Comments on: Capello, the Mafia, and England http://www.runofplay.com/2008/02/07/capello-the-mafia-and-england/ Attacking Football Thu, 11 Mar 2010 13:43:33 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: A. http://www.runofplay.com/2008/02/07/capello-the-mafia-and-england/comment-page-1/#comment-606 A. Tue, 12 Feb 2008 02:00:32 +0000 http://www.runofplay.com/2008/02/07/capello-the-mafia-and-england/#comment-606 Make the team boring? I didn't see anything less boring from Capello's first game in charge than the usual stuff under Erikson or McClaren. Neither did I see anything really ground breaking either to be honest. Sometimes teams just don't have the players to play like the fans want. Make the team boring? I didn't see anything less boring from Capello's first game in charge than the usual stuff under Erikson or McClaren.

Neither did I see anything really ground breaking either to be honest. Sometimes teams just don't have the players to play like the fans want.

]]> By: Brian http://www.runofplay.com/2008/02/07/capello-the-mafia-and-england/comment-page-1/#comment-596 Brian Mon, 11 Feb 2008 13:53:05 +0000 http://www.runofplay.com/2008/02/07/capello-the-mafia-and-england/#comment-596 Daryl, that's an an excellent point and one that I short-sightedly hadn't thought of. It's especially worrying given that the groundwork has already been laid by Martin Samuel and others for complaints that Capello will make the team boring; easy to spin that out into a story about excessively rigid discipline, etc. Well, maybe he'll win enough matches to keep it from becoming an issue. Otherwise, at least Capello himself (unlike McClaren) won't care what's written about him. But will the FA start to panic if the press slips the leash? You know at some point a disgruntled player is going to try to sow discord through the media. Daryl, that's an an excellent point and one that I short-sightedly hadn't thought of. It's especially worrying given that the groundwork has already been laid by Martin Samuel and others for complaints that Capello will make the team boring; easy to spin that out into a story about excessively rigid discipline, etc.

Well, maybe he'll win enough matches to keep it from becoming an issue. Otherwise, at least Capello himself (unlike McClaren) won't care what's written about him. But will the FA start to panic if the press slips the leash? You know at some point a disgruntled player is going to try to sow discord through the media.

]]> By: daryl http://www.runofplay.com/2008/02/07/capello-the-mafia-and-england/comment-page-1/#comment-595 daryl Mon, 11 Feb 2008 06:33:18 +0000 http://www.runofplay.com/2008/02/07/capello-the-mafia-and-england/#comment-595 I worry about how this sort of typecasting presents problems for Capello later on. Right now this Disciplinarian Don persona fits perfectly with what the England team needs, especially after the Sven/McClaren era when names meant more than form and player discipline was a joke. But now they've essentially typecast Capello, they'll use it as a stick to beat him with when things go wrong. He's too strict, he's not giving the players freedom to express themselves etc. I remember the whole "Ice cool Swede" with Sven, and how that was a positive after Kevin Keegan got all emotional and quit in the toilets. But it wasn't long before they were berating Sven for not showing enough passion on the sidelines. I worry about how this sort of typecasting presents problems for Capello later on. Right now this Disciplinarian Don persona fits perfectly with what the England team needs, especially after the Sven/McClaren era when names meant more than form and player discipline was a joke.

But now they've essentially typecast Capello, they'll use it as a stick to beat him with when things go wrong. He's too strict, he's not giving the players freedom to express themselves etc.

I remember the whole "Ice cool Swede" with Sven, and how that was a positive after Kevin Keegan got all emotional and quit in the toilets. But it wasn't long before they were berating Sven for not showing enough passion on the sidelines.

]]> By: Brian http://www.runofplay.com/2008/02/07/capello-the-mafia-and-england/comment-page-1/#comment-594 Brian Mon, 11 Feb 2008 02:10:06 +0000 http://www.runofplay.com/2008/02/07/capello-the-mafia-and-england/#comment-594 Thanks, Pep, I'm glad you enjoyed the post. There's something a little troubling about the extent to which Mafia comparisons have become signs of affection and approval in the anglophone media, but I'm for anything as long as it helps the English football press give Capello time to work. Thanks, Pep, I'm glad you enjoyed the post. There's something a little troubling about the extent to which Mafia comparisons have become signs of affection and approval in the anglophone media, but I'm for anything as long as it helps the English football press give Capello time to work.

]]> By: Pep http://www.runofplay.com/2008/02/07/capello-the-mafia-and-england/comment-page-1/#comment-571 Pep Sat, 09 Feb 2008 14:26:46 +0000 http://www.runofplay.com/2008/02/07/capello-the-mafia-and-england/#comment-571 Well written and insighful. As an Italian i wonder how Cappello is being percieved. We all have our filters and bring our own experiences to make value judgemnts. Well written and insighful. As an Italian i wonder how Cappello is being percieved. We all have our filters and bring our own experiences to make value judgemnts.

]]> By: Daily Dose 2.8.08 - World Cup Blog - African Cup of Nations 2008 http://www.runofplay.com/2008/02/07/capello-the-mafia-and-england/comment-page-1/#comment-554 Daily Dose 2.8.08 - World Cup Blog - African Cup of Nations 2008 Fri, 08 Feb 2008 15:02:36 +0000 http://www.runofplay.com/2008/02/07/capello-the-mafia-and-england/#comment-554 [...] English media create a lovable dictator (The Run of Play) [...] [...] English media create a lovable dictator (The Run of Play) [...]

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