Advertisement

Help
You are here: Rediff Home » India » Sports » Football » Reuters > Report
Search:  Rediff.com The Web
Advertisement
  Discuss this Article   |      Email this Article   |      Print this Article

Capello upset with goal options, eyes Hart
Get Sports updates:What's this?
Advertisement
February 18, 2008 22:04 IST

England [Images] coach Fabio Capello has bemoaned a lack of goalkeeping talent at his disposal, saying on Monday it forced him to bring back goalkeeper David James.

The Portsmouth keeper, who lost his England place under Sven Goran Eriksson, returned to the lineup for Capello's first game in charge this month when England beat Switzerland [Images] 2-1 in a friendly at Wembley.

Former number one Paul Robinson is not playing for Tottenham Hotspur after a loss of form while Aston Villa's Scott Carson produced a howler when England lost 3-2 at home to Croatia in November and failed to qualify for Euro 2008 [Images].

Manchester United's Ben Foster has been talked up in the media but is injured. Capello hinted the future may lie with Manchester City's Joe Hart, the England under-21 goalkeeper.

"Only 38 percent of the players are English. The pool is reduced. I have had to reinstate a 37-year-old goalkeeper but I have spotted one in the Under-21's who is very interesting," Capello told Italy's [Images] Radio Anch'io.

Manchester United youth player Tom Heaton and Joe Lewis of League Two (fourth division) Peterborough were the other keepers in Under-21 coach Stuart Pearce's last squad.

Capello's comments came a day after James saved a penalty in Portsmouth's 1-0 FA Cup fifth round win at Preston North End.

Despite the restricted choice of players and an overbearing media, Capello is enjoying England.

"Their culture is extraordinarily beautiful. The stadiums are always full, they give their utmost but it is always in the correct way. The referees let the game run in contrast to Italy where the play is constantly broken up," he said.

"But certainly the media pressure is heavy, particularly on the national coach," he joked.

Fellow Italian Giovanni Trapattoni will come up against the Azzurri in World Cup 2010 qualifying after being appointed the new Ireland coach. Capello said he would have no qualms if England played his home country.

"I would like to face Italy in South Africa, it would mean we had qualified for the World Cup," he said.



© Copyright 2008 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon.
 Email this Article      Print this Article

© 2008 Rediff.com India Limited. All Rights Reserved. Disclaimer | Feedback