Author: Doron

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United > England. It’s what I’ve always believed and what I’ve always been told. Perhaps though, my interpretation of that belief needs amending somewhat now though. I am English and despite my lack of passion towards the national team, I can see myself having something of an affair, cheating almost on my beloved Man United. The freshness brought into the club this year by youth seems to be transferring itself onto the national team and for the first time in 15 years, I’m almost excited to watch my country play. Almost.

My England-supporting history is mixed. I was nearly 8 when Euro ’96 took place on my doorstep and with England playing every game at Wembley, just minutes from where I lived back then I went to every game of theirs. I loved it. Everyone was united behind the players and the 4-1 win over Holland was one of the best games I’ve ever been to. It didn’t matter which club you supported because the team were playing so well. It’s only once a player makes a mistake that the club they play for tends to come into play.

The second league game of the 1998/99 season took United to Upton Park to face West Ham. Only then did I realise the extent to which United players were hated because of their performances with the national side. Burning effigies of Beckham on the gates of the ground remain a symbol for United hatred that sticks with me. From then on I subconsciously vowed to make sure that all my footballing passion went on United and wasn’t wasted on England.

Gary Neville’s autobiography has just been published and in it he recalls the abuse he’d get from ‘fans’ at England games – people he was convinced were simply turning up to abuse the players they didn’t like rather than support the national team. Chants such as “stand up if you hate Man U” were clearly heard during games and United players were regularly booed. If it wasn’t Beckham it would be one of the Nevilles or Butt or Scholes getting the treatment. In truth, England fans never realised just how lucky they were to have such wonderful players available.

So as time went on and I grew up I convinced myself I hated my country’s football team. Despite the fact United had regular representation in squads, I was never too bothered if the team would win or lose and I was never surprised that the ‘Golden Generation’ failed to live up to the lofty expectations imposed by the media. In truth, England grew too soft and cushty as Del Boy might have said – players would be picked based on reputation rather than form or who’d actually work best in the chosen system.

If you follow me on Twitter you’ll know that youth football is something I follow closely – not just United’s youth but the progression of young players at other clubs, youth football in other countries and at a national level. It’s through this that I’ve started to once again take some kind of interest in England again. As the talented Man United FA Youth Cup winning side of 2010/11 have progressed, they’ve been rightfully capped at various international levels. Playing for your country should always feel like an honour and despite the fact I’d rather win a Champions League with United than a World Cup with England, for most players, playing for their country represents the ultimate accolade in football. The enthusiasm the young United players have for representing their country is endearing and it’s nice to see so many of them being appreciated by fans of other clubs.

Take the FA Youth Cup winning team for example. From that group of players, Sam Johnstone, Tom Thorpe, Tyler Blackett, Larnell Cole, Ryan Tunnicliffe, Zeki Fryers, Ravel Morrison, John Cofie, Jesse Lingard and William Keane have all been capped by England at youth level with most of them featuring regularly right now. With their regular involvement and their regular top performances, it’s hard to not be drawn in by their achievements whilst playing for their country and in theory representing me and many other United fans at the same time.

It’s difficult not to feel a sense of pride when Cleverley, Welbeck, Jones and Smalling are being talked about as England players and potential starters. Add in Young, Carrick, Rooney and Ferdinand and that’s suddenly 32% of an England squad. A fresh era is starting for the national team after recent disappointments. For me, it may well be a fresh era too for following my country again. I don’t necessarily expect to see them win anything but these are players who England fans can hold little against bar the fact they play for Man United. After all, Rooney is their talisman and the current England team would be nothing without him.

United>England. My passion lies with United. I think I’ll always feel more for my club than I do my country but that doesn’t mean I can’t want my country to do well either. I can’t make other England fans like United players but given how many wanted to see Cleverley or Smalling start the latest batch of games it seems their attitude may well be changing too. Maybe I’m not an England fan as such, I support the United players within the England team but that in turn means I want the England team to do well.

Plenty of United fans will turn their back on England forever and I can understand that. The FA are a joke and whilst they continue to have one rule for United and one for everyone else many United fans will continue to stay away from admitting any affiliation to the national team – it’s not the cool thing to do. I however may just watch England on Tuesday when they take on Wales. The new breed of United youngsters may just be able to swing my feelings and given that there may well be more to follow in the next few years making the transition up to the full national side, now could be a good time to reconsider my stance.

I won’t suddenly attend every game or buy an England shirt but wanting United players to be successful in an England team is a good place to start. Whether like Danny Welbeck they’re from Manchester or like Chris Smalling they’re from central London, they’re representing Man United and they’re doing the club proud.

AUTHOR: – Bricki

Following England Under 21s dismal exit at the hands of the Czech Republic at the Euro Championships in Denmark, the debate has again turned to the youth development of players in this country and what is going wrong.

In the team that was defeated by the Czechs on Sunday were 4 Man Utd players (Smalling, Welbeck, Cleverley and Jones). Producing youth players has been an important part of the fabric of United since the days of Busby and Murphy with most of the generations since producing at least 1/2 players of genuine class. It was the appointment of Sir Alex Ferguson though that saw the Academy given an importance again in the club and the development of our own players was placed at the heart of everything the club did.

So what does the future hold for the junior players of today and how do we look to improve and develop them to become a force at International Level again?

I am currently a Referee at Junior and Open-Age levels, officiating games most Saturdays and Sundays during the season. I have also managed and coached youth teams from 11 years of age all the way through to 17 years gaining an FA Level 2 Coaching Badge. My Sister was fortunate enough to be a very good player and played for the United Girls/Women’s teams when the funding was there allowing me access to see the United model of Coaching/Playing. So i have seen from several different angles what goes into coaching and development in the areas of the game the media doesn’t report about except to mock or deride.

So the last time we went out of an Under 21s competition, beaten 4-0 by Germany in 2009 the media started to grasp at excuses as to why this had happened and what we could do to change. Lots of pundits called for us to copy the Germans and the way they coached youth players. Then the dominance of Barcelona at European Level and Spain at the Full International stage has had pundits now clamouring for us to copy their approach, yet is this the right way to go?

From the very early days of football in this country it was always a working class game and was played by the big men who worked in factories all week. As expected then the early players in these isles, including Scotland and England as the founders of the game, it was big, strapping men who played the game. Whilst the coffee shops of places like Hungary, Austria and Central Europe debated the game in detail and looked at the development of technique, Britain was still seeing football as ‘working class’ and played as a game for the masses. The British worked on the premise that as inventors of the game we would define how it evolved and the best way to play. The fact that Britain is an island has helped to isolate the Home Nations in terms of football and its growth. Whilst philosophers of the game were able to move easily between nations such as Austria, Germany, Holland and Hungary, the British only had Wales, England and Scotland to navigate. This ease of movement did much to allow the exchange and discussion of different styles of play and ways to play the game. The same situation occurred with the travellers that exported the game to South America, the movement of people between the countries and the way that people adopted the game led to new styles of play. The styles in Scotland and England however, were defined by each other and only saw minimal innovation going forward. This is not the place however to go into masses of detail regarding the evolution of the game, two superb pieces by Jonathan Wilson (Inverting The Pyramid) and David Goldblatt (The Ball Is Round) describe and detail the development of football and tactics much better than i ever could.

