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: Rustenburg

- with many wondering if they will ever get the chance to repair the damage inflicted on their reputations.

if he will take charge of the friendly against Hungary at Wembley in August, but the uncertainty does not only apply to England's Italian coach.

As England landed at Heathrow to a torrent of deserved criticism, speculation about Capello's future was accompanied by debate about who will survive the savage cuts that will surely come after the last 16 exit against Germany.

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As Roy Hodgson attempted to give his new direction with a spell in the United Arab Emirates earlier this decade, the notion of Liverpool and England fighting for his services seemed a distant prospect.

And yet, while as Rafael Benitez's successor and the Football Association debates Fabio Capello's future as England coach, the 62-year-old Londoner has emerged as the prime candidate for two of the biggest posts in football.

Hodgson, barring a late FA intervention, is expected to be confirmed as Liverpool boss in the next 48 hours, mainly as a result of his , where a rescue from relegation months after his was followed by a dream run to last season's Europa League final.

Fulham's defeat by Atletico Madrid looks to have been his farewell to the banks of the Thames as he now .

And while Hodgson's arrival may get a muted response in some quarters, Liverpool's current reality makes him the perfect appointment.

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: Rustenburg

As England's World Cup failures filed on to a coach carrying the discredited motto "Playing With Pride And Glory" to make the retreat from Bafokeng, the inquest was in full swing.

England coach Fabio Capello was first in the dock after the humiliating last-16 exit against Germany. .

This may not be enough to keep the wolves, or indeed speculation, from Capello and the FA's door, but there is enough wreckage to sift through until his fate is finally decided.

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: Bloemfontein

If England carry a burning sense of injustice as part of their baggage on the long flight home from South Africa on Monday night, Fabio Capello and his players will fool only themselves.

Capello's complaint about the incompetence of officialdom after was little more than a flimsy fig leaf when it came to disguising shortcomings exposed in a World Cup campaign that was a monument to mediocrity.

England's coach, of course, had every right to draw attention to one of the worst decisions in the tournament's history as a mitigating factor in their eventual defeat by a vastly-superior Germany.

Capello must not think, however, that Uruguayan linesman Mauricio Espinosa's failure to spot Frank Lampard's clever finish dropping well behind Manuel Neuer's goalline with the score at 2-1 was a defining moment that somehow blocked England's path to glory.

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: Bloemfontein

The circus has rolled into town. And so have England and Germany ahead of the latest chapter in their story of World Cup combat.

In what could be taken for either a sick joke or a cruel history lesson in the past failings of England's footballers, posters for "The McLaren Circus - full 90-minute show" greeted their arrival in South Africa's Free State.

The circus was doing brisk business, while Joachim Loew and Fabio Capello provided a sideshow of their own just a few miles down the road.

while England counterpart Fabio Capello and captain Steven Gerrard's address ahead of arguably the World Cup's most anticipated game to date clocked in at a few seconds over five minutes. Their hasty exit later prompted loud complaints from sections of the world's media.

The exchanges were brief, or in Loew's case non-existent, but were heavily laced with psychological significance.

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: Rustenburg

under a World Cup meeting between England and , David James was on hand with the bucket of cold water.

As "Der Kaiser" continued the campaign he started almost from the moment this South African showpiece started, namely to undermine England, James was keen to downplay - to put it mildly - the importance of Sunday's last-16 meeting in Bloemfontein.

Without a hint of his tongue forcing a hole in his cheek and with the straightest of faces, England goalkeeper James announced it was simply "a game against a decent outfit".

True enough, but any confrontation between England and Germany offers a little more than that - and James eventually accepted the historical significance of what will unfold.

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: Port Elizabeth

The inquests can go on hold as England's World Cup campaign finally showed belated signs of life on the edge of the Indian Ocean - and no-one was more relieved than Fabio Capello.

Capello's elation at the , a result that ensured England avoided the humiliation of failing to negotiate the group stages for the first time since 1958, was so all-consuming that the Italian's guard momentarily slipped.

At the final whistle, he allowed himself a rare display of public affection as he embraced James Milner and Matthew Upson, then that, for Capello at least, almost bordered on the flamboyant.

It may have been a victory against , but the price of defeat was so high its cost would have been shared by Capello, his players and the Football Association.

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: Port Elizabeth

England's World Cup has blown so far off course that Fabio Capello felt forced to deliver official confirmation of his sanity before insisting they could still hit their target.

as Capello spoke in a sideroom backstage at .

Capello is under no illusions that a similar outcome to England's campaign would not be a source of national rejoicing. Think embarrassment. Think humiliation. At least.

So it was no surprise Capello was in fighting mood - at times literally - as he braced himself for the biggest day of his reign, that will drag England out the group phase.

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: Johannesburg

Fabio Capello's pep talk was not suddenly interrupted by the so-called rebel factions in England's squad bundling him into the boot of a waiting car.

In fact, England's players could not have looked less mutinous. They gathered with heads bowed obediently around Capello as he delivered a short, sharp assertion of his authority before training in Rustenburg. this was not.

