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 Fabio 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.

Frank 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.

Fabio 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, Fabio 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 acceleration. 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.

Batchelor had submitted a bid to majority shareholder Keith Haslam and Sky series producers confirmed an approach for the name usage but the Football League will have the final say on this matter.

Batchelor said: “Football supporters in general have to understand that if they want professional football in their town, they have to accept it has to be done on a commercial basis.

“Harchester is more promotable than Mansfield. That’s not any form of insult to Mansfield at all because it’s a club with a long tradition but it’s just a fact of life. One club has been on the television for 10 years and the other one hasn’t.”

True blue football fans may find it hard to stomach Batchelor’s style of “commercial football.” As early as his motor-racing days, Batchelor has shown a penchant for controversy. We should not have illusions of ethics from him, after all he can sell out his own name.. twice via deed poll (John B&Q and John Top-Gear) for the sake of sponsors.

When it comes to his business endeavors, he did not waver from the “miraculous” effects of name changing too. York City was his first foray into football management and his ill-fated maneuvers included adding Soccer Club to its original name to attract American interest. Batchelor also altered the club’s logo to incorporate his racing brand, raising the ire of supporters.

The changes did little to revive York’s flagging finances but Batchelor was quick in liquidating their prime assets, ensuring a small fortune for himself before the club went into administration. His early promises meant little in the face of profits, if not for fans who cared deeply about York to stave off creditors and completed a takeover through a fund raising campaign, the club is history.

This time round, Batchelor who was initially part of a consortium before deciding to go it alone, has targeted Mansfield, currently second from bottom in the Football League. The club has undergone a name change before – from Mansfield Wesleyans to Mansfield Town in 1910. But to strip the club’s identity which has existed for close to a century by calling them Harchester United (no such city in Britain) is pushing the limits.

Bartchelor places little value on intangible assets like goodwill and emotional attachment. He is fine with being the most hated character in town but his philosophy may backfire as advertisers and investors think twice about placing their money in such an acrimonious setting. Batchelor is downright frank in his assessment of the situation, look at what says:

“Let’s be clear, I want a football club, preferably one in the league. The ONLY reason that I want it is to make money, the only reason that I want to do that is to look after my immediate family. I can only do that by making it work on the pitch and as a result making it work commercially.”

“This would be MY club, if you like what you see come and watch, if you don’t, then stay away. I am not even interested in discussing it with “fans”, however, I will talk to customers anytime. If Mansfield is going to host professional football, it has to accept that there need to be some HUGE changes at this club. If the fans don’t want to host it, all they need to do is not turn up. I have a plan, and I have a vision of what football needs to do, I am going to do my best to achieve it, I am not a multi-millionaire, just a guy who has some idea’s who is prepared to have a go and take a risk”

“I will budget for no fans turning up at the ground, which really every club should do. As you will have seen from my replies, I am not trying to attract negative thinkers, either get behind this, or watch football somewhere else. IF I am successful in achieving ownership, this will be MY club, MY business and up to me to provide entertainment, it is MY risk. I would have thought that it would be better to start off with honest responses. I am in this to make money.”

From a business point of view, fair enough, and if Batchelor possesses a Midas touch, at least we are safe in the knowledge that he understands what he is doing but his resume suggests otherwise. It is more likely he will drag Mansfield through the mire while implementing his vision.

The basis of Batchelor’s business scheme involves Harchester United being more marketable but is it valid? Certainly, novelty in a fictional club coming to real life will spark interest from all sectors, especially the press, and sales of T-shirts will boom initially, but it is not sustainable over the long run.

Fans do not follow a team blindly just because it has the same name as the one on TV. They do so because they identify with the club, the city, or it is a championship team as people love winners.

It is hard to imagine Stags players retaining the dignity as their lives are being compared constantly to the farce known as Harchester. Will Batchelor now ask his first team players to change their names to resemble those in the TV series? And in Dream Team’s plot, they were promoted to the Premier League, so we can presume that can happen as well?

