Is Fabio Capello the right man for England?

As expected, Fabio Capello has been named as the new England manager. The cultured Italian is a world-class operator, having achieved success in two countries at club level, winning the European Cup, nine league titles and four domestic cups with AC Milan, Juventus and Real Madrid. But do you think he is the right choice for England? Vote in our poll below.

Opinion Polls & Market Research

Comments

[Fernando.Madrid. SPAIN]

Fabio has made amazing MIRACLES with the Real Madrid. He is the man for THIS England, Spain, Italy, France, Portugal, etc. etc.

Long Life Fabio!!!

[Goetz]

i do find it rather astonishing that no english coach could be found to coach the national team. Other than painting a poor picture of the quality of managment in England I wonder why a coach has been appointed who has a reputation of playing super defensive and conservative, not to say old fashioned. Does anybody really think the English team consists of players who possess the skills to implement Italian tactics? no english player has the technique and it appears also the heart of the 3 lions has been lost somewhere on the way into the 21 century.

[Robert Johnson]

The only way England will win the World Cup is if they have foreign players as well as a foreign manager.

[Richard]

Don't you think it is prematurely absurd to seek a favouritism trend for a manager who has yet to have any games under his belt? Of course Mr Capello has the credentials but will the cultural aspect and media savagery in English football challenge his patience?

[Sam]

I think Gareth Southgate has it right when he said 'what is the point of having international football if the set up is not english?'. The manager, team, coaches and everything else has to be english, otherwise we are just englishmen playing with an italian voice in our ear. Players and talent come and go, we need a revolutionary, somebody like Sam Allardyce. Seriously he looks like shrek, but he is open to new ideas, fitness techniques, problem players. He even had more chapels built in the bolton ground in multiple faiths. In short he can make gold out of pig crap. England players aren't pig crap but I'm not going in for the idea that we're useless or we're godly cos the truth lies somewhere between. Italian players aren't sublime but they have a system that works. Allardyce can give us a system that works for us.

[Jamie]

Sickening, we win - we lose we should do it as a nation! How embarrasing that we should have an Italian tell our players how to play football! What happened to a bit of National pride?

So what we never qualified it's time to rebuild the squad through and through, new young English manager - get some investment in the youth of our country, That's the way it should have been - we had the best manager in the world under Sven and what did he acheive? This is the road to ruin again!

Oh and just another point to all those the Italians play better football than us - We've played the best in Europe and smashed them at a club level for the past 40 years so I'm sure it's not our football style that is the problem!

[Mauro]

primE donnE not prima donnas

sorry, I'm a little bit pedantic, I know...

[John]

For the first time in 37 years I believe that England can actually win a major tournament again with Capello. He's the most intelligent coach they could have and a man of character.
Go for it, Fabio!

[Milanista]

I grew up watching Milan under Sacchi and later Capello, so I can say I know alot about his style of play.

This is the first time in the last 20 odd years I am worried that the English national team will be challenging in the big tournaments against my favourite Italy. I just hope Capello doesn't work out the problems efficiently and get booted out before World Cup qualification starts.

If he is given enough time, I am truely worried he will lead England to the top of the world alongside Brazil and Italy.

Capello, I seriously hope you fail big time, because I want Italy to win the next World Cup.

[justin]

I just want to say, this is the first wise move the FA have made in a long time. Honestly I thought Sven was a great choice after what he did at Lazio I had rated him very highly, but as we all saw, when your a national boss your restricted in the players you can choose. Capellos is the best possible choice for the FA, but I still think he will struggle due to the fact the english just don't know how to pass and dribble properly like the italians or portuguese or brazilians.

I wish you guys luck and I hope we will see Italy vs England more then we have in the past

Justin
Milano

[antonio-sicily-it]

First let me congradulate the country ENGLAND for having the courage to enlist a foreing coach.True visionary are the one that set aside the culture difference and choose other alternative for the common cause.Therefore taking risk with mister Capello seems a plausible reasoning , considering the high prize in stake. Not that there is anything inappropriate from english fans about all the heady chatter for the new coach.Throughout europe, coach Capello is know as an unflinchingly, steadfast and resolute gentleman... Let put aside all this redundancy and let be factual.There's nothing circumstantial about capello, but compelling facts for one things,he's full of plausible details.Elvis Presley say it well "don't be all shook up,and don't be cruel, Let Capello be Capello, one of the best coach that money can buy...If possible... would like to tip my hat to the country England and to paraphrase the words" job well done english fans" .As far me ,i'm not here to write an epigram about your new coach, but a just assessmet about this good man.Mister Capello deserve an eloquent welcome in the heart of the brave english fans..As far being bilingual you don't have to be a linguistic to be a great communicator but to have the right intuitions at the right time.So long friends and be benevolent to your new coach .

