England v Algeria: Capello continues to leave Green in the dark

Capello came under fire last week when he stuck rigidly to his mantra of not telling his players who the first-choice No 1 would be until two hours before the encounter with the United States, which ended in a 1-1 draw.

The move could be considered to have failed given Robert Green made the catastrophic blunder that cost England victory.

Having declined to offer Green his unequivocal backing in the immediate aftermath of his blunder, Capello then stated he wanted to assess the West Ham player's mental state before deciding whether to stick with the 30-year-old or replace him with either David James or Joe Hart.

But even after last night's final training session at the Green Point stadium, Capello refused to put Green out of his agony – and was adamant his way is the right way.

"You think so? Then you'd better take my place," countered Capello when asked whether it would be better for his chosen goalkeeper to have gone to bed last night knowing he was in.

"I have always used this method of telling the players. It is my way. I prefer not to change."

Capello then admitted it had not always been his way, that at the start of his time with

AC Milan he informed players of his team on the eve of the match.

"In my first year in management, I would tell the players if they were playing on the day before," recalled Capello, who celebrates his 64th birthday today.

"After dinner, I would speak with them. But three times someone got injured and it was difficult to get the other player ready to play. So I stopped. I have not done it since."

It means neither Green, James, or Hart know who will be attempting to keep Algeria out tonight as England look to build on that opening draw.

The clues to be gained from last night's final training session were contradictory.

James and Hart spent more time operating behind John Terry and Jamie Carragher but Green got twice as long to prove himself as he was the lone stopper at the other end.

Either way, Capello confirmed he still intends to hold a potentially pivotal chat with him today.

"When I chose Green it was a good moment for him," he said.

"He played very well in the first half against Mexico (in the penultimate warm-up match) and the outcome was good because usually you would lose the game after a mistake like that.

"But I have to choose the value of different players, not about their mistakes. For this reason, I have to justify the keeper."

Capello needs to get that, and other big decisions correct, unlike last week, even if the Italian does not accept he made any errors.

He talked up Emile Heskey, who partnered Wayne Rooney in direct opposition to Terry and Carragher yesterday evening, and then attempted to undermine Germany by picking apart their four-goal destruction of Australia, a win that provided Franz Beckenbauer with the moral high ground to deride England as a "kick and rush" team.

"I respect everyone's ideas but how many chances did we create against the USA?" said Capello. "But we didn't score.

"When you look at Germany, if the referee gives a penalty against them, perhaps their game would not have been the same.

"I hope we score goals (tonight) and take our chances."

Capello was more effusive with his praise of Argentina, who drubbed South Korea and are now virtually certain of their place in the last 16, yet even then he was able to pick out a pivotal moment, when South Korea could have equalised, to show what fine margins exist in the most prestigious tournament of all.

"If that game had gone to 2-2, we wouldn't be speaking about Argentina like we are," he said.

"But this is football. You have to score the goals at the best moments."

The other area in which Capello admitted yesterday he was considering a change was up front, with Heskey and Jermain Defoe vying to partner Rooney.

Capello is pleased with the form of Heskey but may opt for a different style against Algeria which could lead to Defoe being called up.

He said: "I think Heskey and Rooney played very well but I can change the style of the forward.

"I think Heskey is a very important player in terms of movement at this moment but Defoe is also important, like the other players. I have to choose."