And Frank Lampard's revelations about the "crisis meeting" at the Royal Bafokeng Sports Campus on Sunday hardly painted a picture of naked hostility between Capello and his charges as he said: "The manager just spoke himself and then we watched the Algeria game."

If England's players had called a war with Capello, it appeared nobody came. And judging by the for the "big mistake" of publicly demanding the inclusion of Joe Cole, who can blame them?

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: Rustenburg

In quite easily the most thrilling and eventful hour of England's World Cup campaign to date, John Terry was restored to captain in all but name as he exposed life inside Fabio Capello's regime.

Terry's role was to present England's united front after the shameful display in the draw against Algeria was followed by reports .

It was compulsive stuff - although reviews might suggest Terry's performance fell some way short of sealing all the reported cracks at "Camp Capello".

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: Cape Town

Fabio Capello looked every inch as clueless as his players as he groped around for reasons behind the World Cup torture England had just inflicted on Cape Town.

For the first time in his reign as coach .

Capello clutched desperately at straws as he cited the pressure of a tournament that apparently reduces players who fly in training to the sort of .

No excuses justify the sort of performance England put on in the opulent surroundings of Cape Town Stadium - or the behaviour of Wayne Rooney as he chose the most inappropriate of moments to publicly insult the country's loyal travelling support.

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: Cape Town

Fabio Capello delivered a typically masculine Italian take on crossing your fingers for good luck at suggestions the fates have already decided will take flight in Cape Town.

Capello conceals a superstitious streak beneath his iron exterior - so refused to accept all the omens pointed towards England's coach celebrating his 64th birthday with victory against on Friday.

He does not trust to luck when it comes to the business of management. Capello relies on methods forged in the hothouses of the San Siro and The Bernabeu, and which he will continue to use in South Africa.

And if anyone was wondering whether faith in his personal decision-making progress had been shaken by England's faltering start against the United States, Capello put them to bed emphatically under cross-examination in Cape Town.

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: Rustenburg

Franz Beckenbauer's wide-ranging condemnation of England has had an instant and desired effect - at least as far as manager Fabio Capello is concerned.

Wayne Rooney's cold-eyed response to a German inquisitor at England's Rustenburg training base was enough to confirm that has been carefully noted by Capello's biggest weapon.

The representative of asked: "If you qualify for the next round, which I'm convinced you will, would you prefer to play Germany?"

Rooney did not even blink as he replied: "Of course. Yes." And when pressed for an explanation, he added: "Because it would be nice to beat them."

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: Rustenburg

John Terry tore around in England's training session like a man who had just finished reading Franz Beckenbauer's brutal analysis of Fabio Capello's side.

England's players were in combative mood in the brief time the media were allowed to watch them in action, with former captain Terry throwing in several robust tackles and, in a separate incident, Jermain Defoe ending up on the floor following another challenge.

If England's squad had a little bit of extra bite in their work on Rustenburg's coldest day since their arrival in South Africa, it may just have been the result of a highly uncomplimentary assessment of their style by German legend Beckenbauer following Saturday's 1-1 draw with the United States.

Beckenbauer, a World Cup winner as player and manager, was distinctly unflattering about England in a column in South Africa newspaper The Times: "It looked to me as if the English have gone backwards into the bad old days of kick and rush. What I saw... had very little to do with football."

But is 'Der Kaiser' right?

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: Rustenburg

Robert Green's work was not being done under the icy gaze of an expectant nation - but he was literally the focus of attention as England got back to World Cup business at their Rustenberg base.

at Sun City, the night after the calamitous error that allowed Clint Dempsey to equalise for the United States in England's opener.

Green, as a result, is now a central character in England's World Cup plot and his every move on the training pitch was followed by the cameras perched pitchside.

And a few yards away coach Fabio Capello, , was monitoring another member of his squad who he hopes will play a pivotal role in this South African story.

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: Rustenburg

- and it must come from the coach as well as his players.

after his dreadful error, the sort that can define a career, allowed Clint Dempsey to equalise Steven Gerrard's early goal and give the United States a point in the opening game in Group C.

And while Green must take the blame for a mistake that cost England victory, and in all likelihood the West Ham United keeper his place in the team, .

If England's hopes of winning the World Cup rest on Capello getting the big calls correct, then he left plenty of room for manouevre after the 1-1 draw. He made three major moves and was left with a success rate of nil.

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: Rustenburg

Four words from Fabio Capello revealed the ruthless and driven personality that will direct England's attempt to end 44 barren years and reclaim the World Cup.

While an entire nation fixed its gaze on , Capello was allowing a rare glimpse of the man behind the mask as England prepare to start their campaign against the United States in Rustenburg on Saturday.

In a sentence that left no room for argument about what Capello demands and expects from England in their quest to lift the World Cup, he announced: "I exist to win."

It is a simple philosophy but one that is easier said than done, especially when you are charged with the responsibility of winning the game's biggest prize.

