‘I used to be England star – Mourinho would have had balls to drop Gerrard or Lampard’
In the noughties there were three certainties in life: death, taxes and the fact the Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampardcannot play together.
Only that last one was always a little contentious. The duo, who spent the best part of a decade as arguably English football’s best two central midfielders, grossly underperformed as a pairing on the international stage, but many believe they were handicapped by the archaic 4-4-2 formation Three Lions bosses insisted on using in those days.
In any case, England fans spent years calling for a little managerial ruthlessness, something they never really got from Sven-Goran Eriksson, Steve McClaren or Fabio Capello, all of whom seemed to just shove England’s most famous players into a starting XI and hope for the best.
READ MORE: ‘I was part of England’s Golden Generation – players were scared of being called bottlers’
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Speaking on the Up Front With Simon Jordan podcast, ex-England skipper John Terry reckons someone like Jose Mourinho would have got the best out of the country’s so-called Golden Generation because he had “the balls” to drop big-name players.
“We were putting the best players in the team and just getting on with it really,” Terry remembered. “I always go back to Mourinho, because for me he’s the best, and he would have had the balls to drop one of them [Gerrard or Lampard] if he didn’t feel the formation was working for the team.
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“I’m not sure anyone else did [have the balls], because clearly it wasn’t working. There were a couple of games we played when were getting overrun in midfield and we needed a change, but [the problem] wasn’t recognised.”
He also said the Special One would have prioritised the needs of his players, unlike Capello who “found a way to make [going away with England] the worst few weeks of your life”.
(Image: Up Front/William Hill)
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“It was difficult for the players, we weren’t allowed to do anything,” Terry said. “[Ahead of England’s World Cup quarter-final vs Germany in 2010] we were travelling in suits for an hour and 20 minutes on the bus, and all the players are asking Stevie [Gerrard] to speak to the gaffer about it.
“We don’t want to wear suits. It’s hot, it’s horrible. [But] we had a deal with Marks & Spencer, and the FA said you have to do it because they’re being paid by Marks & Spencer. So again I’m going, would Mourinho allow this to happen? I know the answer – no chance. He wants the players comfortable.”
Mourinho has been linked with the England job several times over the course of his legendary managerial career, but has thus far refused to stray from club football.
