It may have only been a friendly, but England's victory over world champions Spain was another impressive result to add to the CV of Fabio Capello. Despite being out played for large parts of the match, England were able to hold firm and steal a win, thanks to a solitary goal from Frank Lampard. It was a workman-like performance from the Three Lions, but that was unsurprising given the absence of the team's talisman Wayne Rooney. Scott Parker, who was the reigning Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year, produced a virtuoso match winning performance in the defensive midfield role. Alongside him was the tireless Phil Jones who, while not overly effective when in possession, caused the Spaniards a headache with his continued pressing. The result gave the squad renewed belief that they could challenge at the upcoming European Championships. As Capello said after the match, "It is important for the squad and fans to find confidence when we beat the world champions." The result is what mattered against Spain, not the performance. England may not have played scintillating football in their 1-0 victory, but they won and victory breeds confidence. The current England squad could learn a lot from that victory over Spain. It may not have been pretty, but it got the job done which is what England must do against Montenegro and Poland.
Simon is an NCTJ qualified sports journalist. He has conducted interviews with Tony Adams and Peter Shilton, while also having work published in The Daily Telegraph and The Sun. Follow him on Twitter via @sr_collings.