The first true epiphany for English football came in 1953 at Wembley when the great Hungary team of Puskas, Hidekguti and Kocsis tore England apart in a master class of tactical play from the Hungarian players and manager, Gusztáv Sebes. In their expansive 4-2-4 formation the Hungarians were able to easily contain the English in their standard WM formation which they had used in one form or another since the inception of International football. The use of Nándor Hidegkuti in a roaming role between midfield and attack was something England were unable to handle, a precursor to the Number 10 role today of a creative player ‘in the hole’. The English were unable to recover the ball and the Hungarians exploited the space left by the English attempting to close them down. The 6-3 score line failed to do justice to the dominance that the Hungarians showed and it was only in the return 12 months later in Hungary that England’s 7-1 hammering showed off just how out of touch the English approach was at the time.

We find ourselves in a very similar situation now as we did then, the English style of play is looking woefully inadequate and United themselves have had 2 cases of being soundly beaten by a Barcelona team playing football that is proving extremely difficult to counter. This is being taken into the International arena through the Spanish national side that is beating all before them at almost every level.

So how do the English approach this situation?

The results against Hungary caused a cultural revolution in the English game that saw the benefits of regular European competition and the influence of foreign ideas and styles vital in the development of their own game. In the aftermath of Barcelona’s’ convincing Champions League win and the Spanish Under 21s total dominance at the Euro Under 21s Championship the call has gone out to many that the Spanish way is the way forward, all hail the Spanish Revolution and Viva Espana.

Is it right though? Should we follow the Spanish/Barcelona lead totally?

The Barcelona ‘model’ was established to a large degree through Johan Cruyff and the influence he brought of the Dutch ‘Total Football’ style of play which won Holland the admiration of the entire game but ultimately no World Cups. The current Spanish model by comparison is a result of the heartbeat of the team being from Barcelona and the squad containing several World Class players in other areas. The fact that it took Barcelona until 1991-92 to win its first European Cup and then the next three have come in a six year stretch from 2005-2011 is enough to suggest that whilst the club is currently enjoying success, it is down to the players in the system they play rather than the system itself. The same argument can be given to the Spanish national side when it comes to their success, the current mix of players is highly talented and compliments each other well.

So it could be fair to say that its not a case of tactics being the issue but rather the technique and ability of players coming through the ranks at English clubs and academies.

Take a look at the players that are considered the heart of their teams at International level.

Spain

• Xavi

• Iniesta

• David Villa

Germany

• Mesut Ozil

• Thomas Muller

• Bastian Schweinsteiger

Portugal

• Cristiano Ronaldo

• João Moutinho

• Fábio Coentrão

Mexico

• Javier Hernández

• Giovani dos Santos

• Pablo Barrera

Now take a look at the players that are considered the top of the tree for England…

• Wayne Rooney

• Steven Gerrard

• John Terry

The first thing you can identify is that every other nation has players that are totally comfortable on the ball and have confidence in what they want to do with it. Ok, so on their day Rooney and Gerrard can use the ball delightfully but the fact remains that at International level both have failed to deliver on their undoubted talents.

I would implore anybody if you have not yet seen it to watch the Gold Cup Final between USA and Mexico. Despite having control of the ball and the game from the very start the Mexicans found themselves two goals down in the opening stages of the first half. They did not panic or neglect the style of play they use, they continued to pass and move the ball in the way they were brought up and gained control of the game before running out comfortable 4-2 victors. Two of the players that stood out in the final and performed well in the game and tournament in general were Giovanni Dos Santos and Pablo Barrera, both players are contracted to English clubs but have failed to make the impact you would expect of players who are heavily involved in a ‘successful’ International team. Both players however have been involved in International competition for Mexico at Youth level, be it Under 17 or Under 20 which has shown to be a benefit to developing an International ‘mentality’. So how is it that Dos Santos has had to go on loan to Championship clubs and Barrera has only appeared in 14 games for West Ham in a season where they desperately needed quality in order to battle against relegation?

When the media or commentators discuss the English game and the Premier League in general what sort of words do we hear?

We hear about the Passion, Belief and Speed of the Premier League, how it is the best in the World and showcases the greatest talents. Now I’m not saying we don’t have some fantastic players in this league such as Rooney, Tevez, and Modric but we are also guilty of inflating the ability and potential of players that show a degree of promise. Players such as Gareth Bale, Jordan Henderson and Theo Walcott have been described as the new great hopes in the Premier League. After Bales notable performances at the start of the season and his late hat trick against Inter Milan in the San Siro he became the best thing since sliced bread with bids of £40m+ expected from the big European teams. Why? On the idea of a good first half of the season we were now talking about him being worth the same as what a Spanish World Cup winning striker moved for in the summer (David Villa to Barcelona). Here in lies another issue that British players and particularly English players must deal with. After a few good performances its highly likely that the press whip up a storm about how great you are and the shining light for the national team in the future. Is it any wonder then that players such as Gascoigne, Owen and too an extent Rooney have failed in the eyes of the nation at International level?

The same thing is currently being experienced by Arsenals’ Jack Wilshire, a delightful player with the ball at his feet yet at 19 he is being touted as the future of the England team. Such is the hype surrounding the lad that England’s Trevor Brooking, in his role as Director of Football Development has suggested the England team needs a ’11 Wilshire’s’. This just adds to the level of expectation on a player who has yet to complete 2 full seasons as a Premier League footballer and is now expected to be the leader in waiting of both England and Arsenal.

The title of Trevor Brookings role spells out something which is distinctly lacking in the English football system, development. Every single country that plays football has the ability to produce a World Class player; this is because the greatest players are born to shine such as Maradona, Pele, Best and others. The difference that marks out the successful nations from those that are not is in the coaching and development of the players just below these truly elite stars. The players who have a certain amount of ability or potential are trained better and the skills they have are honed and improved on in order to bring the best possible performances from them.

The influence of foreign input into the English game has coincided with the evolution of the Premier League and the large injections of cash also coming in. Players such as Gianfranco Zola, Dennis Bergkamp and Eric Cantona have arrived in England and brought a new idea to role of a professional footballer including a dedication to training and a new idea in nutrition that doesn’t include 10 pints and a kebab on a Saturday night. Many of the English players that came through at United such as the Nevilles’, Beckham and Scholes credit Cantona with helping to instil an attitude of constant improvement and development as Bergkamp is credited with much the same impact at Arsenal.

The influx of foreign managers has also helped to develop newer ways of training and playing. Arsene Wenger has totally redeveloped the style and coaching of Arsenal, taking it from the ’1-0 to the Arsenal’ days to being an expansive and open footballing team who have gained many fans for their willingness to play in the way that suits them. A history of being an exciting and attacking team has been honed during Fergusons’ time as United manager, creating several teams during his reign who have right to be called the Greatest United team of all time. In this time though Ferguson has had several assistants such as Carlos Queiroz, Steve McClaren and Mike Phelan and other coaches from abroad who have influenced the changes in style and formation that have redefined his teams each season. Jose Mourinho had success at Chelsea with a specific style in 4-3-3 that became used in several different ways by teams of differing abilities once he left for Inter Milan.

So where is the missing piece in the development of our own talent?

So we have the foreign players, managers and coaches in the league system yet we are still unable to produce players of our own to compete with the players being brought in.

As an FA qualified coach and fortunate enough to have a talented sister who was able to develop her game at a ‘professional’ club i have seen the sort of coaching youngsters get in this country. It is widely acknowledged that any young players that stand out between 8 and 12 years of age tend to get picked up very quickly by professional clubs but what about the late developers? The players who do not get the ball due to these ‘special’ players?

