ENGLAND'S footballers were probably relieved that the Olympic Games were in full swing when they laboured to a draw against the Czech Republic.

The Olympics were, of course, available to anybody with a television set, so interest was generated in sports that are not often seen.

It was easy to become excited about, for instance, British cyclists, although any viewer has to pay attention before grasping the format of complex events.

English football internationals and cricket Test matches should be similarly disseminated but ruling bodies grab the money offered by satellite channels. That may be profitable but strikes me as a short-term approach.

The game at Wembley could be seen only by those in attendance or subscribers to Setanta. The rest of us had to make do with highlights, more than enough as it turned out.

Fabio Capello (pictured left), hired at vast expense to give England a hard-headed Italian tactical approach, appears merely to have inherited the problems that brought down his predecessors.

Surely there is no point in persisting with David Beckham at this level. Beckham has been tremendous for England and is an exemplary professional but is now playing for Los Angeles Galaxy, is 33 and increasingly immobile.

In turn, that makes Wesley Brown at right-back look a worse player than he is.

Pairing Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard in midfield has never worked. Gerrard needs to be central, with Gareth Barry or, when fit, Owen Hargreaves for cover.

Then Gerrard can change games with Lampard as a useful replacement from the bench.

After that, all Capello needs is somebody to play on the left. Joe Cole tends to slip inside but remains the best bet.