Capello'S Future

[philipl]

It will be interesting to see how many of the big names from the England squad get booed in the early stages of the coming season- that is if they have not already bolted for foreign clubs. I suspect some of them will be making slow starts to the new season performance-wise.

Ferguson was apparently so worried by Rooney performing so badly he was giving him nightly pep talks by phone.

[thenodrog]

I think if he's put into a defensive/holding role where he's just concentrating on tackling and basic distribution he could work well in his later years,

He's not a natural in that role. Just like sticking him on the wing was stupid by Capello. Surely tgm we must have learned that if a player is not good enough to get into a team in his chosen and best position then he must be left out in favour of players who are specialist in their positions. We've just had it spelled out for us. Against the Germans I'd wager any one of Johnson, Downing, Young and even Warnock would have contributed much more to the effort than Gerrard playing left side.

[tony gale's mic]

He's not a natural in that role. Just like sticking him on the wing was stupid by Capello. Surely tgm we must have learned that if a player is not good enough to get into a team in his chosen and best position then he must be left out in favour of players who are specialist in their positions. We've just had it spelled out for us. Against the Germans I'd wager any one of Johnson, Downing, Young and even Warnock would have contributed much more to the effort than Gerrard playing left side.

Unlike being on the left wing though there's many attributes that he's good at which apply to that role. He's a good tackler and good at distributing the ball, age will take a toll on his legs so he won't be able to bomb forward as he used to but he'd be very effective in that role. Sticking him on the left was always a bad idea, you need to be able to beat your man and/or have great delivery from wide to do well in that position neither of which he possesses. However if he plays for England in a more defensive CM role it won't be that different to what he's doing right now, however it will give him a much more well defined role than simply pairing him up with Lampard in the middle and hoping one of them magically stays back and the other goes forward.

Either way there's enough talent for the next manager to work with I think, assuming Capello doesnt last till 2014.

[LeChuck]

Gerrard can definitely play the defensive role in his later years. In fact, he did play in Alonso's old position last season for Liverpool and looked brilliant.

Paul Scholes is a pretty good example of someone who has done it due to age.

[DanLad]

Gerrard can definitely play the defensive role in his later years. In fact, he did play in Alonso's old position last season for Liverpool and looked brilliant.

Paul Scholes is a pretty good example of someone who has done it due to age.

Agreed. Gerrard is a prime candidate for this.

I think our own Tugay was a lot more forward running in his younger years, but started sitting back more as the years took their toll.

[Amo]

Paul Scholes is a pretty good example of someone who has done it due to age.

To be honest, Scholes is a more intelligent footballer than Gerrard.

[tony gale's mic]

To be honest, Scholes is a more intelligent footballer than Gerrard.

Gerrard can actually tackle though. At least as important if you're looking for a potential defensive midfielder...

[BuckyRover]

I agree with Gerrard becoming a DM. I think it will be a natural progression and will happen sooner rather than later.

[RibbleValleyRover]

If they keep the old guard then i can see the same outcome at another major tournament and against decent opposition. For example Gerrard has never done it at International level and yet the media, pundits and fans want him to remain a part of the side?

[Mr. E]

It will be interesting to see how many of the big names from the England squad get booed in the early stages of the coming season- that is if they have not already bolted for foreign clubs. I suspect some of them will be making slow starts to the new season performance-wise.

Ferguson was apparently so worried by Rooney performing so badly he was giving him nightly pep talks by phone.

Hopefully so loudly they can't hear themselves think. If Beckham was so heavily booed for getting sent off in 98, than these players deserve an absolute lynching.

From those that played, maybe Defoe, Crouch and Milner can be spared...but the rest - no.

[MarkBRFC71]

Gerrard can definitely play the defensive role in his later years. In fact, he did play in Alonso's old position last season for Liverpool and looked brilliant.

Paul Scholes is a pretty good example of someone who has done it due to age.

Gerrard lacks the nous and discipline to play that role.

I work with several Liverpool fans (S/T holders) who say he was very average last season - the heart of the team was ripped out when they sold Alonso.

[MarkBRFC71]

This is the most sensible thing to come out a players mouth since Stan Matthews announced his retirement. http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/jul/04/joe-cole-england-world-cup

Cole has it absolutely spot on.

[JAL]

I take your point but the fact that he's played for England U19's must be enough of a sign for some. I'm sure he'll be considered for the U21's before long. Where else would reporters look for rising stars?

Anyway maybe if you asked Drogba and Anelka they might give you a pointer as to his abilities. Berbatov too come to think about it.

Is the duty of all at Rovers not to big the lad up and give him some sort of false encouragement that may make him out to be bigger and better than what he actually is or is capable of.

Allardyces responsibility has to be to keep the lad out of the papers and away from the dipstick media of this country and just let him play when selected rather than comparing him to John Terry which was a rather embarrassing performance from the Rovers manager that day.

Berbatov should have had an hatrick that day against Rovers Theno.

[tony gale's mic]

If they keep the old guard then i can see the same outcome at another major tournament and against decent opposition. For example Gerrard has never done it at International level and yet the media, pundits and fans want him to remain a part of the side?

Gerrard has performed for England numerous times, he's just failed to impress in major tournaments. So has Rooney but should we drop him too?

I agree that we need to have a new look England side but ditching absolutely everyone would be stupid.

