So where did it all go wrong?

The players have arrived back home. The manager's job is in jeopardy. England are once again trophy-less. Now all our sporting hopes have been pinned on Andy Murray and the inquest has well and truly begun into what was a 'disastrous' campaign. So, where did it all go wrong? Was it the manager's fault? Or maybe the players are to blame? Could it be that the responsibility lies with the FA? Or perhaps simply, it just wasn't our year. Here's my view on things.

Well let's start with Fabio. The man was touted as one of the best in the business when he became England manager after the short-lived reign of Steve McClaren. Capello's popularity hasn't nose-dived that far...just yet. Before he accepted the £6 million pound a year job, he was winning all sorts of trophies and accolades with some of the biggest football clubs in the world: Real Madrid, AC Milan, Juventus etc... He came into the England job with a reputation for being one of the most strict disciplinarians out there: hard-nosed, ruthless and firm. Exactly what England needed if they were to focus solely on the football and compete at the highest levels. So what could go wrong? I mean here was a guy with some serious experience under his belt, with a strong enough character to deal with the players should they step out of line (e.g. the whole JT thing) and his presence is big enough to command respect. Okay, so his English was pretty much non-existent when he arrived, but he's worked on that. During his reign, and before the World Cup, England had lost only twice to France and Spain prompting a renewal of his contract until at least 2012.

After beating both Mexico and Japan, it was time for SA. Ah, the hopes and expectations of the nation were carried with Capello and his boys with a real sense of anticipation...this could be it! Our year. 44 years and counting but the golden generation were going in with one of the best managers around. Except it didn't quite pan out that way did it Fabio?

Let's start with the 23 man team selection. Capello was heavily criticised for one major surprise omission: Theo Walcott. Having previously used him from the start in the friendly games, it was a major shock to discover that he would not be travelling to SA. I said it before that if England's tournament was a failure, then people would look back on this decision, reflect upon it and might decide that that was where Capello had taken the wrong road. And, if I'm honest, then yes, Capello should have taken Walcott. Yes, he hasn't been entirely fit during the season and his final ball might not always be there. But he's fast, pacy, runs at defenders and makes a big impact even if you choose to bring him off the bench (remember Barcelona at the Emirates?). Furthermore, did Capello make the right decision in the final selection of players? Ledley King and Gareth Barry were major doubts. Jamie Carragher had also returned from retirement - instead of going for youth, Capello chose experience.

So, anyway aside from that, what went wrong for the manager in SA? Well, we didn't get off to the greatest of starts after those 2 disappointing draws. First there was the whole goalkeeping situation debacle. Then we had the whole JT 'big mistake' shabang. Many people i.e. pundits, analysers and fans were calling for a change in system after those 2 draws as well. Capello's willingness to keep using Heskey despite him not having scored in what feels like decades was also another thing to criticise. No one was really happy to see Gerrard out there on the left either, but Capello never once changed it or tried something different and maybe that was where we also suffered. I mean you can't really blame the players for that, as they had to listen to orders and do what they had been told. If it was me, I'd have utilised the player's strengths to my advantage and taken a few risks - it's the World Cup after all. So I would have had a 4-4-1-1 formation, with Gerrard in behind Rooney, or maybe even a 4-1-3-1-1 with Barry in that holding position. Therefore some of the blame has to lie with the manager for refusing to change things and shake it up a bit. England became a bit too predictable in the end, and Gerrard and Rooney would have most probably preferred things in a new formation where they could both get forward, in particular, Gerrard.

Most people seem to think that Capello will stay and despite his obvious mistakes at the World Cup, I'm kinda glad. Why? Well because he is still one of the best in the business. And also, I don't think it helps England to keep having a change in manager and a change in the way things are done. It's better to have a stable foundation and we must now look to the future and getting ourselves a place at Euro 2012.

So we come to the players: well all the big-name stars of the Premier League, in the so-called 'golden generation' were quite simply nowhere to be seen in this tournament. Take Wayne Rooney: for all the good form he has had during his time at Man U, we did not see even a glimmer of how good he is in SA. It was a really poor tournament for him, and there is no one that will know that more than him. Since England made their exit, he has come in for a lot of criticism, and rightly so. I mean, he is supposed to be one of the best players in the world and where else are you meant to prove this than on the world's biggest stage? But, to be fair he didn't look fully fit. He looked tired and it seemed that everything was an effort. He probably wasn't helped by the system Capello employed, and the rigours of the PL but he needed to do much, much better. It was a shame that Capello was too scared almost, to substitute him when things were not going our way.

