Fabio, Fabio, Fabio...

So, Fabio hasn’t been publicly backed by the FA but where does this leave him and the national team?

Lets start at the beginning; he started with England in February 2008 with the first game being a win against Switzerland, this was followed by 17 wins, 4 loses and 2 draws in the 23 games following his first. Then there was this years World Cup, 1 win, 2 draws and a defeat, which was England’s heaviest in a World Cup finals, and sent them out of the tournament. Now even including this years competition, his record is the best amongst all England managers (P28, W19, L5, D4 - in Premier League terms 61 points or a win percentage of 67.9%).

But where did it all go wrong and is Capello really the man who is to blame for it all?

The team played badly - maybe they were following his instructions and yes his English isn’t great but they managed up until the World Cup and dominated their qualifying group so can that be used as an excuse, I don’t think it can. If things were really that bad then the players who are grown men could have spoken to him, or just agreed amongst themselves on how they would play (if you believe the reports its how the rugby union team made the 2007 final from the position they were in the group stage). This might have happened with Gerard struggling to stay on the wing and drifting in and leaving space for the opposition to attack through.

So it wasn’t tactics or his English, was it that the premiership season is too long? Is it though, other players seem to be fine, Tevez has scored twice (OK one he was miles offside) but he plays in England too. So if there was a winter break would it make any difference or does playing through help ensure momentum (although it didn’t help this year). This also brings in the comment from the Wigan chairman, suggesting that the Premier League should run the England team. I’m not sure this would be right can 20 teams who are in competition make the right decision for the national side, probably not and it would be compounded by the foreign ownership influence and would hardly be balanced.

Perhaps the players just didn’t want it enough, felt too pressured by the press and couldn’t handle playing at altitude...

This brings me to the situation with the FA. There have been calls to sack Capello, is that right? He’s had one immense qualifying campaign, and a lackluster tournament. Sven Goran Eriksson had three tournaments but everyone else since Graham Taylor have had only one tournament to show what they can do, what motivation does this give the manager to build himself, his relationship and the legacy? If things go wrong they are gone. The FA also signed a new contract with him weeks before the tournament in South Africa starting so why the change of heart, this was his first tournament proper?

So the FA didn’t go out of their way yesterday to back him as England manager, stating they wouldn’t make a “knee-jerk” reaction and would wait two weeks before they make a decision. The only reason I can see for this is that they are hoping Capello will crumble on the pressure that the media may apply and quit, thus saving them the bill (reportedly £6m) for the termination of his contract which is only a month old.

So who would replace him? I’m going to save that for another day, but I don’t think they should sack him, give him until 2012 or at least half way through the qualifying campaign and then replace him if necessary. And although the timing is bad maybe South Africa was a little blip and the Fabio record will continue.