This Article is From Sep 25, 2009

Capello to dump players who step out of line

London: England coach Fabio Capello will take a tough stance on indiscipline in the build up to next year's World Cup, adopting a "two strikes and you're out" approach, assistant Stuart Pearce said on Thursday.

Pearce, who is also England's under-21 coach, told the League Managers Association conference that the Italian will boot his "millionaire footballers" out of the 23-man squad if they step out of line.

"I've a great school master in Fabio Capello. He treats the new arrivals in the team in the same way as (captain) John Terry," said Pearce, the only senior Englishman on Capello's coaching staff. "If you step out of line once you will be told. If you do it twice you won't be told again.

"He's created the environment where there's a fair playing field whoever you are. The only thing that matters is how if you are good enough."

England has qualified for the World Cup in South Africa with two matches to spare by winning every game under Capello, but Pearce has concerns about the team's chances at the final tournament.

"There are maybe one or two issues on game management and we've got to improve on that technical side of it," Pearce said. "Game management is the one thing where are really naive on.

"When you are in cul-de-sac in the corner flag what are you looking to achieve? Get a corner out of it, kill the game, slow the game? We play at such a high tempo in this country, when we go to major tournaments we do the same thing and then all of a sudden we run out of gas after four or five games."

The 47-year-old Pearce said he has encountered no problems from being surrounded by five Italians on the England coaching team and has no ambitions for the top job himself.

"You must learn your trade before you step into a role to do something," the former Manchester City manager said. "At this moment in time I've managed less than 150 matches and you've got to spend a lot more time in the game (before managing England)."

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