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England rise from bowels of defeat

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England (9/1 to win Euro 2012 outright) have been given a small boost following their World Cup disappointment as they have risen one place in Fifa’s world rankings.

The newest release of the standings from the governing body of football show that Fabio Capello’s men have climbed from eighth to seventh – despite the fact they managed only one win and two draws at the World Cup.

Germany (5/1 to win Euro 2012 outright), who overcame England 4-1 in the second round in South Africa and finished in third place in the World Cup, are now ranked as the fourth best team, a rise of two places on their previous position.

Following their World Cup win, Spain (7/2 to win) have replaced Brazil at the top of the Fifa world rankings.

England could take some solace following their World Cup showing in that they have risen, whereas two other teams that disappointed in South Africa have plummeted down the Fifa rankings.

The former World Cup winners France and Italy (12/1 and 9/1 to win Euro 2012), who both failed to get out of the group stage, have slipped 12 and six places respectively in the standings to 21st and 11th.

England could class themselves lucky that their performances in South Africa did not result in them dropping down the list, especially as the latest release of the world rankings comes a day after a separate Fifa report showed it was officially the Three Lions’ worst World Cup performance in history.

Capello’s side were ranked 13th out of the 32 teams competing in South Africa, which beat their previous worst of 11th in 1958.

This ranking was also topped by Spain, with the top four positions mirroring the final tournament finishes so Holland, Germany and Uruguay took the next three slots.

England suffered the embarrassment of finishing behind the likes of Japan and Chile in the standings, and Fifa president Sepp Blatter stated he could not understand why the national team failed to perform in South Africa.

He said: “You will have to ask the Football Association.

“England is considered as being the motherland of football, as Brazil is the heartbeat of football, but there are no small national teams any more.

“There are small countries but their national teams are very strong as football has developed.”

One member of the England World Cup squad who thinks the situation is not all bad is Tottenham striker Jermain Defoe.

He scored against Slovenia in South Africa and has told Sky Sports that he thinks the current squad are good enough to still be competing at the 2014 World Cup and Capello remains “definitely the right man” for the England job.

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Capello stays in England role

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Fabio Capello is to keep his job as England coach, despite the team’s disappointing showing at the World Cup (England 8/1 to win Euro 2012).

The Football Association announced its decision on Friday, more than a week earlier than they had planned.

The FA said their board had unanimously agreed to keep Capello in his job, despite the 4-1 drubbing at the hands of Germany in the second round last weekend.

“I am more determined than ever to succeed with the England team,” Capello said. “(Board chairman) Dave Richards has called me to tell me everyone at the FA wants me to continue.

“I explained it is very important we use the disappointment as a motivation in the future.

“I can assure the fans I am now fully focused on our European qualifying fixtures, starting with the friendly against Hungary in August.

“We will look to introduce new players to give the team new energy and I will use all my experience to take England forward.

“I am extremely proud to be the England manager, it means so much to me and I am determined to succeed.”

Richards said the four-man Club England board gained the approval of the FA Board to keep Capello on.

“We are all still extremely disappointed at our performance in South Africa, and we believed it was important that we took some time to reflect on everything in a calm and considered manner back in England,” Richards said.

“After fully discussing our performance we remain convinced that Fabio is the best man for the job.”

Capello started work in January 2008, and has a contract through Euro 2012.

Meanwhile, Huh Jung-moo has confirmed he is to leave his post as coach of South Korea.

The 55-year-old does not want to renew his 30-month contract, which expired at the end of the World Cup.

Huh, whose side were eliminated at the last 16 stage of the competition by Uruguay on Saturday, had stated his intention to leave his role after the tournament but side-stepped talk of his future following their exit.

He said: “I have decided not to seek a second term. This is not a resignation as my contract finishes at the end of June. I want time to recharge myself and spend some time with my family.”

He added: “I have made my decision and told this to the KFA. I want to rest for a while.

“There are many good coaches in our football community. I think they should be given a chance.”

Korea Football Association chairman Cho Chung-yun said earlier this week they hope to have a new coach appointed “no later than July 10″.

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Capello to remain England boss

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The Football Association has confirmed that Fabio Capello will remain as England manager, despite the national side’s poor run in the World Cup.

