John Terry, Rio Ferdinand and Bobby Zamora are already absent, and now Peter Crouch has been forced to withdraw.

The Tottenham striker misses out with a back injury, while Capello also has concerns over the fitness of Ben Foster (knee), Scott Carson (back) and Phil Jagielka (ankle).

All three players sat out Tuesday’s training session but the word from the camp is that the trio should be fit for Friday’s game at Wembley (5/4 both teams to score).

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Injury woe for Capello

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England boss Fabio CapelloFabio Capello is already facing an injury crisis ahead of England’s two Euro 2012 qualifiers after John Terry and Frank Lampard were both ruled out, while Peter Crouch and Bobby Zamora are also doubtful for next week’s games (England 2/7 Group G winners).

The Italian manager will name his squad for the games against Bulgaria and Switzerland on Sunday but is already facing a selection headache following the news about two of his first choice players.

Chelsea announced on Saturday evening that Lampard had a problem with a hernia and would need to undergo surgery on either Tuesday or Wednesday to correct it, ruling him out for the next two weeks.

The 32-year-old endured a difficult afternoon on Saturday, missing a penalty and being forced off midway through the second half of the Blues’ 2-0 win over Stoke.

After the game, manager Carlo Ancelotti confirmed Lampard would need surgery, stating they had already spoken with the national team to inform them of the situation.

Later in the day, the Blues also revealed that Terry would play no part in either match after picking up a hamstring problem, although a statement on the club’s website claimed he had been playing with it during pre-season.

A statement released on the club’s official website read: “John Terry has tonight (Saturday) been ruled out of England’s next two games due to injuries to his right hamstring and glute muscles.

“John has spoken personally to the England management team, and Chelsea and England medical staff have also been in touch. All are agreed that John’s injuries, that he has carried since pre-season, would benefit from a period of rest and rehabilitation.”

The news will no doubt annoy Capello, who was able to call up and play Terry during England’s friendly with Hungary despite his injury.

More bad news could be on its way to the Three Lions (6/1 not to qualify for Euro 2012) coach after Spurs boss Harry Redknapp revealed Peter Crouch may have broken his ribs during their defeat to Wigan.

Should Crouch have injured his ribs, he would more than likely join Tottenham team mate Jermain Defoe on the sidelines, with the former West Ham forward currently struggling with a groin problem.

Capello’s bad day was rounded off by Fulham manager Mark Hughes revealing that Bobby Zamora had picked up a thigh injury in the 2-2 draw at Blackpool and could miss out.

“Bobby went really stiff at half-time. He thought it was just a bang on the muscle and went out again. But he could not shake it off,” said Hughes.

“I think he must be a doubt (for England) unfortunately. He was really looking forward to getting a chance.”

The Welsh (16/1 to qualify for Euro 2012) manager went on to say that goalkeeper David Stockdale may also be unavailable for an international call-up, with Capello rumoured to be interested in bringing him into the national fold.

Capello will name his squad on Sunday hoping that no more of his star names are forced to withdraw before Friday’s first match against Bulgaria.

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Capello wrong for England – Mourinho

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Jose Mourinho believes England will never win anything with Fabio Capello as manager as he does not treat the players with respect (England 9/1 to win Euro 2012).

England were tipped for great things at this summer’s World Cup but put in some of the worst displays seen in a long time by the national side at a major championships.

Draws with the USA and Algeria were followed by a narrow 1-0 victory over Slovenia but that only delayed the inevitable as Germany crushed Capello’s men 4-1 to send them packing at the last-16 stage of the tournament.

The Italian tactician has a superb managerial record at club level, having guided Real Madrid to the Spanish title in his two one-year spells at the Bernabeu, while also winning titles at AC Milan, Roma and Juventus, although Juve were later stripped of their titles due to the match-fixing scandal.

Capello is known to be a tough disciplinarian and takes no nonsense from players. Many pundits felt this would be good for the national side, as it is often difficult to gel together players from so many different clubs.

But Mourinho, who won two Premiership titles while in charge at Chelsea, disagrees and feels that England’s problem is that they currently have a manager who is unable to empathise with players who might not agree with his way of thinking (Real Madrid 9/2 to win Champions League).

