Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum, I Smell The Job of an Englishman

So Fabio Capello resigned as England manager this week over the Terrygate saga, whether he was right to do so is a matter of opinion, although an opinion well voiced by every England fan claiming to be an expert on the beautiful game. The general consensus seems to be the nation was willing Capello to go, despite him being one of the most successful managers, bar, of course, Sir Alf, to ever take the England job. Capello has the distinction of winning a domestic league title with every club he has ever managed. Ranging from four Serie A titles in five years at perennial favourites AC Milan, to guiding an unfancied Roma team to their first Scudetto in eighteen years. Not forgetting two La Liga titles at two spells, five years apart with Real Madrid and a world renowned Galaticos team, as well as two Serie A championships with a Juventus team at the heart of a betting scandal, which were for this reason later stripped from them and the club relegated. So to England, Capello has the best win ratio of any England manager at nigh on 70%, but failed in his four years at international level to realistically get close to winning a major tournament and a humiliating defeat that saw a fancied England team outplayed and outclassed by a hungry, young German team at the 2010 World Cup saw the patriots in the nation calling for his head. The Italian never recovered from this, despite a convincing qualification campaign for the European Championships and the emergence of Harry Hotspur as the fans favourite to take over even before Capello’s resignation meant the nation rejoiced on Tuesday at the news of the departure of Don Fabio, ironically the same day Harry Redknapp was cleared of being a tax fraud and again available to get back to management. The nation is certainly calling for an English manager to take charge, despite the fact that no club lead by an Englishman has ever won the Premier League title. Perhaps the greatest chance of success is then the upcoming Olympics, Englands only trophy was won nearly 50 years ago now in the same city the Olympics is taking place, and in this barren time of successful English managers at club level, two Scots have taken Premier League medals, one of course has dominated. So a Great British team, made up of English players, Scottish coaching staff and Gareth Bale could finally end our wait for, not a major trophy, but a trophy none the less.

Alex Bysouth.