The Soccer Blogger
So here’s a quick summary of the salient facts you need to know about the first Press Conference by Fabio Capello, the new England Football Manager. God help him!
Fabio Capello, via his translator promised the packed press conference yesterday to return England to the top of the game. “It’s a job that everybody wants and everybody knows there are great expectations with the job and I will work to achieve these with the FA.” I’m not too sure about the “…it’s a game that everyone wants…” bit. Don’t seem to remember there being too many people lining up for the job. They were too busy making sure they weren’t in line.
Anyway, there were more flashes going off than a strobe light at a disco. All the journalists (and good old Brian Barwick) were salivating like they’d just seen a piping-hot plate of chicken wings pulled out of the deep-fat frier and the TV reporters jostled over the microphone like Newcastle players fighting over a penalty.
Admittedly, the Italian was nowhere near as revealing as David Beckham’s latest poster campaign, but he did give us a few hints about what we can expect over the next four and a half years. Here’s a brief synopsis of the salient points.
That’s amore! Brian and Fabio. Don’t they make a lovely couple? But will it be a match made in heaven or hell?
1. So much for speaking better English than expected. Don Fabio is still at the point where he rhymes honoured with red and says quaint things such as “at this moment my English is not so well, but I prefer to answer in Italian”. Still, it’s a start - he understood a number of questions put to him in English and he reckons he’ll be able to learn the lingo in a month. If he can teach Joe Cole how to speak the language, it will be worth paying hom £6m.
2. Half-time will have to be expanded from 15 minutes to 45 if he is going to use the same interpreter. Capello actually achieved a first by saying less than Steve McClaren in twice the time. He managed not to answer a variety of questions in Italian, such as who he would support if it was England against Italy, whether David Beckham would get his 100th cap and why the FA had appointed a foreigner.
3. On the plus side,hHe did, however, manage something McClaren couldn’t do in more than two years -provide a laugh that wasn’t laced with regret and bitterness. Capello was asked if it was true that he had punched Paolo Di Canio. He said he didn’t … but after a brief pause … added in an ominous tone that he was there when it happened.
4. He has always wanted to be the England manager, (yeah right!) ever since he was growing up in San Canzian d’Isonzo, Italy, and even when he was playing for his country. He didn’t say whether he regretted scoring that goal at Wembley in 1973 though.
5. He wants to have an Englishman - or at least someone who knows the league - involved in his set-up. He didn’t say who.
6. It’s only a part-time job, so Capello says he may have to be less of an authoritarian. He’s even promised to sit the wee lambs down and find out why they don’t feel loved. “Wearing the England shirt should be a matter of pride,” he said, proving that the same old clichés are the valid in any language.
7. There was no umbrella in sight.
8. He dismissed suggestions that he had never signed any English players. “When I was a scout I brought Ray Wilkins and Mark Hateley to AC Milan and as you know I worked with David Beckham,” he said. No one pointed out that Hateley and Wilkins played in Italy more than 20 years ago.
9. He says the style England adopt will depend on the players available. He added that it’s important to be flexible, in case anyone was wondering what sort of tactical acumen they got for their £6 million a year.
Anyone convinced the FA got the right man for the job? Mind you, if Brian Barwick can get a job at the FA, anyone can!
The Soccer Blogger