“The problem is the manager,” the Real Madrid boss told the Daily Mirror. “Capello will not work for England. He has a one-track relationship with players. Ask anyone here at Real Madrid. He can’t change. You cannot go around just shouting at players. They need to feel special.

“It is clear. Capello will not work for England. He does not know the players. They are frightened of him and they can’t play for him.

“For me, it is a mess for England. Players need clear tactics. They cannot be confused about what they have to do. It is the manager’s fault. And it is a big shame.”

Capello’s inability to communicate with his players has been questioned ever since the South African debacle and the veteran manager has been branded a ‘donkey’ by a British tabloid on Wednesday.

He has been given a vote of confidence by the FA and will be in charge for England’s Euro 2012 campaign, starting with two qualifiers against Bulgaria and Switzerland on 3 and 7 September respectively.

Whether or not he is still at the helm at the end of qualification remains to be seen, with England’s fans running out of patience for a return to winning ways and success at a major event.

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Capello ends Beckham dream

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David Beckham’s dreams of appearing at another major tournament finals appear to be over after England coach Fabio Capello made it clear that he will not pick the former captain again (England 9/1 – Euro 2012 outright).

Having initially been ditched by Steve McClaren following the 2006 World Cup, the former Manchester United star bounced back to reclaim his place in the squad and looked set to play in his fourth consecutive World Cup finals this summer.

However, the LA Galaxy star missed the chance to make history when he suffered an Achilles injury prior to the South Africa tournament.

Despite the severity of the injury, the 35-year-old has always maintained that he would return for both club and country and would never retire from international football.

He had hoped to play some part in England’s Euro 2012 qualifying campaign, with three matches scheduled to take place before the end of the year, but Capello let slip in an interview prior to Wednesday’s 2-1 friendly victory over Hungary that Beckham would no longer be part of the national set-up but may play in a farewell match before Christmas (England 2/7 – to win Group G).

“I hope when David is okay he can play here the last game at Wembley in a friendly to say goodbye and thank you very much to the crowd,” he said. “I won’t be picking him for any more competitive matches.

“David is a fantastic player, he was really important, but we have to see the new players for the future because the age is important for a lot of people, not only for David.”

Beckham won 115 caps for his country and played at the 1998, 2002 and 2006 World Cups, as well as at Euro 2000 and 2004 and he skippered the national side on 58 occasions.

He polarized opinion within the media, with many pundits praising his commitment and ability to score from dead-ball situations and fire accurate 50-yard passes, while others felt he was one-dimensional and lacked the necessary pace to create a real impact out wide.

But his enthusiasm for the England team could never be called into question and Capello even allowed him to sit in the dug-out during the World Cup to offer support to his former team-mates.

The player’s agent responded to the news by stating that Beckham would still be available for England and has not officially retired from international football but it does appear that November’s friendly at Wembley will be the last time he is seen in an England shirt.

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Capello questions England mindset

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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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Capello curtails World Cup flops

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Fabio Capello has made radical changes to his England squad after their terrible performance at the World Cup, axing 13 of the players he took to South Africa ahead of the Three Lions (2/7 to win Euro 2012 Qualifying Group F) friendly against Hungary on Wednesday.

The Italian has decided to leave a number of players who were involved in England’s disastrous campaign out, with David James, Peter Crouch, Jermain Defoe, Matthew Upson, Joe Cole, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Ledley King, Jamie Carragher, Michael Dawson, Robert Green and Stephen Warnock all cut.

Despite their below-par performances, Capello has kept faith with the majority of his big names players with Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Ashley Cole and John Terry all remaining part of the squad.

However, Capello’s curtailing of some of his flops has left the door open for some of England’s fringe and young players to stake a claim ahead of the Euro 2012 qualification campaign, which kicks-off in September.

The biggest shock has been the inclusion of Arsenal teenagers Jack Wilshire and Kieran Gibbs, both of who have so far failed to establish themselves in the Gunners’ first team.

Wilshere, 18, has only made 15 first-team appearances  for Arsenal since coming onto the scene 2008, although he did gain some valuable experience having been on loan at Bolton for six months at the start of the year.

