Fabio Capello is another Alf Ramsay says Sir Bobby Charlton

SIR BOBBY Charlton has given Fabio Capello the highest possible accolade by insisting the England boss is another Sir Alf Ramsey.

And the 1966 legend believes the Italian coach can emulate Ramsey's great achievement by guiding the national team to another World Cup triumph.

Charlton, who scored a record 49 goals for his country, has been hugely impressed by Capello's start to the qualification campaign.

England have won all four of their opening matches - including a stunning 4-1 triumph in Croatia - and are well on course to reach the South Africa finals in 2010.

"Fabio Capello is just like Alf Ramsey," said Charlton. "He knows exactly what he wants. He knows how to win. He has a plan and a system.

"Like Alf, he is the boss. He sees the long-term picture like Alf. From the very first time I met him, Alf made sure that I - and the other players - knew who was boss. Capello is like that.

"He is direct and sure of himself. He doesn't confuse the players, no more than Alf did.

"And he always makes it clear when he is not satisfied. That's what players need, and what they really want.

"He is strong and like Alf he has got great discipline. At a meeting there's no 'in one ear out the other'.

"He's very careful in his handling of club-national matters and he's everywhere. He's curious and always interested in the players' backgrounds."

As a loyal and patriotic Englishman, Charlton - whose autobiography, My England Years, has just been released - has always talked up the national team, even when thinking they were on the wrong track.

But this is the first time he has truly believed they can actually win the world's greatest tournament.

Not only does he view Capello as a kindred spirit to Sir Alf, he also insists the present England line-up is as good as the heroic side that beat West Germany at Wembley 42 years ago.

He said: "Over the years I have said England have had a chance of winning it but that's because I was trying to be loyal.

"But I haven't really meant it. We've never had the perfect team. I've never thought any team has been good as the side I was in.

"This time it's different. Capello knows what to do. He knows our history.

"He's single-minded and he's only interested in winning, not making friends. If you're winning, everything else falls into place.

"We were as good as we were because of Alf. He had us believing we'd win the World Cup from the day he took the job.

"He got a system, and the quality of players he wanted. I've no doubt that Capello's plan is in the minds of the players already.

"I don't just think we will do well in South Africa. I think we will win the World Cup.

"It's not a perfect team by any means. There are still a couple of positions that can be improved on. But this is as good a team as the 66 one.

"Bobby Robson got them to the semi-finals in 1990. But in South Africa, we can win it. There's a lot of support in that country for England."

Under Capello, who celebrates a year in charge next month, England have returned to the top 10 in the FIFA world rankings.

So they go to Berlin for the Germany friendly in great heart - to play a fixture that brings back poignant memories for Sir Bobby.

Apart from 1966 and all that, Charlton's international career is associated with another World Cup game against the West Germans.

Most people believe that Ramsey's 1970 team would have successfully defended the Jules Rimet Trophy, or at least reached the final, had the manager not substituted Charlton in the quarter-final against Franz Beckenbauer's men.

"I've never thought that was as decisive as people say," he protested, loyal to the last. "Alf had brought me off a few times before that and I understood why he did it.

"I was the oldest player and there was the heat and altitude. He apologised afterwards, though. He was a true gentleman."

* The second volume of Sir Bobby Charlton's autobiography, My England Years, is published by Headline.