In the lead up to the make or break tie for England against Slovenia, the general consensus shared was that England’s World Cup campaign/dream was on the verge of collapse if not already over. A series of unfortunate events had seen England only acquire two points from their opening two group games and confidence in Fabio Capello and the players ability to qualify from their group quickly diminishing.

Today’s result against Slovenia may have aided England’s progression into the knockout phase of the World Cup, but has done little to quell troubles in their setup that cannot be erased with a simple 1-0 win. Still the questions stand about unity in the England camp and whether this is yet another overhyped and overrated World Cup campaign that will end in tatters.

The reasons for their decline have been obvious to see.

Capello pre-World Cup errors

Lauded throughout the qualifying campaign as the administrator of a no-nonsense attitude in the England squad, Fabio Capello was in turn built up as a faultless character that could do no wrong. His ability to mould England into a cohesive unit that brushed aside former foes Croatia in qualifying gave him godlike status in the eyes of England fans and thus began the increased enthusiasm with regards to the possibility of England winning the World Cup.

Although in the final month building up to the tournament, a succession of bad lapses in judgment on Capello’s part saw his once supreme persona appear mere human. During his 30 man squad selection, last minute calls to Owen Hargreaves, Paul Scholes and Jamie Carragher to inquire about their interest in going to the World Cup showed indecisive aspects of his demeanor. While the concept of the Capello index was just baffling in general.

These misjudgments have shown Capello to be imperfect and have altered his perception amongst the England fans and possibly the his players.

English mentality

Every four years since 1966, English mentality from not only the players and staff, but also the fans and media has been a key reason for the downfall of their very own team. Post any major tournament that England flop at, the nation goes through a lag phase in optimism for the prospect of their national team. This lag phase continuously ceases roughly six months before the start of an approaching tournament off the back of a successful qualifying campaign. This cycle has repeated yet again and pre-World Cup hype surrounding the England team has brought stress amongst the players to an unbearable level as they strive to provide for their nation.

A post match interview with Capello by a UK terrestrial TV station showing the game typified the delusion shared amongst the English public as to how the game against Slovenia actually unfolded. For the pundit to address Capello with the statement stroke question “Is this more like the England we know?” just proves that the media are either trying to promote a positive attitude amongst the public, unable to properly analyze that England were hanging onto a 1-0 result or are as previously stated delusional to the stage of being unable to see any fault.

After having the very question directed at him already answered, Capello could only be expected to be drawn into agreeing with the interviewer and added his own touch to the farcical analysis by proclaiming his side played with “freedom”. In this case one could only hope that Capello was cunning enough to take the bait and continue the delusion and not be actually serious in what he is saying.

Trying not to be harsh in any way on English mentality, just purely realistic, this World Cup has showed that England are not persistently arrogant about their chances at major tournaments. A more accurate evaluation would be that they are plainly delusional and have a false sense of teams actual ability built up in their own mind through the media.

This may seem like a very harsh critique of England and probably a more suitable to be published if they were knocked out of the World Cup. On the other hand, this is a simple realistic outlook at the current rut England have themselves in. Every four years they exit the World Cup lamenting numerous different reasons. In most cases it is the inability of their players to keep sufficient nerves during a penalty shootout. Yet again England are dreaming, and closely following behind are the tatters of those dreams.

Without being  philosophical, it must be said that every individual is entitled to an opinion and to simply ridicule it  without substantial support would be unfair. Having listened to the Group C Podcast, there are a  few comments about the main topics being discussed.

- The Top Teams: Every team does have a flaw or will have one during the World Cup. One must  consider the pressure of competing in the world’s biggest stage with reputations made and destroyed in a single match or round. Injuries, inconsistent form, suspensions, officiating and coaching decisions will all affect the results. One does not have to be a supporter of Brazil to acknowledge the Selecao would probably have 8 titles by now if the winner is crowned purely based on talent while Spain would at least have one. Winning the World Cup  is not just about talent but the combination of variables which are quite intricate and can easily tip the balance to one side or the other.

