Don't blame it on Rio

In the first of our online daily columns, Oliver Kay on why mood swings, a Machiavellian streak and a tendency to use players as bargaining chips are tarnishing Benitez's reputation

If someone had proposed Rio Ferdinand as England captain three or even two years ago, I would have sneered. The missed drugs test, the silly scrapes outside nightclubs, the slightly cringeworthy (if at times amusing) World Cup Wind-ups television programme - all of them served to build an image of a man who, whatever his immense talent, was not captaincy material.

But, as Fabio Capello prepared to end the suspense over his new captain today, I found myself rooting for Rio ahead of John Terry, the man who wore the armband under Steve McClaren and who captained Chelsea to two Premier League titles under Jose Mourinho. Why? Because Ferdinand has matured to the point where he seems like the obvious candidate for the job, whereas Terry, once his more dominant partner, has slipped into bad habits both on and off the pitch.

I am an unashamed Rio revisionist, but I was a relatively late arrival on this particular bandwagon. His form for Manchester United over the past two seasons, frequently as captain, has been that of a man for whom the penny has finally dropped. Having struggled to live up to his world-class billing through his mid 20s, he has learned from his numerous mistakes, raised his game and become a far more responsible figure - a role model both on and off the pitch.

Ferdinand was fingered by some for his involvement in United's infamous Christmas party last year, but that was not altogether fair. Nor is it fair when his activities with various charities and good causes - more than just about any high-profile player in the country - are overlooked or, far worse, dismissed as publicity stunts. When you hear Ferdinand passionately discussing his concerns about knife crime or deprivation in inner-cities or extreme poverty in Africa, it is clear that this is a man who believes in these causes, rather than seeing them as a vehicle for his "brand", as might occasionally be the case for some of his fellow professionals.

At the time of Capello's appointment, I did not really consider Ferdinand a prospective England captain -- regarding it as a straight fight between Terry and Steven Gerrard - but when, over lunch with few fellow journalists in Paris in March, we learned that the United defender was to lead the team in the friendly against France the following evening, it made perfect sense to me. There is no outstanding, irresistible candidate, but if, as Capello believes, Gerrard is a little too introverted for the job, Ferdinand, rather than Terry, seems like the perfect choice. After a six-month audition, it is Capello's first really big choice as England manager. Surely if Terry were the ideal man, that audition would have not been necessary.

***

There are many Liverpool supporters who feel that Rafael Benitez can do no wrong and there are many fans of other clubs who regard him as a man still living off the 2005 Champions League triumph while frittering away millions on deadbeats and looking to blame everyone else for his failure so far to turn his team into title contenders.

I would put myself closer to the former camp, appreciative of the tactical acumen that has turned Liverpool into a signifcant force in Europe but increasingly concerned that his various idiosyncracies - not so much squad rotation or a liking for zonal marking but, more seriously, mood swings, a Machiavellian streak and a tendency to use players as bargaining chips - are tarnishing his reputation.

The critics are quick to point out that he has spent £180 million on new players in a little over four years in charge at Anfield. He will tell you that he has been wheeling and dealing, often buying players for the short term and then selling them on at a quick profit, and that his net outlay has been approximately £90 million going into his fifth season in charge - not inconsiderable but hardly Chelsea-level either.

If the question is whether I expect Benitez to deliver the Premier League title this season, against a backdrop of boardroom turmoil, the answer is no. Even after four years of trying, he has not succeeded in buying sufficient quality in wide positions. But if the question is whether I would back Benitez's judgement over that of Tom Hicks or George Gillett Jr, the answer is yes. Liverpool have a lot of problems at the moment, but if Hicks, Gillett and Rick Parry think that a different manager would cause less trouble, they should remember that they hardly represent a unified board at the best of times. Benitez and an increasingly unedifying spat over transfer policy is symptomatic of those problems, but it is not the root cause.

***

I was pleasantly surprised by the resistence Newcastle showed against Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday. For the first 20 minutes Fabricio Coloccini resembled a modern-day Darren Peacock (minus the hair-straighteners), but he grew in confidence and authority, while Danny Guthrie and Jonas Guttierez, the other two debutants, performed admirably in midfield. Praise of their performance comes with the inevitable caveat that the home team were missing key players and a long way below their best form, but, for those of us who feared for Kevin Keegan this season, there was food for thought.

***

A trip to Gresty Road for a friendly match between Crewe Alexandra and Hull City in late July left me certain of two things: that Crewe, who ran out impressive 4-0 winners, would challenge strongly for promotion to the Coca Cola Championship and that Hull would struggle and might even sink without trace in the Premier League.

