9:43am Wednesday 11th August 2010
I DON’T blame Fabio Capello for calling up the kids for the ill-timed friendly against Hungary at Wembley tonight any more than I blame him for England’s World Cup humiliation.
But I trust he is just taking the opportunity to give Jack Wilshere and Kieran Gibbs – youngest of the trio of under 21s from Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal academy – a flavour of being involved with the senior squad.
Just as long as he isn’t hanging his hat on the untried and untested.
I know Alan Hansen was proved horribly wrong by Sir Alex Ferguson and his Manchester United youngsters when he saw Fergie’s Fledglings lose 3-1 to Aston Villa on the opening day of the 1995-96 season and famously declared: “You’ll win nothing with kids.” But that United team proved the exception to the rule.
Considering England’s woeful capitulation in South Africa and the understandable fall-out back home, Capello must try something fresh to get the Three Lions roaring again.
And, considering the pool of average and seriously over-hyped players at his disposal, he has limited scope.
Darren Bent, Carlton Cole, Bobby Zamora . . . England internationals?
Don’t make me laugh.
But while I would urge him to give Wanderers outstanding young defender Gary Cahill a long-overdue first cap tonight he would be a fool if he thought the answer to the nation’s problems lay in the young generation – characterised by the Arsenal trio.
They are all good young players, wellschooled by Wenger and I’m sure they have successful years ahead of them.
But let’s not forget Capello didn’t consider Theo Walcott good enough to take to South Africa just 10 weeks ago; 20-year-old Gibbs was not even on his radar and Wilshere, who is still only 18, has yet to start a Premier League game for the Gunners.
Of course, Bolton fans know from his performances on loan last season that Wilshere is an outstanding talent.
Owen Coyle would have him back like a shot if only Wenger would let him.
But, by his own admission, the kid’s priority is to show he is good enough for Arsenal, never mind England.
I’ve got some sympathy for Capello.
Ultimately the manager carries the can but it was the players who were the real failures at the World Cup.
There was no pride and no passion . . .
representatives of a country that boasts the greatest domestic league in the world were found wanting on the game’s biggest stage. And I can’t see things improving.
The Premiership season kicks off on Saturday with new rules on homegrown players, but it changes nothing.
If the likes of Terry, Gerrard, Lampard, Rooney and Co continue to channel all their efforts into their club football and, for whatever reasons, are lacking the fitness or the motivation to do themselves or their country justice at major tournaments, then England will continue to fail.
The perceived attitude of our Premiership “stars” was typified when two players fortunate to have won a single cap – Paul Robinson and Wes Brown – were named in the squad one day and 24 hours later retired from international football.
Gone are the days when footballers went the extra mile when they played for their country. So you can’t blame Capello for trying to find someone who really cares . . . however young they may be.
© Copyright 2001-2012 Newsquest Media Group
http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/trade_directory/