Midfield Woes Just One of the Problems in Capello's Grand Plan

The 2-2 draw with the Czech Republic ought to provoke a cosmopolitan interest in football abroad. English minds should suddenly teem with a curiosity about other midweek friendlies. Ukraine beat Poland 1-0. Belarus held a weakened Argentina line-up to a 0-0 draw in Minsk and Croatia came from behind twice to win 3-2 in Slovenia. England's rivals in the 2010 World Cup qualifiers need to be treated with renewed respect.

Fabio Capello's side now look as if they could be at risk, particularly on their travels. Group 6 itself got underway with Kazakhstan's 3-0 defeat of Andorra. Only the last look unable to protect themselves and England will be glad that their own program opens with a game against them in Barcelona. This, in essence, is a friendly with three points attached.

At Wembley the Czechs outplayed England. There had been faith that Capello would get far more out of these footballers. He may do so in the long run but it was troubling to see how little difference he had made at the close of his fifth match. Capello was familiarized with booing at the national stadium, though it probably sound much like derision at the Bernabéu and other places of work.

The manager should care more about a broken-backed display. It reflected poorly on his reputation as the arch-organiser recruited to instill an efficiency that disappeared under Steve McClaren. No one was ready for the bumbling at Wembley or for the fact that Capello was, in part, the cause of it. He quibbled afterwards by complaining that Steven Gerrard had not, as alleged, been on the left.

Few had really mistaken the Liverpool captain for a winger but it is true that he was usually in a narrow left position. Capello could protest that Gerrard ought to flourish there. It is a conventional stratagem to have a midfielder cutting inside from that area and on to his stronger foot as he makes for the heart of the opposition's defence.

For whatever reason, though, Gerrard does not thrive in such schemes. In order to clear a space for him in the middle, Frank Lampard would have to be dropped. Capello, though, is not given to doubting himself and, if anything was likely to preserve the Chelsea player's place in the line-up, it was the jeering. The manager is unaccustomed to taking his orders from the crowd.

At Wembley we had an insight into how he handles criticism. Wider topics were ignored as Capello focused on temporary hindrances. To him it was injuries or illness that temporarily hampered individuals. "I think [Wayne] Rooney, Gerrard and the other players that are not in a perfect condition physically will be very important," he argued. "The movement of Rooney and the work that he does every game is very important."

No one is actually reconciled to the idea that the Manchester United player will justify himself as an honest trier. Rooney has not scored for his country since last October and seldom dismantles defenses for his team-mates either. The more he ran on Wednesday the further he got from the heart of the game. Here, again, is exactly the sort of problem the FA expects to be solved by a tactician of Capello's renown.

He is in no mood for a fresh start. David Beckham poses a delicate issue as someone who can still hit lethal deliveries but, at 33, looks as if he suspects someone has lengthened the pitch as a prank. The former captain was far out of position when the Czechs exploited space on his wing to set up their first goal. Again, Capello does not seem of a mind to take drastic action by, for example, fielding David Bentley in his place.

The manager has a conservative nature and was unyielding in his support of the men chosen. "Beckham," he said, "played not only because he can take set pieces and free-kicks but because he plays well. That is why for me he is in the team. Beckham, Terry, Ferdinand are all the same. If they don't play well, they will not play."

The manager was encouraged by the fact that the team persevered and equalized through Joe Cole in stoppage time. He also argued that, contrary to most people's opinion, international football is at a higher level than the club version, presumably including the Champions League. This claim was his means of being protective of the squad.

Some, he did imply, had worried him. References to the Czechs' success on the counter-attack reflected badly on the defensive midfielder Gareth Barry. The Aston Villa player had a sorrowful evening and may be replaced by Manchester United's Owen Hargreaves, in the event that the latter is fit. Capello was candid about the impact on Barry of the so far stymied move to Anfield. "At the moment the Liverpool situation means he is not at his best," the manager admitted.

The midfielder's selection for England could be at risk in the short terrm but few others live in fear. Capello has made up his mind that the players he favors have the experience to cope. We will learn whether he is right in Zagreb on September 10.