Bill Bridge: Friendly failings prove all is not so rosy in Capello's World Cup garden

Capello himself set the tone when he identified the key failing not only within the England squad but with the English game: "They have to be an example to the children, for all the fans," said the England manager. "For that reason they have to be careful all the time and make sacrifices in their lives. Young players, young boys, rich boys – this is the problem."

Another telling remark, though nowhere near as well enunciated, came from Wayne Rooney during the first half against Egypt, when England were not so much playing poorly as not playing at all.

By good fortune the TV camera had Rooney in close-up as he bellowed a "come on" exhortation to his colleagues after scampering back to help out a defence which was several times embarrassed by the speed and creativity of their opponents.

Rooney was clearly unconvinced that some of his colleagues were contributing as much as they might, a judgement backed by Capello at the interval when he began to make the changes which turned what might have been a shambles in to a success.

Afterwards there were sweet words from the manager with a hint of back-tracking here and there, not least about the goalkeeping position, from John Terry and from Frank Lampard but assertions that England are indeed on course for a successful World Cup this summer are at best premature.

There are too many worries for Capello to be able to think his groundwork has been successfully completed.

He has problems in goal, at right-back, left-back, centre-half, midfield and up front; apart from that everything is indeed fine.

It now appears Capello has changed his mind about his goalkeeper. Last summer his first choice was David James; now the hairy one has slipped down the order, due in part to a lack of fitness which prevented him playing a full part in training before the game with Egypt.

Even with James fully fit, we were always waiting for the next calamity to arrive. Now we have Robert Green in goal we simply do not know how good he is, or how good Joe Hart might be.

Neither has had the exposure they need at the highest level. England once boasted the best goalkeepers in the world; now we have to make do and mend.

The lengthy absence of Owen Hargreaves, whose career may be kick-started should he play for Manchester United this week, has left a gaping hole at right-back which neither Wes Brown nor, when he proves his fitness, Glen Johnson adequately fills.

Johnson will probably be the preferred choice should Hargreaves falter but his selection would mean that whoever plays on the right of midfield would have to be as much a defender as an attacker.

At centre-back there are doubts as to whether Rio Ferdinand's ailing back will allow him to prove to Capello that he is up to the challenge of a World Cup and while John Terry, leaving aside his off-the-field baggage, had a decent game against Egypt, his lack of pace was once again exposed and Matthew Upson looked short of international class.

Again, though, the alternatives are few. Gary Cahill and Jonathan Woodgate would have challenged had they been fit but it seems Capello will have to rely on the crock Ferdinand and the slowing-down Terry; a sorry state of affairs.

Midfield is a rather different issue; a case of quantity over quality. England started to tick on Wednesday when Michael Carrick took over from Lampard and they looked even better when James Milner, that rarity among English footballers in that he can play virtually anywhere and can actually kick the ball with both feet, came off the bench.

Carrick is the nearest England have to a playmaker with the vision to see a killer pass and the ability to complete it. England need him in midfield for starters.

Add Steven Gerrard on the left, Wright-Phillips, Walcott or Aaron Lennon on the right and a holding midfielder – Gareth Barry or Milner – and there is no room for Lampard.

Capello will be reluctant to make that call but we are constantly told he is hard-hearted enough, like Sir Alf Ramsey, to make tough decisions when necessary.

Finally there is the man to play alongside Rooney. Crouch made a solid case for himself against Egypt, even though his second goal should have been disallowed for off-side, and he offers much more than Emile Heskey, whose form is so in-and-out he struggles to hold down a place at Aston Villa.

But the impression remains that for all Crouch's goals and ability to hold the ball until support arrives, Capello still favours Heskey and after the squad have been together for a month Heskey will be as close as he can get to match fitness so will get the nod.

Capello has much to occupy his mind over the last few months of the season; the second half against Egypt was good but 45 minutes in a friendly does not make a successful World Cup campaign.

and another thing...

ENGLAND'S rugby hierarchy dropped themselves into a row with the extrovert Max Guazzini over their refusal to release James Haskell to play for Guazzini's Stade Francais on Saturday.

The Frenchman, who described England's action as "imprisonment", is insisting that from next season he will charge England 153,000 every time they refuse to release a player in future.

Quite why the furore blew up in the first place is an indictment of the present management of the England team. How much will Haskell have improved as a player having been stuck with Martin Johnson and his dullard advisors since the embarrassing performance against Ireland? Not a jot.

More boring drills, endless video-watching, tedious team talks and hours staring at the bedroom ceiling will have been the routine. It would have been far better for him to have a gallop in meaningful action, albeit risking injury, than suffer endless "focus" on Saturday's trip to Murrayfield.