[Ex-CapelloMania]

Mr. Capello i'm a your fan ..but i can't to accept your last words in the conference :
- you don't like to be the italian team coach ??????? -

--You are a traitor, now speak ill of your country?--

[Andrew long]

Its all good and well for Ince,Coppell,Adams etc saying thay are sad that the FA have appointed a foreigner, well boys guess what, the FANS are sad that England can't win a tournament.
Question: how many England internationals are coached by an Englishman?

[Michele]

England, and english fan´s are the best to critezise, always pretending that you are the best of europe, best in the world, best ligue in the wolrd, best players ....you talk to much, blablablabla...always putting down italy, living on a island, you live in your own wolrd, the fact is that you never, never win, you are like a mini-cooper trying to race in formula one, we may play to much defense, but a italian player can teach you how to tribbles, insted of just shooting the ball in front with no direction. You playing like in 1899, soccer is not rugby, all the world progessed, is time to live your island mentality, and start to learn to play soccer with Mr, CAPELLO and please, please stop talking, critesising until you win something, a game is made to win not to loose. VAI CAPELLO teached them soccer not rugby, you see is easy to talk, talk less and win onces, is tiring to listen loosers always winning. GOOD LUCK CAPELLO in the land of loosers.

[Nick]

Yes, you don't know much about football. "Mark my words, England will get further than the quarter-final in 2010 but not win it?" No football person would make such a specific claim which such confidence two and a half years before the knock-out competition in question.

[Burnley Bob]

To all the Italians who have posted comments:
Thanks for all your good wishes. Many of you have better English than our football players and managers. Perhaps you could come over here and be coaches too. Who knows? Maybe in a few years, England will begin to compete with Italy, France, Brazil, Germany and Greece(!) for trophies.

[Miki]

Fabio Capello is the right man for English team. His teams never played in a spectacular way, but they always won...

[Matthew in the USA]

I may be an American and, at least in English eyes, supposedly clueless about football, but for all those who say "England's a football power and a football power should have a coach native to its land," wake up!. Slavan Bilic said and couldn't have been more correct. Your system of football is like a rotting log in a forest surrounded by vibrant and flourishing oak trees, everyone else is growing and expanding their tactics and ideals while you just lay there, clinging to that shred of life (read: 1966) you once had. Mark my words: Fabio Capello will get you further than the quarter finals of the next world cup. However, you won't win it.

Of course by saying that, I'm admitting he's not the answer to your problems. This is true. Your problems will not be solved by Capello, an English coach, quotas or any other quick-fix scheme. Your problems will only be solved by removing the dead oak that is your footballing mentality so there is space for you to blossom anew and compete with the strong, vibrant oak trees that have taken over your game.

[Csanad]

English fans should feel blessed. FabCap is jeopardizing his image to try cooking pancakes from mud. And he might even succeed! Who is the top 5 player in England? Would they make a first team in Inter, Madrid, or even Lyon? Maybe 3 of them. Capello will not put the best English players together, but he will choose the 11 who can win games. (He even may ask Almunia to apply for citizenship, otherwise Terry has to be the goalie...)

[Kv]

Nobody's the right man for England. Even Jose didn't want to risk his career on the most poisonous job in football. Sven had the best record of any england manager yet the English sacked him because they have this strange belief that because they won the trophy 40 years ago that they have a god given right to be in the final at every try! After the treatment of Keegan, Sven and Mclaren, you'd be a fool to take that job.

[ALESSANDRO]

First of all I am really sorry because England failed the European 2008. It is a big loss for eerybody. But you British must be honest. In the last 20 years England has been a desaster in soccer.
I think that Lippi is better than Capello, but Capello is the right man for England. More than Lippi.
Now Italy, France, Brazil, Argentina have to start to be just a little afraid about the NEW ENGLAND.
Welcome again in the World Best Teams England! Best wishes from Italy.

[LUCA]

I'm an AC MILAN supporter, right after arrigo sacchi's ever winning team, nobody would have bet a cent on fabio. He was co nsidered Berlusconi's butler. I just want to set out his record with AC Milan during his stay: 4 leagues in 5 years, the first 3 in a row beating practically every record. 3 ch. league's finals in a row, only 1 but spectacular success 4-0 vs barca. How can somebody say he is not spectacular when his teams score mountains of goals?

in rome winning a league is a real feat: horrible city from this point of view, and totti, despite a great player, is a real dh...

what else? figures speak for him.

[Marco]

Guys, we are just so luky: Fabio Capello free and willing to deal with that bunch of spoiled prima donnas...

[Laurence P Hughes]

Wait a minute. Are you telling me that Martin O`Neill would not have accepted a ten million pound two and a half year contract at the end of this season ending May 20008?!
You are all a bunch of hypocrites!

