Capello has reasons to hate friendlies

Fabio Capello has every right to lament the fact that this early in the season or to be exact pre-season, England must already face Holland on Wednesday in a friendly at Wembley.

But Fifa, surely in error here as in so much else, have decreed that this will be a calendar day for friendlies.

In mid season, it would be a most attractive fixture. Holland remain one of the strongest teams in the world, able — should they all be fit and willing, (you never do know with friendlies) — to call upon the likes of Arjen Robben, Wesley Sneijder — one of the football's highest earners — Robin Van Persie, Dirk Kuyt and Tottenham's Van der Vaart.

There could be, at anything like full strength, quick enough fire power in the team to give a recently far from concrete England defence a troubling time.

As the years creep by, neither Rio Ferdinand nor John Terry are the bulwarks they once were, and though the 19-year-old Phil Jones, so costly an acquisition for Manchester United from Blackburn Rovers, looks a centre back with a fine future, this might not be the ideal time for him to make his international debut. England, for much of the game, were a sorry sight last time out at Wembley against the Swiss, undone embarrassingly by a couple of Bernetta's skilled free kicks from the left.

It defied all logic that Capello should persist on the flank with the plainly off-form James Milner, while taking so long to bring on the effervescent Ashley Young, now of course at Manchester United from Aston Villa.

Awful miss

One recalls, too, that awful miss near the end by the England and Villa striker, Darren Bent, who does indeed get goals, but has seldom looked like an international centre forward.

Moreover, England, anything but overburdened in creative talent in the centre of midfield, won't have the precocious Jack Wilshere on parade, one of the sadly few English players capable of re-inventing the game.

Robben, operating with such flair and footwork on the right with his formidable left foot, would surely inhibit overlapping by Ashley Cole. While no midfield player of the moment is the equal of the ultra versatile, schemer and scorer, Wesley Sneijder, an added threat to the England defence.

It all rather depends on whether Holland are wholly serious. Scarcely serious has been the somewhat ludicrous episode of Newcastle United and Joey Barton. By the time you read this, he may or may not have gone from Gallowgate.

Newcastle, exasperated by his rebellious and intransigent behaviour, despite the fact that last season was the best by far he had ever had with the club, had actually gone as self-sacrificingly far as to give him a free transfer.

Though Barton, of course, has a record of violence, including a prison sentence, as long as your arm; there is no doubt of his midfield abilities.

The writer is a football expert based in England.