England were knocked out of the tournament at the last-16 stage by Germany in their worst ever World Cup finals defeat.

However, they failed to convince throughout the tournament, finishing second in their group behind the USA on goals scored. Their lacklustre showing against Algeria drew particular criticism.

The lethargic and uninspired performances led many in the media to question Capello’s suitability, with some blasting his team selections and tactics in South Africa.

On Monday, he was told that he would learn his fate within two weeks but since then, he has received public backing from various members of the FA board.

David Sheepshanks, the former Ipswich Town chairman, stated on Thursday that Capello was “one of the world’s best managers” and that “knee-jerk reactions never work.”

Meanwhile, Bolton chairman Phil Gartside, who is also on the FA board, also expressed his support for the Italian.

The unanimous decision to stick with Capello was made by the four-man Club England board on Friday.

The recommendation was ratified by the full Football Association board soon after and means that Capello will stay in the role until after the European Championships in 2012 (England 8/1 to win Euro 2012).

Speaking after the decision to keep Capello, Sir Dave Richards, Club England chairman, said: “After fully discussing our performance we remain convinced that Fabio is the best man for the job.

“He went into the World Cup with a reputation as one of World football’s finest managers and we are confident Fabio will benefit from his first international tournament experience and this will undoubtedly make us all stronger for the Euro 2012 campaign.”

Immediately after England’s 4-1 demolition by Germany, the feeling was that Capello had to go but within 24 hours, he had expressed his interest to remain at the England helm.

As the week progressed, the media turned their ire towards the players rather than the manager and this may have given him a little breathing space.

However, a key reason behind Capello staying may have been the FA’s baffling decision to remove the break clause in his contract.

With the Italian expressing his interest to stay in his post, sacking him would have led to a costly compensation exercise which could have cost the FA dearly.

Roy Hodgson’s decision to join Liverpool rather than hold out for a potential offer from the FA to coach England may also have been a contributory factor in persuading the FA to stand by their man.

Speaking after the decision, Fabio Capello said: “Sir Dave Richards has called me to tell me everyone at The FA wants me to continue.

“I explained it is very important we use the disappointment as a motivation in the future.

“I can assure the fans I am now fully focused on our European qualifying fixtures, starting with the friendly against Hungary in August.

“I am more determined than ever to succeed with the England team.”

Capello’s reputation was enhanced by England’s impressive qualifying record for the World Cup and the Italian will need to repeat this form in order to replace the gloss which has been removed by England’s dismal World Cup.

England are 2/7 favourites to win their qualifying group

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Redknapp keen on England post

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Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp has indicated he may be interested in the England job – should current boss Fabio Capello leave the post. (Tottenham 50/1 to win Premiership)

Capello’s position has come under scrutiny following a disastrous World Cup campaign, which culminated in a last-16 exit at the hands of Germany on Sunday afternoon.

Many pundits had tipped England to go all the way this time but they showed a lack of ambition and drive and looked devoid of ideas in the final third of the pitch in Bloemfontein.

Despite the Germany defeat, Capello insists he “absolutely” wants to stay on as manager but the FA have said they will take up to two weeks to decide his fate.

Redknapp has been one of the most successful English managers of the last 15 years, enjoying spells at West Ham United, Portsmouth and Southampton, before making the switch to White Hart Lane in 2008 and would certainly be on the shortlist of candidates to replace Capello, should he leave.

The 63-year-old appears to have the Midas touch and transformed Spurs from a side fighting relegation to a Champions League outfit in under two years.

And now there have been calls for the popular tactician to be handed the England reigns, with many feeling it is high time an Englishman was in charge of the national side once again.

It is yet to be revealed whether Capello will be sent packing but Redknapp has made it clear that, if asked, he would not turn down one of the most prestigious and high-pressure jobs in the whole of sport.

“They (the FA) have got a manager and until he’s not the manager it’s difficult to talk about it,” he told Talksport. “But I’m English, who wouldn’t want to manage England.”

“There’s not an Englishman – whether it’s me, Roy Hodgson or Sam Allardyce – who would turn the job down because it’s our country and we want to manage our country. No-one is ever going to turn that job down.”

