The debate over whether Fabio Capello should stay or go has obscured the real reason why England lost so badly to Germany and crashed out of the World Cup. It is a feature of any negotiation that winners have a positive attitude. This is a feature of traditional business negotiations and also of “physical” negotiations like sporting contests.

In this case the difference in attitude between England and Germany is palpable. Germany take to the field expecting to win. England take to the field fearing that they may lose.

If you bring a losing attitude to a negotiation, that dictates your own behaviour and the attitude of others. You become less ambitious in your aims, your behaviour is tentative, you anxiously fluff your lines. All of this fuels the attitude of the other side; they become more ambitious,  more confident and more assertive. Sounds familiar from watching England play?

Germany have progressed further than England in every single World Cup since 1966. That’s 11 tournaments in a row.  Once may be chance, twice a coincidence, three times is a pattern, eleven times is an inevitability.

It is the difference in attitude which makes the difference. England will not beat Germany in a competitive fixture at the World Cup until that attitude changes. This issue is more important than goalkeeping bloopers, penalty misses, refereeing errors, mid season breaks, whether England are wearing their lucky strip, or any other reason which is cited as an excuse for England’s repeated failure to progress.

If this is the case there is no point sacking Capello – he at least is a “winner” who always expects to win. It is the players who are the problem. The so-called “Golden Generation” have failed so often that the expectation of failure at this level is hard-wired into their attitude. It must be tempting now for Capello to abandon these older players. I would encourage him to select a group of young players not older than 20 and work with them through the Euro’s and on to the next World Cup. Players would be selected for this group not just on the basis of their ability, but also their attitude – do they have the invincibility of youth to go out on the pitch expecting to win?

Taking this strategy may mean that if we meet Germany again in the 2014 World Cup we have a chance of winning the match. But we have to win the mind game first…..