The longer and longer this season goes on, the more likely it seems that it will certainly not be remembered for the Football that took place during it.
Great games we’ve witnessed this season, including a 3 goal Man Utd come back and a 5-3 Arsenal win – both at Stamford Bridge – will be shelved behind all of the controversy that has taken place throughout the season.
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| Suarez's 'Hand of God' at 2010 World Cup |
We’ve had two globally renowned Premiership players get themselves into big trouble – and unfortunately for these two it’s not for the first time. Luis Suarez was hated by millions across the world following his ‘save’ against Ghana in the World Cup back in 2010, and then even more so after his celebrations during his walk back down the tunnel after Asamoah Gyan failed to convert the spot kick that would’ve put his nation deservedly through into the next round.
And John Terry is no stranger to front page headlines. After his alleged affair with the now ex-girlfriend of former club and national team mate Wayne Bridge, Terry was stripped of the captaincy for fear of creating unwanted alliances in the England camp before the World Cup.
Since Suarez’s brush with controversy, he has moved from Dutch club Ajax to Merseysiders Liverpool, where he has become some what of a cult hero. But the whole drama and adrenalin of a Manchester Utd v Liverpool derby, got to Suarez. He was accused of racially abusing Man Utd Captain Patrice Evra during an altercation in the 6 yard box.
Many questions have been asked over whether Evra’s evidence was reliable, as there were no other witnesses called – the hearing by the FA was effectively one man’s word against another. And there was divided opinion at the time over whether Suarez should actually have been banned based on this evidence. Regardless of that, he was irresponsible enough to get himself into a position where he could be punished, and has paid the price with his 8-game ban, and tarnished reputation.
John Terry has been accused of racially abusing Anton Ferdinand, brother of England team mate Rio, during a match at Loftus Road where QPR eventually came out on top against 9-man Chelsea. This time there would seem to be more conclusive evidence in the form of video, as well as some of Ferdinand’s QPR team mates putting forward their evidence to the please. The question has to be asked though, why has John Terry’s alleged racial abuse ended up in the Court of Law, yet Luis Suarez’s ‘misdemeanours’ were punished only by a trial by the FA?
Terry has been summoned to court to answer charges of racial abuse, but the case has been put off until after the EURO 2012 Championships this summer.
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| Terry allegedly racially abused QPR's Ferdinand |
The FA felt like they had to act on the matter, so at the beginning of February the board got together, and John Terry was stripped of the England captaincy for the second time in as many years. Of course, under the UK Court of Law, JT is ‘innocent until proven guilty’, but The FA felt that they couldn’t risk a man who has been charged of racism, leading the country to a major tournament.
This again caused a big split in opinion from English football fans; it seemed that the controversy that had dogged the 2011/12 season would just not go away. And then came Fabio Capello’s interview with an Italian media outlet.
Capello, who has been accused on many occasions of lacking passion and bravado on the touchline, jumped to the defence of the man he re-instated as captain after the World Cup. He declared that as far as he was concerned, Terry was still ‘my captain’. The FA again had work to do, and called Capello to Wembley for a meeting to discuss his comments, which some thought could be construed as a breach of contract.
Come the end of the ‘amicable’ meeting, Fabio Capello had ended his reign as England manager by handing in his resignation, before later stating – again to Italian media – that he was forced into the decision and was left with no choice but to resign.
This now leaves England without a manager, 4 months before the start of EURO 2012. Under 21 Manager Stuart Pearce has already been appointed as Caretaker for the rescheduled friendly against Holland at the end of the month, but who are the front runners for the position?
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| Capello leaves Wembley after his resignation |
Pearce himself has been involved with England for a long time now, firstly as Under 21 boss, and then combining his duties with coaching the senior squad on match days and during tournaments. He has surely built up a large amount of international management experience to a degree, and will already know all of the players in the squad very well. There could be nearly 10 players in the England squad who at one point played under Pearce for the Under 21s, including Jack Wilshere, Phil Jones, Kyle Walker and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Roy Hodgson has a vast amount of continental managerial experience, and although an unfortunate spell at Liverpool didn’t work out, he’s now playing some good football at The Hawthorns with his new club West Bromwich Albion. He also took unlikely Fulham to a Europa League final a couple of years ago, so he has pedigree in cup competitions.
Martin O’Neill has been linked with the England job on many occasions previously, and seemingly will until he perhaps eventually takes up the job. But he has just taken on the managerial reigns at his boyhood club, Sunderland, where he has transformed their fortunes dramatically. It is unlikely he would want to leave that so soon, and the likelihood of The FA allowing any manager to be in charge of the national squad on a part-time basis is extremely low.
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| Could Pearce become the Permanent boss? |
This brings us to Tottenham Manager ‘Arry Redknapp. Redknapp himself is no stranger to controversy, he’s only just been cleared of Tax Evasion, days before Capello left his position of England manager. Redknapp has won the FA Cup with unfancied Portsmouth, has turned Tottenham into a team who could be classed as title contenders, and perhaps most impressively has done so with a spine of English and British talent – that will surely appeal to The FA along side his impressive CV that few other English managers can match.
Ledley King, Michael Dawson, Kyle Walker, Tom Huddlestone, Aaron Lennon, Jermain Defoe and Jermaine Jenas have all played for Spurs under Harry, and have received England caps. Not to mention other players from the home nations such as the impressive Gareth Bale and the Scottish Full Back now at Aston Villa, Alan Hutton.
It is unlikely that any club will let their manager leave before the end of the season, and there is a rather large gap between the last Premiership game of the season and the first England pre-tournament friendly against Belgium at the end of May. This points towards The FA leaving the job post open until the end of the season before appointing a manager – unless of course the man they choose is the current incumbent of the role, Stuart ‘Psycho’ Pearce.
Either way, the drastic happenings in the football season so far could perhaps allow England to finally go into a major tournament with no real expectations and less pressure than in previous years. The national side is seemingly in turmoil with no captain or manager, and without the expectations, perhaps the undoubted individual talent of the England players can combine together in this time of struggle and put in a few good performances.