As for Group C which is stirring up debates and discussions, below are some general comments based on watching and tracking certain teams and their players:

ALGERIA: They will not be advancing from this Group and it might be difficult for them to even get a point. Unlike other African teams, this North African country does not have the physical presence of a Cameroon or Ghana or Ivory Coast. By physical presence one is implying they are not as fast or strong physically. They can play tough and be rough but they are not a superior physical team. They are missing a crucial player in Mourad Meghni who is out injured and will lose to England, USA and Slovenia. At best, they might snatch a draw against either USA or Slovenia. If anyone watched the team’s campaign in the African Cup of Nations, then it would be fair to state the Algerians are not on the same talent level as the Egyptians. However, Algeria deserved to get to this stage because they managed to beat Egypt in the play-off match in Sudan but they remain inferior talent wise to Egypt. This is a clear case of how talent does not necessarily prevail as Egypt did dismantle Algeria 4-0 in the African Cup of Nations. Without going into detail, the Egyptians have had a psychological barrier and intense pressure which have prevent the side from performing up to their talent level causing them to miss on the World Cup in 2002, 2006 and 2010.

SLOVENIA: Many pundits and football fans underestimate this team. Slovenia is not as good as Croatia was in France 1998 but they are a solid team. What they lack in sheer talent, they make up by effort, team work and some individual skills. As a team they are not very talented but on an individual basis they have a couple of decent players. They simply work well together as a unit and they will most likely beat Algeria while troubling USA to the extent of getting a draw or even beating USA. Against England, Slovenia might get a result depending on how many points the Three Lions have prior to the match. However, if logic prevails then Slovenia will fight with the USA for the second spot leaving Algeria to occupy the bottom place in Group C.

ENGLAND: If you check  the piece on who will win the World Cup, it originally excluded England as an option because  the team is not deep enough to make a run beyond the quarter-finals (check www.worldcupbuzz.com/which-team-will-win-the-2010-world-cup/) but in an updated article England was added (please check www.worldcupbuzz.com/world-cup-2010-update-on-tournament-favourites/) and there is a reason for this.

Fabio Capello is a capable manager and he is one of the best in the world. If he wins the World Cup with England then he certainly will be amongst the best three coaches. Capello was in charge of Milan when they shredded the great Barcelona side in the Champions League final of 1994 with a score of 4-0. He won league titles with Roma, Milan, Juventus and Real Madrid. This shows he has the winner’s mentality and it does not matter if you are coaching in England or elsewhere because you can still take with you the winning mentality.

The problem here is Capello can sometimes go too far when considering certain aspects such as the overall good of the team and achieving results because in doing so he sometimes restricts talented players and their ability to perform. Luckily for England he does acknowledge the need to free Wayne Rooney to excel and strike fear into opponents but  Capello on the bench and Rooney on the pitch alone cannot win it for England. The Three Lions do have other quality players but none are on Rooney’s level regardless of their position. England’s journey will likely end  in the quarter-final or perhaps the semi-final at best when facing Brazil (or another quality team).

USA: The United States is by far one of the most improved sides in the last few years as shown by their performances in the Confederations Cup last year. To beat Spain, who were on a historic  streak, is a great achievement and the United States went on to test Brazil’s resolve and talent to the end. There are several variables at play in this situation such as the American desire to always excel and be better in sports when compared to others, but one must keep in mind soccer is behind NFL, MLB, NBA and even NHL. This does have a negative effect on the progress of the national team. The United States was one of the toughest games for the Azzurri in Germany 2006 and they severely tested the Italians with their grit and determination.

The American can still compete and have a considerable chance of going through this group. The US will likely beat Algeria and will either settle for a hard fought draw with Slovenia or perhaps even win the match considering the Slovenia clash will be the decider. As for the much anticipated England vs USA match, Capello and Rooney will make sure England will do the utmost to win. Capello will demand the England players do not underestimate the US and Rooney still has something to prove after World Cup 2006. When healthy and nearing top form, Rooney is close to unstoppable with his sheer desire to win and his talent.

