A-Capello

Image © RealMadrid.pl

Steve McClaren's successor as England Manager was finally confirmed today as Fabio Capello signed a four-and-a-half year deal with the FA. Capello, 61, will be revealed at a press conference on Monday, his role starting early in the New Year.

Much discussion has been made about the importance of the nationality of the England manager, but I'm firmly in the 'doesn't matter' camp – so long as he is the best man for the job, is within our budget, and can deliver results.

Eriksson was actually a reasonably successful England manager, but despite his club skills currently being demonstraed at Man City, he lacked a 'Plan B' all too often at International level. Despite the glory of the 5-1 win in Germany, Eriksson's reign will be remembered by many as a passive figure in his failure to inspire his side to victory against 10-man Brazil.

McClaren seemed to lack all necessary skills to command the team and showed signs of desperation toward the end of his reign. Flying out to the USA to watch Beckham play in a charity match was sheer idiocy – anyone who has watched even a testimonial game will tell you they have no use in judging a player's fitness, form or ability. What was more important at that point in time was to track the form of English-based players who had the potential to spark the team to victory against a Croatia side with nothing to play for.

The task Capello has to answer is turning a team of Champions League regulars into a team capable of generating results at International level. This is no longer about individuals, it is about getting the team working, getting results, and getting pride back into an England team that has been a joke at this level for too long. For these reasons, I believe the FA have got the best man for the job.

Fabio Capello is a winner, and if you take a look at his record it speaks for itself:
- 4 Serie A titles with AC Milan (92, 93, 94, 96)
- La Liga title with Real Madrid (97)
- Serie A title with Roma (01)
- 2 Serie A titles with Juventus (05, 06)
- La Liga title with Real Madrid (07)

9 league titles in 15 years, and in 2 of the toughest leagues in the world, is a record rivalled only by Ferguson in recent times. Capello has been criticised for moving around clubs, but that could be a bonus when coming into the International setup for the first time. It proves the ability to continually work with new players, produce new teams over time, and get results.

Over the same 15-year period, Ferguson has always had access to the likes of Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, and until recently Roy Keane. Capello has had no such luxury of continuity, and has had to scout and bring in suitable players from transfer funding.

Capello has a history of being an uncompromising manager, an authoritarian. As intimidating as that may be to a player, as a professional you can only respect such a track record and buy into his methods if you want to perform and win. Winning at International level isn't about winning pretty – we don't have the likes of the Madrid fans who demand to win in style. England have under-performed for so long we simply want to win again.

His first task will be to sort out a dressing room culture which has been a creeping issue since the start of the Premier League, and moreso since Keegan's reign. The personalities and drinking culture had already existed under Venables, and although Hoddle's period did appear to instil more discipline, it was at a cost. Hoddle's lack of man-management skills handling the Beckham situation put the sympathy back on the side of the players.

The card schools came back under Keegan, as did the image of the manager being a 'friend' to the players. This continued more graphically under Eriksson, with stories of player power and the influence of key players on team selection. McClaren was already a dead man walking from day one as he was a continuation of the old regime.

Capello won't stand for this – the WAGs will be out, as will the personalities. His methods will be the only agenda. His record is clear – buy into his approach and the statistics show you will be a winner. The England players need to realise that this is the case and respect this. There may be key players in a squad, but you can only unlock everyone's potential by playing as a unit.

My personal hope from this appointment is that we will see a side that truly cares about the results. Too often we see 'superstars' underperforming in an England shirt, despite running the show only 3 days later against Europe's elite in the Champion's League.

We may not win a World Cup, but if Capello can create a passionate team that will do anything to wear the shirt he will have achieved more than any England manager in recent times.

If the Italian can inspire the belief and desire the England team displayed in his home country in Italia '90, he will be a resounding success.