The Taming Of Big Andy and How Fabio Capello Failed The Newcastle Man

There was something that just didn’t sit right watching England’s hirsute Neanderthal-esque No. 9 take to the pitch at Wembley last week. In no way was it that he didn’t warrant his place; indeed he was one of the shining lights of a decidedly abject performance.

Nor was it from simply an aesthetic perspective, although the image did give us real glimpse into what men were like when dinosaurs walked the earth. Yet his inclusion, for me, was morally wrong.

By including "Big Andy," Capello has sent out a very clear message: "Footballing talent negates off-field debauchery." Carroll, a player who at the time was a seeming permanent fixture in the tabloids for his unsavoury off-field behaviour became a role model for the nation.

This is just ethically wrong. A man who, whether through the immaturity of youth, or worryingly simply possesses the psyche of a persistent renegade, has now become a beacon of national pride. A player who children are going to idolise to respect and admire, warts and all. Such a situation is not healthy.

In no way am I saying that Carroll should never pull on the shirt of the three lions. That is not my place and in the event I don’t even believe it.

I just feel that some things are more important than football. That a man with Carroll’s current reputation in the public sphere had to be sent a message that his inclusion quite conclusively does not send.

Even myself, a virtual disciple of football, who has watched and loved the game since I was about six, even I can see the bigger picture.

If Fabio Capello had sat Andy Carroll down, reassured him of his faith in the big man’s ability, but explained in the current climate his inclusion was untenable. That I would have had respect for, that I would have admired.

By taking the course of action he has, prioritising a "pointless" friendly over the reputation and influence of our national team, my respect for Mr. Capello has all but evaporated.

I don’t, in any way, blame Carroll. His private life is his private life, and the Geordie community have most certainly taken the man mountain to heart regardless.

England though is a different animal, a nation unified, a team supported by a nation and not a region. Players who don the shirt should not just be good players, they should be role models, individuals the whole nation can respect as players, but more importantly as human beings.

Andy Carroll doesn’t yet fall into this bracket, and the fact the manager has failed to comprehend this is just another in the plethora of errors during the Capello era.