His English was better than the media made out. His results were certainly better. The performances....well, they weren't that good, in fact at times I wondered why I bothered to make the awkward and crowded journey to the anus of London that is Wembley. But at least I had respect for Fabio Capello.
From the days of Football Italia on Channel 4, with his great Milan team getting one-nil up and then playing for the clean sheet, to his titles at real despite all the hysteria around him and then an England debut that saw a 4-3-2-1 formation and a Jermaine Jenas goal. The fall outs with Paolo Di Canio, the van Basten-Gullit-Rijkaard trio, Baresi, Hierro, Rob Green, the names go on.
Fabio had a plan. He was in charge, it was his way or the highway. He had the trophies, the reputation, the personality to get a dysfunctional and under-achieving England team to a semi final or better, and it started so well.
England wanted to control possession. They weren't looking to be Barcelona or Spain incarnate, they still retained their innate Englishness - power, physicality, team work and organisation - but they would actually keep the ball on the floor for more than three seconds. They attempted to play out the back, to show some movement in midfield. Rooney and Gerrard swapped positions, Walcott attacked down the right (sometimes), England were starting to look good.
And then the distractions/excuses. The captain issue. The Wembley fear factor. John Terry/Wayne Bridge. The captain issue. The ball at the World Cup. Wayne Rooney's ankle. The remote training camp. Rob Green's error. Wayne Rooney's post match outburst. Lampard's 'goal' against Germany. Wayne Rooney's red card. John Terry's alleged racist outburst. The captain issue.
Capello had battled through them all, with varying degrees of success, but when the FA stripped John Terry of the captain's armband Capello decided to become a quitter. We can argue whether the FA did the right thing, and Capello will no doubt feel aggrieved he was not consulted, but similarly it can be argued that he had no need to get involved. The FA made a decision, they are responsible for the fall out. Capello just had to select the best team he could and see how well he could do.
If he succeeded against all odds then he could take the plaudits and shove all the foreigner bashing down the media's throats. If he lost he could blame the FA (on top of the balls, the weather, the Premier League season etc etc). But instead he has taken the coward's way out and left England in the lurch.
We will not know the full facts for months no doubt, but the FA's decision was hardly a torpedo in the side of Team England. Capello could have carried on easily - one game against Holland, then the training camp for Euro 2012. It would all soon be over. If the FA had banned Terry from contention would Capello have stayed?
His managerial ability is in no doubt but if I met Capello in the street I would not want to sit down and talk to the man. Perhaps the FA affronted his principles, but for me what could turn out to be Capello's last decision in football was the choice of a coward, and for that I lose all respect for him.
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