England: In Need of John Terry's Fighting Spirit

Uncle Roy loves a bit of Terry

International friendlies amidst a busy March full off Premier and Champions League football is never going to make for thrilling viewing. It's a puffed up affair for indecisive managers to make up their mind on a few question marks in their lineups and sponsors to make a few more quid for those willing to pay to watch this level of football.

But as England plod through their night at Wembley with Bendtner FC, it's apparent what they're missing. I know you know where this is going. But there's a reason you know. There's a reason that people are STILL talking about it. Writing silly little blogs insightful pieces on it. England are missing a leader at the back, and arguably the Premier League's best defender -- John Terry. Someone needs to organise that back four and get the ball forward. There's not many better in the game at the moment.

John Terry: Trials and Tribulations

England's Loss. Chelsea's Gain.

I'm confused. If I'm being honest, not a feeling I'm unaccustomed to - but this whole John Terry affair (ahem) has really been the pinnacle of baffling behaviour. Not from him, not even from either Ferdinand no matter how childish their behaviour has been. I mean not only do I fully expect this of Rio - but would have been shocked if he had not been a petulant toddler throughout the fiasco.

But in a country that's meant to be about innocent until proven guilty - how is it guilty until proven not guilty ... And yet somehow STILL guilty? The mind boggles. I'm not here to say whether he did it or not, just that he was actually tried, in court, and they found him not guilty. They heard all the information and gave a verdict based on that. And if the FA find Terry innocent just as the courts had, the other Ferdinand could pursue a civil case. Which means Terry could literally be tried THREE times for the same incident.

One trial. One verdict.

The Morning After The Night Before

Balotelli's strenuous training regime was really
England's downfall.

Despite there being that terrifying moment of ‘logic’ that the expectations of a nation were so low that they had some how torn the space time continuum and actually turned into expectation again - we all know that at the end of the day, this was never going to be ‘the’ year for England. Comparing that rag-tag bunch of misfits to that of another team that happened to win the Champions League this year is too easy - and far too off the mark to be a viable comparison. There have been a number of questions about Chelsea’s season this past year - the answer was never to be found in Jordan Henderson.

Surely the ‘expectations were so low that England can succeed logic’ was the most ridiculous thing said about the England team? Right? RIGHT? No. Enter Mark Lawrenson. How this man gets paid to speak about anything, let alone football is beyond me. But telling a nation, unironically, that their best defender was a man who scored for Sweden after keeping everyone onside was really my Lawro-light of the tournament so far.

Yet, despite myself, I went into last night confident that England could and would in fact go out against Germany. How confident was I? Well, I was brimming with such confidence that I chose to be the other white meat in an Italian sandwich. It makes me slightly wistful for the first 15 minutes of last night’s match, when I smugly thought this may have been one of my best ideas to date. But as the clock ticked on I was reminded that I was still watching the same England that I always have done. Even one without promise, still came with promise.