Likewise, Gibbs hasn’t featured for the Gunners first eleven on a regular basis having broken his foot in November, which ended his season prematurely.

Both players were delighted to be called up to the England (9/1 Outright Euro 2012 Winners) side, with Gibbs calling it a special moment after a difficult couple of months because of his injury lay-off.

Gibbs added: “I have to say this is a real boost for me as I spent over five months out through injury and this is a good opportunity to thank the surgeons and medical support I’ve received to get me back to full fitness.”

While both players are happy to be included one man who has turned his back on Capello and the England squad is Blackburn keeper Paul Robinson.

The former Leeds and Tottenham shot stopper has rejected the chance to return to the Three Lions fold and subsequently announced his retirement from international football.

However, that is the only black spot, thus far, on Capello’s call-ups with the likes of Ben Foster, Bobby Zamora, Theo Walcott, Adam Johnson, Wes Brown, Phil Jagielka and Gary Cahill all likely to be happy to be called up.

Capello has apologised for England’s terrible performance at the World Cup but is hopeful that things will get better and that they will be contenders for Euro 2012.

“I still have confidence in my players, in my England team. I think we are really good, now we have to change something and choose some different players. New players and some young players and we will have to monitor these players,” said the Italian.

“I enjoy the job. I am really disappointed for the result [of the World Cup] but I am looking forward.”

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Capello sorry over player index

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Fabio Capello’s son has moved to lessen the potential damage caused to the England squad’s moral (6/1 to Not Qualify For Euro 2012) by the World Cup player ratings on the Capello Index website after apologising on behalf of his father.

The Italian tactician angrily hit out at the decision to publish the rankings of the England players, and those from other teams, from the tournament in South Africa on the website without his permission.

Capello demanded that the Index be removed from the internet immediately on Saturday, claiming he had not seen or approved any of the material before it was posted.

The results showed Tottenham striker Jermain Defoe with the highest average score of Capello’s squad with 62.47, while goalkeeper Robert Green had the lowest score of 51.67 out of 100 – probably due to his howler to gift the United States an equaliser in the 1-1 Group C draw.

There were no England players in the top 45 and there was a real fear it could affect the squad as they aim to put their World Cup debacle behind them to focus on Euro 2012 (England 9/1 Tournament Winner).

Capello’s son and agent Pierfilippo has now spoken out to confirm that he is ‘very sorry and upset’ about the publication of the Index.

He told The Sun: “We had told the FA there would not be any ratings appearing on any of the England players.

“So to find out that the opposite has happened just a day later was something we were unhappy about.

“There is no commercial value in this to Fabio – he was just interested to see and compare how the statistics would compare with his own evaluations.

“These are not Fabio’s ratings and we are now looking to have his name removed from the title.”

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Capello set to wield axe

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England boss Fabio CapelloEngland are 8/1 to win the European Championships in 2012 but boss Fabio Capello has hinted some of the so called big names will not be around for the tournament.

Despite failing miserably at the World Cup Capello has managed to keep his job and will be handed the chance to amends, however the same can not be said for some of the players.

Many have suggested something has to be done at grass roots level but Capello is looking for a quick fix and that means some of the ‘old guard’ will be axed in order to make way for young players.

The likes of Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Wayne Rooney are sure to be safe unless they suffer a huge dip in form but some of the other players will be sweating on their international futures.

“For some this will be the end,” Capello revealed. “The chairman of Club England, Dave Richards, has asked me what I thought about the next tournament and the young players we might have to bring through, like Adam Johnson and Joe Hart.”

England kick off their qualifying campaign against Bulgaria at Wembley on September 3 but before then they have a friendly with Hungary on August 11 and it will be very interesting to see what squad Capello names.

Hart and Johnson are sure to be in it but if Capello stays true to his word then Gary Cahill of Bolton, Arsenal’s Kieran Gibbs, Bobby Zamora of Fulham and Everton’s Jack Rodwell will all be hoping to get the nod.

The writing will be on the wall for those players who are left out and there will be one or two who are bringing the curtain down on their international career.

England appear to be in an easy group and are 1/12 to qualify from it but Capello will be turning to youth and is not concerned over who he upsets in the process.

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