The conveyor belt Captain

Eighteen months after losing the England Captaincy Fabio Capello has reinstated John Terry as the England skipper, after Terry’s off field and very public indiscretion. Which in truth regardless of who you are let alone the England captain, was pretty despicable. I mean that’s ‘Mates 101’ some lines shouldn’t be crossed. Still Capello has decided that he’s served his time and perhaps has earned the right to wear the armband. Certainly his performances for Chelsea have continued to receive the usual ‘brave’ and ‘lionhearted’ superlative references. Though that was never in question, Terry is the sort to run through a brick wall for the cause. Terry himself after eighteen month must have questioned whether there were enough walls to run through given the time that passed since he was removed as captain.

So what was Capello’s mind set for reinstating Terry? It was roundly

acknowledged that removing Terry was the right call at the time. Capello is hardly at his most popular surely this is adding fuel to the fire? Indeed the redtops will have a field day, no doubt demanding an end to his reign of terror, that’s par for the course, as all his recent predecessors will testify to.

The problem facing Capello is Ferdinand’s fitness, with only fifteen starts this season he’s hardly an advert for playing consistency. Gerrard again has been injury prone and although he’ll lead by example he’s not the vocal talisman that Terry appears to be. You find yourself searching the senior regulars for a suitable candidate, they’re not exactly forth coming; Ashley Cole? Wayne Rooney? Indeed both Gerrard and Ferdinand have had there fair share of on and off field misdemeanours. Gareth Barry seems pretty clean cut perhaps that’s the reason he gets selected? I can’t think of any other reason he’s included in the squad!

Folks will argue that the modern day footballer is so detached from the average fan that they simply cannot comprehend what it means to follow and indeed play for England though I don’t agree. I appreciate that money corrupts and breeds arrogance but I honestly think it does mean the world to these guys. You don’t start to dream about playing for England when you’re an adult you dream about it when you’re a kid, no amount of money can shake that desire. It the very simple case of boys will be boys. Young men in the media spot light will always make mistakes and they'll be vilified for it but who can claim to never making a mistake? I'm guessing no-one.

So I’m afraid the only way this problem will ever cease is if the media loses interest in these guys and stops scrutinising their every move. Which is unlikely to happen anytime soon given the money they earn and the celebrity that is now associated with the top footballers. This problem will always exist, famous young men with little education and lots of money are, are always going to slip up, hell I would have, in fact I did and probably on more than one occasion. The only difference is I have neither money nor fame so no one cares.

But they’re roles models cry the disgruntled voices of middle England. Actually I beg to differ, they are anything but.