England football fans are left wringing their hands, once again, after England’s sad performance on Wednesday night against the Czech Republic. This was Fabio Capello’s third match in command of our home team and football betting enthusiasts are gradually realising that the long awaited saviour has not, in fact, arrived and that things seem pretty much the same as they were under Steve McClaren. Perhaps the recall of David Beckham was the first worrying sign.

What Does Being Captain of England Mean?

Along with every other long-suffering England fan in the country, this got me, as always, reflecting on what’s to be done. I think it was Michael Vaughan’s resignation as the England cricket captain that had me thinking about how much we have neglected the importance of the role of captain. Suddenly the new chief, Kevin Pietersen, gung-ho, headstrong, assertive, inspirational, takes no prisoners, is regarded as the future of English Cricket and you know what? I think he probably is.

When did we last have this discussion or these feelings about an England football captain? Sure – there’s been a lot of talk of the relative merits of John Terry and Rio Ferdinand, but what are these guys really about? Are you actually aware of any exceptional qualities in either of these men that remind you of the great Bobby Moore or even Gary Lineker? Not just consistently great players but the kind of leaders that can bring about a winning attitude in the team and conjure up a consistency of play which matches the undoubtedly great skills of the team members. Someone with the enthusiasm, inspiration, killer-instinct and communication skills to regularly produce a team effort which is vastly greater than the sum of its parts.