John Terry and Matty Upson were no better at the back. For all JT's experience, he was responsible for some pretty poor defending against the Germans. As for Ashley Cole, well he's had better games. It's that old saying - if you're team's playing well, then you automatically play better too. I think Glen Johnson and Upson were both slightly out of their depth against Germany, and England's defence was left wildly exposed for all to witness.

I think Milner was half-decent, but again Lampard failed to make any real impact during the tournament. Barry was struggling, after only just coming back from injury and despite Gerrard's efforts to rouse the spirit of the team, he had nothing really to show for it. Joe Cole could do nothing to change the game when he came on and both SWP and Aaron Lennon were really disappointing. Defoe did well to get that goal against Slovenia but remained largely anonymous in the defeat to Germany.

It was a shame Peter Crouch wasn't given the opportunity to score a few of those late goals either. All in all, the players have as much to be criticised for as the manager. For all their reputations and accolades with their respective clubs, they were a shadow of their best and will view SA 2010 as a completely missed opportunity - a World Cup that held much promise, but fell desperately short of expectations. Criticism has been levelled at the amount of money they are paid and how the performances that they displayed at the World Cup have not matched up to how much they earn. I gotta admit that this is true. I have always called for a cap on wages, and maybe the FA will now review the situation.

England were not helped by things going wrong either. We had the Rio injury which spelt trouble from the off. Then the press made things harder by exaggerating the meaning of what Terry had said in the press conferences. Ledley King had his injury troubles. James Milner got a virus. We got put into the tougher part of the draw thanks to our friends, the USA. Need I say more about the "ghost goal"? Jorge Larionda and his mate Mauricio Espinosa have no doubt blown their chances of officiating in the final ... there is still hope for England to reach the finals yet!!! And, to cap it off, the England players had their undies stolen as well as £7000 worth of other things including football memorabilia by hotel workers at their hotel complex. (It was all returned...undies and all...so don't worry).

Finally, the finger has also been pointed at the FA who have been criticised for failing to nurture enough home-grown talent in a proper youth system. Wigan chairman Dave Whelan has ridiculed the FA as amateurs, and insists that the team could be properly managed by the Premier League. Not sure, I entirely agree with that one. It's true, no one can deny that the PL is one of the best, if not the best in the world so how is it possible that it's success cannot translate to international success? Some people have pointed to the influx of foreign players but if you look at Tottenham - they finished fourth and supplied a quarter of the players to the final England squad. So, although that may be a factor, it's not the sole factor. There's also been a demand for the FA to review the idea of a 'winter break'. Most other European countries have the break before they get underway for the second part of the season and most of the PL players seem to be in favour of it as well. Traditionalists don't like the idea as it ruins the whole Christmas/New Year clog-up and is what makes the PL unique. I get that, but if that was what was responsible for the fatigue we saw in the players during the World Cup, then perhaps we do need to do something about it. At least, consider having a winter-break every 2 years, in time for the big summer tournaments. Chris Waddle believes the solution is to encourage the PL players to ply their trade abroad - using his own experience in Marseilles, he stated that sometimes players learn more outside the PL and that's what makes them prepared for big tournaments such as these. Well, I'm not entirely sure I agree with him on that one either. It wouldn't be good for the PL to suddenly have a mass exodus of English players as it is an English league after all. As much as I hate to admit it, perhaps old Beckenbauer was right about the players being "burnt out". He did subsequently apologise about his "negative" views of the English team, but it appears he was sort of right in what he had to say.

So at the end of it all, what can we say? Not a lot really.

England will be looking to forget all about this tournament and concentrate on the next.

To be honest, who can blame them?

For England, the World Cup tournament of South Africa 2010 was a tournament that promised so much but produced so very little...

Decision Made...

The official 23 are as follows:

ENGLAND'S 2010 WORLD CUP SQUAD:
Goalkeepers: Joe Hart, David James, Robert Green.
Defenders: Jamie Carragher, Ashley Cole, Rio Ferdinand, Glen Johnson, Ledley King, John Terry, Matthew Upson, Stephen Warnock
Midfielders: Gareth Barry, Michael Carrick, Joe Cole, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Aaron Lennon, James Milner, Shaun Wright-Phillips.
Forwards: Peter Crouch, Jermain Defoe, Emile Heskey, Wayne Rooney

Surprised?! I certainly am.

