I dont like John Terry or the Big 4 !
 

He is slow and he seems to be beyond criticism from the national press who treat him as a fearless leader of battle hardened warriors.

What is it with the media and their obsession with the top 4 or 5 clubs ?

Their simplistic notion is that if you play for a top club you must be better than equivalent players in the same position at other clubs.

Sure, there must be some truth in this since the best players will be purchased by the better / richer teams but it is not that straightforward.

The counter argument is that a player who consistently plays well for a lesser or struggling team is in fact a better player. It must be harder to put in top performances without error when your side is struggling?

I know the media are to blame for most of the problem I have with John Terry.

The other night Terry was arguably caught out of position in the lead up to the Slovenia goal and yet Lescott and Johnson took full blame, and because Terry plays for a media darling club that brings in the Sky ratings etc.. he is given preferential treatment.

I have been reading media accounts and incohrent ramblings from the intellectually challenged ex-pro footballers about Robert Green that are simply not backed up by rational argument or facts but part of a drive in the popular comics to make Ben Foster No. 1 for South Africa even though he is a reserve GK.

Oh right....he plays for Man Utd so he must be better than the likes of Green ? How does that work then ?

Thankfully we finally have a manager in Capello who is not so easily swayed by the media machines of Murdoch and Co.

Re: I dont like John Terry or the Big 4 !
 

A Bangleman post of which I agree with every word. I'll just make a note of the time and date: Tuesday 8 September. 16.50 Bahrain time................

More seriously, I'm worried by the lack of a good keeper. I like Green (although he's inconsistent), but are we really going to have to confront the awful truth? That David James is the best we've got? Oh well...........

The point about John Terry is well taken. Whenever you hear people talk about how good he is, it's always in the context of his "leadership", the fact that he's "inspirational", a "talisman", "leading by example", etc. Never "brilliant", "skillful", "talented" or whatever. Brian Robson was somewhat similar in that respect in my view (different position of course).

The point about looking better in a good team has wider implications than just England's "Big Four"............ it's one of the main reasons I rate Diego Maradona so far ahead of Pele. The latter was surrounded by genius. Great player of course, but could he have carried a struggling team single-handedly?

Which is precisely what Maradona did, taking a bunch of dross to two consecutive WC finals.