Fast-forward three weeks and Crewe are bottom of League One, having lost their first two games, and Hull have got off to a winning start in the Premier League. Given that my instinct before that friendly had been to give Hull a fighting chance of survival, it just goes to show how few meaningful conclusions can be drawn from friendly matches. And that includes those Tottenham fans who thought Darren Bent, after a proflic pre-season, was ready to take the Premier League by storm.

Comments

[A.Jones]

Neither Terry or Ferdinand are captain material. Terry remains the more natural leader, but we're hardly talking about two moral giants here.

[Adi]

'whereas Terry, once his more dominant partner, has slipped into bad habits both on and off the pitch.' -what on earth is this about Oliver?

[Brett]

Michael Owen, Michael Owen! Just joking. JT's the "better man" for the job. Just because you're playing well doesn't make you a leader. And even from that angle, take a look at what happened in the PL on Saturday. MUFC drew at home with NUFC, a tentative team (albeit with loads of potential.) Chelsea destroyed a highly-regarded Pompey, shutting them out flat. It's a new era. But that doesn't mean that JT has lost the respect of his teammates (except for Rio, now.) Besides, if we point to morality for skippers, then I doubt anyone on the pitch would fit the bill, saving (like mentioned before) the rather timid Gerrard.

[Stewart]

Why is Terry the more natural leader? Because he's a "hardman" a "hoof and run" expert? A captain must lead by example and this never say die attitude that Terry has wouldn't need to be there if he played the game with the same patience and skill as Rio.

[Setubal]

Terry plays badly on purpose if he isn't captain! He let Anelka through for the penalty when Ferdinand captained France.

[Kiran]

"MUFC drew at home with NUFC, a tentative team (albeit with loads of potential.) Chelsea destroyed a highly-regarded Pompey, shutting them out flat."

Brett, what are you on about? How are Newcastle tentative and full of potential? I think you need to look at how old they all are (Nicky Butt anyone?) and who the manager is (Kevin 'we'll score more than you' Keegan). More to the point, this is a Pompy team with Kaboul and Campbell at the back and Crouch up front (the man who can't win headers even though he is taller than everyone else)

[Subhasis]

TERRY is a captain, leader, legend all in one. He is the best. Rio is un-inspirational, not motivated enough and simply not up to the mark. Come on terry!

[Dino]

I think you're being polite to say Benitez's has "idiosyncrancies", the truth is he is a ruthless, egocentric, arrogant, rable rouser when he doesn't get his way. It was this personal trait that brought him to Anfield after he fell out with the Valencia board. I think he has again, like not replaceing Paco last year, shown a lack of judgement in having a public debate with Parry and owners. It will distract the players and affect results which will ultimately undermine his position.

How many times can you say "both on and off the field"?

[Tasmaniac]

Make Steven Gerrad captain and be done with it, if Capello can't see this then England won't even have chance to be beaten by Austalia at the next world cup. John Terry is a sulking thug!

[Johnny Lord]

I'm a Man Utd fan and will never accept Ferdinand as a red or a leader. His last 2 years have coincided with the arrival of Vidic, any correlation? If he wasn't responsible for the disgraceful Christmas party antics who was? and why did the players state that he collected the 4k off them? His previous misdemeanour's still rankle with man utd fans, and lately he was questioned over an incident in Israel? no change there then. His so called charity work in Africa involved setting up footballing schools in deprived areas, with so happened to be done just down the road from the luxury housing estates he has invested in? Don't be fooled by the WGT, he isn't a leader and will always bring controversy wherever he goes. Just wait until his record label releases its first artist and single. Ice T anyone?

[Paul D]

I'm glad Rio didnt get the captains armband, as people have posted earlier - incidents such as the utd christmas party stick in the memory. The missed drugs test was stupid but what really lowered him in my estimations (and a lot of utd fans that I know agree) is that when utd were playing the FA Cup final he was appearing on stupid adverts for the sun saying things like he was lonely and i wonder what my team mates are up to.

He thought he was a shoe in for the captaincy and I think his arrogance may have cost him. I'll admit his performances on the field have improved but he's still prone to just hoofing it when playing for England.

Gerrard would have been a better choice as captain and im not just saying this as a Liverpool fan. Terry is a good defender but he is still prone to off the field problems like the disabled parking incident.

