Fabio Capello: 'I asked the players – Joe Hart or Calamity James?'

[SDF]

Great interview with Capello in the Guardian today about his experience with England at the 2010 World Cup, including this gem.

Few words were spent on dropping Green, certainly: Capello told him he was out and the conversation ended there. “You can’t say anything. Everyone makes mistakes. He made one, so I changed. I put in Calamity James.”

Yes, that is how he refers to David James – without missing a beat.

“I had Green and I had [Joe] Hart, just a kid. I asked the players. Hart or Calamity? ‘Calamity.’ I put Calamity in because of the players’ trust. John Terry and the defenders had more faith in James. Hart had played only once.”

Green also claimed Capello had fat-shamed the squad, telling three-quarters of them they were overweight. Also true, Capello concedes, spreading his hands. “They came like this. You explain, tell them what to do. They’re professionals. The problem is, they arrive at the end of the season. ‘We’re used to eating this, used to doing this, not used to that.’ It’s hard to change – especially if you don’t have leaders [among players] to guide them.”

Fabio Capello: 'I asked the players – Joe Hart or Calamity James?'

Former England manager on his ‘perfect’ 2010 World Cup plans, selection issues and how Lampard’s ghost goal still haunts him

www.theguardian.com

 

[GM_Punk]

Ironically Hart went on to become just as much if not more of a calamity.

 

[Lizzy's 11]

Wonder what he would have came up with if he'd worked with David Seaman

 

[Albertz_Was_King]

David James was very lucky to have a football career.

 

[JayDee]

James had a lot of goalkeeping ability - but was also prone to mistakes.

 

[WeeBaz78]

James could be an excellent keeper. Definitely had more than his share of mistakes though!

 

[Oduwa]

I always defend James when threads pop up about him.

He was a keeper who came for everything and dropped the odd one which sometimes led to a goal.
Give me that every time over a keeper who won't command his 6 yard box let alone leave it.

It's not James who would cost you more goals.

 

[Thornliebank_Bear]

Well they certainly didnt have a manager to guide them so i see his point.

 

[BobbyShearer]

Remember Stuart Pearce played him as a number 10 for the last 15 minutes of a game against Middlesbrough?

Bizarre how he was never a successful manager.

 

[RenfrewBear72]

Remember Stuart Pearce played him as a number 10 for the last 15 minutes of a game against Middlesbrough?

Bizarre how he was never a successful manager.

Remember watching that game thinking "I've deffo drank too much this canny be happening"

 

[lou riccios chipshop]

Wonder what he would have came up with if he'd worked with David Seaman

When I read this I immediately thought
"What if it was Andy Goran"

 

[Clay Davis]

David James was very lucky to have a football career.

Only Petr Cech has more premier league clean sheets ffs.

 

[BroomloanWATP]

Can't believe it's been nearly 10 years ffs.

 

[Garybluebear]

Whatever happened to joe hart ?.

 

[Johnny Yen]

James wasn’t a top keeper but that’s disrespectful from Capello.

 

[Dalmuirbear]

David James was very lucky to have a football career.

So it’s not just about Rangers that you talk absolute nonsense.

 

[speedo215]

Whatever happened to joe hart ?.

Currently at Burnley

 

[Treble Kings]

I always defend James when threads pop up about him.

He was a keeper who came for everything and dropped the odd one which sometimes led to a goal.
Give me that every time over a keeper who won't command his 6 yard box let alone leave it.

It's not James who would cost you more goals.

James dropped some calamitous clangers. I wouldn't have trusted him at the very highest level.

 

[Davester]

Met David James in Vegas. Big guy was a gentleman. As someone else said, if you come for every catch and try to dominate the box, you'll drop the odd one.

 

[ElBarrileteCosmico]

Remember Stuart Pearce played him as a number 10 for the last 15 minutes of a game against Middlesbrough?

Bizarre how he was never a successful manager.

I believe he actually subbed off Claudio Reyna to bring on a second goalkeeper. Mental.

 

[Thommo2006]

Remember Stuart Pearce played him as a number 10 for the last 15 minutes of a game against Middlesbrough?

Bizarre how he was never a successful manager.

Stuck him up front and to be fair he won a penalty that had robbie fowler stuck away then city would have been in europe the next season

 

[Clay Davis]

Remember Stuart Pearce played him as a number 10 for the last 15 minutes of a game against Middlesbrough?

Bizarre how he was never a successful manager.

It was brilliant they had a striker on the bench as well, wonder what he was thinking.

 

[stevo1984]

Joe hart career took a massive dip eh. He had loads of potential.. must been the advert

 

[Kaiserweiss]

Remember Stuart Pearce played him as a number 10 for the last 15 minutes of a game against Middlesbrough?

Bizarre how he was never a successful manager.

Still time yet

 

[Rodney Trotter]

James wasn’t a top keeper but that’s disrespectful from Capello.

Its his nickname though is it not? He's been called that for years.