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: Rustenburg

England will call on inspiration from near and far to get their World Cup off to a winning start when they face the United States in Rustenburg on Saturday.

Liverpool's Steven Gerrard, in possession of the captain's armband after Rio Ferdinand's injury, revealed the twin forces he hopes will spur Fabio Capello's squad to success in South Africa.

One is close to England's current home, Wayne Rooney, while the other came from afar in the shape of a .

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: Rustenburg

Fabio Capello's volcanic eruption at England's Rustenburg base has prompted the first whispers that he is feeling the pressure of a World Cup campaign.

Taking his cue from , the England coach gave a glimpse of the fires bubbling beneath the surface in a brief, but explosive, confrontation with photographers in the South African sunshine.

The Italian rarely moves around the Royal Bafokeng Sports Campus at anything other than a brisk and businesslike march, so there was no indication of the sound and fury to come as he made his way from the main building to consult with his backroom team.

Striding towards England's perfectly manicured training pitch and seeing lenses pointed towards rooms inside the complex, the side of Capello normally reserved for his players was exposed.

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: Rustenburg

High above Nelson Mandela Drive - the long road that stretches into and out of Rustenburg - the face of Wayne Rooney looks down from a giant hoarding accompanied by the slogan: "Once In A Lifetime."

Rooney is one of the symbols of the World Cup, earmarked even before the opening ceremony as a unique talent capable of making an indelible mark on the tournament.

If stars of Rooney's stature are important to the overall image of this South African showpiece, then this is nothing compared to how integral he is to England's chances of success.

And that is why Rooney's behaviour in will surely draw a short but sharp rebuke from Fabio Capello ahead of .

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: Rustenburg

Ledley King is willing to sacrifice even the simple pleasures of a game of garden football with son Coby if it means prolonging his World Cup ambitions with England.

King's knee problems are so well-chronicled that he admits even the energetic five-year-old is well aware of his condition - and even more so when his dad tells him matches between the pair must wait for another day as he attempts to extend his football career.

Fabio Capello is such an avid admirer of King's defensive abilities and immaculate positional play that he is effectively prepared to give him special dispensation to conduct his own personal fitness regime away from England's World Cup squad.

And it is a faith that will be put to the test, and hopefully rewarded, after King emerged as prime contender to partner John Terry in England's central defence in South Africa after

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World Cup 2010: Rustenburg

Fabio Capello calls it - now he must hope the man he is believed to have thought too timid to lead England breaks the spell.

Capello set out a simple line of succession for the captaincy when he appointed John Terry, but the Italian's preferred choice was sacked amid personal problems and his successor Rio Ferdinand's South African World Cup adventure was over before it began.

So Gerrard, third in line even though he was the first captain Capello selected to audition for the job, steps forward with the task of repeating the inspirational leadership he demonstrates at Liverpool for his country.

Frank Lampard, installed as vice-captain after Ferdinand's knee injury forced his departure before the end of England's first training session, gave Gerrard a glowing reference.

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World Cup 2010: Rustenburg

Rio Ferdinand - tempting fate to a degree it found impossible to resist - .

The theory, fatally flawed, was that the problems that restricted him to only 21 appearances would leave him refreshed and at the peak of fitness to captain Fabio Capello's squad in their South African campaign.

No silver lining was detected as he was - only clouds for Capello and Ferdinand on an otherwise sun-kissed Rustenburg day.

Ferdinand suffered the heartbreak of missing the showpiece that was to be the pinnacle of his career, offering him the possibility of being the first England captain since Bobby Moore to lift the game's greatest prize.

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This week some of our regular bloggers will be answering your World Cup questions. Tim Vickery went first, Phil Minshull and Piers Edwards followed. Now it's the turn of chief football writer Phil McNulty, who will be following England in South Africa.

GENERAL

Q. Who do you think will win the World Cup and who do you think will be the star of the tournament. I think Netherlands could win and I think the star of the tournament could be so what do you think?
Andrew David, Wales

A. I would love to say England but I will not allow my heart to rule my head. I will go for Spain because they do not just have a world-class team, they have a world-class squad. They have also cleared a major psychological hurdle by They no longer carry the tag of gifted under-achievers.

If he is fit, I will say Fernando Torres will be the star of the tournament. Lionel Messi might be - if Diego Maradona lets him.

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Theo Walcott will spend his summer doing exactly what he did four years ago - playing the part of an idle bystander watching England attempting to win the World Cup. But there is a crucial and personally devastating difference this time around.

Turn the clock back to Baden-Baden in 2006 and Walcott was simply happy - and probably utterly bemused - to be in Germany. , the Arsenal player was a nonsensical selection that had cynics suggesting the Swede was revealing a hitherto undetected sense of humour by picking a player he had only previously seen in training.

Now, four years on, Walcott is headline news again following England's chaotic World Cup squad announcement, the ruthlessly dumped on the scrapheap by Fabio Capello ahead of the South African campaign.

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