It was an honest mistake
Monday, June 21, 2010 at 11:26PM On reflection, I was hasty. Just a touch. Hasty to believe that there was an ounce of sincerity in John Terry's press conference. I simply took it for granted - face value - that anything he was going to say in front of the media was with the blessing of the gaffer, rather than his opinion. I ignored the signs of bitterness and politics, because, well, I assumed surely he wouldn't have the balls to be so deft, so subtle with delicately placed low-blow punches (or bull in a china shop depending on your standpoint). No wonder his forehead was drenched in sweat. But, softly spoken, he answered the questions and seemed to be fairly upfront and honest. Conspiracy did not enter my mind.
The aftermath to all this includes Fabio's comment on JT 'making a big mistake' and stating all they did was watch the Algeria match during the famed meeting and along with Lampard's debunking and defusing of all the media assumptions and their reading-between-the-lines leaves us with further contradictions. Lampard in fact cleansed the comments made by Terry, suggesting the media had taken it all too seriously, all too literally, adding their own spin on his words and reading too much into it. Mutiny the buzz word. When apparently, the reality of the situation is that all players are behind Fabio and Fabio rules the dressing room.
I guess, considering I dismissed any alleged conspiracy theory a little too casually here, perhaps there was an agenda of sorts that has now been stone-cold crushed by Capello. Terry might have been trying his luck. An act of desperation. Petulance. Doing what he does at Chelsea in the England set-up. Up to you how you wish to translate it all and then weigh it up with what Lampard said in his clean-up interview.
There is plenty of ambiguity to be found. And we know this for certain because of what Fabio stated ("At the meeting we saw the Algerian game, we saw the mistakes without comments. Afterwards there was no comments"). Delusional Terry planting seeds of discontent? Or was he just a bit thick about it, thinking that the meeting would be a two-way thing? And thus, this was his big mistake. Talking to the press about matters that should be retained in-house rather than shared with the journos. We all know how they can twist and how we (the fans) can knee-jerk. Slap on the wrist, nothing to see here.
You might prefer to believe that what Fabio (re: the meeting) was the real clean-up job here, masking the fact that it's all gone to shit behind the scenes.
'I swear I never meant for this I never meant...'
Hopefully, as of today, there is no disharmony within the squad. If there is, let's pray they are men, big and bold enough to place egos aside and unite for their country.
I hope we smash Slovenia. Because then none of this conjecture will be of any consequence to us going forward and we can finally talk about football again. Beautiful cross-ball passes, dinks, flicks, marauding runs and spectacular goals.
Three Lions on a shirt. It's about time we were reminded of what this meant and how best it can play out.
Reader Comments (49)
John Terry is a prick and not a day goes by when I don't deeply regret that I am forced to cheer on a team that features him in it. A small part of me wanted that dreadful backpass against algeria to drop short of james and lead to a goal just so even more people would hate him as much as me.
Spineless, cheating, racist scumbag.
But...errrr.. GO ENGLAND YEAH!
Terry knew exactly what he was doing. Dirty horrid little man he is.
It's embarrassing for all involved. Go back to the body language during the Algeria game and it tells you something was not right but Rooney's reaction to me suggests its an issue with mentality rather than anything more sinister. Terry perceives himself as someone far more important thanks to his bitterness over the captaincy. He was in a twisted way trying to take responsibility. It backfired.
He should have been sent back with Anelka!
Sorry for barging in, but to be honest, I don't have a clue what this “letter” is all about. A link relative to this “stuff” (a video or an article) would be nice to have, but then again, what the hell I know; I’m just a chemist…
Never mind 3 lions on a shirt it's more like 23 pussies on the flirt!!! At least when all the other supposed BIG teams failed in their 1st games they came out and resumed normal service in their 2nd game.Not England!!! I thought ye would struggle, yet come through against the lesser teams and surprise surprise they have flattered to deceive..But they have deceived no-one!! Stevie Gee and Fat Frank can't play ina 4-4-2, I know ye did t in qualifiers but that don' count now and it only gets harder from here on in... COYS
The whole squad has been "perverted" by Terry!
When the "sex scandal" story about Terry & Wayne Bridges girl friend came out Terry should have been kicked out.
Why should Wayne Bridge have to concede his world cup place to John Terry?
Was it because Terry is more important to England?
Capello bottled it. Terry should have been out of the England squad and the morale would have been so much higher.
Now he has proved what a sh** he is.
He is not interested in an England team, all he is interested in is a Terry team and what hangs between his legs.
