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Pointing The Finger At Terry
I wrote in last week saying that Terry had two options. One to step down til legalities were sorted one way or the other thus saving Cappello and the FA from any awkwardness, two to play the 'I'm JT' card and refuse to give up the captaincy and force people's hands.
In a few years when he has retired what does his legacy at international level look like? He's been stripped of the captaincy twice, once for allegedly running about with a teammate's expartner, the other for a racial incident which may, or may not, result in a criminal conviction. His arrogance and refusal to do the right thing here has now cost England their best manager ever (statistically). Some legacy there Lionheart!
As for Rooney stating the successor must be English and preferably HR, I think Roy Keane spoke for us all when he said Wayne needs to concentrate on not disappointing international managers before he can start hiring them!!
Mangore United, Belfast
...Just one question. Has a more ordinary odious player ever caused as much grief, and been so brazenly unrepentant and hard-necked, as John Terry?
Gaz, Ireland
Pointing The Finger At Terry And The Press
Well, just when I thought it wasn't possible to hate the Scum, the Mirror and John Terry anymore than I possibly could...
The media in this country are an embarrassment to their profession (as the Leveson enquiry is proving) and they speak for no one other than then knuckle-dragging idiots who lack the intelligence to have their own opinion and take everything the red tops say as gospel.
Well they have their wish now and I feel sorry for any future England players - after their tactily inept manager causes another poor performance, who do you think will be getting the blame this time - the players or good old Arry, the toast of Fleet Street?
Mark - Embarrassed to be English, LFC
Pointing The Finger At The Press
Let's celebrate losing the best (statistically) manager we've had so we can get another won virtually sweet FA Englishman in the job.
The last two English managers delivered nothing. Keegan's passion(!) saw us lose the last England game at Wembley before quitting and Shteve couldn't even get us to qualify.
The last two foreign managers got us to qualify with ease for tournaments and yet have been treated appallingly in the press because they don't have passion. Never mind they were tactically years ahead of any candidates for the job and had actually compiled a CV as opposed to compiling friends in the press.
Barry Fry and Neil Warnock on SSN last night made me sick with their xenophobic rantings. No wonder the world points and laughs at us.
Let Harry have the job, after years of building him up, the press will be chomping at the bit to bring him down. One bad defeat and he won't be able to take the flak and will quit.
Insert shaking head graphic here.
John Morris, a little bit less proud to be English today
...The English national team just makes me laugh now to be honest. Your press was so eager and willing to get rid of Capello it was pathetic. A man may I remind you that has won more than Redknapp has or will ever win. The xenophobic press will miss the irony of the whole situation but when I read in the Guardian about how Capello didn't 'get' Engerland football I can only shake my head and laugh. I used to feel sorry for you, but now I hope you never qualify for a major tournament again. Your players are overpaid and your press is a pack of c***s.
SF Gooner
...YES! Finally we got rid of him, and good ol' Harry will take over. So when England crash out of Euro 2012 it won't be the brave England manager's fault, and most definitely not OUR fault, I mean, of course Capello had to go. No, it will be a dramatic event, British stiff upper lip giving way to the occasional tear (all the better to sell our red-top rags). To stretch out the agony (and sales) as long as possible, there will, of course, need to be a group of tragic heroes whose glory was snatched away from them both unfairly and unluckily. We will complete the cast with three villains: a cheating foreign player from the team eliminating England (ideally based in the Premier League so we can hound him out too), an England player (traitor whose life will be made miserable until the next good game played, whereupon he will be resurrected), and a corrupt ref (we'll publish his home address, but of course it's not OUR fault if he got sent death threats and retired).
Meanwhile, in the real world...
Haaaahahahahaha!! Those stupid idiots at the FA have (again) given in to the senseless attacks by know-nothing hacks to hound out (again) the best manager England have had in the last years, just so that he can (again) be replaced by an ENGLISHMAN, who will (again) lead England to an embarrassing early exit.
James (At least this time they waited for the foreigner to qualify them for the tournament before kicking him out), Geneva
Pointing The Finger At The Press And FA
I could write War & Peace on the shenanigans and incompetancy of the FA and the media in this whole Capello/Harry/Terry debacle but i will attempt just to summarise my points below.
* The FA pay a guy £6m a year (which is the going rate so you can't hold that against Fabio btw), and so to get your money's worth you keep him after the World Cup to get qualification, and another major tournament out of him - good decision. You then four months before start of that tournament undo all the good work and force him out - incompetency no.1.
* John Terry case is nothing new, decision to remove him as captain was the right thing to do but it should not have been made now, but the day the CPS got involved. Fabio may not have agreed but should have been consulted - incompetency no.2.
