Soccer: England Looks to the Future

Fabio Capello has been reappointed as England coach until 2012, after a dismal performance in South Africa but now in a role serving as a bridge before his successor – an Englishman – is appointed. Who will this be?

Photo: Soccer: England Looks to the Future

Sir Trevor Brooking, ex-West Ham United midfield player and now the English Football Association’s Director of Development, was fundamental in the reappointment of Italian coach Fabio Capello as England coach after the team crashed out of the FIFA 2010 South Africa World Cup after reaching the last 16. However, the job is now seen as a bridge towards the appointment of an English manager, after the experiments with Sven Goran Eriksson and Fabio Capello failed to produce the goods.

As Sir Trevor states, “We haven’t won anything for 44 years”. The reasons?

In an interview with BBC Radio 5, the former England midfielder stated that Germany, Holland and Spain invested in coaching and player development a decade ago, and are now enjoying the results. Pinpointing the main problem in the England team, Sir Trevor Brooking said that whereas previously, a 17-or 18-year-old could break into the first team of a Division One club (equivalent to today’s Premier League) today the talent is not there, and the clubs have experienced international players better qualified to justify the 750,000 GBP for each place in prize money.

The names? Stuart Pearce, in charge of the England Under-21s; Alan Shearer and Tottenham’s Harry Redknapp.

Sir Alex Ferguson said No!

Meanwhile it has been revealed that the Manchester United coach Sir Alex Ferguson was twice offered the England job and both times said no. In declarations to a Canadian TV station on his club’s North American tour, the 68-year-old Scotsman said “It’s a poisoned chalice”. It is thought he was offered the job in 1996 after Terry Venables quit, and again in 1999, following the resignation of Glen Hoddle.

For Ferguson, “I think it is a terrible job, plus the fact that I would have had a tremendous handicap being Scottish”.

Aleksei FEDEROV

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