John Terry Retires from International Football, but doesn't Retire from making the Front Pages

Good old JT has no problem making everything all about him. He plays the card of victim time and time again, when in reality it is often he who has instigated the circumstances for which he is spinning a line of 'poor old me'. His PR team and personal agenda has seen him retire from international football this week after he claimed the FA made his career for the national side 'untenable'. Although the FA are never really entirely blameless JT bought this one on all by himself. Firstly, 'retiring' from international football is a cop out. He just doesn't fancy flying all over Europe during the next two years to help his country try and quality for a tournament he probably won't play in (Terry will be 34 and a bit by the time Brazil rolls 

around) and instead would rather sit at home in west London and distance himself from a team and country that's supported him time and time again. The fact the FA have only just got round to hearing the racism case where Terry is accused of racially abusing Anton Ferdinand is incredible (Suarez was tried and found guilty over the Evra affair within 2 months). Over 11 months and an international tournament later he is finally being investigated by the English governing body after being acquitted by the Crown Prosecution Service on July 13th of this year.  Although he did use the words "fucking black cunt" and "fucking knob head" towards Anton Ferdinand he was not proven guilty as no one could tell if his angry words were a question or statement of intent according to Justice Riddle. Terry was rightly stripped of the captaincy and some have argued it actually cost Fabio Capello his job as England coach, although many would have been pleased to see the back of the Italian, Terry was again at the heart of the action and a stimulus for the sacking.  The case against Terry also saw Rio Ferdinand missing out on the Euro's as Terry had made the camp very uneasy and the 'footballing reasons' Roy Hodgson stated for leaving out Ferdinand  probably had more to do with keeping a happier dressing room than anything the Manchester United man was doing on the pitch.  Now Terry is gone, Ferdinand has tried to throw his hat back in the ring, but bringing him back would be an opportunity missed by Hodgson and England, and would also mean a real loss of respect for the manager who will have gone back on his previous word and will suffer from the players if he does indeed choose to give Rio another shot.  With Phil Jagielka, Joleon Lescott, Gary Cahill, Chris Smalling, Phil Jones, Ryan Shawcross these younger England prospects have a chance of emerging as a new, younger group of center backs where there is decent strength in depth, competition and hunger for the starting positions to push England through the qualifying campaign, gain experience and play at the World Cup in 2014.  Bringing back Rio is just more of the same, and now he is past his best and injury prone, it's not worth the risk of bringing him in.  A new dressing room minus the personality of Terry could be just what England need to push on, and by 'retiring' JT has done Hodgson a favor, and getting himself out the picture before Roy had to.  

The dressing room without Terry will surely make it a more pleasant place to be around, and with Steven Gerrard captain, the players look more united as a group without the presence of one prominent character accused of racism, womanizing and upsetting fellow players in the squad means one less of this type of character England must deal with, although I'm sure they'll still have more than their fair share!

So it's goodbye to John Terry for a career well done internationally (for the most part) as a footballer, but good riddance to the personality and man that seems to cause more unrest than he solves, even when he was leading his country as a captain. 

John Terry's shin pads

I for one, am still getting over what's been an incredible season in England and throughout Europe. Manchester City's final day antics to deny their Red city rivals was remarkable.  Real Madrid knocking 'the best team in the world' Barcelona of their perch in Spain certainly hasn't gone unnoticed.  Bayern Munich's capitulation in the final games of the season seeing them runners up a hat trick of times in the Bundesliga, The German Cup and of course that dramatic Champions League Final in their own back yard!  The drama of Chelsea's first ever Champions League Trophy, only the 5th English team to win the tournament.  Their victory was top drawer, they we're the worthy winners, even though they got battered for the majority of the final (and 2 legs of the semi final), because of one simple fact, they won.  There's been so many highs and lows this season, from Sergio Aguero's last gasp City winner, Drogba's header, Suarez's and Terry's racism rows but nothing more disturbing for me than the Chelsea captains costume change during the final at the Allianz arena.  Yes the other suspended players did the same thing, but they hadn't been sent off for a ridiculous knee into the back of an opposition player, and they weren't trying to steal the limelight from the real heroes of the hour, they guys that actually played for over 2 hours!

