Van der Sar: Capello wrong to leave keepers in suspense

Edwin van der Sar has criticised Fabio Capello for not telling his goalkeepers who was No.1 in the run-up to the World Cup.

The Manchester United keeper is convinced one of the reasons for England’s dismal exit from the tournament was Capello’s failure to tell David James, Rob Green and Joe Hart where they stood.

Van der Sar said: “There was some ­discussion about who was England’s No.1 going into the World Cup, but the situation never really seemed to be ­resolved.

“For myself, in my situation, if I was Robert Green, David James or Joe Hart I’d have wanted to know if I was the man or not. It seemed to be up in the air and maybe it was unsettling.”

However the veteran Dutchman thinks there was an over-reaction to the Green howler which gifted the United States their goal in the opener.

He added: “I don’t think Robert was the only keeper to have trouble during the World Cup. I know you must look at yourself first but situations can change – it was unlucky for England this time.”