There was only one place to go to escape the misery enveloping England the day after the team’s dismal draw against Algeria: the movies. But even the big screen couldn’t disguise the malaise that continues to seep through the camp. And now, 24 hours before the crucial clash with Slovenia, we must deal with the new government’s emergency budget, which has given us the toughest package of tax increases and spending cuts in a generation. But can it really compare to the debate over whether Steven Gerrard should play off Wayne Rooney, thus enabling Joe Cole to play on the left?
The above was a (lame) attempt at humor. But if you permit me to carry on in that manner, a quick observation. My five-month old has the right idea about how to follow the England team. After Gerrard gave England its only lead in the tournament against the U.S. with just four minutes on the clock, Alex promptly fell asleep, thus being spared goalkeeper Rob Green’s gaffe. What’s more, he managed to miss the entirety of the second game, wisely deciding to be in the air with his mother rather than on the ground with his frustrated father. I may be biased but he’s clearly a genius.
But he’s not the only baby to be discussed in this post: former captain John Terry’s unbelievable outburst on Sunday, pretty much signaling a coup (quite possibly led by just him) against coach Fabio Capello for what he perceived to be questionable tactics and training, has been thankfully shot down by the Italian. Capello, for his part, has dismissed suggestions of any “clear the air” meeting, and told ITV Sport on Monday that Terry’s decision to go public with his concerns was a “big mistake.”
Capello is spot on when saying Terry was disrespectful to the other members of the squad by directly calling for his (now former) team mate Joe Cole to be selected, and remains puzzled why the Chelsea defender didn’t speak to him directly. And Terry wasn’t holding back, even suggesting, “Joe and Wayne (Rooney) are the only two in the side that can break down defenses.” It doesn’t matter whether Terry is correct with his (publicly aired) views, you can’t circumnavigate the system like this, for this way madness lies. Not only has he alienated his manager but also his supposedly creative team mates, who would like to think they too can unlock the opposition. Indeed, Terry has now retreated from his original position, telling the Daily Mail, “It was never my intention to upset the manager or the players and if I did upset anyone, I apologize. I have told the manager he has my total support and I would like to stress that I don’t believe I have been a disruptive influence in the camp.”
For fans of England, what a shame it has come to this sorry state of affairs yet again. Perhaps there’s truth to Michel Platini’s wryly observed remark that they’re “lions in the winter and lambs in the summer,” which is a reference to the side being too tired to perform in the major competitions because they’re so shattered from a grueling domestic campaign. At least the constant voice of reason, vice-captain Frank Lampard, explained that it wasn’t so much a “clear the air” on Sunday night but more, “The manager just spoke himself and then we watched the Algeria game.”
The $64,000 question (or just over 480 thousand rand, if you want to be a stickler) is whether the England team (both players and management) can come together in harmony on and off the pitch to put in a performance worthy of living up to their pre-tournament hype. Will Capello listen to the voices of the many and play the system and personnel at the heart of the controversy? Or will he maintain the 4-4-2 and wait for the knockout stages to change things around? And can he somehow shake Rooney out of his lethargy and unleash the phenom that took Euro 2004 by storm?
The fork in the road suggests that a win could result in a repeat of 1990, where the first two group games (1-1 and 0-0: sound familiar?!?) was followed by a narrow win in the decisive third game and an odyssey that ended up taking the team to the semi-finals and a rather unlucky defeat on penalties to West Germany. The other direction takes us to 1982, where a 0-0 draw against Spain led to a somewhat early departure home, which also resulted in the then manager’s resignation. Lions or lambs? Gerrard and Cole? As always with watching England, it’s the hope that kills you.