If Capello wants to know where to start when choosing his squad for the Euro 2012 qualifiers he should look at the example of Sven Goran-Eriksson.
After fake sheikhs, FA secretaries, the 2006 World Cup circus it's easy to forget how brightly Eriksson started as England manager in 2001. Let's remember where England were. Kevin Keegan had resigned as following a 1-0 defeat to Germany with a side that contained Adams, Keown, Le Saux and Andy Cole. Keegan had become a somewhat discredited figure following the Euro 2000 campaign. A campaign which started the trend of overinflated expectations followed by a damp squib as soon as the players started to kick a ball. The fallout contained rumours of inner cliques, card schools and Kevin Philliips attributing his failure to start to his lack of interest in golf.
Move forward ten years and this all begins to sound all too familiar - an inner clique of senior players, past their sellbuy date and immersed in their own complacency.
Acting as caretaker manager, the underated Peter Taylor paved the way for Eriksson's first game after taking a young team to a friendly with Italy. Eriksson's first squad selection shut down the card school and brought in, amongst others, Rio Ferdinand, Nicky Butt and Frank Lampard for a 3-0 win against Spain.
Now it is time for Capello to follow suit and consign the "golden generation" to the lucrative world of media punditry and after dinner speaking. Out should go Terry, Lampard, Heskey, Barry and Beckham. In should come en masse players from the U21 squad including Wilshere, Johnson, Gibbs, Walcott, Carroll and Taylor. If they aren't regulars to their respective clubs so what? At least they will be fresh and will see playing for England as a step up. The U21 side needs to be viewed as youth team for the England side where good performances merit inclusion into the England squad. Of the senior squad I would retain Gerard, surely one day an England manager is going to work out how to get the best out of our most talented player, Joe Cole and Rio Ferdinand who deserve the benefit of the doubt, and Ashley Cole, who has no reason to be ashamed of his performances in the World Cup.
Capello is inheritently a conservative man. How radical is he prepared to be? We will know at England's next friendly in August. If the squad and the starting side has a familiar look to it we should resign ourselves to another disappointing tournament.
