Iron man Capello folds under pressure

When Fabio Capello sent his sidekick Franco Baldini to Dallas, Texas to watch David Beckham play for the LA Galaxy in a meaningless friendly game, we knew the very worst.

Fabio, the supposedly iron man, had succumbed to the pressure. We heard that Ruud Gullit, whose latest unlikely job is too coach the Galaxy, had assured England's manager that Beckham was fully fit to play for England. How could he in all honesty possibly talk such nonsense, when even the down market American MLS had not begun its programme?

So we were distressed rather than surprised when Capello announced his 30-man preliminary squad for tomorrow's friendly in Paris versus France to find Beckham among the names, that 100th cap coming one step nearer. This after a group of misguided bird brains, leaders of England supporters group, had come to Soho Square to beg Capello to give Beckham his cap.

Choosing him makes absolutely no tactical or practical sense. He is preferred to Aaron Lennon, the rapid little Spurs right winger who isn't picked for the senior party at all. Picked however is the excellent David Bentley who has been having such a fine season for Blackburn Rovers and would surely be the first choice. Also picked is the quick and talented Chelsea winger Shaun Wright Phillips. And properly picked is the just 19-year-old Theo Walcott who, in recent matches as a sub for Arsenal has come on to outside right late in the game and with speed and skill set up glorious chances against Milan. At the Emirates, Emmanuel Adebayor wasted them. But at the San Siro, after Walcott had left his Milan opponent for dead, all he had to do was to tap the precise cross in.

Comeback

Walcott, with that pace seems ideally for me a right winger though his Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger believes his future lies as a central striker. But any of these three would on objective grounds rather than sentimental ones come far ahead of the waning Beckham. Who could perhaps be given that unreserved 100th cap when the US come to Wembley on May 28.

Then there is the goal keeping question. Perhaps it was a little early to bring back the hugely gifted Ben Foster, whom I saw make remarkable comeback for Manchester United at Derby the weekend before last. He hasn't played since last May when, is splendid form for Watford, on loan from United, and already the possessor of deserved England cap, he was seriously injured. His performance at Derby, where he made two superb saves within a minute, would have been exceptional even had he not been out of action for so long. In the circumstances, it was phenomenal. But no he isn't in; instead, Capello has chosen Scott Carson. There may be one or two bright newcomers in the French team, but David Trezeguet has been given the cold shoulder again by the manager Raymond Domenech, despite all those goals he is scoring for Juventus. This because, it seems, he refused to play in the previous A international. But Nicolas Anelka, so often in and out of the French team, is in the squad.

It will be interesting to see if former hero Thierry Henry, so disappointing at Barcelona since his expensive move from Arsenal, is called upon.