Tag Archives: Phil Jones

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Life After Terry

Terry will not face Ukraine tomorrow, but he will face the FA in a showdown that will be harder to win than a dance-off with Louie Spence

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England’s old guard proved last Friday night that they are a force to be reckoned with – at least against weaker footballing nations. They got the job done.

Terry & Gerrard.jpg

Handing over the reins- Gerrard looks to lead England forward under Hodgson

34-year-old Frank Lampard’s brace helped the Three Lions to victory against Moldova but it is John Terry’s name, again, that generates most media speculation. The 31-year-old still faces an FA disciplinary hearing over alleged racist remarks he made to QPR’s Anton Ferdinand.

Roy Hodgson has said he wants to keep John Terry in the team but surely even he will find this difficult if Terry is found guilty of racially abusing Ferdinand. And a guilty verdict is a real possibility given the rate of convictions handed out by the Football Association from displinary hearings. Just two of 473 cases heard by the FA last year were given a ‘not guilty’ verdict.

Terry will miss out on his 79th cap against Ukraine tomorrow as he fights to overcome an ankle injury. His England career has been a cocktail of triumph, disaster and misdemeanour. The potted history and the numbers are worth reviewing.

  • Made his debut against Serbia and Montenegro in 2003.
  • Scored his first England goal against Hungary in May 2006.
  • Named as the new England captain and successor to David Beckham in August 2006, scoring on his debut as skipper in a friendly against Greece.
  • Stripped of his captaincy by Fabio Capello prior to the World Cup 2010 following his off-field antics with former teammate and close friend Wayne Bridge’s former partner.
  • He was the only English player named in FIFA’s all-star World Cup squad in 2006 but he and the rest of his England teammates failed to qualify for the following international tournament, Euro 2008, their first absence from any international finals since USA ’94.
  • His main defensive partner throughout his career has been Rio Ferdinand but the duo have not appeared together in an England squad since the alleged incident between Terry and Anton Ferdinand, Rio’s brother, took place in October last year.

The Numbers – Terry as England Captain

England have won 22 out of 34 internationals under John Terry’s captaincy – That’s 65% of their games.

This puts him ahead of Bobby Moore and David Beckham who won 63% and 59% of their games respectively.

Its not just a solid win record that England produced under his leadership. They have lost a mere 11.7% (four of 34 matches) of the games where Terry was skipper, the lowest percentage of any post-war England captain.

Terry ranks equal fifth (post-war) with Alan Shearer on total appearances as an England captain (34).

His replacement?

Whether you like him or not, Terry will be a tough act to follow. So who are Roy Hodgson’s alternatives? Fortunately, one place where England have considerable depth is in defence. There are multiple candidates waiting in the wings. Here we take a look at the best of his potential replacements.

Gary Cahill

With 10 caps already under his belt, Terry’s Chelsea teammate missed out on the European Championships in Poland and Ukraine this summer with a fractured jaw he picked up in a friendly against Belgium. Having played with Terry at Chelsea and winning the Champions League final in May his experience has come on leaps and bounds.

Phil Jagielka

Featuring in Hodgson’s Euro 2012 squad, Jagielka has made thirteen first team appearances for England, winning ten and scoring once. A regular starter for Everton who has a lot to offer – just have to keep him away from the physio room!

Chris Smalling 

The 22-year-old has featured for England at all levels and has three full England caps, making his debut in a Euro 2012 qualifier in Bulgaria in September last year. He doubles up as a full back for his club Manchester United but is naturally suited for a more central role. He is a player with serious potential and looks more than capable of filling Terry’s boots.

Phil Jones

Another youngster to have been snapped up by Manchester United, utility man Jones can also slot in at centre back should his services be needed.  Despite being ruled out for two months following a knee operation, Jones shows signs of great leadership skills and a wealth of knowledge for the game.

Think you know who’ll replace Terry at Wembley tonight? Why not submit your predicted line-up on our Facebook game “The Insider” – PLAY NOW.

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Who needs a defence?

Premier League teams go all out for goals but leave themselves sorely exposed

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It is hard to remember a season like it. End to end football, high scoring games – the Premier League is the place to be for entertainment. On average, there are 2.97 goals scored every single game. This is the most since the 1967-68 season, when Manchester City last won the league title. Omen?

City can take a lot of the credit for this statistic. They have accumulated a squad of stunning attacking players who have gelled brilliantly. Players such as Sergio Aguero, Mario Balotelli and Edin Dzeko have hit the net with amazing regularity, while the superbly talented David Silva has unlocked defences on a weekly basis to help his team put four, five and six goals past teams.

There are other players in the league who deserve credit. Wayne Rooney has started the season with a glut of goals; Liverpool’s Luis Suarez has been in great form for his club; Robin van Persie’s record at Arsenal is befitting of world class status – 28 goals in his last 27 Premier League games speaks for itself.

However it is not just the attacking players who deserve credit for this. It could certainly be suggested that we are seeing a new breed of defender in the game.

David Luiz, Chelsea’s Brazillian defender, is a perfect example of this. He surges forward at every opportunity, creating goal scoring opportunities and netting a few himself.

David Luiz can often be found in the opposition half

The attacking defender is not a new phenomenon of course. Cafu and Roberto Carlos were considered to play more like wingers than defenders for over a decade with Brazil, while Dani Alves and Ashley Cole have continued the tradition. But a newer trend is for centre halves to make forward runs.

It isn’t just Luiz. Phil Jones of Manchester United can often be found in the opposition penalty area, as can Andros Santos at Arsenal.

Of course, with more attack minded defenders, we are also seeing a deterioration of defending. Saturday’s game between Chelsea and Arsenal was a great example of this. With the game so open and ‘defenders’ so far out of position, it seemed that every time possession was lost, a goal would be scored.

Last weekends Manchester derby was similar. As United chased the game, spaces opened up in their defence. With Rio Ferdinand hopelessly out of form, City’s potent strikers were able to help themselves to six goals.

The surge of goals in the Premier League may have something to do with the manner in which Barcelona have taken the game to a new level in the Champions League. One only has to cast the mind back to Wembley in May to remember their brilliant attacking display which rendered Manchester United helpless.

But that was not an attack at all costs performance. It may have seemed like a Catalan tidal wave, but it was controlled, structured and very effective. Managers like Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger have slightly lost sight of the need for solid foundations to build from. To want to mirror Barcelona’s brand of football is commendable, but are they actually helping their teams quest for success?

It may take a tactical rethink from the top managers if they are to have success outside of the Premier League. As much as everyone enjoys the 8 goal thrillers, there is an art to defending that should not be forgotten. Gerard Pique and Carlos Puyol are defenders first and attacking links second. Luiz and co. need to remember that.

 

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