Capello's task remains uphill

"Win every game!" was the advice Graham Taylor offered to his successor as England manager in 1994. Well Fabio Capello has done that competitively thus far, raising expectations in the land of false football optimism once more.

In their fascinating new book 'Soccernomics'/'Why England Lose(UK)', out in the States October 27th, Simon Kuper & Stefan Szymanksi argue that the Three Lions have actually over-achieved historically, based on their scale of measuring nations according to population, wealth and playing experience. On that basis, the authors finger China, Japan and the USA as future World Cup winners...

National fervor for the team is cranked up at the moment following England's five-goal demolition of nemesis Croatia this month. But in 2001 a 5-1 win engendered similar optimism, before Brazil cooly dispatched Sven-Goran Eriksson's men in the quarter-finals in Japan, while Germany, trounced by England a year earlier, reached the final.

I almost hope Brazil scuttle the HMS Fabio in November's Qatar friendly to puncture the bubble of invincible patriotism his perfect qualifying start has inflated. It can get ugly but more than anything it is absurd. Those still sober will point to England's shortcomings, Spain's superior passing and movement, Brazil's devastating counter-attacking and Capello's record against the big nations in friendlies - beat Germany, drew with Holland and lost to France and Spain - hardly the stuff of world beaters, is it?

Capello has said he will retire after South Africa. If he wants to go out with a bang he will have to go some to top the semi-final finish of Bobby Robson, who was commemorated this week in the magnificent 11th century Durham Cathedral in front of a who's who of English football of the past quarter-century. It remains a tall order.



-Sean O'Conor