FABIO Capello has revealed the England players were a “spent force” until he took over as manager and restored the pride that can make them World Cup winners.
Fabio Capello says he restored the pride that can make the England players World Cup winners
Having replaced Steve McClaren as boss, Fabio Capello inherited an England squad who had failed to qualify for the 2008 European Championships and were at their lowest ebb.
Capello said: “I rebuilt England psycho-logically. “I did a lot of talking and laid down the rules. I restored pride to the shirt.
“When I arrived and saw the players, they looked a spent force. They were scared and without any sense of belonging. It was really surprising.
“I tightened the bolts and imposed seriousness, and we now have a concrete group. For me, not arriving in the World Cup final would be a failure.” One of Capello’s first acts when he took over was to
impose a strict code of conduct. He banned agents and wives and
girlfriends from the team hotel. He ditched the nicknames by which
McClaren used to call the players and he warned nobody could be late
for meetings.
The new regime paid dividends as
England sailed through their World Cup qualifying campaign. And Capello
admits anything less than reaching the final will be a failure.
One of his most difficult tasks was to sort out the mess of John Terry’s affair with the former partner of Wayne Bridge.
Capello
took just 12 minutes to strip Terry of the captaincy in a face-to-face
meeting, but failed with repeated attempts to talk Bridge out of
standing down from international football.
“Terry
is one of those that makes a difference. He is a true leader,” said
Capello. “But I had no other alternative. He knows that, for me, values
come before everything.
“ We looked each other
in the eyes. I told him that the captain has to be an example for
everyone. I said, ‘I cannot let you keep the armband’.” When asked if
he feared Terry would retire from international duty, Capello added:
“No. It’s one of those things that can happen in life.”
Interestingly,
though, Capello left Terry out of the list of players he believes are
crucial to England’s hopes. “The leaders are Lampard, Ferdinand, Rooney
and Gerrard. And I need them by my side,” said Capello. “Wayne Rooney
is one of the best talents that I have ever coached and he always wants
to stay on the training pitch and continue to learn.”
Landon
Donovan, who expects to line up against Rooney in England’s World Cup
Group C opener against the United States, says the striker is “worn
out”.
Rooney has struggled with ankle and groin injuries having played 49 games for Manchester United and England this season.
Donovan,
who spent two months with Everton and made 13 appearances this season,
says Rooney could crack under the pressure which the USA will be free
of when they meet in Rustenburg on June 12.
“Rooney is a top player,” said Donovan “But he is tired. He is probably worn out. Injuries are a part of that.
“Of
course there is more pressure on the English players. If we don’t do
well in the World Cup, people care for a little bit and then forget
about it. But if England don’t do well, it is absolutely devastating to
their country, their families, to their people. That is something the
England players live with.”
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