Glum faces as England's footballers arrive home

(PA)

England's humiliated footballers arrived home today as the future of their boss hung in the balance.

There were glum faces and few smiles as former captain David Beckham led the team off the plane with Jamie Carragher and Michael Carrick just behind him.

An entourage of players' wives, girlfriends and family followed them on to the tarmac at London's Heathrow Airport.

Unlike returning fans, the players were whisked through a VIP suite without having to pass through one of Heathrow's terminals - or face the waiting press.

The players have faced a hostile reception after the press, pundits and football fans turned on them following their efforts in South Africa.

Yesterday, Italian manager Fabio Capello said he wanted to stay at the helm despite the team's thrashing by the Germans.

But he must wait two weeks to learn his fate.

Capello told reporters at a press conference in South Africa: "I spoke this morning with (Club England chairman) Sir Dave Richards and he told me that he needs two weeks to decide."

Asked whether he would like to stay in his role, the Italian said: "Absolutely. I said I can be the manager of England for the next season, but it is for him (Richards) to decide.

"We spoke also about the players that can play for the next qualification and I know what I have to do."

Asked about the performance of his players, Capello said they were tired after their hectic Premier League season.

And he pointed to Frank Lampard's disallowed second goal, suggesting the outcome of Sunday's game might have been different if the referee had got the decision right.

Fans who had to troop through Heathrow's Terminal 5 after flying back from South Africa overnight were still dismayed by the team's performance.

Stephen Bailey, a train driver from Ramsgate, said: "We were supposed to fly home on Friday but paid an extra £1,000 each to watch the Germany game and we're absolutely gutted about it now.

"When you see the England players laughing and joking while getting off the plane at Rustenburg it makes you wonder if it was worthwhile going out there to watch it.

"After the Germany game they didn't acknowledge the fans at all. Steven Gerrard gave a little clap and that was it.

"That was gutting given how much money we'd spent to get there - around £6,500 each in total. We saved two years for this."

He added: "The excuse now is that they're tired, but it's their job to play football and they get paid a lot of money to do it.

"If we're tired at work, we still have to carry on and do our job."

Kerrie Hutchinson, a process manager from Hull, railed against the players' lack of passion but laid the blame for the dire performance at Capello's door.

"We had a brilliant time in South Africa - apart from the football," she said.

"It was very disappointing. We spent a lot of money to get there but we didn't see any passion at all from the players.

"The football was absolutely rubbish. Wayne Rooney looked injured but I blame Fabio Capello because of the selection and formation.

"It cost us over £10,000 to get there. We were supposed to come home on Friday but spent £700 to spend two extra nights to see the Germany game, plus spending money."

Meanwhile Sepp Blatter, the president of football's world governing body Fifa, said today he had apologised to the English Football Association over Frank Lampard's disallowed goal in the Germany game.

Lampard's effort during England's 4-1 defeat was ruled out even though the ball crossed the line and has led to renewed calls for the introduction of technology.

Blatter told a media briefing in Johannesburg today: "It is obvious that after the experience so far in this World Cup, it would be a nonsense to not reopen the file of technology at the business meeting of the International FA Board in July.

"Personally I deplore it when you see evident referee mistakes but it's not the end of a competition or the end of football, this can happen.

"The only thing I can do is yesterday I have spoken to the two federations - England and Mexico - directly concerned by referees' mistakes. I have expressed to them apologies and I understand they are not happy and that people are criticising."

Fifa had blocked any further experiments with technology at a meeting of the International FA Board, the game's rule-making body, in March.