* FA/media force out a manager who has the highest win ratio of any England manager (67%) - incompetency no.3.
* FA/media force out a manager who has had flawless qualification in to both major tournaments - incompetency no.4.
* FA/media force out a manager who installed discipline amongst the sqaud who were previously known for excessively gambling and having an all to relaxes attitude at major tournaments - incompetency no.5.
* FA/media force out a manager who has a CV that is second to none - incompetency no.6. I could go on with these but you get the picture.
* Media treatment of Capello is a sad but true indictment of how the media are in this country. They are the first to get on their high horse about how we are the most tolerant society and how much we condemn racism etc, and then they are the first to become xenophobic when they no longer want a 'foreign' coach cos they don't understand 'our' way of playing. Wtf is 'our' way of playing btw?
* Was anyone else feeling sick listening to Neil Warnock on the radio talking like a giddy school boy about how he's glad we've got rid of him?? It might just be me but the sight and sound of Warnock brings a little vomit in to my mouth each time. The level of disrespect to one of the great modern managers of all time is truly awful - again this is media fueled.
* This "It must be an Englishman" nonsense being branded about by everyone is just plain stupid. Just check the nationality of the managers the last time we failed to get qualification for major tournaments. For those with short memories, which seems to be majority of this red-top rag obsessed country, it was Steve Mclaren and before him Graham Taylor. The one who bottled it before Sven came to the rescue was also English in Kevin Keegan. The last decent English manager we had was Glenn Hoddle and the FA got ride of him for non-footballing reasons.
* Legacy of Capello will be the likes of Wilshere, Walker, Dawson, Baines, Jagielka, Hart, Bent - guys who he gave opportunities and will blossom in the future.
* Most choose club over country because with England there is always a $hitstorm - very rarely a good feeling. Before tournaments the media frenzy causes such hype that eveyone thinks we are world beaters, when we go out, that hype turns in to daggers for the manager and players.
* Good luck to the next man - only a matter of time before you get hunted and $hitted on.
Sab Singh Saroya (29, LFC and England since 1982)
Pointing The Finger At The Press And Players
Reading your collection on what the papers had to say on Capello quitting one thing stuck out in particular. And I quote 'Any mourning will be brief. His flaws were obvious. He failed to grasp fully either the English language or the unique psychology of the English professional.' What does that even mean, the unique psychology? They are football players at the end of the day, and yes obviously you should get to know people personally because every one acts different and needs different support, but as a whole they all surely want one thing and that is to win. And it is to what Capello wanted. Maybe what Henry Winter actually was alluding to was the fact that England has many players who consider themselves undroppable and there fore make it hard to have a united team. I mean just look at how Lampard has dealt with less playing time with Chelsea I can not imagine what he must be like in the England camp. Seems to me, that the 'unique psychology' of the English players was less Capellos problem and more the English players, and the press that panders to them.
Liam (I really liked Capello)
Pointing The Finger At The FA
Harry Redknapp walks out of court as our national team captain is being publicly deemed guilty before he's even stepped into one. And now we have lost our manager as well. The FA in this country are embarrassing. We have contrived to take one of the most prominent and successful managers in world football, and driven him out of his job through sheer incompetency and a lack of professional courtesy.
I hope David Bernstein and his antiquated cohorts are happy with this. The whole world is laughing at us right now.
Harry The Manc
Pointing The Finger At Capello
I must admit to no surprise at the new of Fabio Capello's resignation. He was either going to leave on his own accord or be shown the door; this was inevitable. After his ill-judged public support of John Terry a day after the FA rightly acted against him, could only draw one response from the FA, that he either publicly supported the FA and by doing so reneging on his own comments or there was to be a split between the two.
I must admit, I am with the tabloids here. The FA acted responsibly, forcibly and correctly considering that what they are fighting is the scourge of racism. There are no shortcuts to this issue, you can't satisfy all sides, it needs to be stamped out, acted upon and nobody is right only the fight against racism is right. Capello knew exactly what he was doing and what the consequences of his actions were, after all we are constantly reminded of his intelligence. If anything we should be pointing the finger at the 'Don' for it he that pulled the chord on his time with the English FA. And good riddance. If he feels the desire to put his own ego before the prospects of the national team, then arrivederci.
Now, to my next point. This is not a travesty, the squad and team are not in a shambles. We will likely perform just as well at the Euros as we would've had Capello stayed. The man may have had the highest win percentage of any England manager before him, but that meant nothing considering could only reach the last 16 of the World Cup. Cup football ain't league football, winning games means nothing if you dont even peform at the tournaments.
