Fabio Capello Back to the Drawing Board: England vs Slovenia

Ahead of England’s decisive showdown with Slovenia on 23 June, Fabio Capello is now back to the drawing board. Following his side’s dismal show in the opening fixtures against USA and Algeria, Capello appears to have decided to meet his players and talk about their performances.

Reports out in the media have surfaced that Capello could drop Emile Heskey from the starting line up for the must-win Slovenia encounter. While Rooney’s form has been a key issue for the coach, the Italian will also have to choose between Matthew Upson and Michael Dawson as the replacement of suspended Jamie Carragher to pair up with John Terry at the heart of the defense.

Wayne Rooney was not even close to his best in the first two matches and there are many who would suggest Capello to deploy Rooney as the lone striker with Gerrard playing just behind him. However, it looks less likely that Capello would consider those suggestions and put extra burden on the Manchester United striker who has been struggling for his scoring form since suffering an ankle injury towards the end of the last season.

Another issue is Capello’s habit of declaring his first eleven on the eve of a match resulting into creating extra pressure on the players. It would now be interesting to see if he does the same for the Slovenia match too.

There is a growing pressure on Capello to include Joe Cole in the starting line up following his impressive performance in the friendly matches. So, there is a possibility Joe Cole could play a part of the Slovenia showdown, either being in the starting eleven or as a substitute.

However, the question is how Capello would accommodate Joe Cole in his 4-men midfield with Barry playing the holding role. With Capello giving no hint of playing Rooney as the lone striker, it seems less likely that Joe Cole would start against Slovenia.