Don Fabio

So let’s get this straight, the English nation is going to take the side of a man who slept with the girlfriend of one of his best mates and teammates, a man who was more concerned with having a beer after the Algeria game then reflecting on his miserable performance and the consequences it may have,a man refered to as 'Mr Untouchable' at Stamford Bridge but hated by his home nation, over a man who has won 9 league titles in Italy and Spain, led England to qualifying with only a single defeat and widely regarded as one of the best managers in the world? Only England could press the self-destruct button quite like this. (At least the French revolution was a proper one!)

When John Terry uttered the words “sod it, if it upsets him, it has to be said or we are going home on Wednesday,” my initial reaction was one of optimism and pride. It didn’t take long for my reaction to change, as the more I pondered Terry’s comments, the more I began to ask myself, why has Terry not showed similar commitment and passion on the pitch? I then tried to guess what Fabio’s reaction to such public criticism was going to be, after all he has prided himself on discipline since taking charge - as Terry knows only too well. Truth is, Fabio works in mysterious ways and not for a moment did even the most experienced England commentators expect the reaction from Capello we got.

John Terry has always seen himself as the shining light and the centre of attention both at Chelsea and England. Clearly the former Huddersfield Town apprentice believes he is in an elite class of central defenders, yet when we revise recent history we note a decidedly shaky end to a turbulent season, the loss of the England captaincy because of a betrayal to a teammate and inability to keep his trousers on, married to two opening World Cup performances for England where his only meaningful contribution has been to give endless free kicks away. What is more, we now learn that, ‘JT’ as he is affectionately known as, was more concerned with asking Mr Capello if him and his ‘mates’ could have a beer after the game. Why wasn’t Terry more interested in watching highlights of his miserable performance? Why wasn’t he more interested in talking with Steven Gerrard about what is going wrong on the field.

Capello summed Terry and his clan up pretty forthright; they are bottle jobs. Don’t mind making a few noises in front of a camera but when you have to pluck up the courage to march into the manager’s office and question him directly, England players come up short. You wonder why there is no pride and passion from these players on the pitch? At least Gazza smashed a lamp when told he wasn’t going to the World Cup in 1998, at least Beckham stood up to Sven if he thought it needed to be said. John Terry and his clan are more content with having a bitch behind people’s backs over an ice-cold pint after a thoroughly miserable day at work. Talk about Big Brother nation!

What is truly miserable is this notion that the England players are bored. What a terrible life they lead. They want to blame everyone but themselves. Now, as I have previously conceded, no one is exempt from criticism, Capello and Pearce included, but the ridiculous press coverage that suggests the two-hour policy is wrong, and the players are bored, and Capello needs to lighten up is laughable. Does anyone else care if Capello is JT’s friend? No? Me neither. The England players are a disgrace, and John Terry deserves to be sent home from the World Cup for dividing a camp. And for what? A beer? A personal feud with Capello? He has single headedly ruined the atmosphere inside the England camp and is deserving of the hate mail that will inevitable find its way to his many addresses.

It would appear that Capello finds the press and the arrogance of certain England players laughable. Just because Emile Heskey failed to find the net in the opening game against the USA and the side were dyer against Algeria, the England players suddenly need to know the line up 24 hours before a game! What a load of old s**te. For too long the England players have been wrapped in cotton wool and the press have hounded manager after manger when instead they should have hounded player after player. I mean, is it really Fabio's fault that Lampard cannot pass a ball 5 yards? Or that Heskey has the turning circle of a cruise ship? Or that Terry cannot jump up for a header without climbing all over the opposition?

Maybe that’s why Terry chose to air his concerns through the media, hoping they would bail the England team out. I mean seriously, what are the press and players expecting here, Fabio to order a Jacuzzi and have it shipped in and installed midway through a tournament? Perhaps a tenth snooker table or dart board fitted? OR the players could train, and work harder. A lot of them don’t look fit enough to most. Maybe practice a set piece of 10? I mean we have hardly looked threatening thus far from our 4 corners have we? Failing to beat the first man with three of them. I understand Capello is in charge of training schedules but would it hurt a few players to take it upon themselves to do a little more or will minimal effort suffice once more from the overpaid and passion lot, otherwise known as England?

The worry is we are forcing Capello away. If we do go out tomorrow night, would it not be better I we treated it as a momentous moment in English football? The same group of players that failed to qualify for the European Championships in 2008, then going out in the group stage of the 2010 World Cup? Surely we can’t sit here and blame it squarely on the manager? Is it not time we made the big decisions and got rid of the egos and arrogance of Terry, Lampard, James and Cole, even if it means blooding youngsters? They can’t do any worse then our current group of galacticos led by the biggest idiot of the lot, JOHN TERRY. I have said it for three months, in Fabio we trust. Let's just hope Fabio trusts England enough to endure a little heartache for a little longer...


Gavin Callaghan