[BuckyRover]

Exactly. It's no good just naming names. I want the squad picking that gives us the best chance of winning. Gerrard is probably in the squad. I wasn't totally happy with his lack of tactical discipline, but he does seem to care. He was let down by his team mates in SA.

[thenodrog]

Gerrard has performed for England numerous times, he's just failed to impress in major tournaments. So has Rooney but should we drop him too?

No Rooney had a bad tournament and I'm not sure why but he's certainly not a headless chicken like Stevie G.

[thenodrog]

Now the Nationwide have apparently tired of giving good money after bad money to the loons at the FA simply to pay off successive managerial disasters and replace them with even more pointlessly expensive disasters on stupidly long contracts I'd imagine the kitty's empty and we are stuck with Postman bloody Pat!

No doubt the only one more disappointed than me will actually be him.

Here's the scale of the FA folly...... btw the comments below the list are funny too.

http://www.just-football.com/2009/12/world-cup-2010-managers-salaries-aka/

Just think we could employ Germanys Low for a third of what we pay Capello and half what we paid Ericcson. Bloody madness! Dave Whelans point about the FA being rank amateurs is spot on.

[Majiball]

No Rooney had a bad tournament and I'm not sure why but he's certainly not a headless chicken like Stevie G.

He's a bigger headless chicken than the lot of them, just ask the Everton fan at his brothers birthday party last year.

[Grabbi Graeme]

Alex Ferguson is blaming the expectation on Rooney for his poor world cup, I wonder if he would said anything if Rooney was playing for another team other than Man U, if Rooney starts poorly for Man U, expect Fergie to be blamimg England for it.

[DP]

Funny how we've lambasted Capello for playing players out of positon and half of us are already talking about moving sulky Stevie G into a holding role for the next world cup!

Comparing him with Scholes? Tugay? Chalk... Cheese anyone?

Those 2 players are both very comfortable on the ball, and intelligently mark space and have the mental discipline to play that role.

Gerrard is terrific behind the front man, but take away his attacking instinct and what you have is a big strong lad with a cr@p first touch. Might as well put the Axe in there!

[BuckyRover]

Oliver Holt at his best from F365

Much sighing on the F365 desk this morning, as we opened our copy of The Daily Mirror to read Oliver Holt howling at the moon.

Holt, a few days after even Fabio Capello's most strident critics accepted he's there for another two years and shut up about it, writes once again about how Capello is the worst thing to happen to this country since the Black Death, the Blitz and Raoul Moat all rolled into one. Or something like that.

We won't go through the whole thing (if you're as masochistic as us, you'll read the thing yourself), but we'll just mention one or two points.

He writes, under the headline 'Thanks Fabio...now here's another fine mess you can get us into': 'If Steve McClaren had presided over that World Cup campaign, he would have been out of a job before he got back to the dressing room in Bloemfontein.'

It almost seems churlish to point out that McClaren would actually have to get England to a World Cup campaign for that eventuality to arise, but it apparently needs pointing out to Mr Holt.

And he goes on: 'Capello was fine in qualifying when he only had to manage the players for a couple of days at a time but, in a tournament situation, he was a walking disaster area.'

We aren't privy to Capello's methods in those nine seasons he won league titles, but presumably his players at Real Madrid, AC Milan, Roma and Juventus showed up to the training ground more than once every two months.

Oh, and he compares Capello to Phil Brown.

Read it if you like, but don't say you weren't warned.

[Amo]

Funny, because I could have sworn Holt was once one of Capello's staunchest supporters. Then again, can't blame me for neither knowing or caring.

[thenodrog]

Oliver Holt at his best from F365

Much sighing on the F365 desk this morning, as we opened our copy of The Daily Mirror to read Oliver Holt howling at the moon.

Holt, a few days after even Fabio Capello's most strident critics accepted he's there for another two years and shut up about it, writes once again about how Capello is the worst thing to happen to this country since the Black Death, the Blitz and Raoul Moat all rolled into one. Or something like that.

We won't go through the whole thing (if you're as masochistic as us, you'll read the thing yourself), but we'll just mention one or two points.

He writes, under the headline 'Thanks Fabio...now here's another fine mess you can get us into': 'If Steve McClaren had presided over that World Cup campaign, he would have been out of a job before he got back to the dressing room in Bloemfontein.'

It almost seems churlish to point out that McClaren would actually have to get England to a World Cup campaign for that eventuality to arise, but it apparently needs pointing out to Mr Holt.

And he goes on: 'Capello was fine in qualifying when he only had to manage the players for a couple of days at a time but, in a tournament situation, he was a walking disaster area.'

We aren't privy to Capello's methods in those nine seasons he won league titles, but presumably his players at Real Madrid, AC Milan, Roma and Juventus showed up to the training ground more than once every two months.

Oh, and he compares Capello to Phil Brown.

Read it if you like, but don't say you weren't warned.

I'm certainly no Capello lover and haven't been for quite some time but as far as Oliver Holt is concerned he is the man who rated Paul Ince and said we were wrong to sack him. Suggested racism was involved too if I rem rightly. Am I alone in thinking that his tone and content would have been much more different if Capello had been black?

[Amo]

Ah yes. Rovers were racist for ousting the first English black PL manager, despite being the only club to employ one.

[JAL]

Its extremely damaging of the England players when you hear Oliver Bierhoff another ex German legend talking about how he spoke to Capello after the game with the Germans and Capello saying that they had identified ways to get at Germany but the players never carried out the game plan or words to that effect.