Fab choice, now lavish FA have to make sure it pays off

His answer at Monday's press conference was a masterpiece of insouciance but seeing as the FA's income over the next five years could be £1billion, what the heck. On that basis, why not give him £50million a year then Brian and you'd still be in profit. As Groucho Marx almost said: "Ten million here, ten million there and soon you'll be talking real money." Capello is a good choice, but so too would have been another golden oldie, Marcello Lippi, who led Italy to glory at the last World Cup. So why not play one off against the other in order to negotiate a better value-for-money package.

I suspect, in the vernacular, Brian couldn't be bothered. Too much like hard work. Again, as over the appointment of Steve McClaren, Barwick was only too anxious to wash his hands of the whole business. Which explains the rush, with key members of the FA appointment panel only being contacted at the last minute by telephone with what was, in effect, a fait accompli.

But I say again, Capello is the business, though he's a highmaintenance choice, not just in terms of salary. He's an egotistical toughie, who makes up his mind quickly and sometimes gets it wrong, as he admits he did over David Beckham when he dropped him - and then recalled him - at Real Madrid. But when Capello does so, will the FA back him?

Or will they start briefing against him, as they seemed to have done with some of his predecessors? And when he asks for more time with the players, will the FA take on the Premier League to get it? Only an optimist would be confident of getting the right answer to these questions.

Capello will be a test for us in the media as well. When he tries to cut one or two of our tallest poppies down to size, will we back him? Especially when they start whingeing in highly-paid columns. I am sick of these players underachieving and mouthing off about how good they are off it. So my conclusion is this; however flawed the process that got him the job, Capello is English football's last, best hope. And in our own interests, we should back him to the hilt, however tough a line he lays down.