On a personal level I coached a group of boys from Under 11s through to Under 16s for my local club where I grew up playing as a child. Fresh from getting my FA Level One coaching certificate I had big plans for what I wanted to achieve with these kids and how I wanted my team to play. I went into the role imagining myself as the next big thing; I would turn the team around and have them flying high before the season was out. I was the typical coach you see at youth level who thought he was still playing Football Manager. Developing drills that were intended for older players i tried to make the players into something they were not, adults. This is where most coaches of local youth teams make the first major error in a players development, it becomes about winning and not enjoyment or development. The fact that as a youth team coach you will have the greatest influence on the players’ path going forward makes the training and games you play vital if we are to develop better players.

I’m ashamed to admit that in the first 6 months coaching the team I treated them like an adult team. I conjured up complicated training sessions and stamina or fitness drills to make them an elite team who would set the league alight and knock the local rivals off their perch (this is genuine as well as I’d basically started coaching at the Manchester City of the junior league, with my local rivals winning everything). You can guess the result of these sessions, players not understanding what I wanted, me losing my temper and glances from the parents of ‘Why isn’t he making them win?’ After each training session or match I would return home totally demoralised and unable to understand why these players were not able to do what I asked of them. I looked at my training plans, my match day tactics and couldn’t figure it out, what was the problem? It was a trip to watch Manchester United Girls that opened my eyes to what i was doing wrong. As I sat on the balcony overlooking the indoor training pitch at The Cliff the girls jogged out onto the pitch ready to warm up and train. The first thing that caught my eye was the amount of balls available to the players, every player had a ball. Simple but completely mind blowing, I had had to deal with only having a ball between 3 players if i was lucky. The session lasted 90 mins and not once did a drill or activity not involve the players using the ball, be it at their feet or in their hands. The ‘match’ at the end was a 7 against 7 game in a smaller space with reduced nets. The ball zipped about the pitch and every player seemed heavily involved with no player in just one position. The girls training were the same age as my team, producing football that i dreamed my boys could play.

I sought the coach out at the end of the session and asked about his session…

Why did he run the session that way?

What sort of results did it produce?

Was it a personal preference or a club wide philosophy?

It was clear the players enjoyed the sessions and the smiling faces as they trained and left were the biggest positive the coach could get. He told me ‘If a player is smiling and enjoying the session they will always learn more than a player being pushed to an extreme with no understanding why.’ I was about to ask what he meant when it hit me like a Paul Scholes tackle. If the players’ didn’t understand or like the sessions I was running, how could I expect them to reap the benefits or enjoy them?

It’s a simple concept but one that is forgotten in lots of youth teams across the country, its about the players enjoying and learning, not about the coaches, parents or anyone else.

There was one big difference however in why the coach delivered the sessions in such a way and then ended them a 7 a side game. At this point girls’ football played 7 a side still while my team was now already playing 11 a side on pitches for players up to under 15s.

The difference between boys at 10/11 years of age and 15 years is mammoth, to expect them to play on pitches of the same size is already handing a disadvantage to the slow physical developers. Should they be punished for not being big strapping lads?

It goes back to the values and ideals of when the game was first developed in England and Scotland, strength, power and brute force. The players who were important through the centre of the pitch, Half Backs, Inside Forwards and Centre Forward were big strapping players who wouldn’t lose the ball easily. If a player was in the way then he was blasted to the side as men fought for possession.

The attitude of the English that this was the correct way to play, plus the concept of ‘long ball’ play developed by Charles Reep in the 1950s and reinforced by Charles Hughes in the 90s as FA Head of Coaching led to a one dimensional way of approaching the game. If the heads of the game are promoting such a method of play being correct this will no doubt filter through the different county structures, with new coaches going through the learning process being influenced to treat long ball/route one as the preferred style of play. Players that have gone through the coaching process at youth clubs between 1990-2004 will have had the method of direct play taught to them as the method of play. A generation of players and coaches brought up on what is widely acknowledged to be a 1 dimensional, flawed style of play.

Breaking such a cycle of flawed learning will take time and it is only now we are seeing the changes coming through in players 18/19 years of age. This is as a result of better coaching and the introduction of coaching styles from the foreign coaches/managers arriving due to the cash and popularity of the Premier League. More needs to be done but it requires a prolonged and consistent effort from the FA downwards.

As you should be aware the Women’s FIFA World Cup has just begun in Germany and England’s improvement in the Women’s game continues to show. The Women’s form of the game has developed massively since the FA started to show more willing to invest in the format during the mid to late 90s. Whilst countries such as Brazil, USA, and Germany have performed well consistently the English team have had to play catch up and look to increase the number of teams, players and coaches quickly.

Whilst watching the Man United Girls team play and train the one big issue that stood out was the lack of the big, strong players that defined British Men’s football. If the very reason why England had developed its ‘route one’ style of play wasn’t available, how would the coaching methods be affected?

The answer appeared in the training sessions that I witnessed at The Cliff and implemented into my Boys team using the ‘Coerver’ coaching method. This was a method that the United coaches had researched and adapted to suit the style of play that they were required to develop. The method is based around a pyramid development of players’ skills.

The main points around the method were to make each player comfortable with the ball at their feet. It is not a case of assigning players into positions but instead developing each player’s abilities to the point that they could function effectively in any area of the park. The focus was on 1 player, 1 ball and repetition of control drills with both feet, once mastered it then progresses to promote creative passing and build up play based in 1v1 or small sided situations. Even in 11 a side games the match will turn on what happens in 1v1, 2v2 or 3v3 situations where one team takes advantage of the moment.

The system has been backed by people such as Franz Beckenbauer, Sir Alex Ferguson and Rivelino, suggesting that the ideas and philosophy of Coerver have major relevance in the footballing World. In 1998, Bolo Zenden became the first graduate of Coerver to appear in a World Cup. Clubs such as Man United, Arsenal, AC Milan and Bayern Munich have all implemented Coerver into their coaching of the youth players they have.

The ideals of Coerver are clear in the two outstanding teams of the current time, Spain and Barcelona. The ability to use either foot comfortably, creative passing and control and the 1v1, 2v2 and 3v3 triangles that have defined their play come from the very heart of what Coerver is about.

These were the methods taught to the girls i watched train and play at Man United and also the methods that took the team i coached from bottom of the league to mid table in 18 months.

The ‘FA Model’ going forward

So what now for an FA that has been criticised and condemned in its approach to youth development?

The long awaited ‘National Football Centre’ at Burton needs finishing and opening as soon as possible. In the grounds of this centre needs to be a fundamental belief in the fact, that the ball is a friend to look after and not a bomb to launch toward the enemy goal.

It is not good enough however to only start teaching this method and style of coaching once players have been picked up at the ages of 13/14 by professional clubs. The FA needs a complete redesign in the philosophy and style of its coaching methods. Many Premier League clubs now employ foreign coaches in its academies alongside British coaches, teaching the newer ‘Coerver’ style of player development. At Manchester United, Sir Alex Ferguson has credited the recruitment of Rene Meulensteen as ‘Technical Skills Development Officer’ with the implementation of Coerver at Manchester United. He quickly rose through the ranks at the club due to the impact he was showing and became Reserve Team Coach in 2005 creating a fantastic style of play that saw the Reserves carving up teams at will. At the same time, Rene began to work with First Team players and his Coerver based structure was incorporated throughout the club. A potential management role at Brondby fell through and Meulensteen returned to the club again as Technical Skills Development before his consistent work with first teamers such as Ronaldo, Nani and Rooney saw him promoted to First Team Coach in 2008/09.

