its been an eventful couple of weeks for england fans - it's dominated the front and back pages of the national newspapers and if you turn on the television, you can't escape the events of the last week or so. first, on the 3rd february, it was announced by the football association that john terry had been stripped of the england captaincy for the second time, a statement read:
"Further to Wednesday's confirmation that the trial will not take place until after the tournament, the board has collectively decided it is in the interests of all parties that John has the responsibilities of captaincy removed at this time.
"This decision has been taken due to the higher profile nature of the England captaincy, on and off the pitch, and the additional demands and requirements expected of the captain leading into and during a tournament.
"The FA Board can confirm that he has not been excluded from the squad and that Fabio Capello is free to select him for the Holland fixture on February 29 and the European Championship."
whatever happened to innocent until proven guilty? john terry has always denied racially abusing anton ferdinand and has vowed to clear his name. the fa chose to make this decision without consulting england manager fabio capello - even though in a press conference (dated 09/02/12), fa chairman, david bernstein, stated that a manager is the most important part of a football club or organisation. terry has been publically backed by all at chelsea but in a phone conversation with david bernstein, he was told that before the conculsion of his trial, it wouldn't be appropriate for him to captain his country.
capello came out in the italian press a few days later, saying that he 'absolutely' disagreed with the fa's decision. unsurprisingly, it wasn't long before capello had been summoned to a meeting with the fa board at wembley. it was announced later on that day that fabio capello had resigned and the fa had accepted this decision. in my opinion, capello had no choice. he had been driven out by a board who obviously enjoyed making the crucial decisions by themselves and saw their chance to dispose of the italian,a man that had quite clearly grown bored of. many people were obviously glad to see the back of capello after the disaster that was the 2010 world cup but fans who faithfully watch england in every match (not just jumping on the bandwagon for a tournament), know of capello's good work in qualifying for the world cup in south africa and the forthcoming european championships in poland & ukraine. after all, he's hardly not the only england manager to fail at a major tournament. all the england players spoke well of capello and seemed disappointed to see him go.
so four months away from the euros and england don't have a permanent captain or manager, and fans' optimism seems to be at an all time low: who can save us from another miserable summer? the bookies' favourite is harry redknapp, who seems a popular choice with most fans and would obviously relish the opportunity to manage his country. everybody is crying out for an english manager but personally i don't think this is deathly important - steve mclaren was appointed simply on the basis of him being english and his reign in charge ended in bitter disappointment. jose mourinho would be perfect for the job - he has respect from all the players, promotes a great style of football and is a proven winner in club football, maybe its time to test himself in the international game. he is on the verge of winning la liga with real madrid (and potentially, even the champions league too?), would he want to leave for the 'nightmare' job: a job where you're constantly under pressure, when part time england fans are calling for your head after just one poor result?
whoever the fa appoint, their first job will be to choose an england captain and i believe, they should no look no further than scott parker. the ultimate role model for team mates and fans alike: calm, collected, inspirational, passionate and likely to be in the side every game. steven gerrard would be next in line as vice captain (i'm not going to include ferdinand in the list of canditates for captaincy: he has shown no interest in becoming england captain again and his attitude towards playing for his country leaves a bitter taste in one's mouth) but due to injury and input from his club: rarely seems to wear the three lions anymore. joe hart would be a reliable choice too, a regular fixture in the team and one of england's best players. however he himself, has shrugged off speculation regarding him being given the captain's armband. ashley cole is the most capped player in the side but i'm sure cole would acknowledge himself that he isn't captain material. wayne rooney , argubably england's important player, has expressed an interest in becoming a possible england captain but his temper and past events will always count against him.
ultimately, there is only one selected captain but to be a major force in international football, you need leaders in all positions.
from the outside looking in, the fa and the english national team could be mistaken for being part of a soap opera: there's always arguing and disagreements, people getting involved in a number of scandals and inevitably, never a dull moment.
