Not everyone agrees with me…
John Terry’s claim about his England position is nonsense – Chelsea defender was the author of his own downfall
John Terry claimed on Sunday night that the Football Association had made his position in the England squad “untenable”. Nonsense. Terry was the author of his own downfall. Too many scrapes, too many embarrassments. John Terry rang the division bell too often in the England dressing room.
Whether it was the Wayne Bridge saga, the dispute with Anton Ferdinand and subsequent fallout with Rio Ferdinand or the impression he gave that the England armband belonged to him, Terry had become a toxic asset in international week. Too much additional baggage needed loading on the England bus when Terry boarded.
The FA charge he faces this week has become almost incidental in the public’s eyes. Even if Terry is cleared, the storm clouds will not automatically disperse.
Terry’s unpopularity will remain. He embodies much of the arrogance and ego that alienates many people from modern football. If he was chasing the sympathy vote by yesterday’s swipe at the FA, Terry is unlikely to have swung the debate his way.
His “untenable” critique does not ring true. He continued to be picked by England managers during his troubled times, first by Fabio Capello and then by Roy Hodgson. Hodgson backed him strongly, a tactic that looks even more questionable now that Terry has walked away.