How England became the biggest WC laughing stocks, by Terry Butcher

By Terry Butcher

Published 23:31 03/07/10

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You can forget France and ignore Italy.

The prize for the biggest laughing stock at this World Cup has been won by ­England.

Everybody must take one look at our international set-up both on and off the field and shake their heads in ­bewilderment.

How can FIFA even ­contemplate giving the ­biggest tournament on the planet to our FA in 2018?

The shambles on the pitch is remarkably mirrored by the governing body’s calamitous leadership off it, with a fortune spent on an overpriced Wembley and unsuccessful and failed foreign managers.

If it wasn’t so serious we would all be joining in the laughter, but there are so many cracks in English ­football it’s difficult to know where to start.

Let’s begin with the manager, who received Friday’s vote of confidence.

I believe Capello is seriously damaged goods with the fans and particularly with the ­players.

The players saw him ­compromise his beliefs when under major pressure from results and egos within the squad.

Capello made fatal mistakes in tactics before and during the tournament and questions must be asked about the ­preparation of the players in Austria prior to flying to South Africa as no one appeared sharp, fit or energetic at any time.

Also, he failed to recognise the steadily growing divisions between the different groups of players that led to obvious disharmony, details of which are now emerging on a daily basis.

Postman Pat should have gone to Specsavers!

The ridiculous cancellation of the escape clause in ­Capello’s contract that created the potential £12million ­pay-out from an early termination of his deal undoubtedly saved his skin. But he will have to alter his modus operandi drastically and come up with something fresh and ­different for the Euro 2012 qualifiers in September.

It will be very interesting to see the make-up of the new squad and how the old guard react to being back with Capello again after the trauma of South Africa.

He has promised to make changes – but, please, not down the Bobby Zamora route!

Can those who failed in the World Cup ever have respect for the manager again? Or will Capello win them over with his diverse approach?

If Postman Pat does not ­deliver a new package he will surely be treated as ­second class by the squad, young and old.

England now need a man who can bring together a group that is so dis-united it makes the title Team England look like a sick joke.

The majority of this ­wretched squad are serious major tournament bottlers with previous form.

Look at Japan 2002, Portugal 2004 and Germany 2006, not to mention the Croatia ­calamities in the Euro 2008 qualifiers.

The “pass the captain’s ­armband” farce has seriously undermined the dynamics of the group because there ­appears to be two cliques.

One supported John Terry, which includes many southern-based players, the other came mainly from players with northern teams. They’re behind Steven Gerrard.

I did not believe I’d ever witness such a disruptive attitude in an England side, but it was evident that any team spirit that had ­previously existed had been left behind before departure to South ­Africa.

No wonder there appeared to be a lack of fight and effort; too much energy had been spent on petty squabbles and in-fighting.

Now is the right time to bring in some fresh new young faces and restore the honour of representing the Three Lions.

Major surgery is necessary to rid this squad of the ­diseased egos that have ­ravaged the once-healthy body of the qualifiers.

Germany have shown us the way; two Finals and one ­semi-final in the last four ­tournaments are an indication of continuity and character despite having a relatively poor standard of squads.

If the FA was a Stock ­Exchange quoted company whose success and performance was measured over the last 20 years, then the Board of Directors would be facing the sack.

England’s “brand” has fallen off the radar, yet the members of the countless committees that make up the FA are so entrenched in their own little empires within the organisation that it would take a well-organised military operation to winkle out these blazers from their hiding places.

Many within the FA like to have the power, but no one wants to take responsibility.

We never understand how decisions are taken and by whom, and never why such a choice was made.

It’s like having the lunatics in charge of the asylum – now that is a laugh.

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