Joe Cole has become the first England player to break ranks and state Fabio Capello's side are good enough to win a first World Cup in 44 years.
You're cute, Joe, but you ain't clever
The midfielder was one of the few players to excel at the finals four years ago. Yet, while 11 of the squad who underachieved in Germany have been retained by Fabio Capello, Cole pointed to genuine reasons for optimism this time around, claiming:
• Capello is tactically the strongest of the three England managers under whom he has played;
• The side go into the tournament with their talismans, Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard, both fully fit;
• The chilly South African evenings will suit England where baking heat has cost them at previous World Cups;
• The team's meticulous preparations, both in Austria and now in South Africa, have given them the ideal platform upon which to build;
• The squad boasts vital experience having learned from previous mistakes.
Asked what set this side apart from the team that spluttered to the quarter-final four years ago, Cole said: "This squad has got the experience of having been in tournaments before. It's got a fit Wayne Rooney, a fit Steven Gerrard, and everyone is coming to that right age. I believe we can do it, I'm convinced we can. I've got faith in the boys. If we can have that bit of luck you are always going to need, we can go all the way [Excuse me while I just mop up the piss]. We only have to play one group game here at altitude, and it is the same for our opponents, the USA. What has probably let us down in past tournaments is the weather, playing in the sun, but we are playing night games and it will be quite chilly. That will be a massive difference for us. I think you'll see an England able to play more at the pace of a Premier League game because we won't be in the sun."
On the subject of Capello, Cole said: "He's the best manager I've worked with for England. He's got an aura about him. Obviously, tactically, it goes without saying - Capello knows his way round a football pitch. Preparation is spot on. And you don't want to let him down. Spain are different class, the most talented team in the tournament, but it is not always the most talented team that wins. There are a lot of other factors: discipline, strength of character, a little bit of luck." Bless ya.