One Note: The English media will sometimes fall into the trap of giving teams a certain tag but it is often done to sell stories or provide motivation for England’s players. In other cases it has the adverse effect of  piling unnecessary pressure on England’s players or providing excuses for an unlikely defeat. In general the press, even in the US, concentrates on selling a story or creating a storm in order to have increased audience. One man who exploited the English media till the end is the self-proclaimed “Special One” Jose Mourinho who often manipulated the English press to satisfy his craving for attention and to serve his purposes.

He did leave Inter so he can challenge for La Liga with Real Madrid but there are other main factors behind his decision: his long-time hatred for Barcelona who never gave him the chance to take over after Bobby Robson and Louis van Gaal, and his failure to win over the Italian press. The media in Italy often slammed Mourinho and did not fall for his tricks (but did rightfully salute him at the end for winning a historic treble with Inter). Mourinho became aware he could not manipulate the Italian press as easily as the English one so that is another reason why he opted to leave. Of course Mourinho knew it would be hard to replicate this season’s success and with Real knocking on his door, he knew he had the perfect opportunity to join an extremely promising situation.

Capello makes his decision

The past few days has seen a number of provisional and even final squads announced for the World Cup, but today two of the most anticipated provisional squads were revealed. England has delivered their 30 provisional players amidst controversy regarding manager Fabio Capello’s involvement in a bizarre form rating website which sports his name. Italy’s squad was well anticipated as many were wondering whether Lippi would go with the old guard or bring in some fresh faces.

England Provisional Squad:

GK: David James, Joe Hart & Rob Green

No surprise in the goal keeper department, although a number of people will be delighted to see Joe Hart in the England squad. Which goalkeeper will take the number one shirt will probably be determined from the warm-up games, although all three of these keepers are now guaranteed to go to South Africa as long as injury does not set in.

DEF: Leighton Baines, Jamie Carragher, Ashley Cole, Michael Dawson, Rio Ferdinand, Glen Johnson, Ledley King, John Terry, Matthew Upson, Stephen Warnock

Jamie Carragher’s odd’s on making the squad dropped to 1/25 last night and he is a somewhat surprising call-up considering his determination to stay in international retirement. Although I don’t doubt Carragher’s credentials, this season has been the first time he is starting to show his age a bit, particularly in the FA cup 3rd round replay against Reading where he struggled big time. Dawson will definitely be starting in the warm-up games and will be hopeful his good league form will transfer to the international side. For Stephen Warnock and Leighton Baines, there is a direct battle to be on the plane and become England’s second choice left back (what an opportunity!)

MID: Gareth Barry, Michael Carrick, Joe Cole, Steven Gerrard, Tom Huddlestone, Adam Johnson, Frank Lampard, Aaron Lennon, James Milner, Scott Parker, Theo Walcott, Shaun Wright-Phillips

Gareth Barry is in the squad, but news is awaited as to whether or not he will actually go to the tournament, and if he doesn’t then Scott Parker and Tom Huddlestone have an ideal opportunity to get themselves on the plane. There’s a lot of competition for the wide places, and Adam Johnson, who started the season out in the Championship with Middlesbrough, now finds himself with a chance to represent his country on the biggest stage of them all. Joe Cole will also be glad to see his name on the team sheet after the season he has had, but he will be closely watched by Capello to see whether he is capable of showing his old form. Owen Hargreaves misses out and it seems like a sensible option with all fairness, mostly due to the fact that he’s only played 30 seconds of football! Paul Scholes is also not included, and it is most likely that he has once again declined the chance to represent.

