Even a hugely comfortable 4-0 win over Bulgaria wasn’t enough to ease the despair hanging over the senior side at the moment. But Capello is not even close to being our biggest problem.

Step forward Stuart Pearce. Here is the man given the task of moulding the best of the young English talent before they make the final step up to senior international status. A task he is failing again and again.

Before readers jump to conclusions, this isn’t a criticism of how he dealt with the Jack Wilshere situation – I actually think only he can possibly make that decision, and with England winning fairly comfortably in Portugal you have to say he got it spot on. Man management is one of the few areas of coaching where Pearce can be trusted as far as I’m concerned.

His team and squad selection though, leaves plenty to be desired. Instead of picking a team to develop, the players most likely to become successful senior internationals, time after time he calls up and starts the likes of Ryan Bertrand, Michael Mancienne, Danny Rose and Fabrice Muamba. Physique and experience is constantly preferred to talent and technical ability, results given complete priority over development. The worst part is, as England face Lithuainia in a game where a win might still not be enough to take the U21s through to the play-offs, ‘Psycho’ hasn’t even got his team winning.

Take Germany’s approach to the Under 21s, they won the U21 Championship in 2009 because they had brought the most talented players through, in a system that worked for international football, and they embarassed England in the final just as they did in the senior World Cup this summer with six of the same players. In stark contrast, not a single of Pearce’s players that day were named in Capello’s squad for South Africa.

Tactically Pearce is equally inept, probably best illustrated by Friday when Michael Mancienne was chosen to play in midfield in what was a must-win game against Portugal. In the end England breezed through, but if Mancienne or a player like him ever plays in defensive midfield for the senior side it will be a dark, dark day for English football. We don’t need to mimick Spain’s style to be successful – indeed, it will be a very long time before we’re capable of that – but not wasting possession is crucial to international success and Pearce’s brand of glorified kick-and-run park football will always come undone.

I fear for English football when I read the newspaper columns berating Capello in one paragraph and then praising Pearce in the next. The Italian is a world class manager who was without doubt let down by underperforming players and a few suspect decisions after a hugely successful qualification campaign. The Englishman is a poor manager who, if anything, is damaging the supply of English footballers available to Capello. You tell me who the papers should really be calling to resign.

Left back Kieran Gibbs and creative midfielder Jack Wilshere were two players tipped by Fabio Capello to have a role to play in the upcoming 2012 European qualifiers and it appears that the Italian coach has decided that now is the time to test them, with a game against Hungary coming up next week.

Another player thought to be close to a spot in Capello’s squad was Everton’s Jack Rodwell, but it appears that he’ll have to wait a bit longer for his chance after Stuart Pearce still picked him for the Under 21s game against Uzbekistan next week.

Pearce has included four new faces in his 19-man selection, with Sunderland midfielder Jordan Henderson, defenders Martin Kelly (Liverpool) and Phil Jones (Blackburn), and Aston Villa winger Marc Albrighton all making the step up to U21 level for the first time.

The full squad for next week’s game can be found below.

Frankie Fielding (Blackburn Rovers)
Alex McCarthy (Reading)

Ryan Bertrand (Chelsea)
Phil Jones (Blackburn Rovers)
Martin Kelly (Liverpool)
Michael Mancienne (Chelsea)
Chris Smalling (Manchester United)
Kyle Walker (Tottenham Hotspur)

Marc Albrighton (Aston Villa)
Tom Cleverley (Manchester United)
Jack Cork (Chelsea)
Jordan Henderson (Sunderland)
Victor Moses (Wigan Athletic)
Fabrice Muamba (Bolton Wanderers)
Jack Rodwell (Everton)
Danny Rose (Tottenham Hotspur)

Andy Carroll (Newcastle United)
Daniel Sturridge (Chelsea)
Danny Welbeck (Manchester United)

Holland U21 0 – 0 England U21

In a very poor display of football England started their new season by salvaging a draw in a toothless game lacking excitement or cutting edge. England lined up with a negative 4-5-1 formation with James Vaughan isolated up front as the lone target man and it never looked like it would pay off as the more attacking Holland side dominated possession without ever really troubling Scott Loach in the 1st half.

The way Pearce sets up his side tries to mimick the way that the England first team do but fails to do so as all the creativity that the England team has with the likes of Gerrard, Lampard and Barry the England U21 replaces with workman-like and solid players such as Rose, Rodwell and Cattermole who are good without the ball but often disappoint with it. Not only that, rather than play a proper second striker as Capello does with Rooney, the U21s chose to use Delph, a very talented player in his own right, but very much a central midfielder who never looked like someone who was operating in the hole.

The best threat England could come up with throughout the whole game was a storming Micah Richards run and one-two that left the Man City player with a clear view of goal on the edge of the area but his shot was one fitting of a right back and never looked like it would beat Tim Krul.

Their Dutch counterparts were also lacking clear cut chances despite their better possession and were limited to long range strikes at goal, the pick of which was Barazite’s curling effort that whistled past the post in a very poor half from the Arsenal youngster.

Nacer Barazite did start to have a growing influence in the 2nd half though as he started to drift from the target man role he had began the game with. First he set up Emnes for a clear chance that was squandered amid penalty shouts, before seeing a few good efforts test Fielding later in the half. The closest the Dutch came though was through substitute Vurnon Anita whose strike came back off the crossbar as time ran out for both sides to liven up this bore draw.

