The recent game against France was a strange one, as the new breed of the England football team was supposed to set the night alight and produce some fireworks. Instead of sparklers, we got a fizzy rocket - crap at the start but getting better by the end. But what were we supposed to expect because, realistically, everyone should of seen it coming.
The starting line up consisted of players like Gibbs, Henderson and Carroll. These players are still finding their feet at club level, let alone international level. For their efforts, they were booed of the pitch by the England 'faithful.' (I say faithful, but what I mean is, punters who expect England to steam roll every team that goes against them. The real world does not work like that, the football world does not work like that).
What the booing also does is cause a psychological barrier against these players, who will think every time they play at Wembley- no matter how well they play, win or lose - they will get booed. Capello said before the game the players were scared of Wembley, and booing the new players will only continue this sequence of scared players.
Beyond the new players, the experienced ones did not play very well, but why would they. With big European games coming up and the busy Christmas schedule around the corner, this friendly is as much worth as a chocolate teapot to them.
Talking about useless objects, Fabio Capello proved that he is incapable of managing at this level. At the World Cup he made a dog's dinner of it and his recent squad selections are something do be desired. Picking Henderson for example was a bemusing one because Henderson has not set the Premier League alight, but, also, he was playing in the wrong position. According to Steve Bruce, Henderson's boss at Sunderland, he should of been an attacking midfielder not a holding one - which is where Henderson was playing on Wednesday night.
The selection of Jack Wilshire was, without doubt, a pick based on peer pressure. I thought Capello was a steely dictator, who would not listen to anybody. Instead, we have a statue of man made out of Italian jelly incapable of making a decision based on rational thought.
These matches are meaningless anyway, because the FA need events to pay off the costs of their bills. Wembley - which cost nearly £800 million - a World Cup bid and Burton, which is still going on since the original idea in 1888, or whenever it was thought up because it has been ages since a brick, spade or digger has worked on the site, which was supposed to be the future, when increasingly it looks to be an irritating ghost of English football's past.
England will get better, but it will take time. Capello will be gone in two years, so the next year and a half should be a wipe out, especially since Spain are still unbeaten for three years and look favourites for Euro 2012. New coaching standards are being practised since the debacle over the summer, which should see English footballer technically better in a few years time; the new quota in the Premier League, limiting the foreign players and encouraging homegrown ones, which is already giving kids a chance, these are all things happening now. So, the message is clear for England fans - sit tight and be patient because it is going to be worse before it is going to get better. A whole lot worse.
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