JT started out wearing his club suit, patrolling the side lines and I'm sure trying to take the ear of Roberto Di Matteo at half time, or whenever he could, then in the second half he emerged in the clubs Adidas Champions League tracksuit before changing in the extra time and penalty drama to his full kit, including boots and shin pads!  UEFA had said that Terry would be allowed to lift the cup as captain if Chelsea won prior to the game, but that was probably only because they didn't think they had a hope.  it was a stupid decision from UEFA allowing a player suspended from the game to even be allowed on the side lines which is technically the field of play.  Even in NCAA college soccer that's a massive no no!  Here we were on the biggest stage, in the biggest club competition in the world with a player who shouldn't have been there roaming around, changing kits and eventually lifting the trophy alongside the real Captain of the team that night, Frank Lampard.  Comparisons were immediately drawn to Roy Keane and Paul Scholes lifting the trophy between them on the pitch after the trophy had been awarded and the team was doing one of many laps of honour.  They were pivotal players, who got booked in the semis helping get their team through and they turned up in the team suit and waiting until the right moment to take some deserved applause.  Terry did no such thing, stealing much of the limelight as the photo's in 10 years will show him at the heart of the team with the trophy without even kicking a ball or kneeing a back in that final.

The saving grace was how bad Chelsea's cup lift was.  Watching UEFA president Michel Platini try and usher players out the way to allow the cup and Chelsea's captains through just summed up how little respect he has over players and how important he thinks he is as they completely disregarded him and bundled in front so when the trophy was hoisted you couldn't really see it.

'It was written in the stars' for Chelsea Gary Neville reckons, maybe he was bought into the England fold to be the new Eileen Drewery (Glen Hoddle's infamous faith healer who was an 'agony aunt' to plays - Ray Parlour apparently sat down in her chair for a consultation and started by asking for a "short back and sides" Classic.)  Neville was constantly banging on about it being Chelsea's time, and how it was a destiny for them.  It wasn't at all.  It was uncharacteristic sloppiness in front of goal from a German side feeling the pressure of playing inside their own Stadium in front of millions of Bavarian's who expected a comfortable victory.  Bayern had their chances, and a lot of them, but didn't take them, that's why Chelsea won, they had one corner, one goal.  They had big game goal specialist Didier Drogba, not a misfiring Mario Gomes.  Chelsea had better penalty takers on the day and some momentum after Peter Cech performed so excellently in the shootout.  Was it fate that Cech saved those crucial penalties, the first from Arjen Robben in the second half of extra time, the others in the shootout?  No, it was meticulous preparation and a DVD that had every penalty every player had taken in the past 10 years and calculated decision making from a world class goalkeeper.  That isn't quite as romantic and enjoyable as a pundit shouting about it being the clubs destiny and having their name on that big eared trophy all along!

Chelsea were completely outplayed and set out their stall to defend and ride their luck, and that they did till a downward Thomas Muller header eluded Peter Cech by somehow bouncing over the huge Czech keeper. Game over everyone thought, it was the 83rd minute 'the perfect time to score'.  I've always had a problem with these types of sayings, 'perfect time to score' which it turns out was a ridiculous shout as Chelsea still had time to come back and tie up the game. Didier Drogba's 89th minute bullet header towards Manuel Neuer's goal was a better time to score for the Germans surely?!  Didier Drogba's last kick in a Chelsea shirt before he buggers off to China to make a mint was a lovely end to a great service from the Ivorian.  Fernando Torres will be happier than any defender to see the back of the big man, as he may now finally play a few games for the club that signed him for 50 mill.  The Drog still has a lot to offer, and could play for a year or two at the very highest level.. he's worth signing just for Cup finals, 8 goals, 8 games, thanks.

JT will be in the England squad for the Euro's at the expense of Rio Ferdinand who Terry isn't on best terms with after being accused of racially abusing his brother, Anton.  So JT is having a great run at it, got AVB sacked, been pulling the strings behind Di Matteo's back? Won the FA Cup, didn't play but WON the Champions League according to photo's from the day, got in the England squad for the Euro's and his old man has finally finished his 100 hours of community service for flogging 3 grams of gear to a journalist in an Essex wine bar in 2009.

TOWIE! The only way is England, for JT at least...