Joe Cole should be playing for England but Capello can't play him because Terry (who is probably bitter because Cole is leaving Chelsea and therefore becomes a pawn in Terry's games) says so and that undermines Capello's authority.
I feel sorry for players like Cole who have become pawns in the political games between Terry and Capello and whoever else bravely stands in their way.
I hate Terry, always have however we should consider the 'possibility' that he was \ is the only one brave enough to speak out about something they all secretly agree on?!
Another issue is this "Naming of the team..." as Fabio has rightly said, why has it not been an issue naming the team so late for the 30ish warm-up and qualifiers then suddenly it is?
Personally I think the players are looking for excuses though I believe the real issue is our formation and Heskey (sorry Emile).
Yes he is good at the knock downs and hold-up play but is he really that much better than Crouch that we can forfeit his goal threat? I don't think so.
Finally should Capello try the untested pairing of Dawson & Upson on Wednesday? I mean how can he not take action against Terry after what he has done?
On Rooney's form I would be seriously tempted to start with Crouch & Defoe alert Rooney to the fact he needs to work for his position and maybe bring the best out of him, if not at least we have a pairing which are not only tried and tested but one where both strikers are a goal threat!
Beetle, what you referring to?
No letter. Honest mistake is a reference to John Terry. Tongue in cheek.
My my guys all that hatered directed at John Terry.Now Im a Spurs fan,and to me there is no smike without fire.This England team have beening playing like shitteAnd we really cannot lay the blame on Capello as he brought The team through the qualifing stages we ease.But I now fail to see the ruythless;ness that he is so famous for.With both rooney and Lampard plaing like they have cement on there legs.Regardless of so called stature.on their present form they shpuld be dropped.Bu t will they,there in lyes a preverbial question.Then I see from other sites that he has drafted Upson in for the Slovenia game.Anather slow ponderous player.All the expirence in the world will not make him move any faster.Fortunately all will be over in a few days and we can return to thinking about the season ahead.we renewed optimism
I'm sadly also a Terry Hater.
He shouldn't have gone to the world cup. I wonder how great team spirit can ever be knowing a scumbag like that would try it on with team-mates birds the second their back is turned.
Plus he has never been a very good defender. Can't understand why he is so highly rated. He is slow and awkward.
The players maybe suffering from altitude problems - might explain to some way Rooney's and other players bad performance last Friday night.
If that's the case, it's scandalous if weve failed to prepare the right way.
Having a further think about it my biggest concern about England is Glen Johnson who plays so far forward Aaron Lennon has to drop back, swap wings or go into the middle which makes him ineffective. This never happened when Bridge was there at right back.
So Terry's inabililty to keep his d!ck in his pants has already cost the world cup and now he want's to blame Capello for not picking Joe Cole.
I blame Capello for not kicking Terry out just as Ancelloti should have done when his sexual antics cost them a load of points when the news of his unprofessional behaviour broke.
our hopes and dreams rest on a bunch of uneducated idiots who earn to much money.....
Terry you are nothing more than scum
John Terry is a major league prick. Nuff said
Start Upson and Dawson. Terry started the bad feeling about this squad by getting involved with Bridge's wife. The guy who should have been left out in the cold was Terry, not Bridge. Manager has to be in charge, not the players. This squad is a mess, but then I really can't name players that should have gone, so Capello is between the proverbial rock and a hard place. COYS
"Beetle, what you referring to?"
I'm sorry; I didn't see Terry's interview and few relative reports before I read the "letter". The reason being, I got really busy lately and had time only to watch games but not the journos’ post game rubbish and other vomit. I’m on it now. Carry on.
As for Terry, IMHO, I don’t see/judge him as a Chelski player when he wears the Three Lions shirt (the same for the rest of players except our boys), and I can understand that whatever he said was out of a frustration and anger for the team not achieving better. The team was too lethargic in their last performance, and if this shakes them up then more power to Terry. If not, other players would be quite happy for journos to zero on him and make him THE scapegoat without dissecting their piss poor performances.
It is utter rubbish for Capello to announce the team only 1 hour or shorter before the game. I don’t care how many times before he did the same, but this is the fucking biggest stage in the world, and you don’t need to add stupid additional pressure on players. One can possibly do it at the club level, but not with a national team. Players are not fucking robots, and they are coming from different clubs and playing different tactics. What’s wrong letting them know a night before who is on so they can discuss among themselves some mini strategies and get on the pitch properly focused and ready to roar? After learning this, now I am sure that Capello is a cock and a joke, but I'm also certain that England will advance.