The recruitment of regional development officers like Meulensteen, who have experience of Coerver based coaching is an important step in creating an FA structure that places importance on ball control and technical skills. These coaches can then influence the people going through the FA Coaching programme to put technical skill and small sided games at the heart of the programme. The FA have redesigned the programme for coaches and it does concentrate on more technical skills and small sided games in training for youth players, this however also needs addressing in the league structure for youth players.

At present players graduate to 11 a side at the under 11s stage, still developing and physically not able to manage the demands of large pitches. As a result many junior games at this age become about who has the bigger, stronger players who can kick the furthest. This needs to be eliminated and replaced with a small sided game structure.

Youth players generally join local clubs at 6/7 years of age. At this point they should be involved in 5 a side games in non-competitive leagues, this allows competition but the onus is on participation and learning rather than trophies. As the players start to grow they can progress at 8/9 years to 6 a side and 7 a side at 10/11.

Instead of 11 a side though, we should look to progress to 8/9 a side up until 14 years of age. At this time players will then go to 11 a side having played up to 7 years of small sided football experiencing more time on the ball and playing time in general. As another positive of this you will be able to have more teams play as sides will only need a max of 11/12 players meaning you do not have players stood on the touchline losing their love for the game.

The FA currently awards ‘Charter Standard’ for clubs that have at least one FA qualified coach with each team. This should now become a rule for any club that want to run a team, if a person wants to run a team then they must have a basic Level 1 coaching certificate. To obtain a Level 1 grade takes two weekends and is a great introduction to coaching, if a person is unwilling to go through this process then they should not have the ability to coach players.

If the media and fans want to see England teams performing well at International Competitions then the foundations need to be set from the moment a child decides to join a local club. Make the experience about the child playing and learning with a ball and the skills a player will learn will increase, its a simple idea.

If the FA implement and enforce a commitment to small sided games and a ‘Coerver’ style of coaching where technique and skill is the heartbeat then we can create the players we currently dream about pulling an England shirt on like Messi, Xavi and Iniesta.

This starts at the very beginning though and it is up to the Saturday morning coach putting his players first and the FA backing them up by putting in place a coaching template and development structure that brings the very best out of players who are the future of the national team.

The processes I observed and noted down whilst watching the Man United Girls’ are the perfect example of what can be achieved with the youth players we have in the football system today. If a youth player can go to a professional club already equipped with the ability to control a ball with both feet and comfortable all over the pitch, it makes creating the players to win International tournaments just a little easier.

It’s not going to solve the problem over night and it’s certainly not the answer to all our domestic development issues but it gives us a solid footing to approach the future for our National game.

AUTHOR: – Bricki

AUTHORS: - Bricki & Stretford-end

Every now and then we get involved in a Stretty debate where we look at a particular subject and offer counter arguments. This blog looks at the current England captain John Terry and whether or not Manchester United could use such a player in the side. Both arguments are honest and thought provoking and we welcome your comments on whether ‘Manchester United need a John Terry’.

Bricki Says:
So John Terry is the England Captain once again. Watching his press conference with the media it was like he’d never been away from the role, but then has he ever been away from the role?

I am not a fan of Terry and find his ‘alleged’ behaviour in certain situations to be nothing short of disgraceful, however i do feel that he has become a natural leader of both Chelsea and England. I am purely looking at him for his conduct on the pitch and nothing else. He is one of the men that the squad looks to in times of trouble on the pitch, the man who throws himself into every tackle and challenge.

Which begs the question… how many players of this ilk do Man United possess?

Our Captain, Nemanja Vidic, is a player built in a similar mindset but while his performances on the pitch lead the way, does he back it up in urging others on? Getting the best he can from the players in his team?

It is not intended as a criticism of Vidic in any way, shape or form, in my personal opinion he should be a major contender for the leagues player of the year award. His style of captaincy though appears to be of the man who does his job to the highest standard he can and this is the motivator for the rest of the team.

If you were to take a look through the last 25 years of Manchester United and its captains you invariably find there was always a man who would lead the way. A man who would talk the talk as well as walk the walk, players such as Robson,
Bruce, Ince and Keane.

Everyone one of the players mentioned above was an excellent footballer in his own right but when the team needed leadership and needed that backbone for the battle ahead they were there. In all honesty can you see any of the current squad putting in a shift and showing the ‘cojones’ that Keane did in Turin? Playing through the pain barrier like Robson did almost every week? Or leading the way like Bruce did with his two goals in injury time against Sheffield Wednesday in 93?

Im not attempting to lambast any of the current squad, the fact we are still fighting on three fronts (and the favourites in two) is testament to a squad unity that is unrivalled in the Premier League. I still feel though that as we get into the quarter finals of the Champions League and Semi Finals of the FA Cup the difference here can be that extra 5-10% that the great leaders on the pitch can garner from their troops.

These players who are natural leaders and also blessed with enough skill to perform at the top level are very difficult to find. The fact we have had so many in the last quarter of a century is testament to a fantastic youth set up and scouting network that pulled these players in. Now though it appears that the only real leader in the leading teams at the top of the league is John Terry.

Have a think about why Manchester City were prepared to pay Terry and Chelsea so much in order to secure his services? In terms of his ability and age they could use the cash better by buying several younger players who can develop in part of the squad. The big thing they would have buying is his leadership and to act as the head of a very quickly put together set of players, creating the ‘squad’ mentallity we hear is vital to winning the big trophies.

Taking a look at Chelseas sudden dip in form in the middle of this season, they were missing for long periods either Terry or just as importantly, a fit and firing Lampard who has similar qualities to Terry in leadership. It has only been the return to fitness and form of both these players (and the introduction of David Luiz) that Chelsea have been able to claw there way back into a title race they should now be well adrift.

It is interesting to look at Ferdinand as a Captain before injury problems led to Vidic getting the permenant spot. Whilst Neville and Giggs had the armband when playing it was widely seen that Ferdinand was the captain in waiting. In that time we reached two Champions League finals, won one and also won three Premier League titles. It was Ferdinand rather than Gerrard who replaced Terry as England Captain after the tabloid allegations. Picking Ferdinand over Gerrard is also a big call when you take into account that by this time, Vidic was already wearing the armband for United and Gerrard was Liverpool Skipper. Gerrard has long been viewed as the heartbeat of Liverpool and is credited in many circles as dragging them back into the Champions League final against Milan. Again though it was through his personal performance on the pitch rather than his talking to the other players or ‘motivating’ them to continue.

If you were to count how many times it was Ferdinand as Captain who dragged United to results its not many. Think how many times you see Ferdinand talking and pointing on the pitch at his team mates however and its a different result. With his recent injury worries though its hard to see Ferdinand lasting a tough end of season run in, let alone a full season so where is that leader now?

A lot of what makes a great leader and a great captain is the mindset, the ability to get more not just from yourself but also others.

Miyamoto Musashi, was a legendary Japanese swordsman who in an era of duels to the death won 60 such battles. He produced a book on strategy and fighting called Go Rin No Sho (The Book of Five Rings). He devoted the entirety of his energies to the study of the sword and the mindset in training/combat of kill or be killed, there was no trophy, no second place, just living to fight another day.

This is the same attitude that John Terry today and previous Manchester United Captains have displayed when stepping out onto the pitch to battle.