No Theo Walcott is definitely the biggest shock of the lot.

Totally gutted for the lad from both a personal and impersonal point of view.

To be honest, I'm a bit baffled by that. I mean I know he didn't have the greatest of games against Mexico and Japan, but a lot of players on the team didn't either. Also, for Fabio to have included Upson and Warnock without having played them at all seems odd to me.

I guess Fabio thinks that this is a more balanced team and he knows best right?! Well his decision is more or less final and there's nothing anyone can do but respect it and support it.

Still, after the whole Theo debacle in 2006, when Sven took him at aged just 17 and didn't play him in a single game, this is a major disappointment. Granted he had an inconsistent season with Arsenal after suffering a shoulder injury early on but was largely expected by many to be on that plane.

Scott Parker and Matt Dawson were not given any chance to play in the friendlies and were subsequently subjected to the dreaded phone call, which seems a bit unfair to me.

Carrick who hasn't played particularly well has been given the go ahead in place of Huddlestone and Man City's youngster, Adam Johnson.

The other players to miss out are Darren Bent and Leighton Baines.

Well, there we have it. The waiting is finally over.

Fabio has sprung a massive surprise but we now have to turn our thoughts to our first opponents - the US.

The other squads who have not yet announced their final 23, have until 23:00 tonight to do so.

I will keep you posted on that.

Wembley's (Mexican) Wave Off...

'Unconvincing' was the word used by most journalists to describe England's performance during last night's friendly against Mexico. Would I agree with that? Well, to an extent I guess so. Mexico are a good side and there is no doubt that they gave as good as they got, especially in the first half, yet England still managed to score 2 and then another early on in the second half. But a win is still a win and clichéd though it may be but, sometimes even the best teams have to win unconvincingly if they are to have a stab at winning some silverware come the end of the season, or in this case, tournament. It's true - last night's match will have certainly given Capello a lot to consider, on top of what he already has to think about in terms of final squad selection. But perhaps it's better that the issues are addressed now, rather than during the tournament itself...

So last night's final game at Wembley (well until September anyway) was a chance for the England players to force their way onto the team sheet. The Chelsea players and David James were given a rest after their FA Cup tie and this meant that Capello started with a somewhat unfamiliar but not inconceivable line-up. He chose Ferdinand to pair with Ledley King at centre back and opted for Leighton Baines as left back in place of first-choice Ashley Cole. In midfield, he put Gerrard out on the left with Milner and Carrick partnering up in the middle and instead of using him as a sub, started with Crouch alongside Rooney up front.

To their credit Mexico played well, keeping possession for a large part of the first half and creating several chances. Robert Green did his World Cup hopes no harm, saving well from Vela on two occasions. Mexico continued to create chances and attack despite a 17th minute header from King from a set piece. You would have thought that this would have settled England nerves somewhat, but Mexico didn't allow England to get into any kind of rhythm and tried hard to expose defensive frailties particularly down the left. Leighton Baines was caught with the ball more than once in the first half. With England ruffled, Gerrard was forced to push into the centre, leaving the left wing far more prone to Mexican attacks. It wasn't a good balance. But England made good of another set piece to get the second goal albeit one that was offside and looked to have come off Crouch's arm. But still Mexico kept on pressing forward and England was forced to sit back and defend. And for all their possession, Mexico were rewarded with a goal seconds before the half-time whistle. It was one which exposed England's defensive weaknesses again and despite Baines' goalline clearance, his rebound went straight to West Ham's Guillermo Franco who slotted the ball past his club keeper, Rob Green.

Capello made 3 changes before the second half got underway, bringing on the recently returned Jamie Carragher for Ferdinand, taking off Green for Hart and replacing Crouch with Defoe. Gerrard also swapped positions with Young PFA's Player of the Year, James Milner and this suited England's style much better. Not only was Gerrard more comfortable in the centre, which is undoubtedly his best position, but the team in general were a lot more at ease with the ball and in going forward. Indeed, Glen Johnson scored within minutes of the restart after Theo had kept the ball in play. Johnson took the ball past three defenders before unleashing a spectacular shot. It was a super goal and pretty much killed off any chance the Mexicans had of recovering from their deficit. The rest of the game continued with chances at both ends however Hart was not kept as busy as Green had been in the first half. We didn't see too much of Defoe but the late Man City sub, Adam Johnson impressed and looks to be a good prospect.

