Capello risks rift with players by passing buck for World Cup fiasco

LONDON - Fabio Capello’s refusal to accept responsibility for England’s defeat in the World Cup in South Africa and blaming the players’ neuroses for it, is likely to have a telling impact on his efforts to rebuild his team’s confidence, and the players confidence in him.

If Capello loses the dressing room, he’s history.

According to Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard, Ashley Cole, John Terry and the rest of those who sloped home from the World Cup in disgrace will surely not tolerate the manager making them - and a Uruguayan linesman - the sole scapegoats for a campaign that culminated in such carnage.

On Monday, Capello apologised to the fans but heaped criticism on the players.

“The mind of the players is key to everything. The pressure for the World Cup is really important. At the end of the season we were tired for everything. There was a big problem with the physical situation,” Capello was quoted, as saying.

Capello’s point was that England require a more relaxed build-up, the closest he came to admitting that his pre-World Cup monastic retreat in Austria had simply added to the players’ exhausted nature.

Asked whether he still retained the faith of the players, Capello answered: “I think so because always the players play very well. In World Cup qualification, yes. We won a lot of games. We lose one very important game. Probably, if the referee had whistled for the [Frank Lampard] goal [against Germany], it’s possible it would have changed the World Cup.” But how do you rebuild players’ minds by excoriating the referee? (ANI)