The English Press

"England do not have five years. They have 90 minutes against Slovenia."

The English fans and press respond:

The reception to the performance against Algeria has been scathing. "Cape Clowns," said the Daily Mirror. "The reign of Fabio Capello which has promised so much for so long came close to ending in ignominy and shame." The Sun, which last year said Steven Gerrard's side were the "best English group since the Beatles", was rather less upbeat. "Drab, dreary, depressing, disjointed, at times desperate and, overall, dull as ditchwater. Thanks England. No wonder you were booed off the pitch by your own fans last night."

Cyberspace was equally uncharitable: "3 hours of football played and Rob Green is still our top scorer," an irate fan posted on Twitter. The nation's patience with Capello also seems to be fading. One furious fan wrote on an internet site: "What we witnessed looked like a group of players drafted together last minute and asked to play 90 minutes which they weren't too fussed about doing, going through the motions disinterested and confused. The botheredness levels stood at around 1 out of 10. It was just woeful."


The Independent
"Fabio Capello. An apology: We may have said this man is a genius..."

The Guardian
"Fabio Capello and England are 90 minutes from oblivion"

The Sun
"I told England. That was woeful."