Team has 'mental block', Fabio says
LONDON: Fabio Capello, the favorite to become the next manager of England's national team, said on Thursday that he thought England's players suffered from a "mental block" when playing international matches.
The Italian met with Football Association chief executive Brian Barwick and director of football Sir Trevor Brooking, the FA confirmed on Wednesday, with British newspapers expecting an announcement of Capello's appointment within 24 hours.
"There is tremendous difference in the attitude they show from one game to the next," Capello told The Sun tabloid.
"How can players of the level of (David) Beckham or (Michael) Owen have performances so different when they play for their national team?
"It's clear the shirt is very heavy even for those great champions. The manager has a fundamental role to play in this situation. He has to be more of a psychologist than a tactician or a technician. It's clear there is a mental block - otherwise how can you explain their elimination from Euro 2008?"
Steve McClaren was fired last month after England's 3-2 defeat against Croatia at Wembley meant it failed to qualify for the Euro 2008 finals.
Capello continued: "We managers ask ourselves how can England, with the players they have, not qualify for the 2008 European Championships. The English team, much like the Spanish team, wins very little despite having some very good players."
AFP
(China Daily 12/14/2007 page23)
