World Cup lull is crucial for Capello

There's just over a week to go until the start of the World Cup and everything has gone quiet. After the mayhem of England's squad announcement on Tuesday, the lucky 23 have now touched down in South Africa and although they were given a warm welcome, there was very little fanfare.

I would imagine that's exactly what Fabio Capello would have wanted. Over the coming eight days he has two main tasks - keep his players out of the flare of the press and ensure they are fully acclimatised to the conditions they will face.

Failing to do so would be a crucial blow to the side's chances and one they may not be able to recover from. Anyone with an England World Cup bet will be hoping Capello can keep things on track.

If they get off to a bad start, for whatever reason, the Three Lions will find it almost impossible to recover, and their chances of World Cup glory could be over before they've even begun.