Fabio as football leader - room for improvement?

The hype is over, the first game hangover is fading and we already have our scapegoat – it must be England playing at a major football (soccer) tournament!

While most of the British media has concentrated on Robert Green’s blunder, the slightly more concerning dip in form seems to be from a man who has, until very recently, put in a confident, no nonsense performance every time he has pulled on the shirt, or should I say the suit? Is Mr Capello’s halo starting to slip?

Managing any team can be tough, managing one in the glare of the national spotlight doubly so, which is why the appointment of Fabio Capello seemed like the perfect solution. Here was a man who had a proven track record as a winning manager, who believed in the psychological as well as the physical approach to the game, one who managed with authority and respect. And he’s certainly got many things right from a leadership perspective:

Discipline
Gone are the late nights, mobile phones, WAG’s (wives and girlfriends) and player cliques. By removing outside distractions and taking a firmer hand Capello has focused his players on the task at hand. This approach has obviously had a positive effect on the team as England uncharacteristically qualified for the World cup at a canter winning nine of their 10 games. Capello has, until very recently, been firm, fair and decisive and has not been afraid to make the tough calls or decisions. The players may not have liked the change this brought about but they have certainly respected it.

Built a team spirit and given his players confidence
“The manager is a strong manager and none of us want to let him down” - the words from England’s forward, Wayne Rooney, but they could have been lifted from any number of interviews with England players since Capello’s appointment. The players clearly enjoy playing for Capello. Part of the change in the team under his reign has been the confidence he has built, especially with some who were struggling to make their mark at international level. In his own words “It's more important to train the mind, to find confidence, create a group, create a winning mentality.” Capello knows that a winning team is more than just a collection of talented players, they need a winning mentality as well.

Recognised his mistakes and then taken action
Playing an unfit James Milner in the game on Saturday was a mistake that even the most rose tinted of fans would acknowledge. Any manager can make a mistake, what Fabio did well was to recognise this and then take swift, decisive action to rectify it.

For all of these positives, I’m afraid there is still room for improvement. In recent weeks we have started to see a different side to Mr Capello :

Poor communication skills
The media hype surrounding the captaincy, the announcement of the final 23 squad players via ‘tweets’ and the ill advised ‘Capello Index’ do not seem be Capello’s style. He may not have full influence over some of the announcements but he does seem to have made some poor choices recently in his presentation and handling of the media.

Indecision
No team should start a project if its members are unsure of their role. England have had plenty of time to select a goalkeeper for the World Cup and yet Capello went into the tournament seemingly undecided. If reports from the training ground are to be believed then Capello’s indecision looks to have done more harm than good. Capello needs to make a clear choice as soon as possible to end the uncertainty in the team and get their confidence back again.

Even with these recent blots on his copybook, I don’t believe we will see Signor Capello slumped listlessly on the bench or alone under his umbrella as England crash out of yet another tournament. First matches in major tournaments are not a good predictor for performance (as Italy will attest) and the USA game would have been won but for an unlucky piece of goalkeeping and some timid shooting at the other end (and the USA are no ‘mugs’ when it comes to international football having ended Spain’s 35 game unbeaten run). Capello’s record in club management and during qualifying speaks for itself. If he can get his communication and decision making back on track and rebuild the confidence in his goalkeepers then England will still be in with a chance of lifting the trophy on July 11th.

By Gary Cook, Group Systems Director at CHPD