---
title: "What Exactly Did Baines Do Wrong?"
canonical: "https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/what-exaclty-did-baines-do-wrong/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Jonathan Ellis"
section: "Everton"
published: "2010-06-02T16:33:09Z"
modified: "2010-06-03T11:08:41Z"
---

# What Exactly Did Baines Do Wrong?

[![](https://cdn.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Evertonfclogo-150x150.jpg)](https://cdn.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Evertonfclogo.jpg)Following a fine domestic season at Everton, establishing an influential left-sided partnership with Pienaar, and having featured in England’s warm-up fixtures, Baines looked a certainty to make the final 23-man World Cup squad. However, Capello opted for Aston Villa’s Stephen Warnock. What did Baines do wrong?

He may have looked shaky and slightly nervous during recent run-outs, but no one particularly wrapped themselves in a blanket of triumph. Moreover, Warnock hasn’t featured in any international game for two years – his only cap coming as a substitute in a friendly against Trinidad and Tobago – and watched on whilst Baines competed.

Hence, the decision was a curious one.

It seems Baines must have played himself *out* of the squad; conceivably he would have been better off sat snugly on the side-line. It has also been proposed that Capello was adequately impressed with Warnock during training.

Perhaps most significantly, Baines recent comments possibly ensured he somewhat talked himself out of the squad; admitting he struggles with homesickness and has ‘always found it really hard, even when I was a teenager, being away from home’.

Now, I understand this is a little strange for a professional footballer, and I’ve heard a few chuckling comments, but he is, surprise surprise, still a real live human with real live human feelings (yep, were getting emotional here) so if this is how he feels then *this is how he feels*, and there is little he can do about it.

If not directly due to the actual comments, it seems the issues and atmosphere surrounding Baines in the England camp – something Capello likely sensed – are the primary reasons for his omission. Which is fair enough; whilst I appreciate him speaking openly and honestly, you do really need players to be fully focused for the (hopefully lengthy) duration. In this respect, Warnock – also a solid player of similar ability – was probably was the right choice

And, to be fair to Baines, if I had to spend over a month with that crew (Rio ‘merking’ me, etcetera etcetera) I’d probably feel a little homesick, a little nauseated and a little dismayed; give me a few days and I’d be aimlessly wandering off into the wild, collapsing into a heap, squirting a little tommy sauce on my belly and laying in wait for those furry little lion creatures to do their worse.

Follow me on twitter: [http://twitter.com/jonathanellisTT](https://twitter.com/jonathanellisTT)