I think you all have been sidetracked by stupidity\\\
Well it is only my opinion of the shaggy display of the 11 that capelo put out on the pitch
the team is lacking something, creativity, boldness and love
We need Modrich in the mid... (Wish he was English)
No honestly, being a till I die Tottenham supporter since i was 18 (I'm like 36 now and Macedonian) makes me half English
I'm out there in the shirt in the NYC bar and everybody is screaming USA USA USA in my ears... I'm there smiling and hoping for our boys to come on and change the game.
As much as you hate Terry you should look past it and see the reality. Capello knows shit, he
Remember I declared myself half english before, just like Mozza declared himself "Irish blod, English heart", it works the same here so no "You know shit mate" applies here.
Hope I'm wrong but "we" need JD C AL and JC in the starting lineup, hope Engeland wins cause we are gonna lose JR and that is no good for us as I think we have finally found our messia
COYS
Nik
Less the successor of Jackie Charlton and Terry Butcher...more in the line now of Ramon Vega and Dean Richards (with an added dash of male slapper thrown in).
Blimey theres some testosterone flying about here today. Terrys this ,Terrys that .He may have the morales of an alleycat but there isnt a finer English defender in the Premier league.As for dropping him and bringing Bridge, well that was just never going to happen.If we were lucky enough to have Terry at Tottenham the same fans caling him scum/prick/etc etc would doubtless be cheering his name to the rafters as per Sherringham/Keane in our recent past.There was some gutless performances out there for sure, the television interview with JT is way up there but should we drop him from England at a World Cup? Get real.
Sorry JJ, I could never cheer JT, IF we ever had such an embarassment of a person in such a prominant position at WHL I would have to seriously reconsider whether supporting spurs is the right thing to do. But that's just me.
I have been underwhelmed by a lot of what has gone on in the last two weeks. And have come to the simple conclusion that the players lack the capacity to understand how lucky they are to be in such a position. They are now so far removed from 'normal people' that they can actually believe their own press.
All this 'we feel for the fans' is utter crap as far as I can tell, it is rhetoric, as we are used to an age when we have seen people speak from the heart, and I have yet to be conviced by a single soundbite.
They're not speaking form the heart, they have no real 'passion' or 'togetherness' or 'team ethic' they are a group of overpaid pampered borderline villians, and the sooner we can get our lot away from the terry's the cole's and the gerrards of this world the better.
Defoe is probably the closest we (spurs) have who is heading that way, and for his sake I hope he doesn't get any worse. King's worst trait is to get lashed up.
The only exception to all of this guff was Daws visit to the THFC and FA trust sponsored charity work. I want to see more Daws, and less Terry thank you very much.
"And have come to the simple conclusion that the players lack the capacity to understand how lucky they are to be in such a position. They are now so far removed from 'normal people' that they can actually believe their own press"
Hear hear ... !!!
The sooner Terry buggers off the better. The whole England squad will be a more harmonious place without this prick. If fact the sooner he hangs up his boots the better.
Its just a misunderstanding about what the meeting was going to be about. Understandable considering the language divide between manager and players. It was probably described to the players as a meeting to discuss the Algeria game. That could easily be taken the wrong way, as if the manager wanted their input.
But once again:
The press blow it out of proportion
Mindless fans believe everything they read
The expectation increases
And once again England fail.
Same old story every 4 years. The English press is the problem with England, not the players, not the manager. "Journalists" are like a cancer in this country and they should all be radiated. If there was no pressure on the team, like the "smaller" footballing nations and everyone just got behind them we'd be through to the next stage already.
Actually shelf, I don't believe everything I read in the slightest, you can ignore most of the reporting of it all in reality. I very much doubt you can really be a spurs fan for as long as I have, without understanding how the media loves to hate.
But, the fact that Terry 'brought the topic' to a very public press conference was enough for me to know what an arse the guy is.
As for building up expectations, the press would have us believe that we could win the WC, fact is that just before it started only 13% or a polled section actually thought we would make it to the final (which IMO should be the first 13% or the population to have their access to the internet removed for their own good).
That didn't fit the 'everyone thinks england can win it' campaign so was every so subtley ignored. You gotta love 'em, well at least love to hate them back.
Tricky - then you wouldn't fall into the category of "mindless fans" =)
Sorry Sheff but the players really are the problem in England , the press is bad everywhere .. You should read the French , Dutch, German , Argentine, Brasilian (only the tabloids) and Italian press when (or if) they fail ... And before the WC they all believe (except for the ever cynical French press) their teams will rule the pitch.
