Let them eat cake!

Fabio Capello. Run of the mill or king of the hill?

He came to these shingle-infested shores with a glistening résumé at club level and was the autocratic leader that our plucked and premed beauty queens (exception of Rooney. Maybe Crouch.) desperately needed.

As England got off to a swirling success throughout the qualifiers we truly believed he was the best thing to come out of Italy since Ragu sauce. He was like your best mate that you share banter with, buy rounds with, even drunkenly hug and spill Chili sauce on your shoes with. Until you go away on holiday with them and their characteristics become almost intolerable.

It seems the totalitarian approach that we saw as our leader’s greatest attribute has now sunken to his greatest hindrance. The players seem bored and disinterested, their concentration levels appear lower than Blackpool’s wage structure, and they even seem tired and impotent in front of goal.

The lack of freedom and leniency appears to have not only affected morale but as a result the country’s hopes and dreams of success.

The latest victory against Slovenia (whose best player’s claim to fame was a West Brom substitute appearance several seasons ago) was far encouraging. The corner flag shenanigans towards the end may seem adequate in a game against Brazil, even France, but Slovenia?! We were simply hanging on.

Although this is a learning curve for a man whose previous glory has come predominantly at club level, the weight of expectations building up to this world cup was higher than Frank Lampard’s cholesterol. England expects. Capello needs to lighten up. I say let them eat cake.