The Spurs boss is currently preparing for the new Premiership season, which kicks off for Tottenham in August with a fixture against Manchester City (Spurs 5/4 to beat City), but his thoughts are never far away from the national side and he has strong views on the type of person who should success Capello – whenever that might be.

“When he finally moves on, in four years or whatever, surely there has to be a young guy or somebody in this country,” he added. “Surely we have to find a manager from England, an English manager.”

And Redknapp took time to have a dig at the two foreigners who have failed spectacularly at the two past World Cups.

“We should be able to produce someone who can manage the England football team and let’s be honest, they can’t do any worse than what they’ve (Eriksson and Capello) done,” he concluded.

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England 9/1 to lift World Cup

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England are now 9/1 to lift the World Cup after they secured progression to the last-16 of the tournament by beating Slovenia 1-0.

However, they did do it the hard way, missing a raft of chances before a last-ditch challenge from Matthew Upson preserved their slender lead.

England took the lead through Jermain Defoe in the 22nd minute after he latched on to a delightful cross from the imperious James Milner.

The performances of Defoe, Milner and Upson justified their inclusion in the side and will reduce the doubts of some over the managerial capabilities of England boss Fabio Capello, who had been questioned following the 0-0 draw against Algeria.

The USA’s last-gasp win against Algeria – courtesy of a Landon Donovan goal deep into injury time – means that the Americans top the group on goals scored and will face the runners-up of Group D in Rustenburg on Saturday evening.

England face the winners of Group D in Bloemfontein on Sunday afternoon, which could be Germany if they beat Ghana this evening (Ghana 6/1, Draw 10/3, Germany 4/9). The prospect of the two old foes meeting in knockout football promises to be a mouth-watering affair and England will need to step up again if they are to have any chance of beating the stylish Germans.

Speaking after the game, Tottenham Hotspur coach Harry Redknapp praised the performance of his club striker Defoe, and said that England had little to fear from Germany.

He told the  BBC: “There wasn’t a weakness in the team tonight. I think we’ve got a big chance still to win the competition. It could be Germany in the next round but bring them on. I still think we can beat them.

“As for Jermain’s goal – it was great movement, a great cross and fantastic finish. The little man has done it all his life. He has always had that natural instinct to get across defenders like all good goalscorers.”

Wayne Rooney was substituted in the second half amid fears about his ongoing ankle injury.

He has been cut to 33/1 in totesport’s World Cup top goalscorer betting after he failed to score in the group stage and missed a couple of gilt-edged chances against Slovenia, including an occasion when he had an effort pushed on to the post. There are doubts about whether he will feature in the second round game but Fabio Capello confirmed that he “should be okay”.

Capello was under criticism for the performance of his side during the first two group games and he claimed that this was not the team that he knew in his post-match comments after the 0-0 draw against Algeria. Speaking after today’s game, he was far happier.

“This is what I wanted to see – the spirit, see them fight together,” he said. “I am really, really happy. I rediscovered the team I knew from qualification.”

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Koren warns England

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Slovenia star Robert KorenSlovenia captain Robert Koren has warned England his side will be focused for their Group C showdown in Port Elizabeth on Wednesday (Slovenia 4/6 to qualify from Group C).

England beat Slovenia 2-1 at Wembley last September, after Swedish referee Jonas Eriksson had awarded a dubious penalty as Wayne Rooney and Bostjan Cesar tugged each other’s shirts in the box.

England’s second goal also owed much to fortune as a Jermain Defoe shot took a heavy deflection off Slovenia midfielder Aleksandar Radosavljevic before finding the net.

Koren, whose side only need a point from the game to qualify, says this meeting will be a very different affair.

He said: “We didn’t really prepare for that game and we still gave them a really good game. They were lucky in that game to get a result, the referee was up and down when we played them at Wembley.

“It will not be about revenge for us on Wednesday, it was a while ago since we played them. It was completely different, because we were just preparing for a game in the qualification group, we didn’t think too much about the England game.

“But we’re not thinking about that game, it is already behind us. This is a new opportunity for us and we will be up for it.”