There is definitely a lot for Capello to mull over after this game and no doubt his decisions have been made a lot harder after last night. I mean, for instance, I have no idea now which keepers he will take with him. It's going to be a close call. Also, he is still waiting on Gareth Barry to prove his fitness. It was announced today that Capello will give him another week to get fit before he decides whether to take Barry or not. We didn't see any of the Chelsea players in action; Joe Cole's place doesn't look certain so he will be keen to get on the pitch against Japan come Sunday. Capello will also want to sort out the midfield so it doesn't get as imbalanced as it did in the first half. There were some positives to come out of the game as well. For example, it is clear that England are capable of getting goals and making the most out of their set piece opportunities even if they are not playing particularly well. Capello will be looking to improve on other areas of their play at their training camp in Austria.

So: maybe the England performance last night wasn't the best but several key players were missing and Capello still has a while to fiddle around with his team and work out what would be the best combination. He has the match against Japan on Sunday to come which will be played at altitude in the Austrian Alps; it will be quite interesting to see what effect, if any, altitude has on the players. The game against Japan will be Capello's last chance before he has to make his mind up and with other managers already whittling their teams down to the final 23, Capello will want to make sure he has done everything possible to ensure that the final 23 will be his best 23.

Elsewhere:

The hosts, South Africa, drew 1-1 with Bulgaria.

Ronaldo's Portugal surprisingly drew a blank against the 117th ranked Cape Verde Islands.

South Korea beat England's next opponents, Japan, 2-0.

The 'Battle of the South' saw Australia beat their neighbours, New Zealand two goals to one.

And Argentina smashed 5 past Canada.

Capello's 30...

So as promised, a detailed analysis of the England provisional squad as we look ahead to the scheduled friendlies against Mexico and Japan. Remember this group of 30 players will be whittled down to just 23. Whatever happens 7 must be cut. The players will no doubt be feeling the pressure as time runs out to prove that they have what it takes to get on that plane.

Let's start with the keeper situation. Joe Hart has earned himself a place in the trio of keepers selected by Capello, after a great season on-loan with Birmingham. David James and Robert Green make up the other two. Green and James, in particular, have a lot of experience in big tournaments; Joe Hart will be looking to use SA as an opportunity to increase his somewhat limited experience. I watched James playing for Portsmouth in the FA Cup final at the weekend, and he pulled off some fine saves to keep Portsmouth in the game for a long time. Despite Pompey's relegation this season, I think he has come a fair way away from the "Calamity James" we all cringed at. One keeper not heading for the African continent is Paul Robinson. He had been Sven and McClaren's first choice keeper in previous tournaments, and his club manager Big Sam, is a little miffed at his exclusion, to say the least. Unlike some managers, Capello has picked the perfect number of goalkeepers you would take to a World Cup tournament (Spain's manager has picked 5), but if he is having trouble deciding who to leave behind, then he may well only take 2. If this is to be the case, I think he would leave Green behind.

Moving on to defenders and one shock inclusion, whom you wouldn't really be expecting to see on the England teamsheet is Liverpool's Jamie Carragher, who has been coaxed out of retirement to make himself available as a possible centre/full back for Capello. Carragher's experience and versatility make him a good catch for Capello who has no shortage of injury doubts and worries at the back. Michael Dawson has had a great season for Tottenham, however his fellow team-mate, Ledley King is one of those injury worries, after suffering from a knee problem for the best part of this season. Leighton Baines who played for England earlier this season has been named as one of 10 defenders hoping to go all the way. Ashley Cole has made a good return back from injury to vie for the left-back position, and with no Wayne Bridge, he looks to be a safe bet to be heading to SA. Despite his off-field antics, ex-captain, John Terry has been chosen alongside Liverpool's Glen Johnson. There are still doubts over the fitness levels of Rio Ferdinand, who has also missed a large chunk of Man U's season. Fabio's other options include Steve Warnock and Matt Upson.

