By golly, Fab didn't use a brolly

TEAMtalk feels Fabio Capello proved the main difference between him and Steve McClaren is that the Italian doesn't mind the Wembley downpours.

If this was the big dress rehearsal to England's World Cup qualifying campaign, it is probably just as well news of Brian Barwick's impending departure leaked out just before kick-off.

Having established the fact there is no glut of different players to the ones Steve McClaren used, no different captain either and that no-one even comes close to David Beckham's set-piece delivery, an opinion McClaren only arrived at 12 months after his appointment, it now transpires Fabio Capello has no magic wand to make England win either.

Indeed, the major difference the Football Association seem to be getting for their £6million annual salary is someone who does not seek sanctuary under a ridiculous umbrella when the heavens open above and does not speak with a comical Dutch-English accent.

As he was left completely non-plussed by the obsessive manner in which the English media demanded to know who his captain would be, Capello will presumably be left cold by the internal wranglings of Soho Square.

However, by the end of the year he will realise the man who appointed him has left and a man who actually arrived at FA headquarters after he did last December, is now in control.

It is clear Lord Triesman likes things done his way. In that sense, he shares a common bond with Capello.

But the Labour peer's sights are set pretty high. A semi-final place in either the 2010 World Cup or the European Championships two years later is the stated aim. Clearly, his confirmation that such targets were realistic came before another average night at Wembley for the Three Lions.

After five friendlies, Capello now has a competitive game to prepare for.

Andorra will be beaten, just as McClaren managed, but the prospect of 15,000 England fans booing, jeering and abusing across the stands of Barcelona's Olympic Stadium at Montjuic is not an appealing thought if the first half ends goalless as it did for Capello's predecessor.

But it is the game that follows which really matters, for Capello and Triesman.

If England lose to Croatia in Zagreb on September 10, they almost certainly will be playing catch-up until the re-match at Wembley in 12 months' time.

And it has to be said, with just three weeks to go, few would be confident of anything but a defeat. McClaren managed that too.

The bare facts are these.

England were woeful for half an hour, outplayed by a Czech side who failed to get beyond the Euro 2008 group stage in Austria and Switzerland.

The visitors dominated the midfield exchanges, with Jan Polak and Jaroslav Plasil particularly impressive, and took the lead through Milan Baros, who spent last season leaving Portsmouth fans unimpressed.

Jermain Defoe, preferred to Emile Heskey up front, carved out a couple of decent opportunities and forced Petr Cech into a good save.

The flurry at least triggered an improvement from the home side, who drew level thanks to Wes Brown's first international goal.

Then the second half began, Marek Jankulovski immediately put the visitors back in front, England tried - but failed - to find an equaliser and David James came racing out of his goal for no obvious reason, nearly gifting the Czechs a third.

Other than the fact England were even further behind before their spirited fightback and the goals were scored at slightly different times, it was pretty much a replica of the night England crashed out of Euro 2008 until Joe Cole bundled home an equaliser in stoppage time.

Twenty thousand empty seats, which in fairness did mean a near-70,000 attendance, suggests the football team have a lot to do if they are to win over a disillusioned public, almost overdosing on the Olympic success currently being enjoyed in Beijing.

Capello needs a bit of help. Lord Triesman has decided Barwick is not the man to supply it.

No matter that the FA can enjoy the benefits of a vastly improved TV deal, can look forward to the construction of an impressive and long overdue National Football Centre in Burton and enjoy the plush surrounds of Wembley, Barwick is yesterday's man.

Capello has no such concerns. Yet.

But unless the next three weeks see a marked improvement, he will find the sceptics start to become his enemies. Boos at the end proved that.

Let's cross our fingers and really hope that brolly is not required.