ARCHIVE - MARCH 2011
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TERRY'S BACK - WHO CARES?
So Fabio Capello has decided to
reinstate John Terry as England skipper, in an apparent attempt to
restore some sort of permanency to the role. During the recent
friendly with Denmark, three different players wore the armband, in a
game resembling 'don't give it to JT.' The U-turn is being used by
the English media as the latest stick with which to beat Don Fabio
with, as the majority of papers are in agreement that reinstating
Terry has further undermined the Italian. For us though, there is one
major question... who cares?
The image of England captain is a romantic one. England's three longest serving skippers, Billy Wright, Bobby Moore and Bryan Robson, conjure up images of pride, passion and a genuine desire to run through brick walls for Queen and country. The current England team, at least from the fan's perspective, lacks this heart-on-sleeve mentality and it seems that the role is perhaps not as essential as it once was. In the modern era of tactical international football, a chest-thumping shouter is less effective than once it was.
In the modern England set-up, does it matter who wears the red armband? In recent years, James Milner, Danny Mills, David James and Emile Heskey have worn it, albeit after a raft of Sven-esque substitutions. If, as Capello says, JT is a leader in the dressing room and a such a huge dominant character, does he really need that piece of elastic around his arm? Why can't he simply be a vocal member of the back four? Behind closed doors, Terry could have acted as captain regardless of who was the public figurehead. Perhaps the issue is down to one thing – ego. Is Capello looking around the plush Wembley dressing room and seeing a squad of big personalities working together for the good of the team, or seeing a bunch of egomaniacs jostling for position and the right to Tweet about how much it means to lead out their country?
As much as the issue will be used to undermine Capello, it is hard to defend the Italian as he has unquestionably brought this latest problem on himself. How can Terry act as a mouthpiece for the squad when he got it so badly wrong in that South African press conference? There is an argument that Terry shouldn't be in the squad at all given his performances in that tournament. I for one had hoped that 2010 would mean a line would finally be drawn under the 'Golden Generation,' and that in Capello we had a strong enough manager to sweep them out and bring in a new team. It seems that even he can't get rid of the egos.
Maybe Rio Ferdinand will use the fall-out as an excuse to announce his international retirement. This would prolong his club career and allow Capello to bring in a new younger defender who can play without Rio's shadow hanging over him. Perhaps Lampard and Terry should do us all a favour and do the same, if only to avoid this ridiculous soap opera which surrounds the England team.
Whatever happens, all the announcement really means is that we are going to have to read about Terry, Ferdinand, Gerrard and evil foreign Fabio playing his silly games every day until the Premier League resumes in April. I for one, can't wait.
The image of England captain is a romantic one. England's three longest serving skippers, Billy Wright, Bobby Moore and Bryan Robson, conjure up images of pride, passion and a genuine desire to run through brick walls for Queen and country. The current England team, at least from the fan's perspective, lacks this heart-on-sleeve mentality and it seems that the role is perhaps not as essential as it once was. In the modern era of tactical international football, a chest-thumping shouter is less effective than once it was.
In the modern England set-up, does it matter who wears the red armband? In recent years, James Milner, Danny Mills, David James and Emile Heskey have worn it, albeit after a raft of Sven-esque substitutions. If, as Capello says, JT is a leader in the dressing room and a such a huge dominant character, does he really need that piece of elastic around his arm? Why can't he simply be a vocal member of the back four? Behind closed doors, Terry could have acted as captain regardless of who was the public figurehead. Perhaps the issue is down to one thing – ego. Is Capello looking around the plush Wembley dressing room and seeing a squad of big personalities working together for the good of the team, or seeing a bunch of egomaniacs jostling for position and the right to Tweet about how much it means to lead out their country?