Capello has chosen 12 midfielding possibilities. It seems a dead cert that Lampard, Gerrard and Carrick will be playing in SA. To this, I would also add James Milner who has been phenomenal this season. Joe Cole and Gareth Barry are both injury doubts; Cole only just having returned back from injury, although he declared the other day that after having done a few fitness tests, he was the fittest Chelsea player on the team. Perhaps so but Capello will be keen to see just how fit he really is at their training camp in Austria and during the upcoming friendlies. Gareth Barry suffered an ankle injury and is due to undergo a fitness test soon, should he fail that, it would make Capello's life slightly easier in terms of decision-making and who to leave behind. Capello has stated that if Barry were not to be fit, he may consider opting for a 3-5-2 formation, with 3 central defenders at the back. Personally, I think he should stick with what England know best, i.e. 4-4-2. It is what they feel most comfortable with and the last time the 3-5-2 system was employed, England lost away to Croatia. Less said about that the better. Huddlestone, Lennon and Wright-Phillips have also been selected after having a great season with their respective clubs. I think Lennon will also be definitely going to SA. After injury had ruled out David Beckham for vying for the right-wing position, Theo Walcott will be in with a good shot in playing at next month's tournament. Scott Parker makes up the twelfth midfielder hoping to impress Capello before he has to make his mind up.

Finally, it is a huge blow for Bobby Zamora to not be able to fight it out for one of the forward positions after the amazing goal-scoring season he has had for Fulham, particularly during their Europa League campaign. Had it not been for his Achilles tendon, he would surely have been one of the favourites to make it on that plane alongside Rooney. It is a massive blow for the player as it would have capped off a great season for him. I think Capello is going to have a tough decision regarding which forwards to take, other than Rooney of course. Bent has had a fine goal-scoring season for Sunderland. His move from Tottenham has really worked well in his favour. Then there's everybody's favourite robo-dancer and wonder-sub, Peter Crouch, who it has to be said has come and scored late on in a game more than a few times now. However, he has been relegated to the bench at Spurs in favour of Pavlyuchenko and Defoe, who has also been selected. Definitely something for Capello to chew on there. Making up the last choice of striker is Emile Heskey. The big, hefty centre forward has always been a firm favourite of Capello and it is true that he has played quite well in assisting Rooney up front and creating chances. The big criticism of Heskey is that he doesn't score often enough! Will that be a deciding factor in Capello's final choices? Only time will tell. Capello must make his mind up by 1st June and it will certainly be interesting to see who the Italian goes for in the end.

England & Beckham

Once again - sorry for the late post!

I had been meaning to post a quick entry about the England - Egypt game, which now seems like a long way away but it has been a crazy past few weeks.

Well, you could say it was a game of two halves. Egypt pressurised England in the first half and never really let them settle into any kind of rhythm. It was interesting to note that Lampard and Gerrard were playing together and that brought up the whole debate about whether they work well together in the centre of the park or not. Lampard had 2 good chances to score in the first half but didn't seem to be on form and Capello promptly substituted him at half time. I think Capello did well to keep a cool head, not panic and he made the right substitutions at the right time. Bringing on Crouch in the second half was a smart move - England needed some help up front as Rooney and Defoe didn't seem to be getting many chances between them. Crouch has been relegated to the Tottenham bench for much of this season but his consistent goalscoring appearances for England should definitely be considered by Capello when it comes to crunch time. England looked and played like a different side in the second half and as Egypt faded away, they took control. There are obviously still issues in the England side that Capello must be thinking about as he looks forward to the summer - particularly communication in defence and providing more service to the frontmen. Theo Walcott got a lot of stick following the game, but I think people forget he is only just 21 and recovering from a long time out on the sidelines. Following the international match, he answered his critics by scoring a superb goal against Burnley. The right-wing position is one that is being contended by several players, however, unfortunately, it will no longer be available for David Beckham to claim.

This brings me on to my next talking point - David Beckham. What a shame. I mean, you have to respect the guy immensely for his sheer effort and determination at trying to not only win a place and be on that plane to SA, but also to break the English record for the number of consecutive World Cup tournaments he has participated in. This year's world cup would have been his 4th, had he been fit. It's almost typical in a way that an England player gets an injury that rules him out right before the tournament - it's happened plenty of times before. Still, what makes it hard is the fact that Beckham is not getting any younger and this year's tournament would surely have been his last. Beckham was trying his hardest to convince Capello, who stated he would only consider taking Beckham to the tournament if he was playing regularly. It was only 2 weeks ago that he was back at OT playing for his loan side - AC Milan.

