English FA Demand Semi-Finals or Else. But Why?

You’d think the FA, the people who hired Steve McClaren, would be in no position to make demands about performance. But they’ve told Fabio Capello that he has to reach at least the semi-finals of World Cup 2010 or Euro 2012, ore he can look for another job.

Given that England are, as Laurie pointed out on The Offside, a quarterfinal team by tradition, and given that we didn’t even make it to Euro 2008, I’m thinking the FA need a healthy dose of realism.

Right now, the minimum requirement for Fabio Capello should be to get us to World Cup 2010. If he fails at that, then fire him. Fine.

The other question is: Why? Why make this demand? There’s already enough pressure on Capello. And do they think he’s not going to put in any effort in without the axe hanging over him? Maybe they think Capello will take us to the quarterfinals in 2010 and then decide “I’m bored” and go on a camping trip to the Algarve instead? It’s a pointless demand, because surely Capello wants to take England as far as he can.

So not only does this put extra pressure on Capello, it puts extra pressure on the FA too. Why reveal your plans? Why back yourself into a corner? What if England play the best football the world has ever seen between now and 2012 but lose both the 2010 and 2012 quartefinals on penalties. Maybe the FA would want to keep Capello in that situation, but their hand would be forced because they’d already sworn to sack him.