England's brittleness at the back there for all to see

GROUP SIX Ukraine 1 England 0:IT WAS the result Fabio Capello needed, although he will never own up to the benefit of seeing his side reintroduced to the truth about themselves.

The England manager has a habit of emphasising his desire to win, as if this distinguished him from counterparts who presumably have a song in their hearts regardless of the outcome. The true difference lies in his ability to organise a side and keep its competitive spirit burning.

England were fully committed in a fixture of no importance to them but they also suggested that they are not part of the elite. While the end of the perfect record in the group is regrettable there was a reminder that the side will have to make great improvements if they are to be a force at the World Cup finals. Above all England are doomed in South Africa should they be such a soft touch again.

The defence swayed so often on Saturday that you felt seasick if you stared at it for too long. Robert Green conceded the penalty that Andriy Shevchenko squandered in the 16th minute by clipping the outside of the post as the substitute goalkeeper David James dived the other way. Green had been startled by Rio Ferdinand’s failure to cut out a pass from the right and was tentative about coming to meet the impressive Artem Milevskiy, whom he brought down.

James, at 39, has a laconic touch that meant he had no qualms about stepping into an arena where the England penalty area had been inundated in the first minute with flares hurled from the stands.

Green had been on edge. Even so Ferdinand was far more blameworthy. The new career as saboteur appears to be coming along nicely. He had set up one of the Dutch goals in the Amsterdam friendly and has come up with the odd error for Manchester United as well.

Ferdinand does not appear imposing for the time being but that may reflect his state of mind more than the condition of his body. The defender is extremely significant to England, since the alternatives lack his inherent quality. It was to be expected that Capello, in public at least, would brush aside the towering blunder.

“He made one mistake,” said the manager. “The ball bounced and he didn’t judge the direction well. But after that he played a good game, like the other players. We had good chances to draw.”

Having been coaxed into agreeing that Ferdinand has not been dependable for his club, Capello then rallied. “You cannot question his value,” the Italian insisted. There is a rationale to that assertion but it is not a happy one. If Capello ditched everyone who causes him anxiety, he would condemn himself to building a new back four from scratch.

John Terry had a moderate day and Glen Johnson keeps suggesting that he is a full-back mostly because it is a nice spot from which to hare off down the wing. Even Ashley Cole was fallible at the goal. He tried a drag-back near his area and lost the ball. Vasyl Kobin raced across the face of the area and when he was tackled by Johnson possession ran to Sergii Nazarenko. The ensuing 25-yarder deflected off Cole, still trying to atone for his lapse, and beat James.

Ukraine, who are virtually sure of a play-off slot, were also to hit the post in the first half and there should be no cavilling from England. The 22-year-old Yevgen Khacheridi, on his debut, impressed in defence. The visitors did menace on occasion as they tapped the prodigious efforts of Wayne Rooney, who did the work of two players since England were a man down. “It is incredible,” said Capello. “He can play forward, left, right, he defends.”

That will not count for much if eccentricity at the back undermines people like him, Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard, who went off with a groin injury at half-time.

England’s clean sheets in the group have come merely against Andorra, twice, and Kazakhstan. The situation is so ridiculous that it must be a priority at Wembley on Wednesday to keep Belarus at bay. Life would be better for Capello if he could coach the side out of its brittleness at the back but the blunders come from individual aberrations more than organisational failings.

Team-mates chose to display solidarity with Ferdinand. “I think he’s doing well,” Rooney asserted. “Everyone makes mistakes. He knows he is a top player and he will forget about that. There is no need to go on too much about it.”

Terry, too, was emphatic. “I don’t feel for Rio,” said the captain. “I don’t have to look out for him. He’s suffered from a couple of injuries of late but he’s one of the best defenders in the world. We’re all human. After a mistake the good thing is that he doesn’t just fade away. He’s a big personality. We know we can all trust each other.”

Perhaps so but it may have done no harm for a chastened England to appreciate that they can be vulnerable even with Capello in charge.

Guardian Service