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While the rest of Europe prepare in earnest for the upcoming European Championships, the English are wondering what activities to indulge themselves as they licked their wounded pride. England failed to qualify so it is hard to foresee a nation gripped by football fever.

Amid this depression, nobody paid much attention to to Fabio Capello’s friendly match against United States at Wembley. For the record, England won 2-0. John Terry had been given a new lease of life when Capello appointed him as captain and the “crybaby,” (as mocked by some quarters), showed that he fully deserved the pacifier by scoring the opener. It will take more than a win over USA before Terry recovers from his Champions League misery but it was the right response for me.

A few days ago, I was rather touched to see an open letter published on Chelsea official site where Terry expressed his regret over the embarrassing penalty miss. His image as a pompous and ill-disciplined character has stuck in our minds but I am sure the fans were more than willing to forgive him after he accepted full responsibility and declared his deep loyalty to the club. To a large extent, a spitting incident on Carlos Tevez was mitigated.

For this match, I must say that those who did not watch the proceedings were lucky. The scoreline may suggest a comfortable victory, which is true given the ample possession and the none too adventurous nature of the Americans, but in terms of entertainment value, this could well have been the handiwork of Steve McClaren. Fact is, old habits die hard, loping the ball into the air after stringing a couple of passes seems to be written into the DNA of this team.

The forgettable performance could be due to fatigue as those involved in the Champions League finals were struggling to stamp their class and maintain a high tempo. The sharpness (or lack of) in front of goal could prove decisive against stronger opponents.

David Beckham continued his pursuit of records after attaining his centenary against France. Having scored a spectacular 70-yard injury-time shot in the LA Galaxy’s 3-1 win over the Kansas City Wizards last Saturday, he was sharp and fit enough to warrant a starting place. Indeed, Beckham did not disappoint with an energetic display. He was first to create a goal threat with a free-kick that whistled past the post, and he crafted another scoring opportunity for Gerrard from a clever set-piece, but the latter’s shot was blocked by Clint Dempsey.

The thing about Beckham, regardless of whatever misgivings one may have, is that once he put his mind to something, he is able to prove his sternest critics wrong. Even Capello, with little love lost at the start of Real Madrid’s campaign, owed Beckham a debt of gratitude for a late rally to the La Liga title. However, Beckham is not known for consistency and his form is likely to fizzle out. Capello will be judging whether he can inspire LA Galaxy to the title or at least emerge from an entire Major League Soccer season unscathed.

After the break, Blackburn winger David Bentley replaced Beckham and while he expressed lofty ambitions to displace Golden Balls, I believe he is a long way off from world-class quality. Many aspects of his game, especially distribution of the ball and keeping possession can be improved. The success Bentley craves has to come from hours of practice, just ask Cristiano Ronaldo whose 42 goals in this season was no coincidence, being the result of relentless training to perfect his skills and a deep desire to be the best in the world.

There was much intrigue in the telepathic understanding between Gareth Barry and Steven Gerrard. Capello exhibited great faith in Barry, having selected him for all his three matches in charge. This time round, Owen Hargreaves, playing the entire 90 minutes, was favored in the holding midfielder role after recovering from tendinitis. Barry came on for Frank Lampard in the 57th minute and within minutes, he struck a confident pass that sent Gerrard through for England’s second goal.

Clearly, the pair complement each other and Liverpool should do their utmost to secure the services of Barry, if they desire the Premier League title. An expensive signing which can fit and contribute to the team immediately as in the case of Fernando Torres is better than buying several unknown talents. The seamless partnership between Gerrard and Barry forces the awkward issue of accommodating Frank Lampard. This conundrum will be non-existent if Lampard has not been so indispensable for Chelsea with his crucial goals and assists driving the team when the chips are down but yet, he is a misfit for England.

Lampard’s contribution to the front line in terms of defense-splitting passes is poor, he cannot dribble and neither is he good at tracking back to defend. He will have been a mere shadow if not for the fact he balloons half-chances instead of feeding the ball to a better positioned striker. Capello can continue to fit a square peg into a round hole by changing formations or fielding other players out of position as what previous coaches had done. However, I would prefer him to explore other possibilities in midfield and there are many.

