GROUP C: ENGLANDJohn Terry's press conference yesterday suggested all is not well in the England camp, writes KEITH DUGGAN

SHORTLY BEFORE midnight on Saturday, Wayne Rooney walked through the chambers of Green Point stadium holding a paper coffee cup and looking the picture of dejection. He ignored the repeated calls to say something – anything – to reporters and vanished as quickly as he could. Even then, he was probably aware his comments about the England fans booing had been broadcast to the nation.

Saturday’s hastily issued apology helped to defuse that, and last night John Terry called for England players and management to sit down for a meeting in which everyone could speak their mind.

“That’s probably the whole 93 minutes,” John Terry admitted. “Everyone needs to get off their chest exactly how they are feeling. If that upsets him (Fabio Capello) or any player, then so be it.”

Rooney’s contributions to that meeting would make for interesting listening. Above all other players, his reputation has taken a battering in the early stages of this World Cup and his first two games have been an exercise in frustration.

“Wayne’s okay,” Terry said. “He’s frustrated, you could see that after the game the other night. The dressingroom was very quiet after the game and the players were disappointed with the way we performed. All the players as a group held their hands up and said it wasn’t good enough. We’re still upbeat, we are still going into the last game to top the group. We realise the last game was totally unacceptable.”

But good intent is all very well. England’s ambition is on the cliff edge. The bad omens went beyond Rooney’s disconsolate departure. It extended to the appearance of Princes Harry and William in the dressingroom to commiserate with the team. An England fan managed to gate-crash that sanctuary shortly afterwards and gave David Beckham a piece of his mind.

The question of why Beckham is sitting on the England bench, filling arguably the most redundant role in World Cup history, also needs to be addressed. Beckham may be popular with his team-mates and is a valuable jewel for the marketing branch of the England FA, but his sitting on the bench in an official team suit is nothing more than a distraction.

If Beckham is there in a sort of ambassadorial role and to lend moral support to his team, why not also have Rio Ferdinand, the injured captain? Why stop there? Why not have Charlton and Hurst and a cardboard cut-out of Alf Ramsey? Why not crowd the glass team bench with images of England’s football past, because the current generation of players are behaving as if they are carrying that weight around South Africa with them.

You can see it on their faces as they walk out before matches and you could see the strain also as they shuffled back to the team bus in Cape Town on Friday evening.

“There’s a lot of pressure on the players,” Steven Gerrard admitted. “There’s no lying about that. We want to be in the tournament for a long time and this is our last chance.”

England will be playing for more than a place in the second round against Slovenia on Wednesday. Most of the players will be playing for their reputations. An exit at this stage would rank among England’s most bitter disappointments and would permanently stain the reputations of those involved.

Perhaps Theo Walcott is beginning to thank his stars Capello dropped him. The Arsenal man is flighty, but his energy might have served to jump start an England team that looks dead.

Walcott’s name was not raised on Saturday when Capello appeared in a room to answer questions. Ashley Cole had made a brief appearance before, looking sheepish as he accepted a man-of-the-match award which should have gone to any of Rais Bolha, Karim Ziani or Madjid Bougherra of Algeria.

Instead, Capello found himself considering the question that is directed publicly at all England managers sooner or later. He was asked if he would resign if England fails to advance through the group. The Italian grimaced and hesitated. He looked surprised, as if he could not quite believe he had found himself in the same corner as so many previous England leaders.

“It is too early to speak about that. We will have to wait.”

But that his resignation was spoken of as a possibility was an indictment. Rumours of unhappiness at the austere camp environment which Capello prefers were denied yesterday. England are staying in splendid isolation near Sun City, where there is literally nothing to do. It was hardly a coincidence the players were given some free time over the weekend and mingled with fans in Cape Town.

“We shouldn’t be looking at excuses or criticising the manager,” Terry said. “We’re here, we’re supporting him and we are fully behind him.”

But the loudening call for the inclusion of Joe Cole – handsomely endorsed by Terry – will increase the view that Capello has lost the trust of his team. The official backing in a statement by the FA was a grim enough sign in its own right.

“I personally think that he and Wayne are the only two in the side who are capable of breaking defences down,” Terry said.

The verdict is almost complete on this England team; it is yet another busted flush, another tournament where aspirations have been laughably dismantled by shortcomings.

On nights like these, there is a self-loathing at work on the English character. The fans booing; Rooney’s disenchantment; the inquisition by Fleet Street; they are so quick to turn, as if bitter for once again allowing themselves to be duped into believing that, this time, it could be different.

The disillusionment of the fans was the most vivid example of how the mood has turned.

“They’ve paid good money to be here and we need to produce more for them,” Gerrard said. “We need to show more urgency.”

Everything must change. Reinvention is still possible for England but only if they shake off the heavy sense of national duty that has all but paralysed them. Convincing them to do that is the task that presents itself to Capello.

Fourty-four years of hurt boils down to one game, and Capello has seen at last the madness that comes with managing England.

He has two days to get it right.