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Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Mind games

To understand why England have improved so much during Fabio Capello's first year in charge we need to look deeper than the introduction of Theo Walcott onto the international stage or the re-invention of Emile Heskey as a fulcrum for Wayne Rooney to play off. It was all in the mind.

And the single most significant moment during Capello's reign so far came after the 1-0 defeat to France back in the spring. "I told the players I was very happy", the Italian mused. "I think the players were surprised as most were disappointed with the result but I told them that we played well for 30 minutes. If we can play well for 30 minutes against a good team like France in Paris then we can play well for the whole game I reminded them.

He continued: "We had taken a big step forward from the Switzerland game which also pleased me. Before that game (against Switzerland) we had trained very well but then when we played at Wembley in front of 90,000 fans we played badly. It was then that I realised the problem was a mental one and not a physical one.

Hearing Capello elaborate this week on the reasons why England proudly sit top of their World Cup qualifying group with a 100 per cent record was reminiscent of hearing a young Nick Faldo. When Faldo won his first senior title he realised he could win one title every year. Upon this realisation he thought: 'If I can win one title per year, then why can't I win five?' His improvement was dramatic and his mental fortitude will always go down as one of his biggest strengths.

If England are to realise their dreams at the World Cup in South Africa in 2010 then they will surely have to adopt an ability to cope with the pressure similar to that of Germany. The Germans have not missed a penalty in a competitive match since 1976. That includes shoot-outs and penalties in open play. England, meanwhile, have exited five major tournaments after their failure from 12 yards. It is likely that success in a penalty shoot-out will be necessary if England are to be successful in South Africa. Four out of the last five winners of the World Cup have had to successfully negotiate a penalty shoot-out en route.

Capello has a squad at his disposal capable of going far in South Africa but then so do seven or eight other nations. The difference between the winners and the also-rans is usually small. It is usually a mental one.