Many have complained before that the plight of small clubs are not given due attention by the authorities. With Batchelor’s track record, he should be kept a safe distance from any football club but the league is powerless. Under their fit and proper persons test, Batchelor will qualify since he has only put ONE club into administration and the rules require two insolvencies.

There are also precedences in madness, in recent times, Wimbeldon moved to Milton Keynes and they changed their name to MK Dons. So if Batchelor preserves, there is no stopping the birth of Harchester United.

I doubt if there is much juice left in Mansfield as the current owner, Haslam, has taken at least a million pounds out of the club so Batchelor may find himself holding on to an empty shell of a club. However, if the price for buying Mansfield Town is low enough, and the shirt-buying frenzy that accompanies the initial novelty turns in a neat profit, then Batchelor will have achieved his objective of “feeding his immediate family.”

Stags fans are horrified to see this takeover bid being panned out at this critical period. They will love to boycott but Mansfield need their support with key matches coming up and relegation a real threat within the next few weeks.

Moving from a terrible owner to the next, I suggest Stags fans prepare for the worst, there is nothing to suggest a different fate from York City and it is up to them to eventually band together to save their beloved club.

David Beckham, if a little rusty, was eager to impress but it was not a memorable centenary. Yes, his right foot is still able to deliver 50-yard Hollywood passes across the field and he had a great opportunity to add to his tally of 18 international goals. However, over zealousness got the better of him when he was booked for shirt-pulling on Malouda, an unnecessary foul which exposed his lack of pace and defending ineptness.

I doubt if we will be seeing the last of Beckham. He expressed his desire to get more than 100 caps, saying: “Just to get the cap was what I wanted, to start was a bonus. I am very stubborn and things can change but I want to carry on playing for my country for many years. I proved my fitness and felt sharp and fresh.”

From the first whistle, France spelled their intent clearly. Nicolas Anelka tested David James in the 10th minute with a firm header from Frank Ribery’s freekick. Minutes later, Malouda cut inside Wes Brown, supplied a pass to Anelka who shot weakly on the turn, and James was visibly relieved.

England responded with their own brand of attack. Beckham slided in at the far post to meet Ashley Cole’s low cross but was inches away. Gerrard found some space on the edge of the box after Rooney threaded in a pass, unfortunately, he went for the rugby equivalent of a kick when a return pass to Rooney will be a better decision.

Gerrard fluffed another chance by heading Wes Brown’s cross over the bar before France pulled ahead. Right-back Francois timed his pass perfectly into the space between England’s centrebacks. Anelka, who was lurking, latched on to the ball and was through on goal, the only way James could stop his advance was a late dive to sweep the striker’s legs from under him.

James was spared a red card which is apt since it was only a friendly. A penalty was awarded which Ribery coolly dispatched as James dived in the opposite direction. After the break, Fabio Capello made four substitutions which saw England switch to a conventional 4-4-2 formation spearheaded by Peter Crouch and Michael Owen.

However, the changes were ineffective and France strengthened their dominance instead. Ribéry set Anelka on the loose and he turned, with the England captain, Rio Ferdinand in tow, before shooting high. Malouda should have added his name to the score sheet when his left-foot drive grazed the foot of the post with James well beaten.

Ribery nearly doubled his personal tally with quarter of an hour left but dragged his shot wide after a great assist from Anelka on the edge of the area. In the last minute, substitute Djibril Cisse fired into the side netting to cap a frustrating night for Les Blues. But with England failing to create a single clear chance in the second half, any additional cushion was unnecessary.

In terms of performance, a tame England had little to cheer as France were firmly in control. The ease of their 1-0 win was a stark reminder to the immense tasks faced by Fabio Capello in elevating his charges to a world-class standard. Capello said: “I am actually quite happy and have seen some improvements. We have played against a top level country and I think we did well. The way we played and the fact we didn’t let them play much was impressive.”

The improvements, if any, are barely visible and not good enough. While Ribery’s first-half penalty separated both sides, it was Nicolas Anelka who provided the sparks for France. The crowd chanted “Ole” whenever he touched the ball and teased England with a series of neat dragbacks and stepovers. A welcome change as he was the subject of jeers instead of cheers not so long ago.