For the sentimentalists, DB's presence will be sorely missed on the pitch. However, his injury has left the right-wing spot open for another, perhaps much younger player to fill his big boots. Perhaps it's a sign of the times, as England moves forward with a more youthful side compared with previous tournaments. It's hard not to feel sorry for him even though had he gone to SA, he would most probably have been kept on the bench and used as a substitute. Still, he is one of those impact substitutes who has the experience to rally the team when things aren't going well and who can get the ball moving forward. There is still no one in the England team who can quite "bend it like Beckham" and sometimes in a game, you need someone to come on and just lift the whole spirit of the game. Beckham is certainly capable of doing that. But there is some good news - despite Beckham not being able to play in the tournament, Fabio Capello has stated that he will travel with the players and stay with them during the tournament, in a sort of semi-player/coach role. I think that this is a really nice gesture by Capello and it means that even if Beckham can't assert his presence out there on the pitch, he can certainly do so in the dressing room.

Wayne Bridge

So: Wayne Bridge has decided to not put himself forward to be considered for this year's World Cup squad. Shocked? I was. I just don't quite understand the decision.

I mean, I understand the fact that he's obviously very upset by what's gone on and it would be quite difficult having to play with someone that's had an affair with your girlfriend. But it's the WORLD CUP!!! Thought I should emphasise that point because someone needs to. It only comes around once every four years, that means an average player will only get to play in the tournament a few times if he's lucky. It's a golden opportunity to shine on the world's stage, compete with other world class acts and most importantly, play for and represent your country. Fair enough, we don't know what is going on in Bridge's head at the moment or how he's coping with it all, but it is still quite difficult to understand the reasoning behind the decision, he made last week.

According to Bridge, his position in the squad has become "untenable and potentially divisive". Well if we are honest, it has already become divisive. But it wasn't Bridge that caused all the problems in the first place. It was Terry. So why is it that Bridge feels the need to eliminate himself from the squad when he hasn't done anything wrong? It doesn't really seem fair that ex-captain Terry gets to go ahead and play whilst Wayne must sit at home. But it doesn't have to be that way. It seems that Bridge has been pressurised into making this decision and the atmosphere surrounding the two at last weekend's game couldn't have made things any better.

To play for the World Cup and to represent your nation is an honour and a privilege. It is these kinds of tournaments that professionals dream about and the competition for a place in the final 11 is always tough. With Ashley Cole (who is having his own personal troubles at the moment - spot a trend here?), currently injured, you would expect Bridge to be the natural replacement. His decision has now put Capello in a bit of a problem as he must decide on who can fill Wayne's boots. There is no doubt that this personal situation has definitely made its way over to the pitch and is really affecting the national team.

As the England team prepare for the friendly against Egypt on Wednesday night, Capello will be assessing all his options and using the game as an opportunity to aid him in the decision making process. Some players who wish to go to South Africa may not get the opportunity to do so, so for them it may seem like a kick in the teeth that Bridge (one of the players who had been expected to go to the tournament), has backed out of such a prestigious opportunity. You would think that as professionals, they could just get on with it, after all you don't have to like each other. Maybe it's because they play in positions that are close to each other on the pitch and they must communicate but it's not like they are going to be communicating about anything other than tactics. Perhaps I'm being too harsh on Bridge but this whole Terry-Bridge situation has been blown up to mammoth proportions and really needs to be resolved. We saw what happened at the weekend when Bridge refused to shake hands with Terry - the media seemed to be more interested in that than in the actual game itself!

Capello has already made the decision to permanently strip John Terry of the captaincy and despite his behaviour of the pitch, he is a good centre back (although as of late, he hasn't been as consistent as usual - perhaps the pressure is getting to him too?). England need their defence to be rock solid if they are to do well. Then there's that thing again - team spirit. Will it ever be as good as it was during the qualifiers? Although, at this moment in time, it seems that Bridge won't be there, there are still Manchester City players in that dressing room and others who will be made to feel uncomfortable and awkward by Terry's presence.

Capello has also stated his intentions to speak with Bridge and attempt to make him reconsider his decision. At the end of the day, it is his, and only his decision to make but you just hope that when he retires from football, he doesn't look back and regret the choices he made. A World Cup is such a big deal that Bridge really does need to spend the time thinking carefully about his options. Whatever happens now, it is clear that this long running saga has not come to an end quite just yet...

England Captaincy

Well, it seems that Fabio Capello has made a decision regarding the issue that has been dominating both the front and back pages of the papers this week - whether Terry should remain captain of England or whether he should be stripped of the honour.

