From brolly to Bolly: what a difference a good manager makes. As Fabio Capello masterminded the destruction of Croatia, as the champagne corks popped and a jubilant Wembley let loose its delight at reaching the World Cup, the memory of Steve McClaren clutching his umbrella as Slaven Bilic’s side won here two years ago was consigned to history.
The future looks promising indeed under Capello, who has invigorated a group of players that grew demoralised under McClaren’s lacklustre leadership.
How Wembley loved it, as Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard both scored twice, Wayne Rooney added another and the outstanding Aaron Lennon led Croatia’s defenders a merry dance.
How the England football family revelled in it, former captains like Bryan Robson and Alan Shearer standing to salute the latest generation charged with ending 44 years of hurt. How the Football Association money men clapped their hands in glee; qualification for a tournament is usually estimated to be worth £100 million to English football. Even the Government will benefit from an additional £1 billion of revenue gushing into the dried-up river of the economy. TV show-rooms and off-licences can expect a bumper summer.
Capello’s impact is phenomenal. The Italian has got England footballers believing again, has sent fans racing to assorted websites snapping up tickets for South Africa. Before kick-off, 45,000 World Cup tickets had been sold to residents of the UK, mainly English, and that number could now double after England qualified in such style.
Inevitably, the country will jettison all sense of perspective, ignoring the quality of Spain, Brazil, Germany and Holland as punters rush to bookmakers to place substantial wedges on England returning from Johannesburg with the trophy that most fixates the nation.
Fortunately, as all around him people were losing their head, Capello kept his. He has been to a World Cup before, the 1974 affair in Germany, and knows the difficulties. He has seen the flaws in his improving England side that still need eradicating, the defensive slips by Glen Johnson and Robert Green that allowed Croatia their late consolation through Eduardo.
The prince of pragmatism, Capello will not get carried away. An instructive cameo was staged after the final whistle: John Terry marched across to celebrate with Capello, stuck out a hand and then moved to give his manager an English-style bear-hug. The Italian was having none of it. Capello is Terry’s manager, not his mate.
And that is why he has such an effect on them. McClaren tried to be chummy. Capello keeps his distance, proving utterly ruthless with those who fail to take their opportunity like Shaun Wright-Phillips, Joleon Lescott and Carlton Cole, all disappointing against Slovenia on Saturday, all failing to make even the bench last night.
The determination of Capello’s chosen ones was inescapable, starting in the tunnel where they stared ahead, utterly focused, aware that the eyes of the nation were upon them. Even Capello, lining up behind them, instinctively stretched his leg muscles before stepping out in a stadium where he once scored for Italy.
Bilic proffered the hand of peace, following their disagreement in the build-up, which Capello took coldly and briefly, cutting short Bilic’s attempt at conversation. England’s manager wanted his players’ football to do the talking.
They did not let him down. Fast out of the traps, pressing hard and high up the field, Lennon, Lampard, Gerrard, Rooney and Emile Heskey tore into Bilic’s men. The tempo was good, the
4-2-3-1 tactics spot-on. Croatia were forced on the back-foot, pummelled by the combinations put together by hungry hosts brimming with quick footwork and fluid movement.
Croatia have choked on English vapour trails before in this qualifying campaign, on the chaos caused by the dashing raider Theo Walcott in Zagreb. Here it was Lennon, startling Croatia’s defence with a turn of pace that the watching Usain Bolt must have admired.
The Tottenham attacker got the party started early, speeding past Nikola Pokrivac and gliding past Josip Simunic, who inexplicably tripped him. Penalty. No question. No need for Uefa intervention. And no chance of Vedran Runje saving, Lampard placing the ball expertly into the net.
England were rampant. Gareth Barry, embodying England’s ebullience, let fly from 25 yards, denied only by Runje. Wembley roared its approval, thrilling to the adventure of the men in white, admiring the intelligent way Capello’s players kept the team shape. Bewitched by England’s football, the fans even forgot to boo Eduardo. Briefly.
One became two after 18 minutes via a direct goal that showed England have not lost their “Englishness’’ under Capello whatever Bilic might believe. Two Merseysiders, Rooney and Gerrard, linked up effortlessly in midfield, men from the same city on the same wavelength, the Liverpool captain soon sweeping the ball wide to Lennon.
This time, the winger varied his approach, taking two touches before lifting in a cross which Gerrard headed firmly home. As Wembley celebrated, there continued to be so much to admire in Lennon’s contribution, notably the way he darted back to help out Johnson, dispossessing Daniel Pranjic, frustrating Croatia.
The scoreboard could have carried a tennis score by the break. Runje, the excellent Lens keeper, saved Lampard’s fizzing 30-yard free-kick, parried shots from Lennon and Heskey before diving at Heskey’s feet. No matter.
England went through the gears again after the break. Johnson ran on to Gerrard’s firm pass, eluded Pranjic and cut the ball back for Lampard to score with a measured header. England were heading to South Africa in every sense, Gerrard nodding in Rooney’s hoisted cut-back.
Although Eduardo exploited hesitancy in England’s defence, a horrendous
mis-kick from Runje gifted Rooney a chance he drilled home. Finally Capello’s granite features broke into a smile. First mission accomplished. He will demand much more.
– Henry Winter l Telegraph