4 February 2010

Athers agrees

Anybody who's been listening to me will know that I reckon all this fuss about near neighbour John Terry is pure flannel and now the mighty Athers has made the same point in today's Times -'what does a football captain actually do?'. He's got virtually no decision to make beyond 'heads' or 'tails' and 'where shall we go paintballing next?'

2 comments:

Ed said...

Yes, qualifications seem to be the need to be a role model for those outside the squad and a motivator for those in it. And being able to keep your head under pressure on the pitch and off it in interviews.

Only Capello and co can know how the rest of the team feel and therefore what's right, but from the outside I had the controversial view that Terry should stay as captain given that we're months away from a World Cup and anything that destabilises the team now is detrimental. Now he's sacked the same issue remains - how will Terry and Bridge get on in the same squad. And I don't know any other profession where adultery means being sacked.

I'd be interested to know how much planning for this Capello did in advance. Something that Clive Woodward learnt very quickly given the Dallaglio drugs claims, was to have a contingency plan for all possible events. And to allow the players to influence that contingency plan - perhaps they have even discussed in advance what would happen in the event of one of the players being front page tabloid news? I doubt they did, but if they had it would have been inevitable what the fallout would be and helped retain as much of the squad spirit as possible.

Rio Ferdinand. Thank goodness that all the football skipper has to do is call heads or tails. Hopefully someone can remind him what's on either side of a coin just before he goes on the pitch and he won't forget by the time he's got to the middle and shaken hands with the ref and opposition skipper....

Ed said...

Incidentally "the mighty Athers" brother Chris has chosen to play for Brighton & Hove rather than Steyning CC next year. Very annoying but it will make it all the more satisfying getting promoted...(here's hoping anyway!)...