[Al, Rome-London]

Capello?
He surely knows how to win at Wembley ah ah ah :)

[Dario Giannelli]

Capello is a winner. England will be a winner with him. Go Capello Go England

[Paolo]

I'm from Roma, and even if he made us winning Italian title past 18 years from the one before, his teams always play a boring football. In Rome he had one of the stronger team of the last year but he won only one title, and winning most of the matches for 1-0.

[Dave Bibby]

Capello has been the right man for the job since the position became available. It was only the media who wanted Mourinho because he would have given them more to write about. Capello, on the other hand, will give the fans something to shout about... hopefully.

[Malcolm Hawley]

Why is Capello not Manager of Italy.Obviously they did not offer him Sufficient reward.So the Italian
mercenary jumps aboard the F.A.
gravy train.Are we so desparate for
success?.I WILL NOT offer any support to an "England" team
managed by an Italian.

[Roberto]

I´m from Madrid, Capello have been two times the Real Madrid coach. He came here allways in difficult times with a broken team and he won La Liga twice.
The truth is that the football of Capello is boring and very very defensive but he allways win.
Coach a team every day with games every week is not the same that being the coach of a national team, Capello is very good in the mental work with the players, he turn them into winners but i'm not sure the he can do his job havig only a few games along the year.
With Capello the Pross are gonna lose a very small number of games but the spectacule will be very poor,

[John Fin]

Fabio Capello is the best coach England can have. He knows how to treat with any kind of player and that's why he won in Milan, Roma, Juventus and real Madrid at his first season. He will be able to speak English in 3 months maximum. It's Capello that choosen England first and this is the main reason he's a winner. He will teach to keep the mouth closed and work hard everyday to achieve the aim.

[Kenny]

Don Fabio is a proven winner and should at least qualify England for tournaments. To win those tournaments, requires the sort of quality players with invention and imagination that England just does not have or produce. When they show up like John Barnes, Hoddle or Gazza, they are few and far between and are viewed with suspicion.

I expect Capello not to do any better than Eriksson. Remember when the Swede was asked how come England didn't play with the sort of style he was producing at Man City, he replied he didn't have Elano when he was with England.

When you consider that Elano doesn't even start for Brazil, you will recognise why England will never be world-beaters at least in my lifetime.

[Fabio]

the only problem with Capello is his massive ego. It is difficult to forecast what it is going to happen with the main english stars, all could be fine, then I am sure results will arrive, but there is the risk of huge internal fights.. who knows...

[IAN]

Capello is without doubt qualified for the job. But, so was Eriksson when he took over and he was hardly a success. The England manager should be English, just as the Italian manager should be Italian, the French a Frenchman and so on. Isn't this what international sport should be about?

[C.Elder]

None of the English players speak very good English either!Capello does not need lots of words.When he gives Ferdinand the Capello steely eyed glare,Rio will know he better shape up or he is OUT!Same will apply to the other overpaid prima donnas who have been swanning around in an England shirt accomplishing nothing for the last 11 years.

[Steven Ives]

Who cares if the national team don't play with flair and win? It will make a change from not playing with flair and losing.

[Vivek]

The FA should have gone for Gus Hiddink. He would have been a better candidate. Unlike Capello he has had success at international level as well as club level. Just look what a great job he did for Holland, South Korea and Australia. Dont be surprised also if Russia do well in Euro 2008 next year.

[David]

I doubt whether our players will be intelligent enough to learn Italian. Have any of them ever been to school?

[Mark K]

This is a great choice - the best choice in fact. He is a top top manager who will be feared and respected by the players which is exactly what is needed after the embarrassing performances in the last World cup (both on and off the pitch)and in the dismal Euro 2008 qualifying failure. There will be no more untouchables, no more boring column inches devoted to the Gerrard/Lampard debate and prima donnas like Ashley cole will need to buck up their ideas and make sure they have their priorities straight. We might not be pretty to watch but then neither are Italy and nobody complained when they won the World cup. He will tell it like it is and we will get an England team set up to work hard for each other and win. Hallelulah!

[Andrew Duncan]

He will be great for the team. He may even get our lazy, gutless English players breaking into a sweat!

[Haddock]

I think Capello will be a great appointment and it certainly will be interesting to see how the players react when they are dragged out of their comfort zones; with regard to the language barrier, i think this can be quite easily overcome. I understand he's an intelligent man and would pick it up pretty quickly. Plus, unless i am very much mistaken, England dont actually have a competitive game now until after the Euro 2008 championship, about September 2008 (depressing thought), and i am sure he will have picked it up by then! My only concern is the press turning on him when we keep winning with dull 1-0's. I bet it happens....

