England national football team

Fabio Capello has dropped the strongest hint yet that David Beckham will be on the plane to South Africa for next year's World Cup finals. Beckham was only on the pitch for the last half hour of England's final qualifier, a 3-0 win over Belarus at Wembley which made it nine wins out of ten for Capello's squad in Group Six. But he made enough of an impression to collect the man-of-the-match award, prompting Capello to compare him to Barack Obama, who picked up the Nobel Peace Prize earlier this month after just over nine months in office. Capello was being light-hearted with that ... Read Full Story

LONDON (Reuters) - Fabio Capello described David Beckham's man-of-the-match award as like American president Barack Obama's Nobel Peace Prize after the midfielder made a 30-minute cameo in a 3-0 defeat of Belarus on Wednesday. "I was surprised," a smiling Capello told reporters at Wembley, when quizzed about the 34-year-old's award on the night that he took his tally of England caps to 115. "For 30 minutes? It's like Obama winning the Nobel Prize after just nine months as the President of the United States." Former captain Beckham, who did not even make the bench in the 1-0 defeat in Ukraine on Saturday, also said ... Read Full Story

Fabio will allow Wayne to be his 'crazy guy' .....? This is what Fabio Capello will do about Wayne Rooney the next time England meet up. Nothing. Nothing different, anyway. Nothing that takes him to task for his tackle on Alexander Aliev of Ukraine, nothing that makes him feel that he must change the way he plays for England, nothing that will risk harnessing the spectacular, free talent that his coach (and a growing band of disciples) feel may win England the World Cup in South Africa. There are some players a manager must go with for all their faults or discard, and Rooney ... Read Full Story

Fabio Capello was "exactly what England needed "to revive their fortunes, according to Frank Lampard. The experienced Italian manager was appointed after England, under homegrown boss Steve McClaren, failed to qualify for last year's European Championships. Since the former AC Milan and Real Madrid boss took over, England have won all their qualifying matches so far for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa ahead of Wednesday's clash with Ukraine at Wembley, and have lost just twice, in friendlies against France and European champions Spain. Chelsea and England midfielder Lampard said Capello had arrived at just the right time. "Looking back I think Fabio ... Read Full Story

England fans (and no doubt the squad) will feel disappointed with the result on Saturday, not only did the team lose, but the game was not available for many fans to watch. However, when you look at the circumstances there are some positives to be taken from the game. However disappointed we are, we are already in the World Cup, OK it is not going to be the 100% record, but before we went on a hugely successful qualifying run, we would have taken qualification at any cost, especially after failing to qualify for Europe last time out... The team of ten men played ... Read Full Story