Whichever team manages to beat Germany will win the World Cup . . . But I bet most of you already knew that.

At every major competition the ever-efficient Germans seem to at least reach the quarter-final stage. They're always there or thereabouts aren't they?

Always organised, always tactically sound and this time there's no shortage of flair either.

In recent years there's been a youth explosion in German football and now they're reaping the rewards with the emergence of Mesut Özil and Thomas Mueller who have both been outstanding in South Africa.

But it should be noted, Germany are used to the Jubilani ball. It seems as though no-one has really got to grips with the ball in terms of long range shooting and obviously the goalkeepers have struggled with its flight.

I gather the German team were using this ball for several months as preparation.

As a player I can tell you that some balls are different, they move and travel differently in the air. And any team which used the ball in the build-up to the World Cup would certainly have an advantage. It's a big factor.

I've heard England passed up on the opportunity to practise with the Jubilani and how their fortunes have differed from that of the Germans.

Capello's head is on the block but I think the reality is the players under performed. He had the best players out there, they're really are the best England have.

You can talk all you want about tactics but those same players still have to shift and support, pass accurately, make runs off the ball, make runs in behind, take chances and get back and defend.

I don't think Capello's tactics were the problem, it's just the players didn't step up. Let's face it, you never question tactics when a team wins, do you?

When you look at Germany, those players are attacking as a team, defending as a team, scrapping as a team and that's what it takes – regardless of your tactics.

I've heard Capello say the England players are physically and mentally drained and, particularly in Wayne Rooney's case, I believe there's some truth in that.

Top players in England, they're playing between 50 and 60 games in a season and the pace of those games is a lot quicker than say Spain and Italy, so I can understand them being physically and mentally tired. I think the Premier League needs to look at introducing a mid-season break.

When we talk about the media, there's a huge amount of interest in the English league and its players in comparison to the South American leagues.

When Rooney scores the whole world knows about it and to some degree I think sometimes English players are over-rated.

The influence of the foreign players in England does have an effect.

When you look at Arsenal there's hardly an English player in their team and that has a trickling effect on the national team. Young players just aren't getting the same opportunities at the top English clubs than the young Germans in the Bundesliga.