At the age of 65 he has to pitch his new-found excitement about emerging talent against the resolute walls of his innate conservatism.
This has been a campaign of internal conflict for Fabio Capello. At the age of 65 he has had to pitch his new-found excitement about the emerging talent against the resolute walls of his innate conservatism.
He finds himself seduced by these young English players when he watches them in the Premier League, but when it comes to throwing them a first-team shirt, he has struggled to overcome a bias towards age and experience. Now, with qualification assured, it is the perfect time to release his inner enthusiast and give the kids a chance.
The spine of a new England is already formed: Joe Hart, 24, Phil Jones, 19, Jack Wilshere, 19, Wayne Rooney, 25, and Danny Welbeck, 20. That group could be together not just for Brazil 2014 but even through to the following World Cup in Russia. Now, with a full eight months of clear thinking ahead of him, Capello must overcome his deep-seated prejudice against the callow.
Just look at the World Cup squad selection. He brought in Jamie Carragher and sought to coax Paul Scholes out of retirement. Shaun Wright-Phillips was picked ahead of Theo Walcott and Adam Johnson.
Perhaps most tellingly, Hart, despite being the in-form goalkeeper, was not thought to be ready. Rob Green, and then David James, were selected instead. He played it too safe.
In the aftermath of England's elimination, Capello vowed to rejuvenate an ageing team. Privately he despaired at the lack of young talent, and squad after squad was testament to that. And it was hard to pick too much fault - there were not the players around who could justify fast-tracking.
And when Capello did experiment, in a 2-1 home defeat to France, he got burned. Jordan Henderson, Kieran Gibbs and Andy Carroll were not on the same plane as the French team and it just confirmed Capello's suspicions about the tactical naivete of young English players.
The exception, of course, has been Wilshere. Ever since he first saw him play in an Arsenal pre-season tournament in 2009, Capello has been smitten. It is testament to Wilshere's talent that with just five caps he is already integral to this England side.
It would not be stretching things to suggest that Wilshere's elevation to the national team has rekindled Capello's enthusiasm for the job. A grand claim maybe, but then Wilshere has delivered exactly what Capello needed. He brings speed of thought and boot to the centre of the field, with his first-touch passing, his refined sense of tempo and his little darts into space. He has what most English players lack: game intelligence.
The obvious problem is that Wilshere is five months away from being fit and probably seven months away from being at his best. With the Euros eight months away that does not leave much room for manoeuvre, especially as serious injuries are often followed by compensation problems. In the meantime, Capello has to form a side ready for Wilshere to fit back into. He is committed to pushing the young players in high-calibre friendlies against Spain and Holland in November.
Jones and Welbeck need the opportunity to prove they can handle the elevation as easily as Wilshere. In Podgorica, Jones did not look entirely comfortable at right back and needs to get the chance to play in the centre, while Welbeck, who made an excellent cameo in that game, needs a full game to show what he can do.
Chances are there to be taken. Capello likes the Manchester United pair of Tom Cleverley and Chris Smalling, and is a fan of Kyle Walker and Martin Kelly.
The speed of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's development will also be monitored, while Daniel Sturridge is expected to be involved in the autumn friendlies as Capello looks into the various options of coping without the suspended Rooney.
Places in that final 23-man squad, and even in the first XI, are up for grabs. Of the old guard, only John Terry, Ashley Cole and Steven Gerrard are assured of their places. If the new generation maintain their momentum, and Capello wins the battle against his cautious side, Euro 2012 can be the beginning of something, rather than another backsliding anticlimax.
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