Kazakhstan 0 England 4
Barry 39, Heskey 45, Rooney 71, Lampard pen 75
Rooney’s goal was special but the first half hour of this performance was dismal.
Still, Capello has won six out of six qualifying games. And Rooney has scored eight goals in his last six games for England.
Why was the first half hour so wobbly? Complacency? No. Jet-lag? Maybe. Rob Green looking very nervous in goal? Yes. Team hadn’t played for months? Yes.
When Rooney is relaxed, he’s good. With England 2-0 up, he jabbed Glenn Johnson’s cross at the goal with his thigh and when the keeper clawed it out, and it looked as if Rooney might shoot with his left foot, he spun round and hit a right foot half-volley hard into the far corner, well away from the keeper, for 3-0.
England’s best player was Gareth Barry.
Capello wants a left-footed player there because balance is important to him and Barry is reliable and steady. Lampard and Barry and did a lot of donkey work, blocking off angles and marking spaces, the kind of unspectacular grafting that will be vital in the World Cup.
You need midfielders who can defend. Younger England fans probably do not realise that when Nobby Stiles, the midfield ball-winner in 1966, was a No6 alongside centreback Bill Foulkes for Manchester United. His natural position was the same position that Bobby Moore played for West Ham and England. Alf Ramsey did not like conceding goals and neither does Capello.
Glen Johnson started sloppily, and got out of jail when Ostapenko missed a sitter in 20 seconds.
Fabio Capello cannot make our one-dimensional players more skilful, more creative, more full of flair. But he can organise and motivate and measure his opponents very well. He is what we need : a pragmatist who delivers results.
Let’s face it, England have often been a team whose results were better than their performances.
As a journalist who was in the Wembley press box for a long time, I think I’m qualified to say that, after seeing all of England’s games at Wembley under Bobby Robson, and all of Graham Taylor’s games there, and all of Glenn Hoddle’s. I also saw all of Venables’s games except two at Euro 96 ( Scotland and Switzerland). I went to every Bobby Robson press conference after games for eight years, and came to know him and love him. Even though Bobby made some shocking selections. I attended the first three of Graham Taylor’s after-match press conferences, most of Glenn’s, none of Tel’s after the first couple. In the Hoddle-Venables years I sometimes went out to Bisham Abbey and talked to the managers and players.
I also saw all of England’s games under Keegan, except the last one against Germany in October 2001. I watched that game on TV but on the Friday night I watched Germany train at Wembley. I will always remember standing in the tunnel talking to Martin Tyler, facing the dressing room door as we waited for the Germans to come out and train on the hallowed turf.
The door opened and a bunch of guys in grey tracksuits came out in a disciplined line and they were like regiment of big athletes : Ziege, Ramelow, Linke, Ballack, Bierhoff, Nowotny, Hamman, Oliver Khan, Jens Lehmann.And I remember thinking, “We won’t beat this lot.”
(I’m prone to snap judgements that are intuitive, impressionistic, based on feelings rather than facts.)
In very rainy conditions, Didi Hamman’s 40-yard shot skidded past David Seaman and that was the only goal of the last game at the old Wembley.
When you recall Keegan’s unbalanced team, you can see why we lost : Seaman; Neville, Keown, Adams, Le Saux (Barry); Beckham (Parlour) Southgate, Scholes: Barmby; Andy Cole, Owen
In general, England are OK now. We’re not very good, and we don’t have a goalkeeper or a centre forward, but the players know each other well, they have belief, and they’re seasoned warriors who’ve played in big tournaments. English football has taught Terry, Cole, Gerrard, Rooney and Lampard how to win. Rio Ferdinand is good when he is fit.
We didn’t qualify for Euro 2008, so we hired the Italian to get us to South Africa in 2010.
In six qualifying games, his England has scored 20 goals ands collected 18 points. Fabio Capello has shown everyone how clueless Sven was. But he hasn’t shown me. I was among the first to realise how clueless Sven was.
At home to Colombia, Argentina struggled and it was 0-0 at half-time.
Maradona had to make his back three into a four by bringing on Zanetti at right back, replacing Gago. Kun Aguerro had gone off injured in the first half and sub Diego Melito is only 30% as good.
Second half, the pugnacious Tevez nutmegged the first defender, saw Udinese centreback Zapata closing fast on the ball, threw his hip into Zapata and won a corner off him. Veron took an inswinger and as De Michelis went for it with the Uruguay’s No3, the defender won it but the ball glanced across towards the far post and Diaz, Argentina’s big No3, volleyed in. It was like the goal Ayala of Valencia scored when Arsenal won 2-1 and from 27 yards Ray Parlour slammed in the most exciting goal I ever saw at Highbury.
Argentina won 1-0 and play in Ecuador now. I fear for them. Having Maradona managing Argentina is like having Kevin Keegan managing England. You know it will end in tears