Former West Brom midfielder Koren was pleased with his side’s performance in the 2-2 draw against the USA.

He said: “In the first half we played really well, we got two goals and the game looked easy for us. Still in the second half we were in control and I think we were disappointed in the USA, they didn’t show too much good football – it was lucky for them to score two goals.

“The England game is a different story, but we will go through the (USA) game and see where we were not good enough and try to do better against England.

“Like all the games at the World Cup it will be a hard game but we are full of confidence to get the three points.”

Koren expects his side to be able to match England in every area and would not single out any individuals who they will need to pay special attention to.

“Of course, you expect every game to be hard,” he said.

“It was a hard game against the US, they tried to play aggressive and strong football but we coped with this really well and I think we deserved the three points more than them.

“There is nobody in particular we will have to watch out for when we play England; we will play team against team, 11 against 11, the game starts at zero. We are full of confidence because we have four points so far, we are not worried.”

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James tipped to get England nod

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Fabio Capello looks set to drop under-fire goalkeeper Robert Green and replace him with David James when England go in search of a much-needed win against Algeria in World Cup Group C on Friday (England 1/4 to win).

Green of West Ham has come in for some heavy criticism since he dropped a clanger against USA last Saturday and whether he keeps his place in the side has been the main talking point in the build up to the game.

Capello is refusing to confirm who will take the number one jersey but there are strong reports suggesting that James, who has dropped a few howlers himself throughout his career, will get the nod.

The Portsmouth keeper was even nicknamed ‘Calamity James’ but Capello could be ready to throw him in against the Algerians, which will be a huge blow to Green.

“When I chose Green last week he was in good form,” said Capello in yesterday’s press conference. “He played very well in the first half of the friendly against Mexico. And even last week, the outcome was good for the team because usually you would lose the game after a mistake like that.

“But I have to choose the value of different players, not just think about their mistakes. I have to justify selecting the keeper I choose.”

Green’s confidence has no doubt taken a hammering and Capello must decide whether he is capable of keeping goal in another high-pressure game.

If he does keep faith and Green makes another mistake then he will be hammered by the media but who is to say James will not drop a clanger if he comes into the side?

If all goes to plan whoever plays is likely to have a quiet evening and it would be the prefect opportunity to help Green get his confidence back.

England are 8/15 to keep a clean sheet but it remains to be seen which keeper will be in the starting line up come 7.30pm in Cape Town.

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Algeria fired up for England clash

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Algeria are rated at 20/1 to qualify from Group A and have gained added motivation for Friday night’s crunch clash from Wayne Rooney, who has confidently predicted that England will not need to be at their best to take the three points.

The Three Lions opened up with an unconvincing performance against USA, which ended 1-1 after Rob Green’s howler allowed Clint Dempsey’s weak effort to cancel out Steven Gerrard’s early strike.

Algeria were the better side in their first game against Slovenia on Sunday but lost 1-0 after a goalkeeping error of their own from Fawzi Chaouchi, which came after the sending-off of striker Abdelkader Ghezzal, who will of course be suspended for tomorrow’s game.

Following England’s performance, Rooney had claimed that he and his team-mates will pick up their first win on Friday, which is 1/4 in the match betting, even if they are not at their best again.

However, Algeria (12/1 to win, 9/2 the draw) appear to have been angered by the comments and believe that, despite the fact they currently prop up the table, all the pressure going into the match is on the favourites.

“Rooney can say what he wants,” said Madjid Bougherra. “It’s his problem. We will play to win this game. We want to qualify as well.

“Algeria always react when we are under pressure. You saw that in the play-off against Egypt.”

The Desert Foxes are currently ranked 22 places below England in the world rankings but upset Egypt in a play-off in October to make it to the finals, although they went on to lose to their arch rivals in the African Cup of Nations earlier this year.

England (8/1 in the outright market) have come under-fire from all quarters after their opening draw and Algeria coach Rabah Saadane feels that it is the Premier League stars who will be feeling the heat in Cape Town.

“England have their backs to the wall,” Saadane said. “We have nothing to lose and have everything to win.”

It is a thought echoed by midfielder Ryad Boudebouz, who added: “England are the team under pressure. They are the ones who claimed that they came here to win the World Cup.”