This season we have drawn 8 games away from home compared with 4 wins and 3 defeats. In several of these games we have conceded late and lost points we should of acquired once in a ‘winning position.

Would this of occured with someone with a ‘ John Terry’ mindset who could get that last push from the players, that last 5/10% to get the job done?

With just such a person leading the way i’m convinced that we could have turned at least 2 of those draws into victories and be well clear in this title race.

Do I want John Terry the man? No
Do I want John Terry the Footballer? No
Do I want John Terry the Leader…? Yes!

Stretford-end says:
So what is the fuss with John Terry? An overpaid, sluggish embarrassment of a captain. They love him down the Kings Road, but I wouldn’t want a player of his calibre, nor would I want a player who thinks it is acceptable to have sexual relations with a former team mate’s wife. You may argue the fact that his private life has nothing to do with football, and you’re right – it doesn’t. However, as a captain you need to show that you are a leader, be responsible and set an example for your teammates – would you not agree?

As a player, John Terry is admired by the English public for his ‘never say die’ attitude, blood and thunder tackling and the fact that he would ‘run through walls’ for the Three Lions. The same player that was pulled all over the place by the excellent German frontline last summer in what was one of the most scintillating and impressive performances (namely from Ozil and Muller).

Perhaps if we, as a nation, were more overjoyed to see an Englishman produce a breathtaking piece of skill (Gascoigne perhaps), or a glorious cross field pass (Hoddle maybe) then we wouldn’t have to endure all of those ‘iconic’ pictures of England players coming off the pitch with blood pouring from a head wound. Italy have Tardelli scoring in the final against West Germany, Brazil have Pele ‘arms aloft’ having opened the scoring for Brazil in 1970 – and England have Terry Butcher walking off a pitch against Sweden, head bandaged up.

This isn’t a pop at Butcher, its more of a criticism of our society and how we believe the game should be played. I think them majority of us would agree that England have always based their game on the physical side of things, something that has seen then national team shown up time and time again over the past decade. Inability to keep the ball for long periods of time, adopting a direct style of football when time is running out and quite literally looking twenty years behind the time.

England’s arrogance since the mid 1800s is hopefully subsiding and replaced with a little humbleness, hopefully looking towards adopting methods that can help to produce players that are far cry from the bruisers and workhorses that we have been subjected to over the years. The FA deemed the World Cup beneath them in the early days, not even competing until the 1950 tournament, and received a hammering from the Mighty Magyars 1953 led by Ferenc Puskás, Sándor Kocsis, Nándor Hidegkuti.

Back to John Terry and England’s obsession with a player that couldn’t lace the boots of Fraco Baresi, Jurgen Kolher, Jaap Stam, Nemanja Vidic, Ronald Koeman, Billy Wright, Booby Moore, Daniel Passarella (I think you get the picture). So what is it with England and Chelsea’s captain that warrants £150,000 per week? Tell me as i’m curious to know. Perhaps leadership skills that can help lift his side? The same leadership skills that saw him more interested in turning his captain’s armband around for the cameras to see ‘who won the European Cup for Chelsea in Moscow’ and then crying his eyes out on the soggy Russian turf? Those leadership skills?

Terry is a good a player, but nowhere near the great player many fans make him out to be. I’ve mentioned before that I don’t care about players private lives (although if you sell your wedding pictures to a glossy magazine – as the Rooney’s did – you can’t have the best of both worlds), however as captain of club and country – you don’t sleep with a team mates (or ex team mates) former partner. Imagine the captain of your Sunday side doing that? Is it acceptable? Urinating at bars, mocking American tourists following 9/11 and cheating on his wife. That is off the field – what about his distinct lack of pace against top forwards? You could even argue that he needs a good organiser (like Ferdinand or Carvalho) alongside him to perform well. Sure, United definitely need a player like John Terry.

AUTHOR: – Bricki

Michael Carrick used to always be on the bench for England. Last night he wasn’t even in the squad. Its a position he seems to have been stuck in since the middle of last season. The question is what has happened to the player who was an integral cog in 3 championship winning teams and a team that reached consecutive Champions League Finals?

The introduction of Carrick into the United team from Spurs gave the midfield a more composed look and protection for the back four. This allowed Fletcher, Scholes and the newly signed Anderson to play further up the pitch and support Rooney and Ronaldo. After several quiet displays early on in his United career he excelled against Chelsea at Old Trafford, snuffing out attacks and giving more presence in Midfield.

From this point on Carrick upped the effort and became a mainstay in the team as Rooney and Ronaldo ran riot up front resulting in the first title at Old Trafford in 2 years. His good form continued in the following season and with Scholes out for a long period injured and Hargreaves suffering the same fate, Fletcher and Carrick became a central pairing with regular support from Park or Anderson. In the ‘Quarterback’ role, Carrick kept the team ticking over as well as protecting Vidic and Ferdinand when required.

A stellar passing performance against Inter Milan in the San Siro led the Italian Press to laud Carrick as a fantastic player and question why he had failed to appear at International Level. The composed performances continued until the Final against Barcelona in Rome. Without Fletcher next to him and a very poor Anderson performance, Carrick struggled against Xavi and Iniesta, no shame in this with both players possibly playing the best football of their careers.

This appeared to be a watershed moment for Carrick in his play, he didnt look the same player the following season. Appearing to lack confidence and belief in his abilities, he seemed to be playing within his abilities and not taking risks with his passes. Injury followed and his place in the team was lost and never recovered as United missed out on the title to Chelsea and suffered defeat in the quarter finals of the Champions League to Bayern Munich.

On the national team front Carrick has suffered due to several reasons. The biggest reason is the continued dominance in centre midfield of Gerrard and Lampard. Both players have more ‘Impact’ and a bigger profile in the Premier League than Carrick, however have never gelled for England. Despite this every England coach has persisted with both players and playing 4-4-2 instead of only picking one of the two with a more suitable partner to bring the best out of them. The 4-4-2 formation is also an issue when it comes to getting the best out of Carrick.

His strongest performances for United have come in Europe when they have tended to play a 4-2-3-1 system with players such as Fletcher, Scholes and Anderson in the middle with him. This allows Carrick plenty of options for distribution and the ability to sit and conduct proceedings. As this is a formation that England play extremely rarely it doesn’t allow for Carrick to establish himself in the team. It can also be an issue that very few English players and teams play this way meaning its not a system most England players are not used to.

Heading into this season Carrick needed to rediscover the belief and confidence in his play. He clearly has the talent and skill as proven in previous seasons and whilst Paul Scholes is currently in form naturally that he has faded at points this year as injury has taken its toll. This is the chance for Carrick to make the big comeback and prove he deserves at the highest level, its fair to say that Carrick is in a make or break position with regards his Manchester United future. As Scholes and Giggs eventually step back it needs players to step up and take control, Carrick in his role could become a heartbeat of the next United team.

Carrick could have a genuine chance to make a huge impact this Saturday in the Manchester Derby. With the shape and style of play that Manchester City have played this season, it is Carrick in the deep role ahead of the centre halves who could have a big say in the outcome of the match. Tevez has shown time and again he likes to drop deep and look for the ball, with Carrick in this space it limits the time Tevez can have on the ball and hopefully nullify the attack. with the full backs dealing with the wide players this allows Vidic and his centre half partner to deal with any runs from midfield from Barry, De Jong et al.

Its a golden chance for Carrick to show the style of play he brings to the team with his composure, positioning and support going forward and at the back.

