Andy Carroll has undoubtedly been one of the highest performing strikers in the premier league this season, following a fantastic championship campaign last season. He has been better that all of the seasoned England internationals and proved to be the most inspired signing of my fantasy league team. He has shown himself to have a good touch, strength, speed and more aerial ability than a harrier jump jet. His eye for goal has made him joint top scorer this season and he has added to this with four assists, hold up play and being the stand out player of an impressive start to the season by Newcastle United. Tonight it has been confirmed that Fabio Capello will award his with his first cap.
Its not been all rosy for the young striker. He really needs a haircut and has been involved in multiple assault charges, contributing to a "bad boy" reputation. This has lead some to suggest that he is unfit to play for England with such a lifestyle. What? England players are picked based on life style? this must be new!
A quick look through the England squad shows countless fights, affairs and controversy amongst even (or especially) the darlings of the English game. Rio Ferdinand, the England captain, was unable to play for England during a major tournament because of a drugs ban, and has accumulated four driving bans along with having made a sex tape in Aiya Napa with Frank "83 caps for England" Lampard. Good example for young players? The vice captains no better: Steven Gerrard, in December 2008, punched a man in a Southport bar with "the speed and accuracy of a professional boxer".
Wayne Rooney, a rival for Carroll's position, is a serial infidel and his short fuse and petulance have given his team problems on and off the pitch - yet he is worshipped by the media and the FA. And then there's John Terry, yes his colossal breach of trust early this year may have lost him his captaincy, but he wasn't known for being a great guy before that. He was involved in drunkenly mocking a group of American tourists in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, he was arrested in 2002 for bottling a bouncer and was recently found to be accepting money to give tours of the Chelsea training ground.
Whilst these are the clearest examples of the big players being no cleaner than Carroll, the England team sheet reads like a list of controversies. Ashley Cole and Peter Crouch have been in trouble recently along with many in the past.
If Andy Carroll has an inappropriate lifestyle for international selection, England need a whole new team. To be honest that would probably be a good thing.
No comments:
Post a Comment