As much as the issue will be used to undermine Capello, it is hard to defend the Italian as he has unquestionably brought this latest problem on himself. How can Terry act as a mouthpiece for the squad when he got it so badly wrong in that South African press conference? There is an argument that Terry shouldn't be in the squad at all given his performances in that tournament. I for one had hoped that 2010 would mean a line would finally be drawn under the 'Golden Generation,' and that in Capello we had a strong enough manager to sweep them out and bring in a new team. It seems that even he can't get rid of the egos.
Maybe Rio Ferdinand will use the fall-out as an excuse to announce his international retirement. This would prolong his club career and allow Capello to bring in a new younger defender who can play without Rio's shadow hanging over him. Perhaps Lampard and Terry should do us all a favour and do the same, if only to avoid this ridiculous soap opera which surrounds the England team.
Whatever happens, all the announcement really means is that we are going to have to read about Terry, Ferdinand, Gerrard and evil foreign Fabio playing his silly games every day until the Premier League resumes in April. I for one, can't wait.
DERBY DAY DELIRIUM Nick, 15/03/11
As the Old Firm Derby flared up into
something more fiery than the offshoots of an England cricketers
stomach bug, memories of burly British derbies sparked excitement for
football fans nationwide. However, from the greasy spoon café in the
north London suburbs to a petrol forecourt in Liverpool, no one could
quite believe what the papers were trying to tell them – that the
Old Firm derby was Britain's greatest football match. People were
outraged. How could this be?
One match of just seven this season, between two sides that run away with the most uncompetitive championship in world football. Have they not seen the magic of Rose and Rooney in the derbies of the last few years? Even in Plymouth, where they've only just found out Ally McCoist has left 'A Question of Sport', the now bi-annual face off with Exeter City seems surely to be the biggest on the football calendar.
The Old Firm derby is undoubtedly a historic event that reaches far beyond the realms of sport. Politics has always had a strong role to play in both clubs' history, especially during the years of conflict in Northern Ireland. The ideology that lingers around the two football clubs has seen fighting escalate on the streets , not dissimilar to that which saw many arrests made in the most recent Old Firm clash (rumours that all arrests were in some way linked with provocation from El-Hadji Diouf have been nervously dodged by spokespeople). On the pitch too, the games are often brutal and gripping affairs. Edu, Commons, Lafferty and Hooper make up just some of the talent on offer. What makes it such a great fixture is the players are obviously aware of what is at stake, putting it all on the line for their devoted fans, be they Glaswegian, Northern Irish or Filipino.
The problem with the Old Firm derby, as well as many others, is when it has a label attached to it. A label more shameful than the one found on a pair of dirty Primark underwear. A label that reads – 'The Greatest Game in British Football'. Though the Old Firm may have so much political significance, there are many, many other fixtures that run the length of the country which carry just as much if not more importance. It does not stand alone as some unique duel in the calendar of British football. All derbies have historical tales, ingrained into generation after generation of family's memories as well as club statistics. The Liverpool derby is one based around religion too but most would argue this is now mostly left to one side. More deeply embedded in Anfield sub-culture is the hatred of Manchester United, deriving from the days of industrial competition. 'Celtic v Rangers – Best game in Britain?' Not by the pre-pubescent hairs on Dirk Kuyt’s chinny chin chin. Lower down the league too, age-old rivalries are played out in the simple game of football. On the south coast, when Southampton and Portsmouth will meet, the history of competition between the Navy and merchant ports is one which will create a buzz to rival that at a Berlusconi birthday brothel bash.
The fact is you can’t judge a local derby on national politics. In today's day and age, quite rightly, it is all about the result on the pitch. Fans will forever call upon local politics to spur themselves and their team on. That is what makes English football at the moment so great. We are in a position to call upon our club's history and genuinely see our local grudge match as the greatest game in British football. This is why Dave, from Wolverhampton, is completely indifferent to the Lennon-McCoist saga. He is happy as long as the Baggies drop like a Roy Hodgson frown and Wolves scavenge another season in the top flight. It is the exact reason why Ipswich Town fans will never watch QI or cook from a Delia Smith book. It is why Bristol Rovers fans want to shout expletives at the aged Tony Robinson (obviously taking the Baldrick method acting two decades too far) whenever an episode of Time Team strays onto the TV. It’s why Millwall fans couldn’t give a jellied eel that England won the World Cup in 1966. And it is why Villa fans want to show Jasper where to shove his Carrott. This is the reason that no match should be labelled 'The Greatest Game in British Football'. Though there is the mouth-watering semi-final Manchester derby to be played at Wembley, if we take the view of every fan across every league, we are left with thousands of great games and an FA Cup final every week.
