Steve Bruce's choice of David Beckham as man of the match against Belarus on Wednesday night raised eyebrows; even with the England manager himself.
Fabio Capello's analogy with Barack Obama's recent Nobel Peace Prize was witty but beneath his well-chosen joke lay a serious note.
Capello knows David Beckham's value, and I suspect the LA Galaxy man has become more of a definite than a probable for South Africa.
His impending move to AC Milan will need to be completed, and of course he must stay fit, but Beckham's tactical intelligence makes me think he'll play at his fourth World Cup next year.
Against Belarus, Capello felt again that his players were incapable of following orders. Capello seems to harbour profound doubts over the level of tactical intelligence in the squad as a whole.
His mantra has become that England must improve without the ball - Beckham can help them do that. He has an ability to lift the team's spirits, he brings composure and experience, and he can be England's manager on the pitch.
It's worth remembering Capello and Beckham's turbulent history. The Italian's first season as manager of Real Madrid was Beckham's last at the club and their relationship was colourful.
"We can’t count on him and we won’t count on him because he has committed himself to another club," Capello said of Beckham in January 2007 after the player's lucrative move to LA Galaxy went public.
Six months later, with Real on the brink of their 30th La Liga title, he referred to Beckham as "among the best players that I have trained in my life".
After Capello's initial coldness, Beckham set to work to prove himself. In training and soon on the pitch, when he fought his way back into the side, the former Manchester United man left a lasting impression on the vastly experienced coach.
There was a sense that Capello had doubted his physical commitment but by the time Beckham departed for Hollywood, Capello was in no doubt.
Beckham has talismanic qualities all the other current England players lack, and I think that lay behind Bruce's man of the match award.
Importantly, he is not the distraction that he once was. The media scrum surrounding him has lessened slightly, and Beckham is smart enough to know that he's no longer the main man.
A question mark remains over his ability to make a mark against the best teams, but the same doubts surround every other senior member in the England squad.
Regardless, Capello told me on Monday that there were seven vacancies left on the plane to South Africa. I think you can make that six.