And aside from this topic, to be honest i would have like to have seen more of a shake up in the squads - players like Agbonlahor, Young etc should be in over others. We still pick players on names and have done for some time to our detriment. We need to pick form players like other countries do and not be afraid to drop so called world class individuals.

[Ste]

Never mind quality, give me a lucky footballer every time. The biggest problem with JT is that he's definately got the "loser hex" on him. In the last 12 months he's lost the Carling Cup, Premiership, Champs League and England's Euro qualifiers. It can't all be just bad luck, but he does seem blighted.

[Lyn R]

Unfortunately we have to admit that footballers today have huge egos, this comes from being paid huge sums of money and being able to demand what where and how they want things. They have no grasp of normality and token gestures like let’s help kids in Africa for one day in the year and pay a small amount of my DAILY wages into a soccer school- wow how amazing! Not! As an evertionian even i admit gerrard would have been a better choice.

Apart from all his off the field antics Ferdinand isn't even the best defender at Man U. He is sloppy and sometimes makes schoolboy mistakes. How many times have you seen him concede weak goals in Man Utd matches?Ferdinand is very lucky to have Vidic as his partner.
Take out Ferdinand from England and you still have players capable enough to replace him. An England captain should be close to irreplaceable both in national team and club, Ferdinand is not. Harry Redknapp must have been laughing all the way to the bank when he sold him to Leeds.
As a former football coach and indeed anyone with an ounce of understanding of the basic tenets of defending knows that Rio is the pretty player who can’t work without a last man covering his tracks.
Saying he is the country’s most suitable leader on and off the pitch is really LAME and PATHETIC.The England captain should not just be the best all round footballer in country but a role model too. The stories I have heard about both john terry and rio would make your skin crawl- a lot worse then Rooney’s antics, do we really want the young people of today worshipping people like this?

[Jimmy]

To all the alleged Reds who are still obsessed with hammering Rio, Get a life. Terms like WGT and all other Red Issue fuelled associated nonsense regarding him, the Glazers et al is exactly why I sold my season ticket before last season started. HE is the most consistent player in our team who gels everything together. How many times does he mop up for Wes ' Whats my position ' Brown every week? He missed a drug test and was punished. It's done, move on. It's ok for the England players to make cash out of penalty misses in a world cup via adverts, why shouldn't he maximise his earnings from work? I always do. Like we always tell the Scousers, stop living in the past, it's right now that matters and Rio is head and shoulders above the lot of them.

[Mark Donnelly]

I had hoped that Ferdinand would be made captain: is he not the better player? and through currently being both premiership and european champion proven that he is the better leader? Ferdinand represents everything an England captain should stand for, he DOES lead times both vocally and by example, I have watched him do it for years for United. He is an outstanding defender and leader with genuine flair and ability and when people say he has let himself down with too many scandals in the past i would point them towards the fact that John Terry clearly made a racist comment to ledley king at white hart lane two years ago, everyone knows he did it, few seem to discuss it though, and that is your England captain? Terry is a quality centre half by all means but i don't see this domineering, giant of a man that alot of people have made him out to be. I saw him miss a penalty in the champions league final and cry afterwards! Ferdinand would take the England captaincy to another level i think.

[Ollie Wells]

I think John Terry should not be captain because he was captain for the euro 2008 Qualifyers and we didn't Qualify.
Dwan chambers is banned from representing his country in the olymics and from athletics for taking drugs, but Rio ferdinand took drugs and he can still represent his country, that's just unfair and disgraceful. Football is pathetic.
...and ferdinand should be banned from football!

[joseph turp]

Yes ferdinand is a great player but only a good captain.Terry is a good player but a great captain. Just remember, the wheels only started to come off during Mclarens reign when Terry had a succession of injuries and missed a few games.As for behaviour have all you journalists forgotten Ferdinands childish petulance at the end of last season at Stamford Bridge on the pitch which Terry tried to stop.You also forget his kicking out and injuring a lady in the tunnel after the game.You do unfortunately, like all journalists, only remember what suits your opinion.

[Paul D]

Its a bit different sending yourself up if youve missed a penalty having previously taken the stick for it. I imagine taking a penalty in that sort of situation would make any person nervous regardless or not if you are a paid professional.

What i hate is all these blind utd fans that hail Rio as this demi god of the premiership defenders. The fact is he missed a drugs test through whatever reason and whether he had taken drugs is now irrelavant as we will never know. To do an advert that made a mockery of the fact that he was banned for missing said drugs test is ridiculous and in no way should he be "maximising his earnings" from it!