FWD: Darren Bent, Peter Crouch, Jermain Defoe, Emile Heskey, Wayne Rooney

Sunderland fans have their calls answered, as in form striker Darren Bent is taken into consideration, but his work is far from over, and you’d feel he would have to produce goals in the warm-up games to stand a chance of getting on the plane. Also, surprise surprise! Wayne Rooney is on the team sheet! Who would have seen that coming? The other four strikers are the ones that were expected to go, but if Bent does get the goals, will Capello drop Defoe or take the five strikers in place of a midfielder or defender? Also, Bobby Zamora appears to have mised out, and it will be interesting to see how he performs in Wednesday’s Europa league final. If he smashes in a few goals, what are we to think then?

Italy Provisional Squad (at the time of writing this, it is a strongly rumoured team sheet that has apparently fallen in the hands of Sky Sports Italia):

Lippi suprises some

GK: Gianluigi Buffon, Federico Marchetti, Morgan De Sanctis, Salvatore Sirigu

Gianluigi Bufffon will guard the goal of his country once again, but the two goalkeepers that will join him appears to be up for grabs, and the young Salvatore Sirigu who Buffon has tipped to be his replacement could get a chance to not only represent his country in the World Cup, but also make his debut should Buffon succumb to injury.

DEF: Salvatore Bocchetti, Leonardo Bonucci, Fabio Cannavaro, Mattia Cassani, Giorgio Chiellini, Domenico Criscito, Fabio Grosso, Christian Maggio, Gianluca Zambrotta.

First thoughts – Wow! Look at how many youngsters will be involved in Italy’s defence this year. Quite surprising to see so many players with less than five caps being considered for the World Cup squad, and although the likes of Zambrotta, Grosso and of course Cannavaro remain, there are a number of youngsters who will be able to get invaluable experience. Whether this tactic will back-fire on Lippi remains to be seen, but it is quite brave to call up so many youngsters, what is even more suprising is the fact that most of them don’t play for Italy’s big guns. Watch out for Giorgio Chiellini if you haven’t seen him play before, a solid defender that could make a huge name for himself this summer.

MID: Mauro Camoranesi, Antonio Candreva, Andrea Cossu, Daniele De Rossi, Gennaro Gattuso, Claudio Marchisio, Ricardo Montolivo, Angelo Palombo, Simone Pepe, Andrea Pirlo.

Another mix of new and old, and this could be the last World Cup for Camoranesi, Pirlo and Gattuso. A number of players have missed out such as Ambrosini, Aquilani, Perrotta and Barone and there a more players who have less than five caps in the side. The battle here would appear to be for central midfield places, and although De Rossi and Pirlo are probably certain to be on the plane, the others seem less certain and Lippi will be keen to see how certain players work together in the middle of the park before making a final decision.

FWD: Marco Borriello, Antonio Di Natale, Alberto Gilardino, Vincenzo Iaquinta, Giampaolo Pazzini, Giuseppe Rossi, Fabio Quagliarella.

Di Natale was in much of the same situation that Darren Bent found himself in, and after missing out on the Confederations cup squad, his good goal scoring form has fired the 32 year old back into the Italian fold. Giuseppe Rossi also has been given the nod  after an impressive season in Spain, but the forward berths in the Italian side were certainly the most competitive, and there are a number of players that have missed out. Francesco Totti will not be coming out of international retirement to represent his country, Del Piero’s international time appears to be over, Antonio Cassano remains in exile and Luca Toni’s move to Roma doesn’t appear to have done him many favours in terms of his international hopes. Mario Balotelli also misses out, a decision that was no doubt based on the player’s current problems and drop to the bench.

What is on paper a strong team could end up being a weak one when tested by a tricky opponent. How the players gel and work together, how effective the coach is in bringing the best out of players, the strength of the defensive line and often the rise of  a relative unknown to help carry the team can all influence who ends up winning. Other factors which must be considered include the lack of key injuries and having some luck in order for a team to advance far in this highly anticipated tournament.

Luck does not necessarily imply winning the whole tournament due to fortunate circumstances but as often the case some tough teams get eliminated on a particular nation’s side of the draw which can pave the way for that specific country to advance further in the tournament. Other lucky incidents can come in the shape of referee calls such as penalties given,  a red-card missed or overlooked, the woodwork coming to the rescue on more than one occasion or even scoring against the run of play.

