So everyone would have heard by now that Fabio Capello has decided to leave his position as manager of the England national team and I have been a little surprised by some of the reactions across the board, although others are more understandable.
The first thing I would like to say is that I fully agree with Capello's reasoning for walking from the job, even at this moment just four months before England are due to take part in the Euro 2012 tournament in Poland/Ukraine. The FA have completely botched the way they have handled the John Terry case, and stripping of the Captaincy was the final straw for the Italian.
It is no surprise to see the FA once again making the wrong decision- I don't think England should have John Terry leading them with the charge that was levelled against him, especially not before he was found innocent. Racism is too big an issue for the FA to take the wait and see approach and their first big mistake was not to remove the Captain's armband from Terry back in October when the issue with Anton Ferdinand came to light.
Even then, they could have been excused in waiting to see what the police investigation had resulted in before making the decision. The second opportunity for the FA was when it was made clear that there was ENOUGH of an issue that Terry should hear his case in front of a magistrates court. This was another opportunity that was lost on the FA to ask Terry to give up the armband.
So what exactly has changed in the last three months that they now decided they will not wait until the court case, but they will strip Terry of the armband now? Like I say, I disagreed that Terry was allowed to keep the Captaincy as far as this, but there has been nothing that should have made the FA change their mind from October to February.
It was completely reasonable to expect Fabio Capello was not going to take it positively when the FA decided that it was correct, after all, to take the armband off Terry. I also think it is no surprise that the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger offered their support to Capello- I can't imagine either of those two managers would be treated in this manner by their clubs, especially not after offering implied support for four months.
The FA have been poorly run and advised through this whole issue so far... I like watching other sports as well as football and I just think the way the Pittsburgh Steelers dealt with Ben Roethlisberger (suspended for the first four games in 2010) after he was alleged, but never convicted, of sexual assualt on a girl was the way the FA should have dealt with the Terry case- it should have made an immediate decision on how they were going to move forward, rather than swaying left and right with their opinion and finishing off by undermining their manager.
A lot of people have been very happy to see Capello leave the job, but it once again highlights the level of incompetency at the FA... Capello had done a fabulous job of picking up a group of players that had failed to QUALIFY for the Euro 2008 tournament while leading them to a simple and effective qualification for the World Cup in 2010.
I don't disagree that the tournament performances were not good enough for the public, with England struggling against the USA, Algeria and Slovenia before being beaten by Germany in the last 16. Even then, who knows what the side would have done if England's 'goal' from Frank Lampard was allowed to stand when the game was stuck at 1-1?
The FA again failed to make a real decision and decided to keep Capello on after that tournament, even after most people wanted the Italian removed for the dressing room unhappiness and shocking performances. It seems the last 18 months has convinced those in power down in Soho that Capello was not the man after all, and they seemed to undermine him here, although I won't say how deliberately I think that is. This has also left the National team in a very tough spot to really compete in the upcoming tournament and is another insight into the poor workings at the Association.
As soon as the news was released, you saw how some people were celebrating like England were now free from the 'foreigners shackles' and would be allowed to play with 'passion' that would help them win tournaments- the reactions of Barry Fry and Neil Warnock were particularly funny to watch.
Fry has always been 'passionate', but his criticisms were a joke considering Fabio Capello has more Champions League winning medals (1) as a manager than Fry has managerial experience in the top flight (0) of English football... If ever there is proof that 'passion' will not take you to the top, take a quick look at the amount of teams Fry has 'fired up' to even get to the top flight.
Another manager who was open to all channels to air his voice was Neil Warnock... Yes, the same Neil Warnock who has recently been heavily criticised by his former Captain, Joey Barton, for essentially having no knowledge of tactics or setting his team up properly in preparation for games.
Yet here was Warnock spouting off at being 'over the moon' that Capello had left, a manager who has won more League titles (6) than Warnock has had years managing in the top flight (2.5 years).
The likes of Fry and Warnock think it's easy to inspire by being passionate and 'bringing humour into the dressing room' but both have been shown up when it comes to actually managing, with the latter being heavily criticised for his ability by his former Captain just a week after leaving QPR.
Their reactions are very similar to what a lot of fans were saying when on the airwaves, and from what I have heard from friends and work colleagues since Capello was fired. The thoughts that it was 'all the foreigners fault' because he wasn't 'passionate' are a joke considering England have hardly pulled up trees since winning the World Cup in 1966, a time since they have had just 2 foreign managers.
Steve McClaren failed to qualify for the Euro 2008 tournament, Kevin Keegan proved totally out of his depth, while the less said about Graham Taylor the better.
The players seem to escape some of the criticism as people buy into the Sky Sports mantra that the 'Premier League is the best League in the World'... But how much of that is down to the English players? It is the foreign players and managers that have helped the League move forward and it is telling that no English manager has won a League title since 1992.
Now in saying that, I think Harry Redknapp should be given the job if the FA have decided it is time for an English manager to take charge. He has the credentials in recent seasons to suggest he would do a decent enough job, although I am sure it will all end in tears as it usually does for England.
The bottom line is that the players are simply not good enough to win a major international tournament right now. There are some positives as I think Jack Wilshire, Joe Hart and Wayne Rooney can help lead England to the next few tournaments, but I just don't believe there are enough quality players coming through to expect England to make a real impact at a big international event... And no, I don't count the Olympics as a major tournament.
Redknapp would be a popular choice for both players and the media, and I think he has earned this opportunity ahead of Roy Hodgson, who would have been a major favourite outside of his time at Liverpool.
The one person who should NOT be getting the job is Stuart Pearce and I am really surprised his has positioned himself in such a way that he is now second favourite to take the job on a permanent basis. His time at Manchester City was an absolute joke, and I am not sure he has the CV to take the 'top job in England' based on being part of the set-up and managing the Under-21 team? I am frankly a little stunned to seem him in the position he is and I just am left scratching my head at this development...
With Harry Redknapp being the most likely choice to fill the England manager's post, it will mean there is one big vacancy in the Premier League in the coming months as the Tottenham Hotspur job would be available.
There has been a lot of big talk over who should take over if it does become available, with a lot of people mentioning Jose Mourinho, although I am sure the Portuguese manager has his eye on just one job in England at the moment, the one that is likely to come up at Old Trafford in the next few seasons.
I really hope that David Moyes is offered the job at White Hart Lane as I think he is the most under-rated and deserving manager in the Premier League. Moyes has been brilliant in his time at Everton, getting the best out of a limited squad and he clearly has an eye for a good purchase as we saw when he brought in Mikel Arteta and Tim Cahill.
The Scot has never had the money that the 'big' clubs have enjoyed, yet he consistently has Everton exceeding expectations and also led them to a Champions League in 2005. I think Moyes would really flourish at White Hart Lane and I think he would maintain their success that they have enjoyed in recent seasons.
I always thought it was a shame that Moyes has not added a bit of silverware to his time at Goodison Park, but I think it would be a good time for him to move on and show his capabilities at a higher level. I have a lot of respect for Moyes, and would be very happy if he is given his chance at White Hart Lane, IF the job is available this Summer.
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