As for the stop living in the past comment, the argument is about his credentials to be the england captain so would have to take into account his past form and behaviour over the course of his career surely. My argument is not one of man utd v liverpool, I was just voicing my opinion of Rio. I have a lot of respect for Man utd and the way they play football.

[Marc]

Ollie Wells -- Try checking your facts there. Rio was banned for missing a drugs test, not for taking drugs.

[Peter]

If we are going on moral grounds then you need to get either Jamie Carragher or Paul Scholes out of retirement both of whom are models of professionalism. I challange you to name one player in the England squad who would be an appropriate role model ???
James - Perhaps. Terry, Ferdinand, Cole (LOL) - NO, Brown - Possibly but he is no captain. Becks - oh yeah we tried that, Gerrard/Lampard/Cole(Lol - again)
Wayne(LMAO), so that leaves Heskey.
So Heskey for England captain it is!!! Name me a more suitable choice ??

[ian cheese]

Terry England Captain? When it mattered he did not deliver: remember Chelsea Champions League Moscow 2008? He is a has-been.

[Billy Mac]

Lyn R, former football coach ? just who have you coached to international level that makes you such an expert ? Everton girls by any chance ?

[Setubal]

If this was any other profession there would be allegations of racism following this appointment. The mass media is trying to deflect attention from this by drumming up Gerrard et al. It was always between Rio (the better defender) and Terry.

[Paul D]

So do we have to have coached at international level in order to comment on this blog now?

[sidhant]

John Terry as a player is behind Rio, Woodgate and King. God knows why he has been made captain. Average player, always seems to get into confrontations (remember ten kate). He is not even the best defender at chelsea!

[Brett]

Kiran--Sounds like I touched a raw nerve with you old son. I'm not even a NUFC/CFC/Pompey supporter! I just like watching SAF not get his way! Moreover, it's obvious that YOU'RE embarrassed that MUFC looked unprepared for all but about 15 minutes in a match that they should have won by 3 goals. As for insulting Butt and Keegan, that's fine and all. But Ancient Giggs, SAF and Rio Ferdinand (you know, "I-kick-women-in-the-tunnel," "I don't do drugs tests," and "I'm sulking because I didn't get the England captaincy" Rio) didn't exactly inspire their club to a rousing victory on Saturday, did they? They just weren't up for it. Besides, I think it was Keegan who guided NUFC away from nearly certain relegation last year--with the same "old" players he inherited--or was that someone else?
And surely you don't think that Defoe/Crouch will make a bad pair this year? If I were a MUFC fan, I'd want that tandem. MUFC didn't have but ONE real and fit striker in the team this weekend--and he looked more confused than Scooby Doo! Or is all this pitiful "please let Berba come to OT" nonsense just for show?
CFC weren't exactly spring chickens on Saturday either--but it didn't stop them from blowing Pompey's doors off. So what is it? Old=bad? Silly argument, mate. CFC will be an older side all year, and they'll likely embarrass MUFC when they face them too--Berba or no Berba. And Rio, oh Rio...He needs to get his own house in order for this campaign before he worries about skippering a national team.

[chris barclay]

Sorry, not being a Manc or a Scouser, someone please tell me what does WGT mean?

[Gary Wright]

Terry has been appointed captain by TWO World Cup-winning managers, a previous England National Team manager, and also by the world-class club manager Jose Mourinho.

Yet the writer of the article thinks HE knows better than these masters of the sport. Laughable.

[david b]

John Terry is simply not international class. He is "OK" in the hurley burley of the Prem league but International football requires more intelligence and finese, both qualities very lacking in JTs makeup.
Ferdanand could make it into the best defences of all time or very nearly, but Terry would not even make it in the best English defences of the last 20 years.

[Dave N]

The Times rankings - need we say more????

John Terry 4
To say he looked sluggish would be an insult to slugs. Appeared unsteady on his feet on the wet ground, not for the first time in his life, and was twisted and turned by Baros at the heart of a defence that was far too easily discomfited by a side deploying a lone striker. For the first goal, he tugged Baros's shirt, yet the Czech forward still turned him with ease and shot.

[Lyn R]

Billy mac- i have my FA coaching badges, do you?

Same old man u fans, no wonder people repsect the way the team play but not the attitudes of the fans.

Billy Mac are you reading this from london or from china?

[Matt Pomroy]

The Mirror, 3rd December: "Rio Ferdinand has collected £4,000 from EACH United player to organise the lads' Christmas party - and rounded up 100 gorgeous females to keep them company."

Sterling work from the captain there, I can't see how that might turn out badly...