I can’t say,and neither can anyone else, how England will fare in this summer’s highly anticipated World Cup, in South Africa. They will be one of the favorites, probably somewhat behind Spain and Italy, however, no one was picking France, other than me (true story) to go up against Italy in 2006 either. One thing about England that appears to be solid this time, is how manager Fabio Capello, and the most important players on the roster, have responded to what could have been a crippling internal crises, pertaining to former team captain John Terry, who was stripped of his title by Capello, following public revelations of the Chelsea captain’s affair with the former girlfriend of former Chelsea teammate Wayne Bridge.
Instead of internal strife, the heart and soul members of England’s national team, have strongly backed John Terry as an important teammate in their aspirations for World Cup success. Manchester United’s superstar striker, Wayne Rooney, who has scored 23 times in 27 Premiership matches so far, came out with strong vocal support of his widely criticized team-mate at the beginning of the week, leading up to their friendly against Egypt, this past Wednesday at Wembley Stadium. Rooney was careful not to be seen as endorsing Terry’s extra marital behavior away from the field, while backing him for his on the field importance. The Liverpool native said: “ John is a leader for our team. He hasn’t got the armband but he’s still a great player and a great leader. The squad has been no different since we’ve met up. He’s a great player- I think he’s been named in the world XI for the last three years. There are no worries about his form, that’s for sure.” With Wayne Bridge having declined the invitation to play for England because of Terry’s presence, Rooney, smooth as silk, said all the right things. “Wayne Bridge is a fantastic player and especially now with Ashley Cole being injured I’m sure he’d have been one to take his place. It’s unfortunate but it’s his decision and you have to respect it.”
Although Terry was on the receiving end of some boos at Wembley, early in the game with Egypt, they diminished as the match went on in England’s 3-1 win. Capello expressed great satisfaction with the centre-back’s performance. “He played a fantastic game like I know he can do at this level. When I chose him as captain, I knew the value of him as a player.” Yet another key member of the national team,and one of England’s best ever midfielders, Steven Gerrard of Liverpool, also gave a strong endorsement of the Chelsea and England defender’s performance against Egypt. “I though he was superb, thought he handled everything really well. He showed he’s a fantastic player and a great leader.” Terry himself responded properly to the mixed vocal reviews he received at Wembley. “ The way they supported me tonight and got behind me was fantastic. I really appreciate that. Obviously there were a few jeers but I can handle that and they’re fully entitled to their opinion.”
All of this may mean absolutely nothing, when it comes to the World Cup matches being played on the pitch in South Africa. On the surface however, it seems that the most important players on the roster, have handled this initial crises with John Terry brilliantly, and for now, the leadership on the team , appears to be of championship caliber.