Look at the England squad and what do you see? Great individuals. Players who are stars at the best clubs in Europe. Then look at the performances and results, all the way back to Euro 2000. The puzzle pieces do not fit.

It is not because the England players do not have the talent. This is a problem of attitude, not ability. The squad do not perform for the national team as they do for their clubs, and that is not a problem with tactics, it is mentality.

Playing well for England should be the norm. Instead, it is an unexpected bonus when it happens. We know that Wayne Rooney can play, but for his country he resembles a youngster out of his depth. How can that be when he proved at Euro 2004 that he was good enough? The only explanation is a lack of belief and this squad, like others before, is riddled with it.

How many times do we see young players who look devastating and exciting for their clubs get a chance for England and not look ready? Does anyone think that players such as Gabriel Agbonlahor and Ashley Young would buck the trend? They would play with fear, not the bravery that comes from being new and naive, because that is the overriding emotion in the England camp.

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Fabio Capello must change the culture of the squad if his team are to have any hope of winning a trophy. The Italian’s first squad gatherings have resembled boot camps, but there was a mellowing yesterday when he let the players off the leash and joined them for nine holes of golf.

Capello must demand ambition and courage from his players. He must reassure them that, as long as they are aggressive, confident and take risks, their places are safe — even if they have a bad game. The manager must demand that his men show guts and be bold.

The situation is so bad that in the last qualifying campaign Slaven Bilic, the Croatia coach, could sense how feeble England’s morale was. He was confident when he should have been nervous.

There are plenty of nice people in the England camp; I wish there were a few nasty ones. I do not get the impression that players are willing to fall out with each other, to voice strong opinions, to win at all costs. They do not have that fire in their bellies.

Perhaps that is because they feel that club football is more important, that international duty is an unwelcome distraction. They do not need the hassle from fans and media. True winners would want to shove that criticism back down their throats and the only way to do that is with success on the pitch. The match against Croatia next week will set the tone. Are England ready to ditch the fear factor?

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