England win but Fabio Capello finds more questions than answers

Posted Tuesday, May 25, 2010 by theguardian.com

England 3 King 17, Crouch 34, Johnson, G 47
Mexico 1 Guillermo Franco 45

It would have been more satisfying if this friendly had conformed to the tradition of irrelevance. There was instead a good deal for England to reflect on after a night when the losers showed more polish. The modest satisfaction for the home team lies in the knowledge that they still imposed their will.

These occasions are supposed to be a learning experience but Fabio Capello's findings were uncomfortable. Ledley King, in his first international appearance for three years, was far from showing that he can flourish at a high level despite his chronic knee condition.

The centre-half may have scored but did not move fluently. That was apparent as early as the fifth minute when he clutched at Guillermo Franco as the striker went inside for an attempt that ran just wide. This fixture indicated the lack of depth in the squad but that will have come as no shock to the manager.

England did miss the Chelsea contingent who were excused, along with the Portsmouth goalkeeper David James, because they had been involved in the FA Cup final. Tinkering was necessary. James Milner was uneasy at the core of the midfield and lacks the anticipation to perform satisfactorily in that department.

Following the interval he went to the left while Steven Gerrard shifted to the centre. Capello is also bound to have misgivings about Leighton Baines at left-back but the manager will still not to be astonished. England are, of course, more authoritative when, say, John Terry and Ashley Cole are in their ranks.

Jamie Carragher, a half-time substitute, did come back into the fold after being talked out of international retirement. Elements of the crowd will not forgive him for turning his back on his country in the first place but the manager cannot afford to dwell on those niceties.

In general events at Wembley emphasised that the side continues to score freely even when adversaries like Mexico possess greater technique. There is something poignant about seeing Capello, like so many of his predecessors, calling for a higher tempo and work rate to discomfit the opposition.

At least it worked. Indeed, there could have been a fourth goal but, with the goalkeeper Oscar Pérez out of position, Ricardo Osorio headed Wayne Rooney's chip off the line. The closing phase of the evening also included Adam Johnson's international debut.

England have to plead that they made the most of a restricted repertoire while being outdone in the arts of the game. Peter Crouch set up King for the first and then scored himself. In each case aerial power was a factor.

Crouch's inclusion was interesting in itself. Capello has chosen to stand by the men who served him well in the World Cup qualifiers but their particular status is not guaranteed. Emile Heskey, regardless of the impact he has as a foil to Rooney, has dropped to the bench at Aston Villa and was not brought on here.

Capello, as ever, was in earnest: Joe Hart had been promised his second cap but got it as a half-time substitute since Robert Green started. The West Ham goalkeeper made a good impression. He was prominent before the visitors trimmed the deficit to 2-1 moments before the interval.

King had opened the scoring in the 17th minute. Gerrard, his head bandaged after a clash, struck a corner and Crouch clambered above Francisco Javier Rodríguez to head the ball into the centre for him to nod home. He had not found the net for England since a friendly with Portugal in 2004. It was a very British sort of goal and the score belied the quality of the opposition.

The Mexico manager, Javier Aguirre, had expressed doubts about his side's readiness for this fixture but it may be that such bluffing is one of the skills of a person who took the side to the World Cup finals after replacing an unsuccessful Sven-Goran Eriksson.

Mexico did look as if their worth was being misrepresented when England scored a second. Gerrard crossed right-footed from the left and after Pérez had tipped a Rooney header on to the bar in the 35th minute, Crouch, who was offside, bundled the ball in with chest and arm. The opposition's ill luck, all the same, could not go on indefinitely.

Green needed to excel, particularly when saving from Arsenal's Carlos Vela, and a Carlos Salcido header had clipped the outside of the post. In first-half stoppage time Rafael Márquez's header from a corner was blocked on the line and Franco tucked in the loose ball.

Grumbles about the limitations of Capello's side did have to be postponed when England stretched the lead two minutes after the interval. Theo Walcott gave the ball to Glen Johnson and the right-back went past Salcido and Rodríguez before putting a left-footed drive into the corner of the net.

That was outstanding work but England had men who underperformed and Michael Carrick's uneasy form at Old Trafford continued here until he was superseded by Tom Huddlestone. Mexico were purposeful and bold, with Márquez more midfielder than a centre-half. The prospect of the World Cup ensured that there was, at least, no lack of endeavour. Nevertheless there was a superfluous demonstration of what Capello already understands: England will be at risk in South Africa if he should happen to lack some of the key personnel whose absence here was so noteworthy. The only relief is that there are no further club fixtures in which they can be injured.