Would England Flop Without John Terry?

John Terry had announced his retirement from international football ahead of the FA hearing into the saga with Anton Ferdinand.

The Star 25 Sept 2012

If he had hoped that this would win him some sympathy from the England fans, he must have been disappointed.

There does not seem to be a lot of England fans begging him to stay on.

Indeed his position in the England team had became untenable and it is wise for him to have withdrawn himself.

Anyway, John's usefulness to the England team had been slipping and sliding in tandem with his football skills as age catches up with him. One just need to see him struggling in the European Championship match with Juventus last, to know that he isn't the solid, dependable rock in defence that he once was, both at Chelsea and England.

But would England flounder in his absence?

I honestly don't see any difference his absence would make to the England team's fortune in ongoing the World Cup qualifying matches.

England, with or without John Terry, may or may not qualify for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

Even if England do qualify, I don't see them going very far in the finals in Brazil.

There are no players in the current England squad that inspire any hope for optimism.

Rooney? Nah, he is over-hyped as an England player. Just look at the fiasco in the last World Cup in S.Africa.

Roy Hodgson as the England manager does not look like one who knows what he is doing. His team play listlessly, insipid in attack and not altogether solid in defence. Boring is the word.

Whipping minnows doesn't exactly inspire confidence.