Fabio Capello looks set to survive as England head coach after a groundswell of support among the Football Association hierarchy.

Sir Dave Richards, the Premier League chairman who also heads the new ‘Club England’, is now being urged to recommend to the FA board the Italian is kept on despite England’s World Cup failure.

It is understood Sir Trevor Brooking, the FA’s director of football development and a key figure in the process, wants Capello kept on for the rest of his contract until 2012.

Brooking’s view is that replacing him with another manager will not solve the underlying problem with English football, and a number of FA board and international committee members are also of the same opinion.

At the FA’s post mortem of the World Cup fiasco, Brooking will argue for a properly-funded long-term masterplan to bring through young players, starting by increasing the number of coaches at youth level.

Capello’s 10 years’ experience working at AC Milan’s academy during the 1980s also add weight to the argument for him to stay as he could have a major input into the future development of young players.

Development

Some FA figures believe the £9m that would be saved by not firing Capello and employing a replacement on a similar salary level would be a good start in terms of funding youth development.

The remaining two years on Capello’s contract would also give Stuart Pearce more experience both at under-21 level and as the Italian’s assistant, and grooming him to be a ready-made replacement in 2012.

Meanwhile England striker Jermain Defoe believes the weight of World Cup expectation took its toll on the squad in South Africa, but insists the players remain behind Capello.

The Tottenham frontman and his international colleagues have been widely criticised after Sunday’s 4-1 humbling by Germany sealed their last-16 exit from the tournament.

Defoe remains at a loss to explain the poor showing in South Africa but does not think Capello has lost the respect of the players as a result.

He said: “I take the point that it can’t be fatigue as the Germans in particular have played more games than us.

“Maybe it’s because so many players have taken on so much pressure to live up to expectations that it affected their normal game.”

By SIMON STONE