England’s Manager, Fabio Capello, speaks to The Times about his admiration for Chelsea Coach Guus Hiddink’s recent defensive gameplan used against Barcelona.

Should Capello (…or Bob Bradley) be ready to employ these spoiling tactics against ultra-talented international teams?

Story via TheTimes

“As he prepared to embark on an easyjet flight back from Barcelona yesterday morning - “do the FA splash out for ‘Speedy Boarding’ I hear you cry?” - Fabio Capello expressed his exasperation at the hypocrisy and vested interests inherent in modern punditry.

The basis of the England manager’s complaint was the disconnect between the praise lavished on Chelsea’s resolute rearguard against Barcelona the previous evening, and the condemnation he felt would inevitably follow if an Italian side had come away from the Nou Camp with a similar result. The black art of catenaccio, Capello feels, is beyond the pale.

Capello made no attempt to disguise his admiration for Guus Hiddink’s brilliantly-executed game-plan, though despite his misgivings at what he perceives as lingering anti-Italian sentiment within the European game he should welcome the fact that such an essentially defensive performance from the visitors was so well received in England.

As he plots next summer’s World Cup campaign in South Africa, Capello is likely to conclude that similar stifling tactics are the only way to go if England are to compete with the Latin countries.

Capello has worked wonders to restore confidence and results in a short space of time, but talk of winning the World Cup still seems fanciful given the threadbare nature of his squad.

There are still several obvious weaknesses within Capello’s preferred starting XI, in goal, at right-back and up front, and beyond his first choice team there is very little cover, with the crucial attacking players such as Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney completely irreplaceable.

Given such a disparity, aping Hiddink’s spoiling tactics could be England’s best hope against the big guns, so Capello should be grateful that we are all defenders now.”

Image via SoccerNews