John Terry's reinstatement as permanent England captain has raised eyebrows around the world. Fabio Capello's decision to end the Chelsea defender's separation from the armband has been derided as yet another distraction for the team, an example of horrible mismanagement after Terry was stripped of the honour following an alleged affair with an ex-teammate's ex-girlfriend*. The players, said the media, would never stand for it. Rio Ferdinand, certainly, has a right to be upset, the former captain losing out only because he has the misfortune to be injured at inconvinient times. But the rest of the squad?
John Terry As England Captain Isn’t An Issue, Claim Players
Tottenham Hotspur striker Peter Crouch (via BBC):
There’s a lot of talk of unrest but it’s not an issue. John Terry has always been fantastic on the pitch, leading Chelsea to Doubles, and he’ll be good for us again.
It is a shame for Rio because he’s a top player and great to have around because he’s a natural leader too. It’s a shame that he’s had so many injuries and that’s probably why the manager decided to make the change rather than have the armband being passed around.
The manager wanted to stick with JT and that’s fine with all of us.
Manchester City reservist James Milner (via BBC):
It’s business as usual, the manager’s made a decision and everyone’s happy for JT and disappointed for Rio.
We have lots of good leaders and you need more than one anyway. It helps to have so much experience around and we’ve got a good combination of that as well as the younger players.
That doesn’t exactly sound like a squad in turmoil to me, although as well all know media speculation about a team’s fragile psyche is what we should be relying on over potentially coached quotes from players. After all, what matters is the outrage, right?
*The topic of exactly why unverified tabloid speculation had a major impact of the England team is another matter entirely.
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