It has come full circle for Le Sulk. Nine years after tormenting England’s defense with both goals in France 2-0 win at Wembley, he shone brilliantly again. Anelka is quick, can make deep runs, hold the ball up well and most importantly, is an intelligent footballer.

I believe he is a sure candidate to be included in France’s Euro 08 campaign since Thierry Henry is experiencing a slump in form. Henry is not assured of a starting spot for Barcelona and an extended spell in the treatment room has blunted his abilities.

France coach Raymond Domenech declared himself satisfied with the build-up to Euro 2008. Though the second half saw France losing the ball and making stray passes, England were never in a position to take advantage. If they had put more effort into finishing off the chances, this could be an embarrassing night for Capello.

Defense wise, there are lots of holes for Capello to plug. The rearguard was constantly a step slower in the face of a rampaging Anelka and the biggest culprit was the ever-reliable John Terry who sprung a faulty offside trap which only embarrassed himself. Anelka easily eluded Terry and James had little choice but to commit the foul.

For the front line, I will not throw out the strategy of employing Steven Gerrard in an advanced position (close to Wayne Rooney) yet, even though this match showed that it was not effective in terms of penetration.

It requires some fine-tuning and Rooney has to be the person who ultimately takes the shots while Gerrard’s role should be more of a facilitator, working out the through passes and one-twos, instead of shooting on sight. It was a good test though as Claude Makelele, a man adept in the holding role, gave Capello an inking of what has to be done in this aspect.

David Bentley is an able candidate on the right, if Beckham decides to hang up his boots or if Capello decides to impose his exile. The fact that Capello fielded David James, Wes Brown and Stewart Downing showed that he is not immune to the same problem faced by Sven-Goran Eriksson: a depressing shortage of talents, especially in defense.

For those who grumble about Capello’s mistakes, look at it this way, a friendly serves the purpose of experimenting and a victory is hollow if nothing can be gleaned or the opponent is not in the mood to put up a good fight.

I will rather Fabio Capello lose all his friendlies while adjusting his strategies all the time and finally put up a strong team for the World Cup qualifiers. I am sure he will be reviewing the video of this match repeatedly and exploring options. So be patient, embarking on a sling campaign will only demoralize the entire team.

However, before Gerrard floats to cloud nine, the armband may change ownership anytime as there are a lot of candidates vying to be captain. To keep everyone on their toes, Capello will make a decision until just before England begin their 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign in September.

He said: “Gerrard is not going to be a permanent captain and I am not going to name one before the first qualifier against Andorra. But he is an important player for the team, he can pass on things and inspire other players.”

The ball is now in Gerrard’s court and Capello needs to be convinced that he deserves an extended run as skipper. Of the 63 caps Gerrard has won so far, he was made captain six times, with England winning two and losing four of those matches. Needless to say, this is not reassuring at all.

Serious doubts abound over his ability to rally his mates and whether the miracles he performed for his club can be replicated at international level. It will be a great service to himself too if he cut down on pre-match morale boosting talks, otherwise known as drivel, and focus more on the team’s performance. Acting gung-ho and then losing to the opponent makes him looks like a fool at the end of the day.

Fabio Capello will have a major headache, a pleasurable one though, when John Terry returns from injury. It is believed that Terry enjoys greater support from the players and remains a hot favorite to lead England. However, even if Gerrard fails to impress, Terry may still be bypassed unless he realizes who is the boss in this set-up.

Challenging Fabio Capello’s authority and indiscipline on the pitch will only cast him into the wilderness. There are other promising candidates like Frank Lampard and Rio Ferdinand who have been sounding off their intent and if they have strong performances to boot, there is no reason why they cannot feature as captain for friendlies. It is not surprising then that Capello is keeping his cards close to his chest.

The blueprint of success Capello has mapped for England is to incorporate a “winning mentality” in the underachievers, starting from Switzerland on Wednesday. When the first competitive match against Andorra comes along, he will have created a group of players that can play as a team under the same system that brought him glories at AC Milan, Juventus, Roma and Real Madrid.

