How to mess up your National Team – according to the FA school of bad management.

What an interesting day for English football! Fabio Capello, the England manager who has been consistent only in his ability to disappoint, has resigned from his post just 4 months before a major tournament. Harry Redknapp, the much loved Spurs manager and heir apparent for the England job has been acquitted of tax fraud, reputation intact and immediately employable for the top job on the very same day. Kismet? Fate? Divine intervention? If Harry has any sense (and of course he has a great deal of nouse) he should be thankful for British justice, give even greater thanks for the amazing English Premier League but run a mile from the English Football Association.

The Capello tenure and the FA’s part in this has been a comedy of errors from start to finish.

Here is a quick guide on how to reduce a great footballing heritage to a shambles in a few easy steps:

1)   Appoint a manage who has excellent overseas club experience but doesn’t understand the culture of English football

2)   Don’t worry about the fact that the manager fails, even after 4 years, to master the language of a nation that is paying him around £4 million a year

3)   Despite mediocre performances by the team, re-negotiate his contract prior to the World Cup, even though you have the ideal opportunity to get stop the rot at the end of his contract.

4)   Witness a pitiful showing at the World Cup, precipitated by extremely bad man management by your chosen leader, including such poor judgment as failing to share the team selection with the players until the day of the match.

5)   Overlook the fact that on one occasion when the English team scored, your chosen manager sat motionless on the side line, arms crossed.

6)   Oversee a massive public humiliation during the World Cup bid process, involving the extreme lack of courtesy shown to the UK prime Minister and Prince William. Fail to implement damage limitation.

7)   Fail spectacularly in opposition of Sepp Blatter further weakening the voice of English football overseas.

8)   Finally, just when chosen manager stands  by his man (albeit the man that he unceremoniously sacked for infidelity and then reinstated when he realised that Terry probably was the best man for the job) – fail to support him and precipitate a resignation that would have been handy a couple of years ago.

I actually feel quite sorry for Fabio Capello. He was always the wrong man for the job, great credentials – yes, but wrong nationality, wrong personality and inadequate understanding of the English culture (and language).

I also feel sorry for the English team. They haven’t had a decent manager for over a decade.

But Harry – if I was you, don’t be seduced to take up the poisoned chalice. Wait for the FA to get their act together first.