Even over here the press is ruthless but often the players deserve that kind of treatment , a bunch of overpaid baboons that can't be arsed to perform against a so called small nation deserves all the stick they get.
The only thing that is a bit more present in the UK is the focus on the players private lives (WAG culture).
And players like Rooney, Lampard , Gerrard , Terry all claim to play in the strongest League and strongest teams in the world ... So they should be able to cope with the 'pressure' of having to perform on a WC
What ? Pressure ? Are you kidding ? Every young lad around would happily kill half his block to be able to participate in the WC for free and the paid supertarts complain about pressure , the timing of team selection and booing fans ?
It makes me sick , it really does. My lil sister has more tenacity in her pinkie than the lot of them combined ...
I can't say I agree that people "deserve" to be ridiculed because they aren't playing very well. As we know with football its not just about trying harder. There is a psychology to it also, which is where confidence etc comes into play. Just because a player is running all over the pitch trying to get the ball, it doesn't mean they will control it any better when they have it. Natural skill, ability and awareness is all in the brain. Everyone knows how complicated it is. But even players that say they don't feel pressure, ultimately might do even if they don't want to because they can't control it. They say its a state of mind, and you can't just snap your fingers and achieve it. How much they are paid has absolutely nothing to do with it, however annoying it is.
I dont understand how Capello allows Terry and Lampard to keep having these press conferences.
Does he have no control ????.
Fair enough Sheff , Psychology is indeed important in the modern game but the top flight players should be able to cope with pressure , it's the combination of effort , skill and mental strenght that makes you top flight.
So if you proclaim yourself to be a top player in a top team in the 'best league' around the world well then you better not bottle it when it counts the most.
If you play for your country you should show a bit of pride and commitment and i have the feeling that's whats lacking. The South American teams, the Dutch , The Spanish ... They also play in top level clubs but they perform and put their backs in it while playing for their country
If you disregard stereotypes for a minute and instead acknowledge that within a cross section of footballers, there are some who are clever and some not so, then you can try and sort the players into these two categories. Terry falls into the latter category, although it was obvious that he was trying his hardest in the first interview which caused such a stir.
Everything about him screams 'limited', and for all these limitations, he's managed to hoodwink alot of people to spend their money on him. If you look at buying a thoroughbred, you investigate carefully what stock the animal is from. Doing this to John, would tell you that he's part shoplifter, part coke dealer. But perhaps tha's not fair. It's not his fault that his parents choose to do what they do, even after they've been given money and things by their PL footballing star of a son. But then again, is it their fault that he's shagging his "best friend's" missus behind his back? Some traits of a persons character are conditioned and some are genetic. In my limited understanding, Terry has got the worst of both.
So what if he's not so clever? In the army, a PHD isn't going to make you a general is it? I mean how many times has Terry been classified as a born leader? Someone to lead you on the pitch into battle? Well, to debunk that theory, how many of the others who had a beer backed him up post interview? Or how many told him to shut the fuck up and not bring them into it.
What comes out of this mans mouth is hardly 'Jeruslem' by William Blake, hardly 'If' by Kipling, hardly 'blood, toil, tears and sweat' by Churchill. In fact I'd go on to say, it's hardly worth listening to.
Jerusalem even.
Capello is the same as every other England manager, too scared to drop the big name players. Rob Green should never of started against the USA but he makes one mistake that costs us 2 points so is dropped for the next game. But do you think Capello would of dropped Terry for the Slovenia game if his back pass had fell short against Algeria and cost us the game? No he wouldnt! But we need to get behind them tomorrow and believe we can turn this around! Come on England
Terry has caused so many problems with the squad, yet we cannot drop him! Upson and Dawson would be 5th and 6th choice centre backs! The guy does not know how lucky he is to be in the England squad, at a world cup, still allowed to play, still married, still employed by Chelsea and still earning over 100 grand a week! He should shut up, show respect and know his place.
Agree with you Chris. Out of the ENTIRE squad, Lampard is the only one who is never rested, rotated, moved left/right, and always plays - even when he does sod all in a match. He should be a candidate for being dropped. He is not a holding midfield, not a passer, not mr pace - his sole role is to score goals. If he is not scoring, what use is he? Especially if England are playing so withdrawn so that he cannot approach the box. Also with this new ball, he is not able to blast one in from outside box either.
I think the rest of the England squad are extremely happy to have him there in South Africa. Not because of his leadership abilities, his willingness to put a head on any high ball, his responsiveness to any defensive danger, his pinpoint perfect tackles that always come off...
...No, its because if he's there, he's not going to be biffing their wives behind the Bentley sheds...