The players have got a taste immediately of Fabio Capello’s iron fist when they were briefed on the ground rules governing their behavior while on England duty. Some of the “draconian” measures include a ban on using mobile phones outside their bedrooms and the exclusion of agents, wives and girlfriends from the team hotel.

He said: “I set some rules because in three days we need to create a way of working. Our objective is to form a group that will gel together.”

“These last two days we worked very hard on the tactical front, in order to create a group mentality and a way of moving on the pitch that reflects my ideas about football. I have seen very good cooperation from the players.”

Capello, speaking in Italian, parried the question about David Beckham’s exclusion from his first XI which denied him a 100th cap, by giving Golden Balls credit for Real Madrid’s successful campaign last season while calling on the press to focus their attention on players in the current team.

The Italian is not yet confident to speak to the British media in the same language, for fear of being misinterpreted but he has delivered on his first promise by addressing the players in English during training sessions. Apparently, it was clear enough for several players to be impressed.

Fabio Capello is not expecting an easy ride from the joint Euro 2008 hosts. He accorded them sufficient respect with praises of their players and their “dangerous” counter attack, nevertheless, I believe England should win comfortably against Switzerland.

With the remarkable achievements listed in his CV and the respect he commands from his player, he cannot afford to stumble, to lose a match, even if it is a friendly, and then recall David Beckham back into the team will reflect badly on him.

His approach so far is right – keeping the highly paid superstars on a tight leash and if they step outside the markers, they have no business representing England. This is vital to changing their mindset as a “golden generation” who deserves to win trophies.

During Sven Eriksson’s and Steve McClaren’s reign, the focus was on the coaches who were not tactically astute enough to bring the best out of the players. The players did not take any responsibility for the failures. Fair enough if we are discussing about the ineptitude of McClaren.

However, Eriksson has proven at Manchester City that his managerial capability is not blunted. He is able to lift a team used to battling relegation to a serious contender for European competitions. England could not benefit from his time in charge and the players have to examine themselves.

This time round, it is Fabio Capello in charge and with his credentials, he has nothing to prove, the onus is on the players to show their worth, if not, England is really a hopeless case and we should stop thinking of them as one of the footballing powers.

David Beckham spoke earlier about the significance of the century cap: “To play for my country is always special and because it’s my 100th game it is extra special. It would mean the world.”

To maintain his fitness, Beckham has been training with Arsenal, and incidentally, held a warm meeting with Prime Minister Gordon Brown, but Fabio Capello remains unmoved by the charm offensive. He stuck to his guns that all players earn their stripes based on performances in competitive matches.

Beckham has not seen serious action since winning his 99th cap in the November defeat by Croatia, which also ended England’s Euro 2008 campaign. On the other hand, other contenders for the right winger role, Chelsea’s Shaun Wright-Phillips and Blackburn’s David Bentley, have been playing regularly and are in fine form for their clubs.

Despite the rejection, the door is still open for a stunning comeback. During Steve McClaren’s reign, Beckham’s career initially nosedived as his name was constantly excluded from the team sheet. However, his decision not to retire was vindicated as McClaren recalled him at a time when England floundered at the brink of elimination from Euro 2008.

Capello, despite his managerial abilities and the abundance of talents at Real Madrid, finds it hard to ignore David Beckham too. He famously dropped and then reinstated the midfielder in the last stretch of Real Madrid’s successful La Liga challenge last season.

“I had a thorny relationship with David at Madrid but he showed himself to be a great player and a great man,” Fabio Capello said. “I think Beckham, when he sets himself something, he will achieve it.

“I believe that Beckham is an important player for England and I will take him in serious consideration. However, there’s still a month to go.”

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, after watching Beckham intimately, has thrown his weight behind the man. He said: “We were all amazed how good he was. This guy deserves a lot of credit, every day he was first out, last in.”