[Gauci]

I'm writing from Malta and for all those who don't know anything about our football situation, I can explain it in a nutshell...we have a national team which is not even worth any comments! We have two teams here - England and Italy. People fight over these two foreign teams like crazy. Can you imagine how us, Maltese Enland fans, feel knowing that in a few days time an ITALIAN, yes an Italian, will be coaching England? It pains us no end!!!

[CapelloMania]

Capello the best coach in the world.
I'm so happy :)

Tks " Don Fabio"

[Jason Rabbetts]

What about David Platt for Assistant to Capello? He's been part of the FA's England setup, he's a respect ex-international, he's coaching experience, and he speaks the lingo!

[Dan]

Yes he is.

[Vito]

Dear English fan's , i can belive how you can to have some doubts about " Don Fabio".
"Iron Sergeant" won four Serie A titles and the Champions League at AC Milan, as well as titles at Juventus, Roma and Real Madrid.

England you are very very lucky to have Fabio Capello.

My dream was to have " Iron Sergeant" like Italian team coach...we must to have Donadoni ....NO COMMENT !

[Kieran C]

Fabio Capello is undoubtedly the right coach for England. England need a manager who can forge some team spirit and get the players playing! Fabio is easily cappable of doing this. He is able to handle high profile players - who have massive egos i.e. Ash Cole, Stevie G, Frank Lamp, John Terry, Becks!

These players need a manager who can give them clear direction and not be afraid to make tough decisions - i.e. putting the team before the players! Fabio is more than capable of doing this - in fact this one of his major strengths!

Along with this, he can drop a player for being useless, just as quickly as he can recognise a recall because they have earned it -point being: he rewards players who have the right attitude, skill and temperament!

England fans/players/sponsors etc want success - they want England to start winning and fulfill that potential everyone bangs on about! Capello is certainly, in my eyes, the man to help England realise this. Forget about not speaking English - he is an intelligent man -he can pick it up very quickly!

So I for one say Capello for manager - and please; for the love of god, glory, grace...whatever; let Capello have a decent run before u judge (i.e. don't jump on his back after one game with over blown criticisms; and I mean that regardless of winning or losing. If he loses lets not over criticise, if he wins lets not over hype) Consistency in winning is what we should be hyping, if...actually when he achieves it!

[David Hunt]

Marcello Lippi would be a better choice quite clearly. He has won a World Cup. He is the ONLY candidate with a winning record at a World Cup tournament. He is comparable to Scolari in this regard, who "allegedly" was the FA's first choice before McClaren et al. The ultimate ambition of any national team should be World Cup success, correct? Why pass up the opportunity to hire someone who is a proven international winner, and who wants a chance to repeat that success in a new environment? He is the current LEADER in his field as the coach/manager of the WORLD CHAMPIONS. Wake up everybody. Are we really hungry for a WINNER...or are we once again, prepared to settle for mediocrity?

[Ray Mitchell]

I agree with some of the contributors above. High on the job description of Capello must be effective communication with his players, the Press and media. How is he going to do this without a good command of the English language?
It is a disgrace that we do not have an Englishman with the skills, experience and ability to take on the job.
What objectives should be given to the Head Coach? Qualifying for the K.O. stages of the 2010 competition? If he is going to do better, where are the quality players coming from.

[Tim Newman]

It's all very well listing and lauding Capello's virtues but there is at least one very serious drawback. The fellow can't speak the lingo!

We all know England needs a man manager, a motivator, and psycholohist. We don't need a coach per se. Capello has very good credentials but if he can't communicate he can't motivate.

Now there's no Special One in the frame, we must look for the best motivator. There are two Premiership candidates, one British and one English. Villa or Portsmouth might not be too happy to lose their manager but needs must. Both are excellent with players, press, and public. So please no Italian parachuted in - or is the FA going to send Capello or Lippi to languauge school!!!

What are you waiting for Mr Barwick? Don't dither and in the process lose all of your credibility!

[Harry]

I think Capello will be a very good choice indeed. He has a proven track record at club level and this post would give him a chance to give a 'kick up the ass' to those England players and command respect too (which Steve M did not).
My only worry would be the lack of international level experience, but in mind that England also have to regroup too, would be a good recipe to follow.
My gripes with Steve M was an inability to choose the correct tactics, picking between 1 and 4 players that were not up to the job and his tampering with formations.
All of these three factors had a large impact on England's results. I am so sad that we cannot contest another major football trophy - this reminds me of the '92 qualifying campaign which was miserable too.

[pAOLO]

I do not understand English people when they say they are worried about Capello's poor English. Did Schumacher speak Italian? No, and he won 5 world title with Ferrari. Did Hiddink speak Korean? or does he speak Russian? No,but he achieved good results. The real problem is not Capello not understanding English, it is England non playing a decent football. Did McLaren achieve anything? No? But he speaks English!!