mawspurs
22-05-2010, 10:17 AM
Source: Daily Mail
Day One here in Camp Capello and Peter Crouch is reprimanded for padding around the team hotel in his slippers.
It appears England's house rules are going to be a little different in this World Cup. Crouch pleads his innocence.
'What can I do?' he shrugs. 'My trainers didn't arrive because my bags didn't arrive. I always wear trainers, I just didn't have them.' The excuse is unlikely to wash with England's Italian taskmaster. Fabio Capello likes to see his players in the correct attire. No slippers in the boot camp, thank you.
'It's everything really,' explains Crouch. 'It's footwear, conduct around the hotel and you have to be on time. Time-keeping is the main one. The lads seem to arrive 10 or 15 minutes before every meeting.'
No-one accused Sven Goran Eriksson of presiding over anarchy in Germany four years ago, but the enormous games room inside the team's Black Forest hideaway and the WAG sideshow in nearby Baden-Baden will not be repeated under Capello.
England players will be granted time to spend with friends and family on the day after a game in South Africa, but Crouch's girlfriend Abbey Clancy and many other WAGS are planning to stay at home, at least until the latter stages.
'At home, you go home to your wife after every single training session or game and it doesn't seem to affect the lads in any way,' says Crouch.
'But in a World Cup everything is a lot more high profile. People want to take pictures and make a big deal of it. That side can be distracting. If there's a huge circus around it, there's no point.
'There's only four weeks at a World Cup so you might as well just leave them at home. I'd like to see my girlfriend, but we have four weeks to try and achieve something that will be with you for the rest of your life. We can all cope with not seeing our loved ones for that long.'
Crouch imposed himself on the England squad four years ago as Eriksson's squad prepared for Germany, scoring four goals in two warmup games, including a hat-trick against Jamaica. His robot-dance celebration swept the country. He even performed it for Prince William.
The robotics are back for a Pringles advert this year, but the 6ft 7in Tottenham striker admits life under Capello is different.
'I wouldn't say he makes you nervous but he's definitely got the respect of the players,' says Crouch.
'Sven was a lot more laid-back. I think everyone would say that. There was probably a lot more free time. This time the atmosphere seems a lot more serious and focused.
'He's probably the most tactical I've worked for. Organisation is the key thing. I've worked for a lot of managers and I've always felt that in matches you can tell the ones who work on the tactical stuff. You're more organised.
'He's very hands-on. In every training session, he'll be involved and, if he sees something, he won't be afraid to tell you and let you know where he wants you. He'll organise you better.'
Capello has worked his players hard in Austria this week, with long morning sessions and optional afternoon work in the pool or the weights room, specifically detailed to individual needs.
His tactical work started in midweek, looking at the shape and position of the back-four. The manager will trim this provisional squad of 30 down to 23 after friendlies against Mexico, at Wembley on Monday, and Japan, in Graz next weekend.
'We do feel like we're on trial,' admits Crouch. 'I've felt like that since I came into the England squad, no matter whether it's the World Cup or the next friendly.
'In every game for England, you're judged by everyone, by the whole nation and by the manager.'
Crouch admits he was relieved the manager decided to shelve his plan for the Capello Index, an internet game which planned to rate players on their World Cup performances.
'It's probably a good thing for me,' he says. 'I probably would have been one of those on the laptop looking up my marks. The lads do look.'
The biggest thing in Crouch's favour when it comes to naming the final squad is a phenomenal goal ratio. He has 20 in 2,049 minutes for England. He has six in his last five international appearances but is fighting with Emile Heskey, Jermain Defoe and Darren Bent for a striking role in the final squad.
'Beyond being in tip-top form and doing your best, you can't take anything for granted,' said Crouch. 'In our first meeting here, the manager told us he still had to cut the squad down to size but said: "Do as well as you can, work hard and that day will come when it comes".'
Day One here in Camp Capello and Peter Crouch is reprimanded for padding around the team hotel in his slippers.
It appears England's house rules are going to be a little different in this World Cup. Crouch pleads his innocence.
'What can I do?' he shrugs. 'My trainers didn't arrive because my bags didn't arrive. I always wear trainers, I just didn't have them.' The excuse is unlikely to wash with England's Italian taskmaster. Fabio Capello likes to see his players in the correct attire. No slippers in the boot camp, thank you.
'It's everything really,' explains Crouch. 'It's footwear, conduct around the hotel and you have to be on time. Time-keeping is the main one. The lads seem to arrive 10 or 15 minutes before every meeting.'
No-one accused Sven Goran Eriksson of presiding over anarchy in Germany four years ago, but the enormous games room inside the team's Black Forest hideaway and the WAG sideshow in nearby Baden-Baden will not be repeated under Capello.
England players will be granted time to spend with friends and family on the day after a game in South Africa, but Crouch's girlfriend Abbey Clancy and many other WAGS are planning to stay at home, at least until the latter stages.
'At home, you go home to your wife after every single training session or game and it doesn't seem to affect the lads in any way,' says Crouch.
'But in a World Cup everything is a lot more high profile. People want to take pictures and make a big deal of it. That side can be distracting. If there's a huge circus around it, there's no point.
'There's only four weeks at a World Cup so you might as well just leave them at home. I'd like to see my girlfriend, but we have four weeks to try and achieve something that will be with you for the rest of your life. We can all cope with not seeing our loved ones for that long.'
Crouch imposed himself on the England squad four years ago as Eriksson's squad prepared for Germany, scoring four goals in two warmup games, including a hat-trick against Jamaica. His robot-dance celebration swept the country. He even performed it for Prince William.
The robotics are back for a Pringles advert this year, but the 6ft 7in Tottenham striker admits life under Capello is different.
'I wouldn't say he makes you nervous but he's definitely got the respect of the players,' says Crouch.
'Sven was a lot more laid-back. I think everyone would say that. There was probably a lot more free time. This time the atmosphere seems a lot more serious and focused.
'He's probably the most tactical I've worked for. Organisation is the key thing. I've worked for a lot of managers and I've always felt that in matches you can tell the ones who work on the tactical stuff. You're more organised.
'He's very hands-on. In every training session, he'll be involved and, if he sees something, he won't be afraid to tell you and let you know where he wants you. He'll organise you better.'
Capello has worked his players hard in Austria this week, with long morning sessions and optional afternoon work in the pool or the weights room, specifically detailed to individual needs.
His tactical work started in midweek, looking at the shape and position of the back-four. The manager will trim this provisional squad of 30 down to 23 after friendlies against Mexico, at Wembley on Monday, and Japan, in Graz next weekend.
'We do feel like we're on trial,' admits Crouch. 'I've felt like that since I came into the England squad, no matter whether it's the World Cup or the next friendly.
'In every game for England, you're judged by everyone, by the whole nation and by the manager.'
Crouch admits he was relieved the manager decided to shelve his plan for the Capello Index, an internet game which planned to rate players on their World Cup performances.
'It's probably a good thing for me,' he says. 'I probably would have been one of those on the laptop looking up my marks. The lads do look.'
The biggest thing in Crouch's favour when it comes to naming the final squad is a phenomenal goal ratio. He has 20 in 2,049 minutes for England. He has six in his last five international appearances but is fighting with Emile Heskey, Jermain Defoe and Darren Bent for a striking role in the final squad.
'Beyond being in tip-top form and doing your best, you can't take anything for granted,' said Crouch. 'In our first meeting here, the manager told us he still had to cut the squad down to size but said: "Do as well as you can, work hard and that day will come when it comes".'