In 2006 Italy was not expected to win but with a strong defensive unit, a great goalkeeper, a clever coach, some luck and the team working together as one cohesive unit the Azzurri were able to triumph in Berlin. If the World Cup started today, then Brazil would be one of the main picks because of the talented players who can change the course of a match in a single move or a split-second. The Brazilians have talent all over the pitch.

Other contenders would include Argentina largely due to the presence of one of the most gifted players of his generation who happens to be Lionel Messi. He is simply a genius and while he does not perform as well with the national team, Messi can still turnaround matches with one creative move. The main reason the Argentines have not been performing up to their potential is a result of having Diego  Maradona as the national team coach. Maradona was a great player but he is simply out of depth in terms of managing a talented country and his  inexperience shows whenever his players step on the pitch. He is an incapable coach who must rely on Messi to change games by himself if Argentina has any chance of advancing through the tournament. Maradona ought to surround Messi with the right players because it is a shame to see such a  talent go to waste on the international stage.

It could be argued Messi is even a better player at this stage of his career than Maradona was. Again the stress is on comparing the two talented players at the same age and period of their career. At 22-years-old Messi has accomplished more than Maradona and if he can lead Argentina to a World Cup triumph then few can doubt Messi has the better record as a player and whether he is the more talented of the two legends.

Another dangerous team would be England because of Manager Fabio Capello and what he brings to the table.  Capello is a great and highly skilled Manager when it comes to motivating players, creating harmony, suppressing egos, building team spirit and exploiting weaknesses in other teams. The main issue at this point is the injury crisis which has affected the national team in recent weeks. Ashley Cole and David Beckham will miss out unless left-back Cole makes a late comeback while others such as Rio Ferdinand have spent most of the season injured or recovering from an injury.

One other factor which could cause distraction is the behaviour of certain players with John Terry on top of the list of players being carefully followed due to his much-publicised affair. The media is now trying to keep an eye on his actions and any simple mistake made by Terry will be aggressively covered by the British Press.  To their advantage the English have Wayne Rooney to rely on and at this stage of the season the striker can do no wrong as he continues to score at a torrid pace.

The Spanairds cannot be underestimated because by winning Euro 2008 they showed they deserve to be respected. The Spaniards have Fernando Torres and David Villa as well as Cesc Fabregas, Xabi Alonso, Carles Puyol, Iker Casillas and David Silva. Those are all talented and experienced players. In addition, who can forget the midfield duo of Xavi and Andres Iniesta who often pull the strings for the might Barcelona? Barca does depend on Messi but he is surrounded by great players and some of them hail from Spain as evidened by a few of the names mentioned above.

The Azzurri have the smallest chance from amongst the favourites because of the struggles faced by Juventus this season, the aging of the team and the fact three key players are no longer as effective: Fabio Cannavaro, Gennaro Gattuso and Andrea Pirlo. Gattuso is actually spending considerable time on the Milan bench while Cannavaro has been one of the weak links in Juve’s defensive line this season. Only Giorgio Chiellini is to be given credit in the Juve and Azzurri back-line.

Anything can happen though and World Champions usually do not give up easily. The onus will be on having a healthy Gianluigi Buffon who is as good as anyone in goal when healthy enough but once again Cannavaro is too old and slow to compete over a month even if Marcello Lippi says it is only four weeks and not a season. This is a shocking excuse from a coach of Lippi’s stature who is now resorting to various forms of alibis to justify his choices. This shows the extent of the pressure on his shoulders and this could easily backfire as Lippi was one of the main architects of the Azzurri triumph in Germany 2006.

Finally, France cannot and will not win when one considers the national team is coached by someone like Raymond Domenech who is still clinging to the job despite his obvious ineptitude. As for the Germans, they are rarely the type of team which is flashy but they tend to play solid football during the World Cup as shown in the 2002 and 2006 editions. Their strength is in the group and the effort, hard-work and commitment displayed by the players who often rely on their physical prowess and methodical approach to win matches. Perhaps waiting till end of May will give a better idea as to the teams which can be considered as the clear favourites but at this stage it would be a surprise if any other team can be regarded as a serious contender.

