Anyone notice the smile on Capello’s face this week ?

April 11th, 2010 | by: SoccerLimey | View Comments

Following the untimely exit of Man Utd at the hands of a disciplined Bayern Munich side in midweek, it seemed certain to be a somewhat depressing end of season for many England fans. No teams left in the Champions League and the Premier League title almost certainly on it’s way to Stamford Bridge, you could be forgiven for thinking that the 60 days we have left before the World Cup gets under way might be anxious ones, unless you happen to be Fabio Capello.

One of Capello’s major concerns in preparing for South Africa has always been the constant threat of tiredness and burnout from his star players. Consistently strong Champions League performances from Chelsea, Man Utd, Arsenal and Liverpool have, in previous years, stretched the stamina of the likes of Wayne Rooney, Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard, John Terry and Rio Ferdinand who represent the backbone of the England team, especially when it came to tournament performances for the National team.

For a while,it looked as if some of these players may not even be available to join up with the squad on May 17th as the Champions League Final would still be 5 days away. However, with no team from England left in the Champions League, and only Liverpool and Fulham left in the Europa Cup, Capello must be thinking he’s won the lottery. Gone are the repetitive high pressure games that seem to plague England players at this time of the year. With an injury to Wayne Rooney looking to be just a minor issue and the Premier League almost done and dusted, it appears that for the first time in many years that we will have a fresh squad of players going to a major tournament.

Of course, there is no guarantee that a fully rested squad performs any better than any other, but it means that tiredness can be crossed off the list of excuses for below par performances this time around. Even the players are recognizing the benefits of some rest before things get serious again in late May.

I was always told as a boy that every cloud has a silver lining. Maybe this is it.

One final comment following the Man City vs Birmingham City game today. Can we please stop with the calls to select Kevin Phillips to be on the plane in June ? C’mon people, he’s always had a knack for scoring , but sitting on Birmingham’s bench at the ripe old age of 36 is hardly preparing him for a World Cup. Adam Johnson, however, would definitely have a seat if I had a vote.