Fabio Capello has adopted the role of generous grandfather ahead of England’s crucial and desperately important friendly against the footballing superpower that are the United States of America. The BBC report that the Italian is going to allow the likes of Frank Lampard and John Terry the opportunity to open a whole can of ‘whup-ass’ on their opponents in a bid to help them forget their woes at missing out on the Carling Cup, Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League this season. What a kind-hearted old codger he is!

“I’m very happy to see Lampard in the midfield because I think he’s a very important player for us.

“For Chelsea players it is very important to play and forget the last game in Moscow.”

Meanwhile, he’s also revealed that Wayne Rooney will be getting a partner in crime up front against the States, rather than playing the Manchester United striker in a lone role. Who will be the lucky one out of Peter Crouch, Dean Ashton, Jermain Defoe or Gabriel Agbonlahor that is going to terrorise the most powerful nation in the world?

“It is very important for me to see Rooney not as the first but the second striker,” Capello told BBC Five Live.

It will be just typical of an England team that hasn’t qualified for Euro 2008 to go out all guns blazing on Wednesday night and beat USA 5-0 or something. Or will it just be the customary struggle to a 2-1 victory?