USA have the chance to go top of the group earlier in the day when they take on Slovenia, who could of course book a place in the knockout stages with a victory of their own, before the final group games take place next Wednesday.

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Algeria prepared for England clash

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Algeria midfielder Adlene Guedioura has insisted that his side will show more determination when they face England in Cape Town on Friday. (11/1 to beat England)

The Wolves midfielder came on as a late substitute in the Desert Foxes’ disappointing defeat to Slovenia on Sunday, which left the north Africans with a mountain to climb if they are to progress from Group C. (Algeria 20/1 to qualify).

Algeria, who are making their first appearance in the tournament for 24 years now, have to beat England and the USA in consecutive games to make the last 16

Against Slovenia, Algeria had the upper hand throughout the match, playing most of the football but losing their shape after substitute striker Abdelkader Ghezzal was sent off for two bookable offences, and eventually  went down to a late Robert Koren strike.

However. the midfielder believes his side are over the disappointment of the defeat and are looking forward to the prospect of facing England on Friday.

“It was a disappointing performance because we didn’t deserve to lose,” he said.

“What we have to do is say it is finished now and look forward. Now we have two big matches and we have to be focused for England.

“We showed against Slovenia that we can do something. We will see against England. We need to be focused and we need to be confident.

Both sides fell foul to goalkeeping errors in their first game and the selection between the sticks will be one of the main talking points in the build up to the match.

Robert Green failed to hold Clint Dempsey’s long range shot to give the USA a draw and the Algeria goalkeeper Faouzi Chaouchi was at fault for the Slovenian winner on Sunday. Algeria coach Rabah Saadane has been quick to back his goalkeeper and has guaranteed his place for the game against England. However England coach Fabio Capello has been a little more reluctant to support his goalkeeper and speculation is rife that he is set to be replaced and the midfielder is reluctant to blame his goalkeeper for the error

“I don’t know, I’m not the coach,” he said.

“We saw the England goalkeeper making a mistake so it is not his (Chaouchi’s) fault. I am disappointed for him.

“Everyone makes a mistake in football: sometimes it’s the goalkeeper, sometimes it’s me, sometimes another player.”

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Donovan plots England upset

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USA's Landon DonovanMidfield ace Landon Donovan says USA go into Saturday’s opening Group C fixture with England believing they can produce something “special” (USA 13/2 England 4/9 draw 16/5 – match betting).

The US are the underdogs in Rustenburg, but Donovan says the squad takes great self-belief into the tournament based on their success at last year’s Confederations Cup, played in South Africa.

America finished runners up in that tournament, having beaten Euro 2008 winners Spain en route (4/6 USA – Group C To Qualify).

Donovan said: “2009 was helpful in that it gives us the belief that we can do something here. Aside from that, that is the past, and so our job now is to focus on the present.

“But we know we have the ability to be special and now the focus is on bringing that out of us every time we play.

“However, we also have to be aware of the the bigger picture in that this is just one of three games which are all equally important.

“We can win on Saturday and not advance to the next round still and we can lose this game and still go through.”

Donovan added: “Last year (in the Confederations Cup) we thought we were out after two games. Then we played well against Egypt and it changed everything. We have to keep the big picture in mind.

“I understand what this game means but there is more to it and we have to be ready to react no matter what happens on Saturday.”

Meanwhile, USA coach Bob Bradley has confirmed that Jozy Altidore will be available for the clash with England.

The striker missed a warm-up game against Australia over the weekend as he recovered from an ankle problem.

However, Bradley said: “The injury cost him a couple of days (training) but, from the start, we knew it was very minor.

“The fact he is back in regular training means he is available for whatever role we choose on Saturday.”

Bradley is also optimistic that key defender Oguchi Onyewu will be able to complete 90 minutes against England if called upon.

Onyewu has just returned to fitness after suffering a patellar tendon injury seven months ago and did not complete any of USA’s three warm-up games.

But Bradley said: “The fitness programme that we have put our players through for the World Cup means all 23 players are ready to play 90 minutes on Saturday if asked.

“It is a credit to our staff and the players because they have worked incredibly hard.”

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