As for the rearguard comprising Wes Brown, Rio Ferdinand, John Terry and Ashley Cole, it looks sturdy but we do not expect defensive frailties to be exposed by a team of USA caliber in the first place. Competition for the captain’s armband is keen - Terry’s goal and overall performance provides Capello with a pleasant headache on this issue. Ferdinand was in ascendancy but now a spanner has been thrown into the works.

So far, Capello has used three skippers - Terry, Ferdinand and Gerrard. Barry and Rooney are also worthy of being groomed in such a capacity but right now, they are behind the pecking order. Capello is shrewd in keeping his choice for the permanent captain close too his heart. In this way, everybody is kept on their toes and nobody can question the final choice given that it is based on merit after watching what each candidate can do while wearing the armband.

With the defense more or less settled, the strikeforce is still anybody’s guess. It has yet to take shape even if Capello has tried, and hopefully, not exhausted different options. There is no doubt Wayne Rooney is the first choice; he has a great attitude in training, holds the ball up well and can link up play with intelligent passes. In short, he functions as an excellent conduit when penetrating enemy’s territories. Despite a short fuse on the pitch and not scoring enough goals, no coach in his right mind will leave Rooney out of his plan.

The problem is to find him a partner, someone in the mold of Carlos Tevez will be a godsend. The last time, Gerrard was pushed upfront as a second striker but the result was not really desired in that Rooney ended up supporting Gerrard (and he sure fluffed a lot of chances) instead of the other way round.

If Tevez’s close control of the ball, energy and persistence cannot be found, at least there are youngsters with his pace, such as Theo Walcott and Gabriel Agbonlahor. Unfortunately, Capello takes references from stellar club performances, thus he is unlikely to utilize them in the World Cup until they get a solid run in their individual clubs.

Peter Crouch is a viable option but he cannot command a regular spot at Anfield and is even on his way out. Under such circumstances, I will hesitate to choose Crouch until he proves his worth. Instead of wasting time on the bench, Crouch should consider a transfer, even to a lesser club who can promise him a regular berth as the main striker. Certainly, Capello will not be willing to gamble on Defoe if he had remained at Tottenham where he is condemned by Ramos.

Dean Ashton, under the guidance of Harry Redknapp at West Ham, is blossoming into an excellent striker. His aerial prowess, strength and great eye for goal are attractive qualities. However, he is injury prone and lacks accelearation. Ashton may get a chance on Sunday as Defoe has already been given a chance to showcase his abilities. Too bad, he didn’t really turn up to be counted.

The Portsmouth forward had not the presence of mind to finish off several opportunities, especially a glint-edged chance started by a neat move involving Gerrard and Rooney but he sidefooted past the post in front of goal. Hopefully, Defoe has not killed his chance of featuring in future England matches with this performance. Michael Owen, who rediscovered his confidence and scoring touch at Newcastle, is once again back in contention as the firm favorite.

The USA team mustered little in attack and pressure, thus it is a pity that England cannot rack up more goals to account for their superior possession. The team is still a work in progress, while Capello has resources at his disposal, merging them into a compact and incisive team takes time. The front line enigma must be solved before the World Cup qualifiers but he can afford to experiment further on Sunday, especially since several players who appeared in the Champions League final may not travel for that encounter.

Victory means nothing in friendlies, but it is not a holiday camp or a mass gathering either. Capello has to gain a better understanding of his formation and his players as well as get his message across to them during this short period of bonding. He will now round off Sunday’s friendly against Trinidad and Tobago and the clash with the Czech Republic at Wembley in August, before the start of the World Cup qualifying campaign against Andorra.

The test starts in earnest for Capello with the game against Croatia in Zagreb on September 10. At the rate the team is forming up, Capello is still on track to deliver the FA’s targets but his remarks on wanting to be the most successful England coach ever seems a bit far-fetched.

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