Nev: Where Is The FA's Backbone?

Gary Neville has launched an attack on the FA after the revelation that Fabio Capello would have to wait two weeks to see whether he would keep his job following England’s dreadful World Cup campaign.

The United captain, who hasn’t been shy with his feelings about the FA in the past, thinks our footballing organisation need to have more backbone.

“England are out of the World Cup and, surprise, surprise, we are talking about sacking the manager,” said Neville. “If that was a reaction I expected from some fans and pundits, I was disappointed – although not exactly shocked – to hear wavering coming out of the FA. Two weeks to decide Fabio Capello’s future, says Adrian Bevington, the Club England managing director. This is the same Club England, whatever that is, that trumpeted so proudly 28 days ago that it had taken the release clause out of the manager’s contract. One minute these guys are talking about Capello as world-class, now they need a fortnight to decide if he is the man for them after all. What are they waiting for – to see what’s in the newspapers? Where is the backbone? Now you can understand why I have had my arguments with the FA down the years.”

Echoing the sentiments of Roy Keane, Neville also questions how good the England team actually is.

“We have to question how good we truly are,” he added. “Better than we performed in this World Cup, for sure, but have we overestimated our strengths on the basis of our strong record in the Champions League? Possibly. The success of Manchester United and Chelsea cannot be a reliable guide to the merits of the England team, given the number of top-class players from overseas.”