It could truly be the day we rediscover the Michael Carrick of old, i hope he can deliver…

Recently, I predicted that within eighteen months Chris Smalling would be called up to the England squad following what I believe to be an impressive couple of outings for United since his move from Fulham that was agreed in January of this year. However, I was quite shocked, considering I made this prediction a mere month ago, to find that our young centre half has been called up to the full England squad to face France this week. Smalling is yet to start a Premier League match for United but has in three of United’s four Champions League matches. So I’m asking the question – is Smalling the next big thing?

Now, I raised this in the forum after the Bursaspor match as I was so impressed with his performance in Bursa. Of course the opposition were playing their fourth ever game in the Champions League, compared to United’s that spans back to the season after the birth of the European Cup. Smalling hasn’t been tested domestically against a Drogba, Torres, Bent or Elmander – but he has made two substitute appearances, in very different circumstances, against West Ham and most recently against Aston Villa at Villa Park. There will be a time this season, when of course his composure, positioning and pace will be called into question – however in all League Cup and Champions League matches – I have been very impressed.

Initially when the Smalling transfer was announced, I was sure that this was due to the inevitable departure of our current captain Nemanja Vidic – which of course was totally inaccurate and ultimately wrong. Paying a reported £10million for a youngster with limited experience always has fans raising eyebrows, however this is probably why fans sit in the stands and why Sir Alex Ferguson and his coaching staff are where they are. Smalling looks like he could be a snip at the reported price United paid for him, just like Ronaldo was for the £12.24Million, and his England call up – along with a number of other players for the future – demonstrates the potential he has to become one of the top centre halves in the country. He is composed on the ball, has an excellent reading of the game and has shown what a good distributor of the football he is. There is no doubt he needs to be tested against top class opposition, although you feel will only get his chance this season if of course Ferdinand or Vidic are injured or suspended – but Fergie will of course manage Smalling’s situation carefully and a Premier League start cannot be far off.

Koeman, Baresi and Scirea all had to start somewhere and there is not reason as to why Smalling cannot perform at the highest level – both for club and country. I’m sure there are hundreds of blog and forum posts like this praising a teen prodigy, stating they’ll win three Ballon d’Or awards, lead their club to Champions League glory and basically rip up the eternal Maradona v.s Pele argument only to find they end up getting substituted for Parma reserves. There is no way you can predict the future, but we all like to think we can see a good player when one comes along. So what about you? Is Smalling going to be a great asset to United in the years to come or is it far too soon to stake such a claim? Also with his England call up, is this the result of his early assured performances in a United shirt or has United open the door for a youngster with potential to be called up in what can only be described as an ‘inexperienced squad’?

Today’s stories: Rio Ferdinand should put club before country, Gary Neville admits to Manchester City are title contenders, Chris Smalling looks to Rio as a role model, and United continue their interest in Ander Lindegaard.

Ferdinand must put Man United before England – The Daily Telegraph

Alan Hansen suggests that Rio Ferdinand has now reached the stage of his career where he must choose between club and country. Rio has suffered from injuries for nearly two years now and has only made 44 appearances for United since December 2008. Ferdinand, who is understood to have retained the England captaincy, will turn 32 next month and may need to consider international retirement in a bid to prolong his career. International retirement has done wonders for Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes, both still playing well into their 30s, and such a move by Rio could prove equally beneficial. Sir Alex and the club have shown a lot of faith in Rio spending £30 million to bring the centre back to Old Trafford in 2002 and sticking by him in 2003 when he was banned eight months for missing a doping test. Rio should now repay United’s faith. There is no doubt that Ferdinand loves playing for England, but now he must choose to give his full attention to the club.

Neville admits big spending City are major challengers – The Daily Mail

Gary Neville claims that Manchester City is now a serious title contender. Few, if any, hate our noisy neighbors more than Neville. This is why such a proclamation comes as a shock and suggests that City is finally a threat to our title chances. City moved ahead of United to second place in the Premier League table following last weekend’s results. With City currently above United in the table, Neville feels his club must begin taking their neighbors seriously.

Smalling following Rio model – Sky Sports

Chris Smalling has singled out Rio Ferdinand as the perfect role model at Manchester United. Smalling has been promising during the early days of his United career having already scored his first competitive goal for the club against Scunthorpe. Sir Alex seems to think highly of the 20-year-old, trusting him as a starter against Rangers in United’s opening Champions League fixture in September. It is fitting that the young centre back has chosen Rio as his role model. As the England captain edges closer to the end of his career, some United fans are already looking to Smalling as his successor.

United have Lindegaard watched again – The Daily Mail

After all the reported scouting trips United have made to seen Anders Lindegaard, I will be shocked if he doesn’t eventually end up at Old Trafford. This time Lindegaard was observed during international duty with Denmark against Portugal. It is believed that Lindegaard is now Sir Alex’s preferred choice to be Edwin Van der Sar’s successor and a move for the Danish keeper is expect as early as January. Lindegaard’s current club Aalesunds are braced for a bid when the transfer window opens in January, and will look at the possibility of bringing him back on loan should any deal occur.

Discuss all today’s news and rumors in the forum.

You can follow Kyle on Twitter at KDill_MUFC.

In today’s edition: Sir Alex challenges Nani, Chris Smalling scores winner for England U21, Alexis Sanchez interested in United move, Manuel Neuer targeted as Van der Sar replacement, and Wes Brown’s United career is in jeopardy.

Sir Alex issues Nani challenge – Sky Sports

Nani scored twice and had an assist as Portugal defeated Denmark 3-1 in their Euro 2012 qualifier on Friday. Adding these to his 2 goals and 6 assists for United, Nani has been involved in 11 goals since the beginning of the season. Certainly an impressive statistic for a player who was rumored to be heading for the Old Trafford exit last January. I’m certainly glad Sir Alex decided to hold on to him because his turnaround has been nothing short of breathtaking. Twelve months ago Nani was being labeled a flop, but he now finds himself a key member of United’s squad. Sir Alex has challenged him to continue his stunning form as the team attempts to compensate for the sidelined Antonio Valencia. If Nani continues to play at this level we’ll have a fantastic threat from the wings. My only disappointment is that we can’t see Nani and Valencia together. There was also some encouraging words for Gabriel Obertan and Bebe; the gaffer seemed to imply that both may see more first team involvement this season.

Chris Smalling scores winner for England U21 – The Daily Mirror

Chris Smalling is certainly off to a fantastic start to his career at United. The centre back scored a goal for United in preseason and then grabbed his first competitive goal against Scunthorpe in the Carling Cup. Now, the 20-year-old has struck on the international level scoring the winner for the England U21′s against Romanian U21′s on Friday. Three goals by the beginning of October is an impressive return for a defender. Having a goalscoring threat in defense is always a valuable asset; perhaps we have such a threat in Smalling.

Sanchez open to United move – Sky Sports

For a club that recently reported record losses, United certainly seems to be linked with a multitude of players. Alexis Sanchez has admitted that he would like to play for United. Sir Alex recently revealed in an interview that the club has been tracking Sanchez, though there didn’t seem to be any serious interest yet. Interestingly, Sanchez also said that he would be interested in joining Spanish-club Malaga and seemed indifferent about what club he plays for. In the interview the Chilean winger said, “Whatever the side, all this is dealt with by my agent, as he is the one who talks to the clubs. I am not interested in knowing anything until negotiations are at an advanced stage.” It seems the media just latched onto his comments regarding United to make it a bigger story. Regardless, I thought he was one of the more impressive young talents at the World Cup, and I would be pleased if he joined United. A quick, young winger like Sanchez would be a fantastic addition to the current squad.

