Terry good, Gerrard better

John Terry won't let anyone down as England captain, but Steven Gerrard would have been a more imaginative choice, argues Rob Smyth.
Guardian Unlimited

So much for being his own man. Steve McClaren's first significant decision as England manager was so predictable that it would have had Sven-Goran Eriksson nodding softly in agreement.

There is nothing wrong with the choice of John Terry as captain per se: he does the job wonderfully at Chelsea, is a born leader who will kick the catwalk culture out of the England dressing room and whose elevation completes the jigsaw marked 'the new Tony Adams'. But Steven Gerrard would have been a more imaginative, braver choice, and it is tempting to conclude that McClaren has missed an enormous opportunity to get Gerrard playing for England as he does for Liverpool. MORE

Blessing in disguise? The captains role brings with it a lot of responsibility. Gerrard already captains Liverpool and although it would've undeniably helped England had he been given the role, I'd rather we had a fit and fresh skipper at Liverpool doing the job for us week in week out.

Becoming Vice captain also means he's almost an automatic choice for the midfield where as fat lampard may now be asked to fuck off from time to time (hopefully)