Capello leaves England no better than he found it

Soccer Betting Lines

02/08/2012 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The appointment of Fabio Capello as manager of England's national team in December 2007 was supposed to be a step in the right direction following the disappointing 18-months that Steve McClaren spent at the helm.

Yet on Wednesday, when Capello handed his resignation to the Football Association following a disagreement over John Terry being stripped of his captaincy, the Italian left the team in virtually the same state that he found it.

Under McClaren, England failed to qualify for the 2008 European Championships and was clearly in need of the type of manager who could restore confidence in the national team, which had been missing for years.

Enter Capello, a no nonsense Italian who had a history of success with some of the world's biggest clubs and who was expected to bring a fresh approach to the job.

In stints with AC Milan, Real Madrid, Roma and Juventus, Capello captured nine league titles and one Champions League crown, and the hope was that some of his winning pedigree would rub off on an England side in desperate need of some good results.

Yet Capello never really managed to take what many viewed as a talented but underachieving side much further than his predecessor.

The team that he inherited was filled with big-name players who had a history of success in the Premier League, like Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Wayne Rooney among others.

Yet it was a mystery as to why the Three Lions had come up short time and again when the stakes were highest.

Capello's first big test came at the 2010 World Cup, and it was a performance that England fans are still doing their best to erase from memory.

England was handed a soft draw with the United States, Slovenia and Algeria in its group, yet somehow managed to only finish second behind the Americans.

It was an uninspired effort in the group stage to be kind, and England was soon on a plane back home after a 4-1 thumping at the hands of Germany in the second round.

Issues with goalkeeping, the inconsistency of star players like Rooney and an overall surprisingly poor level of play were to blame for yet another poor showing on the big stage.

Had Capello been relieved of his duties at that point, the decision probably wouldn't have been met with heavy resistance, but he was given another chance to get things right as he signed a new contract which ran through Euro 2012.

England's qualifying campaign for Euro 2012 saw the team finish six points clear at the top of its group, but despite a favorable draw in the competition that includes France, Sweden and the Ukraine in Group D, it's hard to see England being a major threat.

And maybe that's why Capello took such a surprisingly strong stance on the issue of Terry being stripped of the captain's armband by the FA.

At 65, it might just be easier to fade into the background and let someone else take the heat for another tournament that saw England come away empty- handed.

Whomever takes the reigns from Capello will be facing essentially the same challenges he did when he inherited the team from McClaren.

A roster filled with aging stars who have never quite been able to come together as a cohesive unit and play up to their potential.

The new boss must find a way to transition from players like Lampard, Gerrard, Terry and Rio Ferdinand to the next generation of English talent, something Capello wasn't able to accomplish during his tenure.

In the end, Capello's time in charge of England will not be remembered in the most favorable light.

His challenge of the FA ending in much the same way as his bid to bring titles to England.

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Elite 8 NCAA Tournament Betting at online sportsbook MySportsbook.com

In what should be an outstanding Saturday of March Madness betting action, the top four teams in the South and West Regions square off in what should be extremely close match-ups. Three of the four teams are coming off extremely close games on Thursday evening, only UCLA won semi comfortably over Pitt 64-55.

Ohio State is coming off their second game in a row where in all reality they should have lost. Of course that doesn’t matter now since the name of the game is “survive and advance” but as the tournament continues, they can’t afford to keep getting down to their opponents early. Kansas also avoided a scare by holding off a scrappy Southern Illinois squad. In the third thrilling game of the evening Memphis pulled off the minor upset (+3.5) despite being the higher seed to Texas A&M.

Although the spreads are fairly small for Saturday’s games, MySportsbook.com continue to bet against the underdogs. Despite OSU’s two scares, 86% of the “betting public” feels the Buckeyes (-1.5) have what it takes to make the Final Four. In fact, so much of the early money is on OSU that the line has already moved from -1 to -1.5. In the second game of the doubleheader, Kansas and their high-powered offense are 2 point favorites as they take on UCLA and their effective defense. About 63% of the early money thus far is once again backing the favorites. If those percentages stay that high, don’t be surprised if this line moves as well. If you like Kansas (-2) you might want to jump on it early.

Memphis vs. Ohio State

Both squads were involved in thrillers on Thursday evening and should come out fired up. OSU can ill afford to get behind early like they did versus their previous two opponents (Xavier, Tennessee). Greg Oden needs to stay out of foul trouble; the Buckeyes are a completely different team when he is on the court. Memphis definitely has the athleticism and length to match-up with OSU. Of Memphis’ five leading minute earners, the shortest of the bunch is 6’5”. Each team has a very effective defense; Memphis surrenders 62.3 PPG whereas the Buckeyes give up only 61 PPG. With those type of numbers, it isn’t surprising that Memphis covered the UNDER almost 69% of the time this season. As a favorite, OSU has covered the UNDER almost 66% of the time over the last three seasons. The major concern for Memphis which is magnifies this time of the year is their brutal foul shooting (62%). This season, OSU is 17-11 ATS versus teams with a winning record and 7-2 ATS in all tournament games. Memphis has been an extremely reliable cover in tournament play in recent years with a 23-8 ATS record over the last three seasons.

UCLA vs. Kansas

In the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader, UCLA will play in a role which they are very unfamiliar with that of the underdog. Only twice this season have they been getting points from the handicappers and both times they covered. Over the last three seasons UCLA is a reliable 23-7 ATS in this unfamiliar role. UCLA has not fared well against Big 12 opponents recently going 1-7 ATS since 1997. Giving up only 59.6 PPG, UCLA will definitely look to do what they do best: keep this game as low scoring as possible. Their defense has been especially tough during the tournament. UCLA opponents have been able to muster up only 48.7 PPG while shooting a combined 34.5% from the field. UCLA definitely has a challenge at hand with a Kansas team that is capable of putting points on the board in bunches. As a team, they average 79 PPG and shoot an impressive 49.6% from the field and 39.4% from beyond the arc. During the tournament Kansas has been “lights out” from the field having shot 56.2%.

With Friday -105 juice on Basketball betting, MySportsbook.com is the place to bet on all of the “March Madness” action.  Don’t forget to monitor who the public is backing at MySportsbook.com’s “Betting Trends”.  By doing so, you have the best chance of predicting a possible line change, thus getting the best value for your wager.

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Chiefs' Treen Green out for Sunday's game

How long Trent Green will remain sidelined is unknown. Coach Herm Edwards said Monday he will miss a second straight start Sunday when the Chiefs host the San Francisco 49ers.

A two-time Pro Bowler, Green was going into a feet-first hook slide when he was knocked unconscious by a thunderous, head-snapping hit from Cincinnati's Robert Geathers.

Oddsmakers at online sportsbook MySportsbook.com currently have the Chiefs listed as 7-point favorites versus the 49ers.

The 49ers got beat by Philadelphia 38-24 as a 6.5-point underdog last week. The combined score went OVER the posted over/under total (42.5).

Alex Smith completed 27-of-46 passes for 293 yards with a touchdown. Michael Robinson rushed for 29 yards and a pair of touchdowns on five carries.

The Chiefs lost 9-6 to Denver last week as an 11-point underdog. The combined score was well UNDER the posted over/under total (38).

Larry Johnson rushed for 126 yards on 27 carries. Damon Huard completed 17-of-23 passes for 133 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions.

To visit this online sports book got to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting needs.