“I believe England still needs Beckham because he can make decisions and his experience will be needed in the big games and that is why I am sure he will get his 100th cap. But Beckham’s mind is to get the 100th cap on performance and on merit, not on sentiment.”

Alex Ferguson, Beckham’s former mentor at Manchester United, however believes Capello has made the right call to drop Beckham. He said: “Beckham is not match fit. That is the reason he’s not picked.”

Apparently, some of their old wounds have not healed and to see the Old Trafford discard training with his arch rival and then receiving a vote of confidence from them must have been grating on Fergie’s ears.

Besides Beckham, Tottenham goalkeeper Paul Robinson has also been left out, as have veteran defender Sol Campbell, Everton utility man Phil Neville and Spurs striker Jermain Defoe.

Robinson’s football career is in a crisis at the moment and if he doesn’t resurrect it soon, he could be on his way out to the lower leagues. When an opportunity to move to another Premier League club arises, he should grab it, rather than to sit on the bench and wait for a miracle. Tottenham manager Juande Ramos has lost faith in his ability to stand between the posts, and Capello is not going to risk his first game in charge by fielding him either.

As for Sol Campbell, his age is a barrier and his international career is as good as over unless there is a total collapse of the defensive options available. Phil Neville has played a significant role in Everton’s lofty Premier League ranking this season but to squeeze into the England squad is difficult as Fabio Capello has more than enough cover in that position.

I do not understand why Defoe is displaced in favor of Michael Owen. Nevertheless, all is not lost if he rediscovers his scoring touch at Portsmouth under the guidance of his former manager Harry Redknapp. Staying on at Tottenham is futile as Ramos does not see him in the club’s long term plans. Defoe’s case will be further boosted if Owen continues to be short on confidence in front of goal and a regular in the treatment room.

Another interesting aspect is the inclusion of five players from Aston Villa, it bears testimony to the achievements of manager Martin O’Neil. With Defoe out of the way, Gabriel Agbonlahor is a natural choice but it was a daring move to call up uncapped Curtis Davies. The Villa defender is on loan from West Bromwich Albion but if Capello gives him a run-out against Switzerland and he shows promise, the loan may be made permanent this summer.

Agbonlahor has been a revelation this season and he is an exciting player both for his youth and his amazing scoring rate so far. But bear in mind his skills are still evolving and he is not the finished article yet. No longer are we seeing the average player from his loan spells at Watford and Sheffield Wednesday.

Goalkeeper Scott Carson is currently on loan from Liverpool; one will have thought that the demoralizing memories of his mistakes in England’s 3-2 defeat by Croatia will have deterred any of his inclusion but Capello must have seen some positive qualities in him. How will Carson perform is uncertain, he may either enjoy a new lease of life or suffer irreparable damage to his self-confidence.

Gareth Barry is considered the most established of the Villa’s players. By allowing him to settle in the central midfield, O’Neil has really brought out his potential. Barry’s composure under immense stress and expectations, distribution and holding of the ball are above average and Capello is right in ensuring this gem does not slip away into oblivion.

Ashley Young is another raw diamond which has been polished into a brilliant star for the future. His presence in the Villa set-up cannot be underestimated. With improving statistics for crosses from the left flank, free-kicks and assists, Ashley has justified a large part of the £9.65m fee that O’Neill agreed with Watford.

The depressing thing is that once again, for all the beautiful football Arsenal exhibits, there are no players from their squad to contribute to England’s cause. Even if Manchester United and Chelsea are as guilty of buying the title, at least, they have 5 and 4 players on England duty respectively.

This is something which the Gunners have to consider to endear themselves to the rest of the England fans.

As for David Beckham, he is a former captain who is now dispatched to the wilderness of Major League Soccer, but still keeping himself in the limelight by training with Arsenal players. He should be in contention too.

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson believes new England boss Fabio Capello would be wrong to deny David Beckham his 100th international cap. Beckham has had his differences with both Ferguson and Capello in the past.

But Ferguson does not want a player of Beckham’s stature to be left stranded on 99 caps. “To deny him his 100th cap would not be right and I think Fabio Capello has made up his mind about that,” Ferguson said. “In fact, I don’t think there is any doubt about that.”

