Take a moment to recall the atmosphere the last time Englands World Cup prospects teetered on the brink at the group stage. Rewind four years and a spluttering draw against the USA and a dismal goalless repeat against Algeria had left Fabio Capellos side third in their section. A group of senior players had sat up in Cape Town over a rare beer and grumbled their frustration. Back at the teams isolated Royal Bafokeng Sports complex the next day, with the decisive third game against Slovenia looming large, it was John Terry who suggested the time had come for the squad to clear the air with the hard-line management.
The players can say how they feel and, if it upsets him, then Im on the verge of just saying: You know what? So what? said Terry, who had been deposed as captain by Capello earlier that year, before a planned team meeting that evening. If we cant be honest with each other, then theres no point us being here. In the end the Chelsea defender was warned off expressing his dissatisfaction by team-mates alarmed by his press briefing, the Italian reasserting his authority in the process, but the threat of mutiny summed up a dispiriting campaign. England retain precious few happy memories of South Africa.
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via Football | The Guardian http://ift.tt/1lWA5Fg
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