As much as he is a loverat lovechild of a shoplifter and a drug dealer, I'd still quite happily see him wearing a Spurs shirt. Sorry...
90%+ of folks blaming Terry for shagging Bridge's bird are goddamn hypocrites. He didn’t rape her; she willingly parted her legs, OK? And also, Bridge was no friend of Terry; they were just coworkers. No one knows who approached who and started flirting with the other. I would disapprove it if there was Bridge’s wife in question, but a bird? Come on and smell the roses. Everyone knows that type of girls that would stop at nothing to be laid by a celebrity whether it is footballers, rock band musicians, etc. With that entire craze and one sided views it wouldn’t surprise me to hear someone claiming that this bird was a virgin before Terry nailed her and “destroyed” forever hers and Bridge’s life dreams. Give it a fooking rest and stop pretending to be bigger catholic than Pope.
I think there is something far more sinister about Capello....maybe the "discipline thing" has gone too far? Of course you can't argue with his record at club level.
Why hasn't shoved on Cole in the first few games? And what happened to Milner? Rodney & Defoe deserve more of a chance...What was the point in bringing Rodney on in the 80th minute???? Get Hodgson in there soon.
Call me mad. But from the moment capello amended his contract to remove the easy exit clause whilst being linked with Milan. I started to feel uneasy. Without the clause the best thing for him financially would be to screw up the world cup. He would then get a massive payout and then waltz into the Milan job. Failing that retire. He's 64 Im sure he's already wealthy so probably the former.
Also I think lennon when he has had the ball has been our most dangerous player. Without Johnson hogging the right flank and the rooney gerrard lampard love in we would be able to get the best of azza.
And hesky has been spending more time on his back at more world cups than I care to remember.
Finally rooney needs to spend more time near the penalty area rather than playing from deep. Defoe nearly scored straight off as he was in the right place. As rooney gets more frustrated he drops deeper. He's like psb without the pointing.
Come on England.
Rant over
It is very satisfying to see so many people share my views onTerry.He must be a very unhappy individual and seems bent on self destruction.Such a person should not represent England.
We've such a talented bunch of individuals in that squad that gelling them is always going to be key. I personally feel that Sky Sports need to do one with their bloody Yellow breaking news banner. Their loving it, loving disrupting the squad, loving sticking their nose in. They create what they can out of nothing. OK, we had problems, so what, their professionals with a hunger & desire to win, their more frustrated than anyone & they will put it right tomorrow at 3PM. They are all winners, anyone who has got to that level playing football is very special indeed.
There’s nothing massively wrong & SKY really fucking piss me off !!!!!!!!!!!
Do one Sky, your not part of this World Cup & your sensationalism journalism can fuck off too.
COME ON ENGLAND.................
Here's a shocker for you, not that anyone will be surprised.
I worked in Fulham for a few years and once saw Terry pull up in a disabled spot to take the family out for lunch. The parking ticket he got went into his pocket without a second thought, hardly a fine for someone on 100k a week. Needless to say we stood there speechless.
Yes he should be dropped from the squad but he never will. Give it a week or so when we're out and the lads are all back talking to their respective journo's selling their souls for a quick buck about the issues with Capello, selections and Joe Cole.
At least we're not French.
you jewish pricks make me laugh - OMG Terry parked in a disable space lets lynch him...Get a life.
Well done. You racist prick.
Inbreed fan defends inbreed footballer shocker
One thing Terry has Scary Spooks is balls and they get him in trouble also . He wants the Captains job back and Joe Coal in the Team .Well we beat a team according to the commentator equal to our third division and we are all suffering from optimism and euphoria way beyond our performance . I watched the game again when my nerves had settled down and yes we played well in spasms but if Capello thinks this team will beat Germany he is disillusioned . Rooney could not beat a blonde in a entry , Ohara mark two Milner lost the ball five times in 11 mins then he delivered two World class crosses and then he done nothing again yet he was good enough to keep one of the fastest wingers out big Mistake . Lampard was lucky with is cross field pass was not converted both subs done nothing Cole and Cardboard Heskey Upson did one great tackle and four bad ones .I hope Capello watches the game again because it will alarm him like it did me this should be is Team to beat der chip shop Bombers Der Kysers Baby's James Johnson Dawson Terry Cole Lennon Rooney Gerrard Milner Defoe Heskey subs Crouch sevnety Cole Milner 65 Barry Rooney 80
it probably was an honest mistake, but that for me is more worrying - someone supposedly one of our best leaders is so uttely thick and wrapped up in his own self importance that he actuyally thought he was doing a good thing.