Frank Lampard has lauded praises on Capello and maybe fancies a shot at being skipper. Now Rio Ferdinand has also received a vote of confidence from his gaffer.

Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson believes Rio Ferdinand can be the next captain of England. He said: “Rio has captained us a few times this season and experience is important in that role. He wouldn’t have captained my side if he wasn’t capable of captaining England. Rio has more than 50 caps. John Terry has the position but if it happens, I think he will be happy.”

If Capello listen to all these people, there will be a bunch of generals out there and no soldiers to fight the war.

Capello has assured the FA he has nothing to fear from the investigation. He said: “With my advisers, I have always endeavored to conduct my financial business with integrity. I understand that these inquiries in Italy are part of a wider investigation into the finances of many high-profile individuals.”

The Football Association has rallied behind their man, saying: “Mr Capello’s fiscal affairs are in order. We have spoken with Fabio and his advisers and they explained the facts to us.”

Raffaele Guariniello, the head of the investigation, refused to comment, but it is understood that the investigations are focused on Capello’s income from his sponsorship deals at that time. The most prominent deal was with Zerorh, who provide his distinctive glasses. However, their annual payment is not known. It is possible that the investigation will also extend back to Capello’s spells at AC Milan and Roma as well.

The investigation has snowballed from the initial checks into the finances of Juventus, which started a year back, and Guariniello has already interviewed several figures, including Luciano Moggi, the former chief executive of the club. But so far, nothing incriminating has surfaced and Capello is not about to take stands for charges of tax evasion.

Pier Filippo Capello, his son and agent, said: “This is not an investigation. It is merely to ascertain some facts. We know about it, but it is merely an offshoot of the Calciopoli, football bribery, investigation.”

“It follows the modus operandi adopted up to now to check the earnings of famous people. One of the reasons for this method is that these people, like my father, often change residence because of work.”

The tax evasion suspicion is also not helped by the complicated network of foreign holding companies in the Capello family. Their family trust is based in Guernsey, and includes a holding company called Sport 3000 and is based in Luxembourg.

In turn, Sport 3000 is linked to 1000% F.C, a company run by his son Edoardo, which runs his four houses in Milan, and his property on the island of Pantelleria. Capello also has an Irish investment fund and a stake in a property company in Legnano, called Verde Cortese.

Capello has already been the subject of one embarrassing tax investigation, when it was discovered that he had faked an address in Campione Italia, a town in Switzerland, in order to dodge taxes. Investigators in Como found that Capello had been told by Roberto Salmoiraghi, the mayor of Campione Italia, to transfer his tax residence to the town.

The only worry for the FA is the the dirt which will stick to the coach once his name is linked with such an inquiry. Senior sources within Capello’s camp have also been eager to downplay the story, pointing out that the vagaries of the Italian justice system have sensationalized the case more than it apparently is.

As Capello is a high profile character in the Italian sporting arena with his salary advancing into the millions, his financial dealings are likely to be scrutinized but I feel that so long as he is upfront and transparent and provide the authorities with any information they require, he should come out of the scandal unscathed.

Yes, it has to be unscathed. Nothing less is expected of him. Capello’s main strength lies in his disciplinarian approach and if he loses the moral high ground, the aura he commands could be unraveled and it will be difficult to get the prima-donnas to toe the line. At the moment, Capello is innocent until proven guilty.

The scandal is really something which England can do without, as the country seeks to revitalize their team under the Capello revolution. After Sven Eriksson’s sex scandals, England don’t need another coach who gets into the headlines of the tabloids as frequently as the players.

Still, I believe there will be minimal distractions for Capello’s preparation of England’s first match in charge, against Switzerland on February 6, that is if the tabloids have not uncovered further shocking truths.

He has warned David Beckham that no privilege or sentiment will be extended even as the LA Galaxy midfielder yearns to win his 100th cap and become only the fifth England player, after Billy Wright, Sir Bobby Charlton, Bobby Moore and Peter Shilton to reach a century of appearances.

