An impressive stack of honours, respect garnered after several years in football and the ability to go strong when retirement may be a healthier option - Fabio Capello and Sir Alex Ferguson have much in common. Wayne Rooney has clearly seen one major similarity and admits he is benefitting from working under the experienced managerial pair.
The Manchester United striker won the Premier League and Champions League under Ferguson's tutelage last season, and is now hoping he can taste success with Capello at the helm of the national team. His England side face Belarus tomorrow night with a 100 per cent record to defend in their World Cup qualifying campaign. After three goals in his last two internationals, Rooney is fired up and said: "I'm enjoying my football at the minute and hopefully I can keep doing well for club and country.
"I think the biggest similarity between Fabio Capello and Sir Alex Ferguson is that they are both winners. I think when you have a manager like that it certainly rubs off on the players and it makes them feel the same. "With England, we're starting to play well and give good performances as well as getting results. "I don't want to get carried away and say 'we will win something', but we are certainly working towards that, and getting better each game.
"Everyone dreams about winning trophies and to get a trophy with England would be unbelievable." While Belarus will pose a tougher test than Kazakhstan did on Saturday, Capello is hoping his side can gain another victory and their best-ever start to a World Cup campaign. "I always think about victory," revealed the Italian. "I never say to the players you have to play for the draw. We have to go on the pitch and we have to win.
"Belarus are a very good team and this will not be easy. This is a very important game because we have to wait six months before the next qualifier [against Ukraine]. "We are in good form and need to follow up the other positive results." Capello refused to be drawn on whether he would drop Steven Gerrard tomorrow, but it is expected Gareth Barry will line up with Frank Lampard in Minsk. "I think they can play together," he said. "But if I drop Gerrard, people say why not Lampard? If it's Lampard, why not Gerrard?"
Whoever plays, the Belarus coach Bernd Stange will not be worried; he has been used to more difficult scenarios than overcoming England. He was coach of Iraq in the time of Saddam Hussein and despite being praised for his efforts in the rebuilding process during a troubled period, he left after two years. His driver was shot and death threats followed after being pictured with Jack Straw, who was then the Foreign Secretary of the British Government. "I would have been killed if I stayed a week longer," he admitted.
But life is a little easier now and hero status will be afforded to the German if his side can upset England. He said: "Of course it will be difficult. We are only little Belarus. It will be a European sensation if we even get a draw. But I cannot tell my young players only to go for a draw, we must be optimistic and play to win. We have nothing to lose." @Email:akhan@thenational.ae