Capello has, in my opinion, rightly, decided to take control of the situation before it can deteriorate any further and after talking to Terry, has decided to strip him of his captaincy. I, like many other supporters fully back his decision not based on moral grounds but on football grounds as this is what the decision is based on after all. However, there are some who believe it's the wrong decision. One fan on the BBC Sports Website, believes the decision is ridiculous and we should not care about what goes on in Terry's private life. Yes, we shouldn't but when it concerns the England team who are preparing to enter a World Cup tournament and when Terry's private life also concerns that of another teammate, then we should care, for the well-being of the team.

In my opinion, Capello's handling of the situation exemplifies his no-nonsense, hard-nosed character and his serious attitude to the job and he is just the type of manager that England need but have been lacking in previous years. This is not to say that previous England managers were not serious enough, but Capello has the distinct knack of being able to manage the players as footballers and as people too. He demands respect and he gets it, more so than other managers who have held the same post before. There is no doubt in my mind that he is the right man to ensure that the England boys concentrate solely on the football side of things and Terry really can blame no one but himself for Capello's decision.

The question therefore remains as to who will be the next England captain. Rio Ferdinand is the hot favourite; he is currently England's vice-captain but lately a string of injuries has prevented him from playing regularly for Manchester United. There is also Steven Gerrard, however concerns have been raised regarding the charges made against him for assault last year. David Beckham has not been mentioned as such because he is not a regular for the England team. Whoever becomes captain, however, will shoulder a lot of responsibility and they will have to make sure they don't make the same mistakes as John Terry and allow private matters to extend to the pitch, if they are to be successful in their role as leader of the national side.

John Terry

It appears that John Terry has been scoring away from home on two fronts; however whilst he was able to help Chelsea's title charge by grabbing a late winner against Burnley on Saturday, he put his future as England captain in jeopardy and also seems to have put England manager, Fabio Capello in a problematic situation.

First things first - with regards to the legal injunction that was imposed but then overturned - questions have been raised by those who believe that by overturning it, it was an invasion of privacy. However, the situation extends beyond John Terry's alleged affairs. His actions, as captain of England, have implications for the team itself and for the tournament in South Africa. Therefore, I believe it was right to overturn the injunction because it is no longer about one man, it is about the team. Also, the fact that Terry applied for an injunction in the first place, has created more publicity than would have been generated had he not done so.

Excluding morality and stripping the situation away from anything but football we are left with several problems because John Terry's liaison just happened to be with the former girlfriend of his ex-Chelsea teammate and fellow England player, Wayne Bridge. Fortunately for John Terry, Wayne Bridge no longer plays for Chelsea otherwise Carlo Ancelotti would be in a similar situation to Fabio Capello. With the team selection for the World Cup looming ever closer, Capello will be mindful of the situation and will have to make a decision regarding captaincy sooner rather than later. Ashley Cole seems like the first-choice left back for England at this moment in time, but he came off injured on Saturday and there is no doubt that Capello will be taking along a reserve left-back - most likely to be Wayne Bridge. Therefore, this begs the question, will Wayne Bridge be happy to play under the captaincy of Terry? They won't be playing too far apart on the pitch either, inevitably they will have to communicate and ensure the England defence holds firm. Of course, both players are professionals but it helps if you get on with your fellow teammates.

The situation poses a big threat to the spirit of the England team - Wayne Bridge appears to be a very popular member of the squad and Terry's actions have already resulted in warring factions with 'Team Terry' and 'Team Bridge' taking opposite sides. In addition, as captain and as a professional, Terry is supposed to be an example not only to his teammates but also to the younger generation of footballers. This latest string of revelations about the defender's private life will have done a massive amount of damage to his reputation both as a footballer, and as a role model.

There have been suggestions that Terry should do the 'right thing' and give up his captaincy so that Fabio Capello is no longer put in an awkward position. I tend to agree with this. Terry has already threatened the spirit of the England team enough, the best thing he can do to redeem the situation now is let Capello decide what can be done without being stuck in a problematic position. This may ease the tension in the dressing room somewhat as both footballers, no doubt, have friends in common who are also stuck in an awkward position. After all, it was his and only his own actions that put him in the position he finds himself in now with regards to his future role as captain. Only then, can Terry begin to somewhat salvage his damaged reputation.