No ranking on this issue from FAF. But what is your favourite derby of the British football season?
One match of just seven this season, between two sides that run away with the most uncompetitive championship in world football. Have they not seen the magic of Rose and Rooney in the derbies of the last few years? Even in Plymouth, where they've only just found out Ally McCoist has left 'A Question of Sport', the now bi-annual face off with Exeter City seems surely to be the biggest on the football calendar.
The Old Firm derby is undoubtedly a historic event that reaches far beyond the realms of sport. Politics has always had a strong role to play in both clubs' history, especially during the years of conflict in Northern Ireland. The ideology that lingers around the two football clubs has seen fighting escalate on the streets , not dissimilar to that which saw many arrests made in the most recent Old Firm clash (rumours that all arrests were in some way linked with provocation from El-Hadji Diouf have been nervously dodged by spokespeople). On the pitch too, the games are often brutal and gripping affairs. Edu, Commons, Lafferty and Hooper make up just some of the talent on offer. What makes it such a great fixture is the players are obviously aware of what is at stake, putting it all on the line for their devoted fans, be they Glaswegian, Northern Irish or Filipino.
The problem with the Old Firm derby, as well as many others, is when it has a label attached to it. A label more shameful than the one found on a pair of dirty Primark underwear. A label that reads – 'The Greatest Game in British Football'. Though the Old Firm may have so much political significance, there are many, many other fixtures that run the length of the country which carry just as much if not more importance. It does not stand alone as some unique duel in the calendar of British football. All derbies have historical tales, ingrained into generation after generation of family's memories as well as club statistics. The Liverpool derby is one based around religion too but most would argue this is now mostly left to one side. More deeply embedded in Anfield sub-culture is the hatred of Manchester United, deriving from the days of industrial competition. 'Celtic v Rangers – Best game in Britain?' Not by the pre-pubescent hairs on Dirk Kuyt’s chinny chin chin. Lower down the league too, age-old rivalries are played out in the simple game of football. On the south coast, when Southampton and Portsmouth will meet, the history of competition between the Navy and merchant ports is one which will create a buzz to rival that at a Berlusconi birthday brothel bash.
The fact is you can’t judge a local derby on national politics. In today's day and age, quite rightly, it is all about the result on the pitch. Fans will forever call upon local politics to spur themselves and their team on. That is what makes English football at the moment so great. We are in a position to call upon our club's history and genuinely see our local grudge match as the greatest game in British football. This is why Dave, from Wolverhampton, is completely indifferent to the Lennon-McCoist saga. He is happy as long as the Baggies drop like a Roy Hodgson frown and Wolves scavenge another season in the top flight. It is the exact reason why Ipswich Town fans will never watch QI or cook from a Delia Smith book. It is why Bristol Rovers fans want to shout expletives at the aged Tony Robinson (obviously taking the Baldrick method acting two decades too far) whenever an episode of Time Team strays onto the TV. It’s why Millwall fans couldn’t give a jellied eel that England won the World Cup in 1966. And it is why Villa fans want to show Jasper where to shove his Carrott. This is the reason that no match should be labelled 'The Greatest Game in British Football'. Though there is the mouth-watering semi-final Manchester derby to be played at Wembley, if we take the view of every fan across every league, we are left with thousands of great games and an FA Cup final every week.
No ranking on this issue from FAF. But what is your favourite derby of the British football season?