Fabio ready for 'dangerous' Wales
By Nicholas Veevers in Cardiff
Friday, 25 March, 2011
Manager speaks on Wales game and addresses captaincy issue.
England Manager Fabio Capello has spoken of his decision to hand the captaincy back to John Terry, ahead of the European Championship qualifier with Wales on Saturday.
The Three Lions know that a win can take them back to the top of their group, but with the issue regarding the captaincy being the topic on everyone’s lips this week, Friday afternoon's press conference saw Capello give his side of the story which started during the game with Denmark last month.
“Something happened in my mind when I saw what happened in the second half in Copenhagen, when the captaincy went to several players,” he explained, before taking his team for a training session at the Millennium Stadium.
“I thought it was probably time for John Terry, after one year of punishment, to be a captain again.
“When Rio Ferdinand and Steven Gerrard were not fit, I decided it was the moment, with such an important game like tomorrow, to have just one captain like John Terry.”
Ferdinand had been Capello’s skipper over the last year since the decision was taken to take the armband off Terry, but with the Manchester United defender having been ruled out of action in recent weeks through injury, the Manager defended his decision and the way in which he came about it after coming in for criticism of late.
“I understand everything, but I need to make decisions. It could have been done better, but it’s the past,” he added.
“I tried to meet him (Ferdinand) when Manchester United played against Marseille, but we did not, and I prefer to speak personally and not by phone.
“I will be happy when I meet Rio in the future and I think that will happen in a short time.
“All of the players are happy, because John Terry is a very important leader on the pitch.”
Of course, with a big international derby game to be played at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday, in which Capello confirmed that Jack Wilshere will start, he was quick to turn the topic around to what is sure to be a passionate and fiery fixture between two teams who will know each other very well through their domestic rivalries.
Gary Speed's side have lost their first three games in qualifying and are nursing injuries to key players, but Capello feels there is always likely to be a threat from them, especially with a full house of supporters behind them.
“For me, it is most important to talk about the game because it’s a really important match,” he said.
“It will be a very tough game because Wales are playing at home and they will be very, very dangerous.
“I think that a derby is different to the other games that you play in. As a player, I have played in derbies in two cities and as a manager I have managed in derbies in four different cities and it’s not always the best team that wins.
“This is one really dangerous game that we will play, because the spirit of Wales will be fantastic.”