[size=6]Time to go Fabio?[/size]

Before England took the field in Rustenburg against the USA, Fabio Capello was an untouchable figure, a man whose every move was met with superlatives.

Having dealt with a personal scandal involving the former captain John Terry with consummate ease, to leading his side through qualifying with little trouble, he had the Midas touch.

Yet the man with five Scudettos, two La Liga titles and a Champions League triumph to his name fell where so many have fallen before him.

What he described before he took the post as a 'beautiful challenge' has turned into a garish nightmare in the space of a fortnight.

As England's defence fell to pieces in Bloemfontein, the Italian coach who has built his success on impenetrable backlines must have been wondering what he took on three years ago.

Exiting in the second round was not in the blueprint when Capello took the reins in 2007, but having fallen to a youthful and energetic Germany side that played with typical vim and vigour, his position surely now comes under scrutiny.

However, having penned a lucrative extension before the South Africa tournament kicked-off, it is unlikely that he will step down.

When a group stage departure became a possibility, the Football Association revealed that it would have expected Capello to resign from the job and leave with grace and dignity.

While the Three Lions avoided the embarrassment of being outgunned by Slovenia, is going one step further enough to keep him in the position for Euro 2012?
Controversy

The game will forever be remembered for Frank Lampard's goal-that-never-was in Free State, and rightly so.

Vorsprung durch Technik (lead through technology) may be a German phrase, but Fifa and Sepp Blatter's refusal to introduce goal-line cameras was of great help to Joachim Low's men on this occasion.

A contest between the two old foes that was intriguing from start to finish was marred by a woeful decision not to allow a perfectly good goal to stand.

But the tie was not lost due to referee Jorge Larrionda's poor vision, it was lost because of England's lack of ability to do the basics at the back.

Matthew Upson's header that sparked an attempted revival does not gloss over the fact that he had a truly awful game.

The effect of Rio Ferdinand's pre-tournament injury was obvious for all to see, as Upson made Miroslav Klose look like Usain Bolt, playing with the fear that has dogged England in recent times.

Terry and Upson, who had looked reasonably assured in the previous game, seemed to be on different planets, as a simple ball from goalkeeper Manuel Neuer outfoxed them when it should have been easily dealt with.

It went from bad to worse as a defence made up of Premier League stars completely lost the plot.

Chasing a one-goal deficit at 2-1 and with England on top, full-backs Ashley Cole and Glen Johnson bombed forward and abandoned all attempts to stop a German counter.

The result - two swift attacks which fell like a knife into the heart of a nation that held so much pre-tournament hope.

Bastian Schweinsteiger and Mesut Ozil ran rings around Gareth Barry and Frank Lampard in midfield, with Barry attacking more than his defensive role should have allowed.

Capello, a world-class club manager who is no doubt a superb tactician, also seemed to be lost for answers to the onslaught.

In search for goals he brought off Jermain Defoe and replaced him with Emile Heskey, while Joe Cole did virtually nothing after coming on for James Milner.

Unwanted record

England's worst ever World Cup defeat will be all the more difficult to swallow considering they lost to a Germany side that is certainly not unbeatable.

Having lost out to Serbia in the group stage, and only narrowly defeating Ghana, Capello's men made their opponents seem like untouchables.

On paper, as always seems to be the case, the players at England's disposal should be capable of getting to the latter stages of a major competition.

Germany, meanwhile, may not have the stars but epitomised a side that has embraced the 'teamgeist', or team spirit, that is needed to succeed at international level.

Wayne Rooney, symbolic of England's failed potential, was lacklustre and out of sorts throughout the entire South Africa campaign, while Capello's disciplinarian approach appeared to create rifts and tension within the squad.

The Italian cut a disconsolate figure on the touchline after the final whistle, should the FA wield the axe or give him another chance to prove himself?
http://www.skysports.com/football/world-cup-2010/features/story/0,27203,15241_6232802,00.html