 

[Kaiserweiss]

Joe hart career took a massive dip eh. He had loads of potential.. must been the advert

Or the simple fact he was and still is shite

 

[Treble Kings]

It was brilliant they had a striker on the bench as well, wonder what he was thinking.

It just shows you that pulling stupid faces after scoring a shootout penalty doesn't make you a good manager.

 

[Mostin]

I always defend James when threads pop up about him.

He was a keeper who came for everything and dropped the odd one which sometimes led to a goal.
Give me that every time over a keeper who won't command his 6 yard box let alone leave it.

It's not James who would cost you more goals.

James > Hart for sure.

 

[Teddy Casablanca]

Capello showing his man-management skills

 

[Duranman]

I always defend James when threads pop up about him.

He was a keeper who came for everything and dropped the odd one which sometimes led to a goal.
Give me that every time over a keeper who won't command his 6 yard box let alone leave it.

It's not James who would cost you more goals.

Yes it is. Defenders are fine as long as they know what a goalkeeper is going to do. Goram and Klos managed fine despite not coming for much as gough - brown/McPherson or Amoruso and Moore knew everything outside the 6 yards was theirs unless keeper shouted. That is far preferable to them coming for things they are never getting and more often than not end up being a goal

That being said, James was a good goalkeeper and played quite well at 2010 world cup.

 

[Henry Hill]

James was often a very good keeper, made a few clangers but was a good keeper overall

 

[JCDarcheville]

“Fat shamed”, give it a rest.

maybe Capello wanted to see we’ll tuned athletes at elite level, a fair expectation given the compensation these guys receive.

 

[Oduwa]

Yes it is. Defenders are fine as long as they know what a goalkeeper is going to do. Goram and Klos managed fine despite not coming for much as gough - brown/McPherson or Amoruso and Moore knew everything outside the 6 yards was theirs unless keeper shouted. That is far preferable to them coming for things they are never getting and more often than not end up being a goal

That being said, James was a good goalkeeper and played quite well at 2010 world cup.

”More often than not”?
LOL

 

[casualobserver]

“Fat shamed”, give it a rest.

maybe Capello wanted to see we’ll tuned athletes at elite level, a fair expectation given the compensation these guys receive.

Exactly. How can criticising so called athletes to lose weight be classed as "fat shaming" FFS

 

[Rt. Hon. Bearman]

If Capello thought that England side were fat, I wonder what he'd have made of some of our 9IAR era players.

Didn't stop them from doing the business for us.

 

[BlueBritain]

Joe hart career took a massive dip eh. He had loads of potential.. must been the advert

75 caps for England

 

[CupGoalie]

David James was very lucky to have a football career.

Reads a post and thinks "wtf is this rubbish". Looks up. Sees the username. Should've known better.

 

[BluenoseDoug]

Fat shamed hahahaha. F*ck off. I suppose boxers are being mentally abused now aswell cause they need to lose a few pounds to make weight.

 

[okbear]

England have struggled for a decent keeper for decades now.

 

[rcdingwall]

Whatever happened to joe hart ?.

Remember him being linked to a load of big clubs when Pep dropped him and ending up at Torino on loan and having a howler on his debut.

 

[stonewall Jackson]

Bit disrespectful to James, who was a very decent goalkeeper. And from a manager who struggled to speak the language.

 

[Punpun]

Remember watching that game thinking "I've deffo drank too much this canny be happening"

His "highlight reel", reminds me of Sadiq in more than a few ways

 

[strider]

England have struggled for a decent keeper for decades now.

Seems to me that getting the shirt is a total curse. More than decent goalkeepers end up in all sorts of slides once they become England number 1.

Pickford is well on that road now too.

 

[SuffolkGer]

"Fat shamed" only a loser like Green would come out with that. Unfortunate he dropped a clanger in his biggest moment but thats what happens when you're not good enough to bounce back.

England have been shocking in the goalie department since Seaman, which only helped further the delusion that Hart was a world class keeper. Certainly wasn't and Pep spotted that instantly.

Ben Foster is probably the best one for consistency since Seaman, and he probably has the least caps. Robinson was ok but big mistakes mentally ruined him. The current crop is even worse.

 

[Ally Shuffle]

I believe he actually subbed off Claudio Reyna to bring on a second goalkeeper. Mental.

Didnt he have an actual striker still on the bench aswell

 

[Corby]

English goalies get absolutely destroyed for making mistakes - does any other nation react so badly?

 

[Erskine1872]

Remember Stuart Pearce played him as a number 10 for the last 15 minutes of a game against Middlesbrough?

Bizarre how he was never a successful manager.

Even though he had Jon mackem on the bench aswell

 

[Erskine1872]

Didnt he have an actual striker still on the bench aswell

Yup Jon mackem

 

[Ally Shuffle]

Yup Jon mackem

Talk about the ultimate snub haha

 

[rupertdabear]

was just thinking about this very subject last sat night watching liniker and co discussing the top ten keepers in the PL .England have not had a real top class keeper since the days of shilton clements and latterly seamen .