A Slap On The Wrists?

In the current state of our 'litigation-mad' society, I'm sure it won't be long until the role of England captain in the modern game will come with a government warning and disclaimer. John Terry is the latest of a number of England skippers embroiled in controversy over one thing or another.

Even the immortal Bobby Moore faced allegations of theft on the eve of the 1970 World Cup finals in Mexico and, alongside the constant trials and tribulations of David Beckham and Tony Adams in more recent times, Terry appears to be in good company.

The Chelsea centre-back wrote himself onto every back page when he scored the winner at Burnley on Saturday evening, a welcome change to what will no doubt be written on the front pages. Many pundits and journalists alike are suggesting that the 29-year old will be stripped of the armband with less than 5 months to go untill the World Cup kicks off in South Africa.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/8488890.stm

Ultimately, Fabio Capello will have the final say in such a high profile decision but here are a few items for his consideration:

Yes, what Terry did in his private life is seen by many as unacceptable and the very fact that the injuction put in place at his request has been lifted may or may not set a precedent for similar cases of privacy in the future however, the key factor in whether or not Terry keeps his role as England captain at the World Cup is that the decision MUST be made in footballing terms.

Terry's club manager Carlo Ancelotti said that Terry would never lose the trust of his team-mates and I, for one, agree with him. Rio Ferdinand would supplant Terry as captain for the World Cup should Capello wield the axe, something which I fear would do more harm to team morale than good.

When all is said and done, John Terry is England captain for a reason. The man is a natural leader on the field and has shown his credentials as skipper despite the presence of David Beckham in and around the team. Everyone knows and respects him as captain and therefore the blazers at the FA would do well to overlook his personal life for the good of the team.

If England really want to win the World Cup then there must be a finely mixed cocktail of the following ingredients: a strong squad, a good work and team ethic, a little bit of luck and finally, a strong, inspirational leader. In simple terms, John Terry without the armband can hardly have the same effect as John Terry with the armband.

(Above photograph courtesy of www.bbc.co.uk/sport )