We'll have Harry, the players will bloody love him. Yes, having an Englishmen at the helm will add more to our make-up as a squad and we will do as well as ever. I mean take a look at Denmark some years ago, they didn't even know they were going to play in the darn thing until the last minute and then went on to win it! Coaches can be overated, preparation can be overated, we should put our blind faith in the ability of the players and the fact that we will be an all-English team this Summer with the most English of Englishmen leading the charge!
Mark (Now to drop Terry) EFC
What Needs To Happen Now
I was always a fan of David Bernstein during his tenure at City. He stabilised a very rocky ship and he's bringing his pragmatism and decisiveness to the FA. Whilst I do not agree in 'binning' Terry for the reason he 'may be guilty' I do accept the decision is the right one in the wider context given what a toe-rag he is. Also, what a way to tarnish a first major tournament victory in nearly 50 years (I know but I can dream), having your Captain convicted for being a daft racist.
I don't think I've been alone in feeling rather underwhelmed by the approach of the Euros. I'm full of excitement for the tournament itself but am rather ambivalent about supporting the ragbag lot of England's current players. But hang on a minute, it's struck me that this is the perfect chance to get the feel-good feeling back. Remember how we felt when Bobby and Tel were managing our national team. If then you'd uttered a single word about not being 100% behind the team people would have thought you were bonkers or would be locking you in the tower for treason. So here's my blueprint to get the England passion back:
Harry for Manager...I know he's not everyone's cup of tea but come on, his team plays the best football in the Premier League (hard to admit, but true) and he's a geezer. Everyone loves a geezer, or is it just me?
Scott Parker for captain...with HR in charge this is a distinct possibility. Scotty looks like he's been lifted straight form Mad Men and appears to have old-fashioned values too. I'd be proud to have him lead my Country
Joe Hart...great guy, great keeper.
I am developing a bit of a platonic man crush on Jamie and we know he'll be cheerleading the team all through Polkraine if 'arry gets the job.
Finally there's Rosie! The richest bulldog in the world. What better symbol of a proud England than an affluent British Bulldog!!!
Job done! If the above happens I'm back on the England bandwagon!
Mark Matthews
We Want To Keep Harry, Thanks
Last summer, Harry Redknapp and Daniel Levy were faced with a pivotal moment in their joint efforts to bring long overdue success to White Hart Lane. The squad they'd assembled over the previous two seasons was taking shape, the deadwood had been cast aside and a team spirit had been restored. When Chelsea first made enquiries about Luka Modric they reportedly received short shrift from the manager and chairman who cited both the potential for imminent success at the club and the honouring of contracts as the reasons that the Croatian should stay. Modric's head had clearly been turned by a team that plays regular matches against Europe's elite and by the considerable riches on offer. Levy's stubborness and Redknapp's man management skills proved the perfect combination, as they kept their man. The impact of this outcome cannot be underestimated. Spurs are unlikely to get their hands on any silverware this season, but the promise of Champions League football was/is a real one.
Fast forward to today as Mr Levy finds himself thrust into almost identitcal negotiations about another of his charges. This time, however, he will not be backed up by his manager. I fear the lure of football on the big scene and the wealth that comes with it will override talk of honouring contracts. Talk of Redknapp working for England on a part time basis is a nonsense, which will be of no benefit to either team. I hope Harry stays with us and that the job is given to a manager who can pay full attention to the role.
I am a selfish Tottenham fan like all the others. We finally have a decent manager and quelle surprise we want to keep him. Thank you for your thoughts on the employment of England's next manager, Wayne Rooney. Now kindly f**k off.
Ben Cooper, THFC
Make It Hiddink
I'll save my ire at the tabloids and the FA for another mail. Briefly, the show of strength from the FA over the Terry issue was welcome, but its timing wasn't. Anyway, another moan coming your way about that.
But the issue of succession is as black and white as it's being made out. When it comes to turd polishing, there's only one man for the job. A man who united a squabbling, underperforming squad and took them to a trophy despite joining them mid-season. A man who ended that season loved by the fans and players within that squad. A man who took a team of outsiders to the semi-finals of the World Cup and has managed at international level. A man who hasn't been relegated inside the last decade (unlike the favoured son).
The only man who we can possibly appoint is Guus Hiddink. Forget the nationality. Appoint the best man for the job.
Please make it happen.
Aidan Bartlett, EFC, The Strand
Make It Rafa
So the inevitable cycle begins. Jonny Foreigner failed as England Manager as 'he didn't have the bulldog spirit, the next man has to be English'. Then when he fails we revert back to 'we need the best man for the job regardless of where he's from'. We saw it with Sven, then McClaren and now Capello. It's clear Fleet Street will bully the FA into appointing Droopy Dog as the next England Manager, but I feel he's the wrong man for the job. I personally believe the next England manager currently resides out of work on Merseyside. I'll not make the obvious gag here about how that could be one of millions, instead I'll point out that man is Rafa Benitez.
