Germany - The price we have to pay for Capello's folly!

So now we know the consequence of Capello's folly. And I'm not just talking about his team selection for the Algeria game. But let's start there.

We finished second because we could not beat Algeria. And why was that? Because Capello picked the wrong team, with Emile Heskey leading the line against a team who we were expected to put three goals past. Now I'm not talking about anything clever here. Capello could have stuck with his 4-4-2 and teamed Lampard, Gerrard and Barry in any midfield combination he chose, none of that would have mattered. All he had to do was play somebody up front who could score - be it Crouch or Defoe.

Tell me, outside of Capello, was there anybody in the country who fancied Emile to lead the line against the Algerians? Heskey misses open goals for fun in a Villa shirt, never mind at international level, whilst Crouch scores at a rate of better than a goal every two games when playing for England. Picking Heskey for the game was like casting Susan Boyle in Pretty Woman - absolutely perverse. And we got what Capello deserved for arrogant stupidity.

But did he learn? Some will argue yes, because didn't he start Defoe ahead of Heskey for today's game? Well yes he did, but when we were leading 1-0 and needed another goal to nail down top spot, what did Capello do? Did he turn to Crouch, a guy who regularly comes off the bench to score in the last 20 minutes of a game? Did he heck as like! Against the might of Slovenia, the 4th smallest nation ever to compete in the World Cup finals, he sent on Emile Heskey to "hold up the ball and take the pressure off the defence"!

What a load of yellow bellied bollocks! And whilst Milner and Cole fannied around keeping the ball in the corner of the pitch, ticking down the clock, the USA scythed through the Algerian defence and netted the goal that enabled them to finish top of the group and sidestep Germany.

Listening to Shearer after the game, you would think we had just won the World Cup. But, in truth, we had bottled it for the third game in a row. We missed three gilt edged chances and, when we had the opportunity to take Destiny by her throat, we elected to grab hold of her by the pigtail instead, allowing the mighty USA to elbow us to one side in the process.

Capello and the players celebrated after the game like the idiots they are. In the circumstances, the 1-0 victory was, in fact, a shameful defeat and further testimony of Capello's flawed tactics and team selection in this tournament.