The sports media are up in arms about a new website whereby England manager Fabio Capello can publish his 'player ratings' after each England match during the World Cup.
The website is being backed by a betting company, and will give England fans an insight into Capello's selection processes.
According to Times Online today, Capello is the co-founder of the website, and business partner with Chicco Merighi, the founder of Goalventures Ltd, an online gambling company.
The Capello Index was launched on Monday, by the man himself, who said: "I know the players, I follow the players, I check everything.
"It is really important to know the players outside the pitch.
"I need to know the mentality of the group. It is really important to pick the players with the spirit of the group.
"You have to forget where you are from, which team you are from. You have to play for this shirt, for the spirit of the group. If you play you have to be happy. If you don't play you have to be happy.
"If you go to the stand you have to be happy. This is a really, really important thing."
The FA have decided they are not best pleased about the links to gambling, and want to investigate the concept.
The matter is further complicated by the addition of the gambling company, and the reports that pundits who make correct predictions can benefit financially.
However the index was tested with players from Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool in a four week trial, which, you would think the FA would have been aware of?
For the record the trial showed that the best English midfielders were Frank Lampard, Paul Scholes and Joe Cole, in that order, while Ledley King, Michael Dawson and Sol Campbell all beat John Terry and Rio Ferdinand in the central defenders category.
The watching world, quite literally, will be giving the players marks out of ten, so why not the manager?
The issue then becomes should it be made public?
I can see both sides of this argument.
Newspapers and independent websites will do this anyway, they always do. Player ratings from 1-10 are used on a match by match basis in most forms of the media which cover English football.
And everything is amplified by the World Cup.
Some players will not be bothered by it. Some will disagree, and some players may take the ratings to heart.
It could be detrimental, particularly to young players still learning their trade, to be told that they have not performed on the world stage. That they have let down their country.
It is potentially humiliating.
But on the whole, I think it is about responsibility. If you do not want to get a low mark by the manager, put the effort in!
You cannot always have a brilliant game, and domestic form does not always translate to international excellence, but most managers will not judge a player who has given their all too harshly, despite it not quite working for them that day.
These players egos often outweigh their performances, and while everybody and his dog will have an opinion on how each player has acquitted himself for his country, the man whose opinion matters most is the manager.
It could be a case of the truth hurts.
During the early part of the 2008-9 season, the Boro players were asked to give honest opinions, about their team mates, who had impressed them, who was not quite there, and crucially, who was not pulling their weight.
They all admitted that they felt one player was talented but lazy and was performing far below his natural ability.
This particular player sulked for a few days, and then began to produce form which we had never seen from him before, sometimes you do need telling.
The Index may also breed healthy competition amongst the players. They want to be the best, and they will know, reportedly within two hours of the final whistle, whether they have done enough to impress the boss.
But there is a slightly nauseating X Factor style component to this. The players will be judged and those found wanting will have nowhere to hide.
After all, would you like your work reviews being made public? And by your boss at that!
But 'footballer' is not a normal job, especially when you are one of the chosen few, an England Lion. The nations hopes rest with you, and the pressure is intense.
But the rewards are abundant.
Assuming Capello gets the go ahead, we will all be able to tell which players he favours, who surprises him, and anyone he regrets taking to South Africa!
For those who get the top marks, there will be celebrations, and most likely a sigh of relief, and those who are dragging behind will simply have to work harder.
That's life.
First published on www.SportingPreview.com on 11/5/2010
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