Manchester United want Manuel Neuer to replace Van der Sar – The Daily Mail

The hunt for Edwin van der Sar’s heir continues, and this time United are being linked with a move for Schalke goalkeeper Manuel Neuer. Neuer joins a growing list of potential candidates to succeed Van der Sar as United’s man between the posts. Schalke is Neuer’s hometown club and he has played there his whole career, but with the Bundesliga side struggling this season Neuer has become unsettled. The German shot stopper wants to play Champions League football, but with his club currently second-from-the-bottom in the Bundesliga table, Neuer may have to move on to continue in Europe’s premier competition. There is also some concern regarding how Neuer would be welcomed in England. A lot of criticism was directed at the 24-year-old for playing a part in Frank Lampard’s disallowed goal at the World Cup. Ultimately, a bid for Neuer will depend on whether or not Van der Sar decides to extend his career beyond this season. As the first-choice keeper for Germany, I doubt Neuer would move to a club where he wouldn’t be the guaranteed starter. However, should Van der Sar retire at the conclusion of this season, Neuer offers a fantastic long-term solution between the posts.

Wes is in the Brown stuff – The Sun

While I admit the headline made me smirk, the rest of the story left me feeling disappointed. Wes Brown’s future may be in doubt due to an argument with Sir Alex. Brown reportedly had a bust-up with the gaffer on the preseason tour when the defender was told he could not go on a night out with his teammates. Fergie’s reason for telling Brown to stay is apparently unknown, but Brown has consequently not started a Premier League match this season. Now the 30-year-old fears his United career may be drawing to a close. I certainly hope this is just another fabricated story to sell newspapers because I would hate to see Wes leave. Although he’s not on the level of Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, and Gary Neville, I’ve always seen Brown as a one-club man. It would be a shame if he didn’t get the chance to retire with United.

Discuss all today’s news and rumors in the forum.

You can follow Kyle on Twitter at KDill_MUFC.

As expected, the end of the transfer window has resulted in a decrease of United news, and thus less frequent Stretty Stories posts. However, today we have quite a few stories in the press. Ryan Giggs is a candidate for the soon-to-be-vacant Wales job, Rooney will play for England today, Nike stand by Rooney, and United have their sights set on Ninis.

Wales set to ask Ryan Giggs to join as coach – The Daily Mail

I’m leaning pretty heavily one way on this issue, but I can also see the positives to the other side. If only the Wales manager position had become vacant a season or two from now, there would be no issue. It is being reported that with John Toshack will be stepping down as manager of Wales and has earmarked Giggs as his successor. It is unlikely that Giggs will accept the distraction of a managerial role while still playing for United, but Wales are hoping to involve him somehow in their new coaching system. It has been suggested that Giggs may work under a caretaker manager and then be appointed to the role once he hangs up his boots. I think it’s hugely beneficial to United that players like Giggs and Paul Scholes have retired from international football. And while coaching wouldn’t have the physical toll on Giggs that playing would, it would still be a massive distraction. Until Giggs decides to retire from playing, I would prefer he be distraction free; however, I do like the thought of Giggs getting some coaching experience. Managing Wales could put him in contention to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson someday. Players-turned-managers such as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Roy Keane are already good candidates to be the gaffer at Old Trafford, but I’d love nothing more than to see Giggs claim that role in the future. I think managing Wales could go a long way in making that a reality, but for the time being I hope he just sticks to focusing on United.

Capello confirms Rooney will play against Switzerland – The Guardian

Despite all the controversy surrounding Wayne Rooney, Fabio Capello has confirmed that his star striker will feature in England’s Euro 2012 qualifier against Switzerland today. I actually think this could be the best possible move for Rooney. While there are issues at home he needs to attend to, it’s important he also remain focused on his football. When Tiger Woods’ affairs became public, he took a break from golf to focus on his family. When he returned his game had clearly suffered in his absence, and he still ended up divorced. If the allegations are true, Rooney should definitely work on mending his family, but he also needs to keep playing the game he loves. It will only make things worse if he takes a break from football and then comes back in poor form. I definitely support Rooney’s determination to continue playing despite all the allegations.

Nike to stand by troubled Rooney – The Daily Telegraph

In the wake of allegations against Rooney, there have been rumors that he may be at risk of losing multiple endorsement deals; however, it is being reported that Nike will stand by Rooney. This is, after all, the same company which stood by Tiger Woods after allegations of his affairs surfaced. Ultimately, I doubt there are many people who would refuse to buy a product endorsed by Rooney simply because of his personal actions, so I think Nike are making a smart business move sticking with the striker.

United set to capture 20-year-old Greek wonderkid – Goal.com

It is being reported that United are set to trigger the £8 million release clause of Sotiris Ninis’ contract at Panathinaikos. Sir Alex has apparently targeted Ninis as Scholes’ long-term successor. While they’re both in fantastic form, Giggs and Scholes are both edging closer to retirement, so I think bringing in young midfield talent is a good idea. The doubts surrounding Owen Hargreaves’ future also suggest a new midfield signing may be a positive addition. With the transfer window closed, Ninis would join United either in January or next summer, but United officials are reportedly already working on securing a deal. I think it’d be good to agree to a deal and then leave him at Panathinaikos for the season to gain more experience.

Rooney giving footballers a bad name – The Sun

In today’s The Sun, Scott Sutter is saying that Rooney’s actions are giving footballers in bad name. Even if the allegations prove to be true, John Terry, Steven Gerrard, and Ashley Cole were all already guilty of giving footballers a bad reputation before Rooney. Rooney is accused something wrong and suddenly he’s the one to blame destroying footballers’ credibility. How quickly Mr. Sutter has forgotten the transgressions of other English superstars.

Congratulations… Darren Fletcher! The Scotland captain will make his 50th appearance for his country today against Liechtenstein!

Discuss all today’s news and rumors in the forum.

You can follow Kyle on Twitter at KDill_MUFC.

Despite being one of the best left backs in the world and one of the most consistent performers in recent seasons for United, ex-French defender Lillian Thuram has called for a life time ban for our number three after his conduct as captain was called into question at the World Cup finals in South Africa. Evra, along with Malouda and Anelka were harshly criticized for their actions following Anelka’s criticism of the inept head coach Raymond Domenech. Anelka was sent home, whilst Evra and Malouda were left out in their final group game, a 2-1 loss to host nation South Africa. Lillian Thuram is France’s most capped player ever and was a fine fullback for Les Blues over the years, whilst performing constantly at a high level in Serie A for Parma and Juventus – however, is there a tinge of double standards from Lillian?

Thuram released the following comments regarding Evra recently:

“I demanded that the players be harshly punished and that Evra never returns to the France squad. When you are captain of the France team, you must have a responsibility to the jersey and the people. When the players shut themselves in the bus, and the fact that it was the coach who read the statement, that showed that the coach was no longer respected. In any group there are leaders and people who follow, and others who do not agree and do not dare say no.”

