Capello: Early goal will open floodgates
ENGLAND head coach Fabio Capello has urged his side to keep the notoriously expectant Wembley crowd off their backs by scoring an early goal against Andorra tonight.
That has proved beyond England in their last two meetings with the minnows; a goalless first half famously provoked a barracking from frustrated supporters in Barcelona in 2007.
Hostility from their own fans has also been evident at England’s home clashes, with defender Ashley Cole booed during October’s 5-1 drubbing of Kazakhstan.
And although a Tube strike is set to reduce the Wembley crowd for tonight’s World Cup qualifier, Capello is anxious for his team to relieve pressure by opening the floodgates as quickly as possible.
“Football is not like other sports – when you defend all the time, sometimes you can draw,” said the Italian. “That is what happened in the first half in Andorra and we had to wait another 20 minutes in the second to score the first goal. On Wednesday I hope we score quickly. After one goal, you can play without pressure.”
Arsenal winger Theo Walcott is yet to rediscover his best form since returning from a dislocated shoulder in March and was taken off after 45 lukewarm minutes in Saturday’s 4-0 win over Kazakhstan. But Capello remains a huge admirer of the 20-year-old and is expecting him to play a pivotal role in unpicking Andorra’s massed defensive ranks.
“Theo will be very important because we have to attack,” Capello added. “Wide areas are very important because they are places where one man can go directly against another. He has been training very well and he needs to play.”
Victory this evening will virtually guarantee England’s place at next summer’s World Cup finals. It would also be a seventh win from seven group games, and that record has fuelled captain John Terry’s hopes of lifting the trophy in South Africa.
“I dream of emulating what Bobby Moore did,” said Terry. “That’s been the case ever since I was growing up and now I’m England captain and things are going well for us.”