After a disaster of a World Cup, it seems that England manager Fabio Capello has faile to learn his lesson, and is considering making John Terry England captain again for the upcoming Wales-England Euro Qualifier on March 26th. For me, this is perhaps the worst decision in the history of bad decisions. And here’s 5 reasons why:
Moral Objection -The whole reason Terry was stripped of the armband in the first place, was becuase he cheated on his wife with the ex- girlfriend of his then Chelsea team-mate Wayne Bridge. In the media storm that followed those allegations becoming public, Bridge refused to shake Terry’s hand at a Premier League match between Man City and Chelsea, and then quit the England team because it would have meant being in the same room as him.
Now, call me old-fashioned, and I realise that most of you have no personal objection to a player cheating on his wife, as long as he does it on the pitch (according to Zoo magazine). I also realise that if you took the moral view half the England team would be dropped. Nevertheless, there’s something not right about giving the armband to a known adulterer.
Current Form – Let’s be honest, Terry has been nowhere near his best this season. Chelsea have had an absolute rotter of a campaign, and injuries have meant that Terry hasn’t quite settled into the squad. He’s currently being outshone by new signing David Luiz. Why not give the captaincy to someone actually playing well. Scott Parker at West Ham, Kevin Nolan at Newcastle or even Phil Neville at Everton.
Past Form – When he was stripped of his captaincy way back in February 2010, Terry initially reacted in quite a supportive, responsible manner. That went out the window when he actually got to South Africa, where he acted like a spoilt, petulant little boy and launched an utterly hopeless ‘player’s revolt.’ Terry went so far as to question Capello’s tactics, and told reporters that he was ‘born for things like this.’
Sadly, nobody in the England camp backed JT and he was left chasing shadows against (let’s face it) a better German side. Two things come out of the saga; Terry and Capello’s relationship is surely strained after the defender’s criticism and the England players clearly don’t back Terry on a personal level. How can he be expected to captain the side?
Capello’s Management – Capello promised us he wouldn’t repeat the mistakes of the past. He wouldn’t pick players because they were names. He wouldn’t pander to their ego. He’d turn the team around. We all believed him. Then he brought Jamie Carragher back into the England side, and was so desperate for a midfielder that he got an aide to ring Paul Scholes the day before the World Cup team was announced.
He then picked all his ‘name’ players. Flattered their egos when they could only manage draws with the US and Algeria, and turned the team around…onto the plane home. Capello has not shown any of the courage or conviction that we thought he would. Why doesn’t he show us it now by picking somebody else to be the England captain?
Let’s be honest, and no disrespect, but we’re playing Wales in a Euro 2012 Qualifier…not Spain in a World Cup semi-final. These are the kinds of games where Capello should show some nerve, not capitulate like every other England manager in the last 10 years.
Public Opinion – John Terry’s not a saint. Just ask Chelsea fans. Unfortunately, crazy bunch of mods that they are, Chelsea fans are not representative of the British public. I am yet to see a serious piece of journalism calling for John Terry to be the captain again. In fact, so far all I’ve heard is objections to the idea. The England captain is supposed to carry his country’s backing, their truest and support. I doubt Terry will get any of that, if he takes the armband on 26th March.
With Rio Ferdinand and Steven Gerrard out injured, Terry could step up to the mark and be the England captain we know he can be. At his best, Terry is brave, committed and tireless. But I hope this article has shown that to give him the armband would be a horrendous mistake.
Follow Peter Turner on Twitter @petermagpie
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