However, John Terry isn’t about to surrender the armband without a fight, and in an interview with ICON magazine, showed himself up as arrogant and disrespectful. Ahmed at Soccerlens.com addressed this same point, labelling the Chelsea captain “self-minded and self-centred.”
There is nothing wrong with Terry fighting his corner, highlighting reasons why he thinks he should be captain, but does he really need to do that at the detriment of colleague and friend, Rio Ferdinand, as well as every other potential captain?
“I do set an example in the way I play,” Terry claimed, although what example he thinks he sets I’m not too sure. “If they don’t want an England captain fighting for England in every way possible, fighting to win the ball and come out of the tackle, fighting for the cause, then that’s down to them to make that decision.” Does Mr Terry honestly believe he’s the only player in the England set up who fights for England? That if they don’t choose him, they are choosing a captain who isn’t fighting for England’s cause in every way possible? What is this statement saying about Ferdinand and co.?
“If Mr Capello wants someone who is going to go out there, desperate to win and to do everything it takes, then I’ll be his right choice,” Terry continued. “If not, that’s down to him to make the decision.” Again, John Terry is the man if Capello wants a captain desperate to win. Of course, Capello wants a winner, so Terry is again implying he is the only player in the team who has that desperation for success, and therefore is the only man worthy of the armband.
It begs the question, where was John Terry, the fighter, the warrior, the captain who’s desperate to win, when England failed to qualify for Euro 2008? He was the captain when England played out that goalless draw at home to Macedonia, a game which if they had won, would have secured their qualification. He was the captain when England played out another goalless draw against Russia a couple of months later. But he’s let off the hook, as he was injured for the crucial defeat against Croatia. However, let’s not forget that he was “injured” for England that evening, but managed a full 90 minutes for Chelsea in the league just three days later. Now don’t get me wrong, I am certainly a club > country man, but then, I’m not trying to prove I should be made captain of England.
He bailed out on England when they needed him most. When they needed a leader, a fighter, Terry preferred to rest up so he could give his all at the weekend in a league game for his Chelsea. Terry knew if he pulled out of that game, the best available back four, due to injuries and suspensions, would be Richards, Campbell, Lescott and Bridge. Still, he chose to leave them to it, and it was the defensive errors in that game which cost England a place in Euro 2008. But at least John Terry could play a full 90 minutes for Chelsea in a game where he would obviously be needed…against the mighty Derby County!
7 Comments
Loading more comments...
This comment and all replies have been deleted This comment has been deleted Undo delete