Author Topic: Former captain John Terry continues to lead England by example  (Read 74 times)

Elano

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So how long did the booing of John Terry last at Wembley last night? About as long as it took for the crowd to realise that he was the best English defender on the pitch.

Say what you like about Terry’s morals but, 23 minutes into the game with England trailing to Egypt, did anyone care who he sleeps with?

Most of us were more concerned about whether Wes Brown and Leighton Baines really were the best full backs available to Fabio Capello. And what Matthew Upson was doing gifting a goal to Egypt by falling on his backside.

Terry’s personal escapades had put him in the line of fire, and his form had creaked under the pressure (more than his marriage has, by all accounts). But at Wembley last night, even with one very uncertain moment when he was put into retreat, he was the sole defender who offered any sort of assurance. It is why most England fans have happily come to the same pragmatic accommodation as Capello — they may not want “JT” as the leader of their team but they are in no position to do without his tackles.

So an occasion billed as a journey into a fiery crucible of damnation for the Chelsea captain, with his new Travis Bickle-lite crop, fell mercifully short of those dark expectations.

While demotion back into the ranks must have stung Terry as he waited fourth in line in the tunnel, and any boos must have hurt a player used only to acclaim from England supporters, he will know that it could have been an awful lot worse.

If this was as bad as the stick is going to get, he has got away lightly compared with David Beckham, Owen Hargreaves, Ashley Cole, the Nevilles and a long list of victims subjected to abuse from their own supporters. For every fan who jeered Terry’s name, there were others trying to drown them out.

He had looked nervous and he was entitled to be worried when his first, overhit pass after 12 seconds ran straight into touch. But Upson, Brown and Baines looked even more anxious alongside him.

We had come to Wembley to be reassured after the recent upheavals, but one look at the defence was enough to plunge us back into a world of doubts.

That awful, stodgy pitch can share the blame for Upson’s slip that allowed Mohamed Zidan to score after 23 minutes but, on the touchline, Capello’s grimace suggested that he would not be accepting the turf as an excuse from the West Ham United defender or Robert Green, who never looked like diving across in time.

In the left-back slot, where Baines was selected as third in line to Ashley Cole and Wayne Bridge, we could expect nerves on his debut and we got them. A couple of clumsy, early touches knocked the ball out of play, and his forward forays were almost as rare as those from the timid Brown.

The Everton defender may still be Capello’s best stand-in, but a place is there for Bridge if he decides to come back.

Glen Johnson can also expect to walk straight back into the team as soon as he has proved his recovery from a knee-ligament injury at Liverpool. Johnson has his failings but England will happily live with them. Brown remains an overly cautious stopgap.

Which takes us to centre half, where Upson, preferred to Joleon Lescott, has yet to convince and is unlikely to start doing so at 30.

In such uncertain company, perhaps it was inevitable that Terry would look like the defensive leader, although even he had his own shaky moment last night.

A recurring weakness, exploited by Carlos Tévez in Manchester City’s recent victory at Stamford Bridge, is when he is pushed into retreat. It may be a loss of pace, or a lack of mobility from a stiff back, but this failing was exposed again when Mohamed Nagy ran at Terry before pulling his shot across the goalmouth.

It must have been a relief for the defence when England pressed higher up the field in the second half.

Brazil had showed no such frailties the previous evening in London as they beat Ireland with a superb display of roving full-back play from Michel Bastos and another classy, commanding performance from Lúcio, surely the world’s outstanding centre half.

To have a chance in such company, Capello must hope that he can welcome back his regular defence. To that end, there should be no concerns — aside from the usual ones — over Johnson.

Rio Ferdinand has talked about his back injury as not a serious problem, but revealed that he must carry an orthopaedic cushion around. Ashley Cole, meanwhile, must be doubtful as he recuperates from a broken ankle.

With last night confirming that England are not blessed with strength in depth, a successful World Cup campaign lies in the hands of doctors and physios, as much as management.

Tevez adds to criticism of Terry

Carlos Tévez has become the latest football figure to criticise John Terry for his affair with Wayne Bridge’s former girlfriend. The Manchester City forward clashed with Terry in his side’s 4-2 win away to Chelsea on Saturday and has previously worn a T-shirt in support of his team-mate. Tévez, who comes from the tough Fuerte Apache suburb of Buenos Aires, was quoted yesterday as saying: “I don’t think you can do that with the wife of another player. Terry has no moral code for what he did to Bridge. In my neighbourhood, if you do that,