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Football manager Fabio Capello always claimed that he would be able to coach the England squad successfully with few words, and research by Cambridge University Press proves just that with a list of the ones that he is most likely to use.

When Capello acknowledged his limited range of English vocabulary in March, he said that there was no need for him to 'speak about a lot of different things. Maximum 100 words'.

The manager, who earns as much as £6 million per year, claimed that a limited vocabulary does not impede on his ability to coach the national team.

The Cambridge University Press research team used a computer programme that trawled through approximately one billion words from the English dictionary to find the most used football-related words.

It is no surprise that topping the list is 'ball', while perhaps optimistically 'cup' is number two while 'win' at six is quickly followed by 'lose'. Some words on the list are obvious, such as 'tackle', 'dribble' and 'shoot', but surprisingly there are no swearwords. As the list progresses, the words that feature are perhaps ones that Capello hopes he never has to use, such as 'defeat', 'disappointment', 'humiliation' and, finally, 'sack'.

If England is to repeat their 1966 Fifa World Cup victory, when they won 4-2 to West Germany, then perhaps more than 100 words will become necessary.

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