Capello had begun charting the path of England in the 2010 World Cup. In his first official duty, he traveled to Zagreb on Monday to arrange the fixture list for the qualifying campaign. After an intense eight-hour meeting, he was finally satisfied with the schedule as he gets his wish to have a September clash with their main Group 6 rivals Croatia.

The Italian believes England are in a strong position when they travel to Zagreb after a summer of rest following their no-show in Euro 2008, while Croatia will be stretched from their exertions in the competition.

“September is a good month for English footballers, so given the fact Croatia are our strongest opponents, to play them then is ideal,” said Capello.

With the fixtures confirmed, Capello will now turn his attention on arranging friendlies leading up to the qualifiers. It is believed that at least one of two planned May fixtures will take place at Wembley, with Scotland on the agenda.

Eastern European opponents can be expected at Wembley for the scheduled August friendly, while the close season tour has been put on the backburner as they prefer to stay closer to home.

When quizzed about the captain’s armband, Capello prefers to keep the cards close to his chest. He indicated that he will look at potential captains in the five friendlies before Andorra (their first competitive match), saying: “I am evaluating whether to decide on a definitive captain or to appoint a provisional captain.”

“But please don’t take this as indecision. I first want to know the candidates well because it is such an important decision.”

Capello also revealed the desired qualities he has in mind for a captain. He said: “The captaincy issue is very important for England. There are many things I have to evaluate and I must come up with the choice that is right. A captain must be a leader, someone who carries the team, somebody that in every moment is important for the team.”

Sweeping changes are on the way as he hinted that senior players should be role models for the young and must behave accordingly. There is no place for ill-disciplined players under Capello’s iron-fist reign and for several key players who appear in the news for the wrong reasons, they may be sidelined regardless of their impressive club form.

In normal circumstances, I would say that Terry is the first choice as he is a natural leader who can fulfill most criteria but his succession of injuries and indiscipline will be a great cause of concern. Whether he gets the armband against Andorra is uncertain.

In Terry’s absence, Beckham stands a high chance of leading England out against Switzerland but Capello offered no promises on Beckham. While at Real Madrid, Beckham had a stormy relationship with Capello and he was relegated largely to a secondary role with few cameo appearances.

However, in the second half of the Spanish La Liga, he eventually won the Italian over and played a vital role in securing the title. Now Capello has to ponder whether Beckham can be equally effective in the England set-up for him and if it is justified for the 32-year-old to hold off the challenge of younger, more dynamic players such as Chelsea’s Shaun Wright-Phillips and Blackburn Rovers star David Bentley.

“A manager has feelings but first and foremost he has to take decisions. Beckham is important for England and can still give a lot, but all the players are equally important to me. We still have time to decide on Beckham.”

I feel Capello is right to be cautious about picking his captain. He has to be someone who can fit into his plans and lead by example, not because of pressure from the press or the fans.

David Beckham is playing his cards right with his recent move to Arsenal to maintain his fitness during the LA Galaxy lull period. They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks but if he managed to pick up some extra skills from Wenger’s guidance and the batch of Arsenal players: keep the ball on the ground and improve his range of passing, besides a renewed fitness, there is no reason why he cannot be given a new lease of life.

It has been shown that Beckham is a player you just can’t ignore. No, I am not referring to his ability to attract cash like a magnet. He still possesses a charisma on the pitch, especially when the team is in times of troubles. Steve McClaren made a “clean” break with Golden Balls but found that he has to depend on him at the end. Capello is also guilty of owing a debt of gratitude to Beckham for his inspirational performances when it counted.

However, for the long-term future of the team, developing youngsters should be the main priority. While a dedicated Beckham is an asset to the England set-up, there are other players like Lennon, Bentley and Wright Phillips who are waiting impatiently in the wings and their time to shine has come.

Capello has to decide if he wants to usher in a fresh start for England or to give this golden generation a last hurrah. But if his track record is anything to go by, only the players who adapt to his system survive and the final team will possess the necessary mental toughness to be a winner.