England needed Rio to be like Nobby Stiles, not out partying with Harry Styles...
By MARTIN SAMUEL
‘What reasons?’ Rio Ferdinand once asked. Obviously, he had forgotten about his intricate, pre-planned programme that day.
It must have slipped his mind, too, last month when he announced he would pack his bags and go straight there if selected by England. No mention of an intricate pre-planned programme in that statement, either.
Indeed, for a programme so intricate, not to mention pre-planned, Ferdinand does seem to have rather a peculiar attitude to it.
Priorities: Rio Ferdinand pulled out of the England squad after meeting up with One Direction's Harry Styles
Roy Hodgson named his England squad at 3pm on Thursday. Even if Ferdinand had no inkling he might be included, which seems unlikely given that there had been talk of little else in the build-up to the announcement, he could at that point have contacted the Football Association and revealed his personal and physical conflict.
Instead, Ferdinand let it slide. Through Friday, when Hodgson left a lengthy message for him without getting a reply. Then on Saturday, when Sir Alex Ferguson falsely announced that Ferdinand would be joining up with England, again without mention of complications caused by his intricate, pre-planned programme.
It was not until Sunday night, in fact, that Ferdinand saw fit to inform Hodgson he would not, after all, be available for the matches against San Marino and Montenegro. His intricate, pre-planned programme would not allow it.
Watching: Sir Alex Ferguson was initially reluctant to allow Ferdinand to join up with the England squad
One Direction concerts, apparently, are not as stringently monitored because Ferdinand found time to attend one of those at the weekend.
Traipsing around behind the latest pop fad while the England manager remained in the dark about an impending crisis, Ferdinand seemed to epitomise the self-absorption of so many modern footballers — more Harry Styles than Nobby Stiles.
Hodgson is a decent chap, too, and, having been ridiculed when citing football reasons for Ferdinand’s absence from the European Championship last summer, is entitled to feel he has been led down the garden path by the player subsequently.
Management: Ferdinand has a special programme to keep him fit
Any anger he may now be feeling, however, was hidden by a statement expressing his understanding of Ferdinand’s predicament, his gratefulness at being told face to face and his hope that they would work together in the future.
Maybe he will coach a team in Ferdinand’s testimonial because, unless Hodgson is a complete patsy, there should be no way back from this.
With Michael Dawson out and Gary Cahill struggling, England’s cupboard is barer now than it has ever been. The fissure between John Terry and the FA is too great to be recovered and Hodgson is left to patch together a central defensive partnership from players who are not first choice in the Premier League or are frequently used in another position.
Of the quartet selected, Cahill is the only one who plays regularly at centre-half for his club and he is injured.
No return: Ferdinand's England career appears over
The extent to which Ferdinand is a recent inclusion was demonstrated when an FA medical team visited Manchester United to gather information on England players. They requested details on Wayne Rooney, Michael Carrick, Ashley Young, Danny Welbeck, Tom Cleverley, Chris Smalling and Phil Jones.
Would they not like a breakdown on Ferdinand’s fitness levels, they were asked. That wouldn’t be necessary, the FA men said, the impression given that Ferdinand was not in Hodgson’s thinking.
This was a matter of weeks ago. Yet the injury to Phil Jagielka and Ferdinand’s form since Christmas changed Hodgson’s thinking. Clearly, the case for selecting Ferdinand grew stronger. Even more reason for the player, or his representatives, to be frank with Hodgson about his special circumstances from the moment he was selected.
He will have injections this week and it can take several days to recover. He would surely have known that, though. A phone call, a text or, using his favourite medium of discourse, would a simple tweet not have sufficed?
It is hard to believe greater determination and collaboration from both sides could not have avoided Ferdinand’s 11th-hour withdrawal. Today, people all over Britain will have accidents that require significant attention, even surgery. By the time those patients are wheeled into the operating theatre, the professionals responsible will be aware of all manner of medical complications: allergies, diabetes, heart conditions, potential reactions to anaesthetic.
Now, if those operations can be performed successfully under emergency timescales, surely two teams of doctors with expertise in the treatment of back conditions can get together and find a way to transfer and tenderly adjust an intricate, pre-planned programme so that the player is available for one game, against Montenegro.
Not least as, on the afternoon he was selected, it was still 12 days away. Nobody denies Ferdinand needs to be nursed through a football season. The way his call-up has unfolded will lead to inevitable speculation, however, that there was an element of score settling in his actions.
Having lobbied for inclusion — and Ferdinand’s camp has a very active media wing, which is why Hodgson and England were perhaps not more forthcoming with news of his selection — it was as if Ferdinand wanted to be the one to break up with the FA.
Call: Gary Cahill is likely to start for England in their crunch World Cup qualifiers
Until this point, it is the player who has been rejected. As captain, by Fabio Capello, and then before the European Championships when it became clear that he could not be placed in the same environment as Terry and only one would be selected. Hodgson, like many in football, went with Terry and it has felt as though Ferdinand has never forgiven him.
Yet, if any in Ferdinand’s camp think the crisis that England now face heading to Montenegro is payback for ill-treatment by Hodgson — a case of getting that last word in before the door slams — they may be very surprised by the reaction to the decision. There is little sympathy out there for Ferdinand or desire to indulge his wish to continue being considered for England in future internationals.
Most fans think the England manager is entitled to select the players he wants and therefore support his right to have chosen Terry, even if they disagree with the decision.
Most think it is a privilege to be selected for England. And many admired Hodgson for being man enough to change his mind on Ferdinand and admit that, right now, he is England’s best option at centre-half. For that reason, the reaction yesterday was overwhelmingly in support of the manager.
Task: Chris Smalling will also likely get the chance to impress at the heart of the defence
Indeed, far from indulging the complexities of Ferdinand’s on-going treatment, the public said what Hodgson could not. That he had been let down, misled and that Ferdinand’s international career should be over. Most would rather Hodgson coax Jack Charlton out of retirement than return to Ferdinand after this.
Is that fair? It is certainly understandable. This is further evidence that Ferdinand is a high maintenance individual and, when the best player in the world, Lionel Messi, appears content simply to turn up and play without fuss or politics, that does not sit well.
If Hodgson was upset at being quizzed about Ferdinand after England had beaten Brazil, he must be even angrier at having the build-up to these qualifying matches dominated by one squad member who then decided not to play. Hodgson cannot vent these frustrations for fear of alienating Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, whose club provide so many important players.
Yet it hardly matters either way. Ferguson will always do what suits him best, as appears to have happened in this case. Ferdinand’s regime is obviously, correctly, built around Manchester United fixtures. If it had been altered a little to accommodate one England game on March 26 in Podgorica, would that have impacted on a club commitment? If so, there would only be one winner.
Testing times: Roy Hodgson must now guide England through two qualifiers with a threadbare defence
Ferdinand says he wants to be considered by England in the future but what will his intricate, pre-planned programme make of the friendly against the Republic of Ireland on Wednesday, May 29, followed by a 12-hour flight to Rio de Janeiro and another game on the Sunday?
The final four qualifiers after the visit to Montenegro are also played as two sets of back-to-back fixtures, including a last pairing with Montenegro and Poland at home. Suppose six points are required.How can Hodgson select a player who may or may not hold up to the test, who may wish to perm one from two or withdraw at short notice citing the mysteries of modern medical science?
Perhaps, when it is next time to pick an England squad, Ferdinand may discover Hodgson has an intricate, pre-planned programme of his own. And, this time, nobody will ask further questions or blame the England manager in the slightest.
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