So England are out of the World Cup 2010. You wouldn’t imagine that there are too many people out there who are shocked, give our previous performances? Yes, this was meant to be our golden generation, and yes, we had a goal disallowed when it was so far over the line even that moron wearing sunglasses in the crowd could see it. But would you say we should have won, that we deserved to win? No, we really didn’t.

 

Germany played us off the pitch at times and England were decidedly average during even their best spells. What a lot of people are struggling to understand however, is the approach taken to the game (and the 3 previous group games) by England coach Fabio Capello.

 

During the qualifiers, England were outstanding, brushing teams aside with ease and playing the like potential world champions we all know they can be. So what happened between then and the World Cup finals? Fabio Capello happened. He decided to change the team from the one that had been so consistently brilliant in the run-up to the finals. Let’s take England vs. Croatia in the qualifying rounds for example, we hammered them and who were the best two players; Theo Walcott and Joe Cole. Capello left Walcott at home and gave Joe Cole around 20 minutes over two games, with him never starting.

 

I don’t understand which England he’s watching, but he should be getting himself tested for better prescription glasses, because whatever he’s seeing it’s not apparant to the rest of us. What does he see in Emily Heskey for example, the likeable but ultimately frustrating donkey of a striker who just can’t seem to score in an England shirt. Capello argues he brings the best out of Wayne Rooney. Does he? When did that happen? Rooney looked to be imitating David Blaine to me; 40 days in a box without doing anything interesting whatsoever.

 

Then there’s the utter fiasco that was our formation. Everyone in England wanted us to play the 4-5-1 formation utilised by most Premier League teams, and the one that we played with during qualifying. Well it appears Capello needs a hearing aid as well as different glasses, because he insisted on playing Gerrard on the left in a 4-4-2 formation.

 

I for one, want Stuart Pearce to manage England. We can’t get any worse on the pitch, and if there’s anyone who can inspire passion in the team, it’s psycho. Bring on 2014.