Really such a loss?
Association
The Football Association said,
“Terry was assessed by England medical staff on Sunday and will not be fit to play any part in Tuesday’s game.”
The twenty-nine year old defender had an operation in 2006 to cure a back problem and this current injury is likely to be a recurrence. He has a reputation of being something of a ‘warrior’ and is notorious for shrugging off minor problems, but he was forced out of the double-header against Bulgaria and Switzerland with a hamstring injury and this will mean he has only featured once for his country since the World Cup.
Age
It could be that Terry’s age and combative style are beginning to take their toll on his body and it could be with the return to fitness of Rio Ferdinand and the emergence of Phil Jagielka as an international defender and the likes of Gary Cahill and Jones at Blackburn, Terry’s international career might be coming to an end.
My question is whether that really is such a major blow to England?
Impressed
Terry has played sixty-five times for his country and was captain of the side until his ‘off field’ misdemeanours led to Fabio Capello taking that honour away from him. He has featured at Euro 2004 and the World Cups in 2006 and 2010. He has impressed at various times in those tournaments and was included in the team of the tournament at the 2006 World Cup.
Having said that, you have to ask how successful England have been with him at the heart of their defence. The answer is that they haven’t been.
Passionate
Around Europe and the World, Terry’s ‘ heart on his sleeve’, passionate style of play seems to be hugely admired. He was selected in the FIFPro World XI every season from 2005 to 2009. He was UEFA’s best club defender in 2005, 2008 and 2009 and selected in the UEFA team of the year in 2005, 2008 and 2009. You cannot argue with a record like that.
However, those that watch him on a regular basis are not quite so quick to hand out the honours. He was the PFA player of the year in 2005 and he was Chelsea’s player of the season back in 2001 and in 2006. He was selected by his fellow professionals in the PFA Premier League team of the season in 2004, 2005 and 2006, but he has not been selected by them in 2007, 2008, 2009 or 2010.
Recognised
It would seem that at around the time he started to make his mark on the World and start picking up all sorts of honours, he stopped being recognised domestically. Since 2006 he has been handed seven European and World honours but absolutely nothing domestically. I am not sure why this should be the case but those facts must mean something.
I have long believed that John Terry is too slow and not technically gifted enough to be an international central defender. I know I am in the minority with that view and when I have expressed it before over a few beers in a pub people have looked at me as though I were mad. They have insisted that he is the best in the world.
Selected
His fellow Premier League professionals have selected Rio Ferdinand in their team of the year each time they have left Terry out. Last year, when Ferdinand hardly played, the pros picked Aston Villa’s Richard Dunne and Arsenal’s Thomas Vermaelen ahead of Terry. That must mean something.
Am I the only person who thinks that the loss of the 2010 John Terry is not really much of a blow?
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