Now many of you will point to his final season at Liverpool and claim he's not up to the job. However cast you minds back to his first 3-4 seasons at Anfield. The Reds were far from setting the league alight, but he masterminded Champions League campaigns. His success was not greeted by rivals, instead they stated 'he's made Liverpool a good cup side, but nothing else'. However this rod used to beat him, could be the exact trait we need as our international Manager. Think about it, he successfully navigated Liverpool out of the group stages of the Champions League using technical nous and rotation, selecting the right team for the task in hand. It is no stretch of the imagination to liken these to the international tournament qualifying groups. He also got Liverpool to two Champions League Finals, and was knocked out in both the semi-final and quarter-final on other occasions. Again I see obvious comparables between the knock-out stage of the Champions League and the finals of the International tournaments. We never get further than the quarters anyway, but this in the majority of his seasons in the Anfield hot seat seemed to be the minimum.
I strongly doubt the FA will consider him but Rafa is definitely the man England need right now. He doesn't have the 'special relationship' with the media that 'Arry does, so will not get the support from that quarter. Expect all future England Press Conferences to be conducted from the rolle- down window of 'Arry's car. That is until we fail again at an international tournament and the press hound him out. Only then will Benitez be considered as proven foreign mangers will be in vogue again. Sadly we may then be too late as I can't see him staying out of club management much longer.
Fowler, LFC (No, not that one)
...Get Rafa in until the Euros are over. Please FA, Please! Rafa gets the chance to prove himself and audition for a good club job in summer. The FA and England get a manager who knows the players, understands the expectations and most importantly has proven ability to get the best out of an average team (yes, I'm talking about the England team) over a single tournament. FA's favourites like Harry or MO'N can still take the England job in the summer without having to face the wrath of the fans of their respective clubs. It's a win-win situation for everyone involved.
I hope it happens, so that I can atleast for once wholeheartedly support England at a major tournament. But with Rafa's popularity in the English press, I don't think it would ever happen. What's your opinion, the actual England supporters?
Gowtham (In Rafa you should trust) NVV, LFC, India
Make It Warnock
I know I'm going to get absolutely slaughtered for this but I actually think the FA could do a lot worse than giving Neil Warnock a shot at the job at least for the Euros.
The guy is of a similar mould to 'Arry. I'd describe them as 'common sense' managers. They have similar managerial records (pre Spurs in 'Arry's case). Warnock is currently unemployed thus saving on a huge pay-out and could probably be tempted into taking over, until after the Euros at least, for a lot less than the premium the FA would have to pay to get 'Arry right now.
I realise a lot of people hate him but...*whispers* I actually quite like him. People hate him for having a lot of the same character traits that arguably play/ed a major part in the success of the likes of Brian Clough and Sir Alex (whom I am worhipful of) ie a complete sense of myopia reguarding their teams and a blind eye towards hypocrisy when they deem it necessary. I realise Neil Warnock cannot be compared to either in terms of success but it's hypocrisy on our parts not to acknowledge this.
I have no doubts about his ability to handle the pressure given his character. He won't over-complicate things, which could well be part of the problem with England. Schteve is well known to be big on detail as is Fabio and neither managed to make it count in the big games. Sven, on the other hand, wasn't a complicator and he was our most successful manager since Alf Ramsey!
The reason not to take him is by and large his lack of experience at the top end of the table but again, 'Arry had very little pre Spurs and arguably still doesn't have a great deal now. How much does this really matter anyway? Gary Speed had NO managerial experience prior to taking over Wales and did a sensational job. In terms of trophies, 'Arry has one to Warnock's none and that was against Cardiff in the final.
I don't believe we should hire an Englishman for the sake of it but right now, I don't think Warnock could cock it up any worse than Fabio did at the last WC. He'd be cheap and willing to take a contract only until the end of the Euros and compared to other similar options such as Alan Curbishley, he is simply a better manager. And who knows, if he did well, we might suddenly have an unlikely hero on our hands!
Tom (He feels right to me in a Moneyball kind of way) Chappell, MUFC, Tooting
And Finally
I imagine you will be overwhelmed, with emails on the Fabio situation. So im not really going to comment.
So I'm going to comment on Barry Fry. Barry you think there are no Englishmen who wouldn't want 'Arry as England manager.
Well you fat racist chump, I don't want him and my mate at work doesn't so thats at least two.
Sad day for football if 'Arry gets the job.
Danny (Cringed watching Sky Sports News yesterday, ashamed to be English) Booth MCFC
