Mexico performance to push England to greater heights

The Mexico game was supposed to be the glorious send off for our World Cup heroes in the hope they would return in six weeks time with the golden trophy in tow.

But, unfortunately, the England players seemed to lose the script and they now return to their Austrian training base clouded in uncertainty.

However, Capello’s decision to name a larger preliminary squad looks a wise one, as the looming shadow of a like-for-like replacement on the bench keeps every starting player on their toes. The World cup betting odds make England third favourites, and they can’t afford to carry deadwood.

The defence again looked shaky, with Ledley King and Leighton Baines unconvincing in their deputy roles behind John Terry and Ashley Cole. This means that all of sudden Michael Dawson and Stephen Warnock – most people’s tips to be left behind – can suddenly see a place on the plane opening up.

Both will be monitored in training this week and the Japan friendly could offer them a chance to shine as the intensity inevitably nudges up a notch as the big day approaches. The match odds suggest England should win the game comfortably, but the players will know there is more at stake than the result.

In midfield Michael Carrick may have played his way out of the squad with a shaky display. Capello’s insistence on giving Gareth Barry as much time as possible to recover from an ankle injury shows the faith he has in the City midfielder and also shows to Scott Parker and Tom Huddlestone that they are fighting for a place on the bench in South Africa.

On the wings we have the pacy trio of Walcott, Johnson and Lennon, all players with similar skill sets. Who Capello takes is anyone’s guess, but two into three won’t go so it looks set to be a fascinating battle between the trio as they bid for a spot in the final 23.

Upfront, Peter Crouch’s uncanny ability to hit the net in an England shirt puts the pressure right back on Emile Heskey, whose physical presence alone has kept him in the starting line up in recent years. However, his lack of a goal threat means he needs a big performance against Japan if he is to secure a starting berth against the USA.

So although much of the reaction from Monday’s game was negative, it’s important to consider how much more you learn from a bad performance than you do from a good one. I would much rather see England make mistakes now than in a month’s time.