LONDON // In front of the cameras Fabio Capello and his players remain defiant and upbeat about England's future, but behind the scenes, there are doubts, dilemmas and despair. Joe Cole's injury-time scrambled effort might have given them a 2-2 draw against the Czech Republic at Wembley on Wednesday night, but it could not mask the tough task ahead for Capello.
The jeers at the final whistle will have shown him this kind of performance was simply not good enough for the fans. True, this was just a friendly with a chance for some last-minute tinkering, but if England don't get things right for the World Cup qualifiers against Andorra and Croatia early next month, the Italian will be under extreme pressure. Against the Czechs, the coach found he has issues to resolve in goal, defence, midfield and attack.
David James dithered again, while Wes Brown, despite his thumping headed goal, looked lost at right-back. There is still no solution to the conundrum of how or where to play Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard. Gerrard was on the left against the Czechs in a tactical mess that left many mystified. David Bentley has to start ahead of David Beckham, adding energy as well as enthusiasm on the right flank, while Wayne Rooney looks forlorn up front.
You have to think long and hard about the last time England played at their best. The 3-0 home win over Russia last September was a rare highlight. Hurting like the crowd, the captain, John Terry, said: "We need to sit down and address it - and address it very quickly - otherwise it stays around the squad. The manager will thrash things out and we will get things off our chest." It is high time for Capello to be ruthless and not pander to egos or reputations. England's 2010 World Cup hopes depend on it. akhan@thenational.ae
