England's head coach has had his authority undermined as he tries to get his squad right for Euro 2012
Undermining of manager's authority
David Bernstein, the Football Association chairman, was lauded as the person committed to taking the captaincy from John Terry. In retrospect, though, he acted bluntly since he seems not to have consulted Fabio Capello. He must have known how vehemently the manager would disagree. The authority of Capello was waning in any case since his time is nearly over but the Terry issue leaves him looking an irrelevance. The Capello aura has been a key to his long career and he might have thought he had escaped the sort of high-handedness even he must have encountered when employed by the owners of Serie A clubs. In practice it will be hard now for him to cut a magisterial figure before a squad that has seen him treated so dismissively by the FA. It underlines the fact that this seeming autocrat is as vulnerable as anyone whose countdown to retirement is being recorded by everyone around him.
Lack of alternatives for Rooney
Most people are delighted that this year's European Championship will still be a short, sharp event for 16 countries even if it will be bloated in future but in the present circumstances the FA would surely have preferred a dull start. Much depends on Wayne Rooney yet the idiocy of his red card in Montenegro means he will be banned from games with France and Sweden before being available to take on the co-hosts Ukraine. There is, of course, no straightforward alternative to Rooney and we could see Capello searching for a target man who will allow players to break forward in support. The England manager can be grumpy about the decline of 4-4-2 but, while he sneers about the 9-1 formation he sees everywhere, Capello cannot buck the trend completely. In November his 4-3-3 formation against Spain, for instance, had wingers who could drop back, leaving Bobby Zamora alone in attack.
Potential rift between centre-backs
England's situation in the core of defence ought to be a source of comfort rather than a cause of profound disquiet. Rio Ferdinand and John Terry do show signs of wear and tear but know-how is meant to be the key element at international level. Those two centre-backs, though, look like a problematic combination given the charge that Terry racially abused Rio's brother Anton, the Queen's Park Rangers player. It is just about feasible that the issue can be set aside for Euro 2012 since both defenders must ache to have a memorable tournament with England. Should the campaign go awry, though, the stresses might resurface. There are other contenders available but Gary Cahill has only just joined a Champions League club, Chelsea. The matches he now plays in Europe will be valuable, but Capello must pray that such games will not shake the defender's confidence.
Diminishing options in midfield
Midfield once looked a source of strength for England. It still is in terms of know-how but Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard have to tailor their game to the fact that both are moving into the veteran phase. That could not have been more apparent than in Liverpool's FA Cup tie with Manchester United when the Anfield manager, Kenny Dalglish, ruled correctly that Gerrard should be taken off, with his side going on to notch a winner. Gerrard and Lampard will have to be used with care at Euro 2012. In other circumstances that might have suited Capello. It is very likely, after all, that he will want to see the youthful Jack Wilshere bring his talent to bear. That should work but first the issue of an ankle injury that is not clearing up as quickly as anticipated will have to be addressed. Arsene Wenger would certainly not stand for Capello taking a risk with the prodigy.
Stress caused by burden of expectation
The England line-up will differ somewhat but there is a collective memory to football teams and the misery of the 2010 World Cup is still an ache in the bones. There will be claims of confidence this time but England players, in common with the fans, have to set a different tone on the pitch. It may be of benefit that a brisk tournament such as the European Championship does not leave players with so much time on their hands. Nonetheless realists in the squad will appreciate how greatly the odds will be against them when Spain, Holland and Germany are contenders. It would be pleasing to suppose that the weight of expectation will be hoisted from the shoulders of the squad but, justified or not, it is most likely to press down on them once more.
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2012/feb/06/john-terry-fabio-capello-fa
Leon Washington Beanie Wells Brian Westbrook Carnell Williams
No comments:
Post a Comment