Jack Wilshere saw his first minutes in an U21 England shirt but saw his debut disrupted by constant substitutions and changes in the position he was expected to play, being forced into three different roles in the half an hour he was on the field of play. I have a feeling that he will be hoping to make the step up to the full England team sooner rather than later as I can’t see Pearce’s brand of football suiting him.

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England U20 5 – 0 Montenegro U20

An entirely different story in the Midlands last night as England finished up comfortable winners over Montenegro in their final warm up game ahead of the U20 World Cup in Egypt next month.

England had already gone close twice and failed to convert a penalty when Manchester United player Febian Brandy finished off a chance created by Vidal to give the England sie the lead. Brandy wasn’t finished there either as he bettered that goal with a stunning volley just before half time to give England a comfortable lead at the break.

It took three minutes to open their account for the 2nd half with another Man Utd prospect Tom Cleverley getting on the scoresheet this time as he found the bottom corner with a low strike. It took over half an hour to further increase the lead with England goalkeeper Rudd having to make a couple of stops himself to ensure the Montenegrins didn’t find a way back into the game.

But with 8 minutes left Tom Cleverley put the game even further beyond the reach of their opponents with a fine goal before Bolton Wanderers forward Tope Obadeyi added to the scoreline in the last minute of the game. Overall a decent workout for Eastick’s team ahead of the real challenge in Egypt.

As we reported last week, Wilshere was overlooked from the U21 squad in favour of an England U20 game at the Hawthorns against Montenegro but this last minute alteration means that the highly rated teenager will join Stuart Pearce’s squad today ahead of the game against their Dutch counterparts tomorrow in Groningen.

It has not yet been announced who will take Wilshere’s place in the U20 squad but I’m pleased that Wilshere’s talent has been recognised and hopefully will be given the chance to shine against the Netherlands tomorrow night as England look to build momentum ahead of the 2011 European Championship campaign.

Stuart Pearce has named his latest Under 21 England squad ahead of a game against Holland on August 11th. Having lost against Germany in the final of the European U21 Championships earlier this summer the older, now inelligible players have been replaced by some exciting new talent ahead of the qualification campaign for the next championships.

There are five players who will be involved for the first time under Pearce, with West Ham duo Junior Stanislas and Freddy Sears joining Chelsea’s new signing Daniel Sturridge, Newcastle’s Andy Carroll and Fulham’s Chris Smalling.

Undoubtedly the most exciting on the five is Daniel Sturridge who having left Man City will hope now to get more games at Chelsea, with Di Santo going out on loan and only two experienced strikers ahead of him meaning he should get minutes in a quality team. Showed his talent in glimpses last season but after the signing of so many strikers at the City of Manchester Stadium a move was always on the cards.

Andy Carroll also made an impression on the Premiership last year as several cameo roles in a struggling Newcastle side showed him as a strong and powerful centre forward. Born and bred in the North East, he will hope to become an established striker for the Geordies this season as they target immediate promotion.

West Ham duo Stanislas and Sears also impressed in the Premiership in an impressive season for the Hammers under Zola, left winger Stanislas scoring on his first start before being rewarded with a new contract to show Zola’s faith in the 19 year old. Sears meanwhile has taken the step to go out on loan this season as he looks for the regular football he needs to improve after a very promising start at the top level. A typical poacher who scored goals for the fun in the West Ham youth set up, he will hope to impress enough at Crystal Palace this term to warrant a first team place when he returns to Upton Park.

Lastly there is Chris Smalling, still a relative unknown, only making his debut for Fulham as a substitute in the final game of the season. He has been previously called up to the England U20s however, so this is simply the next step as the 19 year old Londoner looks to impress Roy Hodgson and Fabio Capello enough to be included in their future plans.

The full squad to face Holland:

Goalkeepers: Frankie Fielding (Blackburn Rovers) & Scott Loach (Watford)

Defenders: Ryan Bertrand (Reading, on loan from Chelsea), Kieran Gibbs (Arsenal), Michael Mancienne (Chelsea), Kyle Naughton (Tottenham Hotspur) Michah Richards (Man City),  James Tompkins (West Ham Utd), Chris Smalling (Fulham)

Midfielders: Lee Cattermole (Wigan), Fabien Delph (Aston Villa), Fabrice Muamba (Bolton), Jack Rodwell (Everton), Danny Rose (Tottenham Hotspur)

Forwards: Andy Carroll (Newcastle Utd), Freddy Sears (Crystal Palace on loan from West Ham Utd), Junior Stanislas (West Ham Utd), Daniel Sturridge (Chelsea), James Vaughan (Everton)

The surprise omission in my opinion as an admittedly biased Arsenal fan is the continued exclusion of Jack Wilshere from the Under 21 squad despite his incredible form during pre-season. And with Fabio Capello watching from the stands as Wilshere scored a brace against Rangers on Sunday I am more than a little surprised that there is no sign of him in this squad. He is still four years younger than some members of the squad and lacks premiership appearances which maybe cost him a place in this one but it’s surely only a matter of time before we see Wilshere in Stuart Pearce’s team.