So you’d think that Lilian Thuram would be consistent in his criticism of captains that don’t put the team ahead of themselves? Yeah? Having scoured the Internet and archives for the past half an hour, I can see no criticism from Lilian Thuram for the genius that is Zinedine Zidane after his headbutt on Marco Materazzi. He specifically said “when you are captain of the France team, you must have a responsibility to the jersey and the people” – so due to Zindane’s technical superiority is he exempt from Thuram’s criticism? Of course Evra would have wanted the tournament to have gone better than it did, but as usual ignorant ex-players blame the wrong people. Was it not the fact that the FFF continued to back Raymond Domenech despite his inability to get the best out of his players whilst trying to distance his sides poor showing at Euro 2008 by concentrating on the fact that his girlfriend had agreed to his marriage proposal – cue bemused journalists. Or could it be that the FFF named a successor to Domenech (Ex Red Laurent Blanc) right on the eve of the finals – hardly great preparation?

If the powers that be do listen to Lilian Thuram, who by the way (although past his best) was appalling at Euro 2008 and rightfully retired soon after, and ban Patrice Evra – his exclusion from, what could only be described as ‘a bunch of arrogant twats’, the national side will be United’s gain. His signing in 2006 is one of Ferguson’s best as he made the left back position his own after the selfish and arrogant attitude of Gabriel Henize before him (although Henize was a fans favourite at the time, I was appalled at his attitude in the summer 04 when he went to Olympics and he also handed in a transfer request the day before his injury against Villarreal a year later). He is a modern day fullback and provides great width for United when Giggs or Nani cut inside from the left handside. Evra played 50 times for United this season in all competitions, the most out of any player. Whilst I respect the ability and quality of Thuram as a player, he should really reconsider his criticism when it isn’t consistent across all levels and when he doesn’t know all the facts. Having said that, i’m sure some smartarse will find some dusty old BBC article entitle ‘Thuram slams Zidane’ – oh mon dieu!

So, there you go.

Pure shambles, but if you’re a Manchester United fan, short of winning the World Cup, yesterday’s farce was surely the best case scenario.

No United scapegoat and even the strongest attempt to deflect attention cannot divert it away from the abject failure that was on show – chief culprits being Gerrard and Lampard, later revealed by German coach Low as being targetted due to their lack of positional discipline.

There’s no blame that can be attached to Capello; he merely took on an existing set up; tinkered with it slightly to invigorating effect in the qualifiers then watched it all fall apart as it usually does when a tournament comes around. He is a world class manager with a proven track record; he must now at least be given the opportunity to do what should have been done 4 years ago and rip the bad bad heart out of this England side. Capello’s “golden rule” that a player must be in his side and in form was expolited so many teams it became redundant but he has to return to it now and by doing so half of this side will be dropped.

Joe Hart needs to replace David James who did little wrong but is now simply too old to be considered – Gareth Barry was in the side purely out of being flavour of the month but has now painfully been exposed as being far out of his depth at international level. He was embarrassed for Germany’s third but would not have even been in that position if not for Glen Johnson’s defensive indiscipline. It would be a step backwards for England to select Wes Brown or Gary Neville but it is a necessary one for them to progress as a team. Like Barry, Upson has never been an international defender so it would be unfair to pour all the blame on him.

“We knew Gerrard and Lampard always support the forwards and their midfield would be open. Our objective was to set Terry up with Klose to force him out of defence”, were the words of Low and described a gameplan that by rights should be far too simple to succeed at international level. But Low factored in the inherent “I’m the hero” personality attributes of Lampard and Gerrard and exploited it perfectly. It was fitting that Steven Gerrard should be captain to round off a 12 months where his best performance in the courtroom. Karma for him to be the on pitch ringleader of this shambles, with the post match attribution of Low making his position in the team now surely untenable.

Wayne Rooney, our darling, cannot be exempt from criticism. He too wasn’t good enough but what is a man to do with the anarchy that was going on behind him? A good workman doesn’t blame his tools, they say, but watch how Rooney will flourish when he returns to United. It’s been a little unfair to say that the World Cup has proven that he can’t be compared to the likes of Messi; the brilliant Argentine has hardly set the world alight in a team that is built around him.

The media’s interpretation of this will be key to Englands development – the knives should be as sharp as they have previously. I expressed my belief that Terry, Johnson, Lampard and Gerrard should not play for England again to James Ducker of the Times and he seemed to concur that such changes were necessary. Whether or not he has the conviction to put that into print is another matter; chief idiot at the Sun, Steven Howard, predictably has painted Rooney as the focal point, laughably attributing Barry’s inadequacy to his fitness.

In the Metro, perhaps taking comfort in the relative creative freedom that comes with a free publication, Matthew Nash has pinned his colours on my flag with a steady view that Gerrard and Lampard should be gone, Barry too, with Heskey, Carragher and Upson also part of the clear out. He’s not wrong.

Enough of that; what we can say is that as far as Manchester United are concerned, far from having players as scapegoats, this time around we have players whose absence from the side only increased their worth. General consensus was that Michael Carrick shouldn’t, on form, have even been in the squad, but after the tournament he’s the only midfielder to have come out of it with credit by virtue of not playing a single minute, and further to that, can actually at least be featured in a “what if” with regards his selection. What if we’d played him instead of Barry? Sure, Carrick wasn’t in form, neither has Barry been, nor for definite has Gerrard.

Owen Hargreaves, Gary Neville, Wes Brown, all players who can rightly think they deserve a starting place for the national side in the wake of the World Cup, fitness permitting. Paul Scholes was the highest profile casualty of the Gerrard and Lampard greedbath but as I’ve blogged before, England’s huge loss has been United’s huge gain. How England would have fared with Carrick and Scholes in the engine room is a question that can never be answered; their contribution to United’s recent success would suggest that they would have been a comprehensively better bet than Gerrard and Lampard, and for sure, they would not have been embarrassed by a playground tactic.

It’s time to gleefully wave goodbye to the likes of Gerrard, Carragher, Terry and Ashley Cole (though with Cole, admittedly this will be with age rather than quality by the time of the next World Cup), they can go and take their abhorrent, thoroughly unlikeable personalities with them, Lampard and Joe Cole can rid the team of their disruptive non-contributions that ruin every move and dominate every failed set piece. The problem wasn’t that they couldn’t re-create their club form; it was that they did exactly that, mix in the cocktail of greed that takes over when Gerrard and Lampard don the 3 lions then epic failure was always the inevitable outcome.

This wasn’t just a bad England team; it was the worst ever, the results have proven that. They were also terrible to watch and childlike in both personality and intelligence. So giving, for example, Michael Dawson his long overdue chance, won’t be a step down. We’re already as down as far as possible, and at the very least, Dawson has earned his chance. In Jack Rodwell we have an admittedly very raw talent but if he brings nothing else he will bring energy; which is one more quality than the pedestrian Barry. Jack Wilshere too may be physically underdeveloped but if he’s not already technically superior to Lampard, he soon will be. Hopefully Adam Johnson won’t turn out to be another Stewart Downing, too.These are players who won’t be saddled by the jealously and contempt that exists in the current camp from the Liverpool players to the United players (another huge contributary factor to Rooney’s ineffective performances at the World Cup).

Though there is no outright United scapegoat this time around, part of me lives in hope that the nation takes up the Sun bandwagon and blames Rooney to the point that he too retires. Next season Rooney will score around 30 goals and be as brilliant as he has been over the last 4 years for us – clearly suggesting that, as Low explained, the problem lies with an undisciplined national midfield.

It’s goodbye to the rotten generation; and a hearty welcome back for the real Wayne Rooney. Bring on Newcastle and the Premier League; coincidentally, Rooney’s favourite opponents. And, bring on an England team we can get behind without feeling like we need a long bath to cleanse ourselves afterwards.