England absent but Capello is at Euro

By Stuart Condie

Vienna, Austria

June 10: England's failure to reach the European Championship has given coach Fabio Capello a chance to spend his summer thinking about how to get to the next World Cup. While many of his counterparts are fretting about how to negotiate a path through the first round of Euro 2008, Capello has been in Austria to watch Croatia and figure out a way to improve on the dismal results that left England with nothing to do during at the tournament.

It was home and away losses to Croatia that cost England a place at Euro 2008 and led to Capello replacing Steve McClaren, so, appropriately for someone who has won league titles with every club he has ever led, the Italian coach is mulling different systems and tactics to deal with a qualification campaign that begins in September.

Capello wants an approach that lets Joe Cole or Wayne Rooney express themselves and show what he refers to as "the fantasy:" the rare skill and imagination that only the most gifted and audacious players have.

"Modern football is a 9-1," Capello said on Monday, exaggerating the habit of many sides to defend deep and in numbers. "Without 'fantasy' - one player dribbling or good passing - it is impossible to score goals.

"We have, not many, but some players with good fantasy. Very good players. You either have or do not have the fantasy. It's not possible to train it." Having seen Croatia withstand a second-half fight back from Austria to beat the tournament co-hosts 1-0, Capello has plenty to think about. - AP