The following list of elite midfield players in the world will exclude the likes of Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka since they sometimes play as forwards or as support strikers depending on the strategy deployed by their team. Kaka has previously played as a second striker during his spell with Milan while both Messi and Ronaldo have played in various attacking positions for their club (mostly on the wing though).

The list below does not comprise all of the world’s best midfielders but focuses on those who have made next summer’s World Cup:

Cesc Fabregas: The young Spaniard is already Arsenal’s captain after being handed the armband just over a year ago and has been a menacing threat for opponents from his central midfield position. His main contributions come in the form of assists to his teammates as well as being a key participant in the build-up of most of the club’s attacking moves. This season he has already scored six goals and amassed 10 assists in Arsenal’s first 10 league games. Fabregas has three goals as well as three assists in five European appearances for the London side.

Daniele De Rossi: The defensive midfielder is one of the Azzurri’s most important players and is one of the first names in the starting lineup under coach Marcello Lippi. With aging enforcer Gennaro Gattuso suffering from lack of form and injuries, De Rossi’s role has become even more important. While statistics may not do the Roma midfielder justice, it is known that his influence for the Giallorossi and the national team is quite immense. One interesting fact is Daniele has scored eight times for Italy and his country has won all eight of those games!

Marek Hamsik: The Slovak international is a cornerstone of his club Napoli and his national team. He is renowned for his dangerous positioning and for popping up from the outside the area to score goals. Though different from England’s Frank Lampard, he does share some similar traits and at the age of 22 he obviously has many years ahead to mature into one of the world’s most effective and dangerous central midfielders. (Please refer to previous piece titled Best Starting 11 Today dated November 16, 2009)

Steven Gerrard: The England international has been used as a second striker and in support of striker Fernando Torres yet he features on this list because he has mostly been used in various midfield positions over his career. To most Liverpool fans, Gerrard’s name should be the first on any of the team’s starting 11 in official matches. The club tends to suffer and miss that extra impetus when Gerrard is not playing. Liverpool’s losses often coincide with his absence through injury or suspension. Gerrard will play a key role for England under the leadership of Fabio Capello.

Xabi Alonso: The midfield general was quite influential in Liverpool’s drive for the title last season. His departure to Real Madrid has led some, including Captain Gerrard, to rue his exit from Anfield and to praise his contributions to the English club. He recently scored a brace in Spain’s 2-1 victory over Argentina. He is beginning to settle down for Los Galacticos will surely be decisive if the capital side are to dethrone la Liga’s champions Barcelona (Please refer to the Best Starting 11 Today article for more information on Alonso).

Frank Lampard: The English midfielder has set the bar so high that critics have begun to question whether he is on a decline because he has had a slow season so far by his own high standards. Lampard will be key for Fabio Capello and his plans to lead England to the latter stages of the World Cup in South Africa. Lampard scored a brace in the 5-1 demolition of Croatia which basically sent a clear message to the rest of the world about England’s intent to compete come next summer.

Honorable mention must go to both of Barcelona’s midfielders Andres Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez. Iniesta has recently recovered from injury but was quite decisive last season and Chelsea fans certainly remember his goal which sent their club packing in European competition. Iniesta must not be very popular with English fans since he went on to play an instrumental role in Barca’s triumph over Manchester United in the Champions League Final as he assisted on the goal by Samuel Eto’o's.

Xavi is Iniesta’s partner with the Catalan side and the national team with both being decisive in the treble achieved by Barca as well as Spain’s triumph in Euro 2008. Xavi was actually named best player by UEFA during the successful campaign which yielded a precious trophy for the Spaniards during Euro 2008. Xavi and Iniesta clearly compliment each other on the club and international level. Spain will be dangerous next summer with such a skilled and decisive midfield.