Rio Ferdinand withdraws from England squad - thin end of the wedge?

Pavilionaire · Mar 18, 2013

Withdrawn because playing for England conflicts with his personal fitness programme. Doesn't every player have a personal fitness programme? Seems Ferguson has finally won the battle with the FA, I can only see more similar withdrawals in the future. Another nail in the coffin for international football.

Pogue Mahone · Mar 18, 2013

Rio is throwing his toys out of the pram. To a degree that's understandable, given the way Roy has talked about his International prospects previously (to people on the tube!), but still.

HastingsSeagull · Mar 18, 2013

Upson to replace him??

Pavilionaire · Mar 18, 2013

Oxo-chamberlain interviewed saying how he's gutted Rio won't be playing. So a week ago Rio wasn't a factor and the team was comfortable with Cahill / Dawson or whatever, now extra pressure on that pair where there was none before. A right fine mess.

vegster · Mar 19, 2013

This personal fitness programme, is it about rehabilitating his top lip ?

upthealbion1970 · Mar 19, 2013

Rio was available when for England when he should have been charged for the incident with Torres. FA don't charge him and now he's not available because of his "personal fitness regime". If only there was an ex manure defender on the England staff who could have helped Rio

One Teddy Maybank · Mar 19, 2013

I think it show's a complete lack of commitment by Rio. He bleated at the first opportunity when he was originally left out (though of course, Hodgson discussing players international prospects on the tube is ridiculous). He has had a relatively good season and now has the opportunity to press home his international claim and decides to withdraw? Very poor.

If he was serious about representing his country he would have presented himself for training, no questions asked. If then, the medical team felt he was struggling then he could have been excused. I can't help but think of the young men (who didn't have a choice) in the first and second World Wars and who gave their lives for King and Country, and all Rio is doing is kicking a ball about.

Back injuries do need to be treated carefully (I really hope PIG, doesn't fly to Poland this week, looked like he had a spasm at the end of the Palace game), and Rio by his own admission is following a tailored programme to ensure his own fitness. I would therefore suggest, he permanently retires from international football, as presumably he will always need to follow this programme.

The other issue is that he is at the end of his career and really should make way for younger players. Internationally we have one of the oldest squads out of the premier European countries.

To Roy Hodgson's credit, he has previously suggested that Rio would only be selected if he was going to play, not to warm the bench, so I'm sure he would have started.

Solid at the back · Mar 19, 2013

Does anyone actually give a toss about them lot anymore?

Herr Tubthumper · Mar 19, 2013

Pavilionaire said:
Withdrawn because playing for England conflicts with his personal fitness programme. Doesn't every player have a personal fitness programme? Seems Ferguson has finally won the battle with the FA, I can only see more similar withdrawals in the future. Another nail in the coffin for international football.

It does look like Fergie has got his way. The personal fitness program is a red herring if you ask me. There was a journo at the weekend saying that the FA have a huge backroom fitness team and most players, to varying degrees, have personal fitness programs these days and the FA fitness team are experienced with handling specific and individual requirements.

I have to say Gus' approach to international call ups i.e. it's an honour and he will not stand in anyone's way, is very refreshing.

Herr Tubthumper · Mar 19, 2013

Solid at the back said:
Does anyone actually give a toss about them lot anymore?

Supporters aside, I'm not convinced the players see it as the pinnacle of their career. Some certainly dont bust a gut to play for their country these days.

Herr Tubthumper · Mar 19, 2013

One Teddy Maybank said:
Rio would only be selected if he was going to play, not to warm the bench, so I'm sure he would have started.

But sitting on a nice warm bench for 90 minutes might actually do his back some good?

Herr Tubthumper · Mar 19, 2013

I'm pleased with some of the new players coming through now. 3 were not actually born in the UK so it will hopefully hush the gums of the tiresome bores who bleat on incorrectly about the German side being populated with numerous Poles and Turks.

wardy wonder land · Mar 19, 2013

A few years ago Rio had a ban for missing a drugs test

18 months ago it looked like his career was finished due to long term injuries

"scheduled, personal fitness program" in the 2 week window during international break

a) would Rio be more likely to have a drugs test while on international duty ?
2) how has his fitness improved greatly in the last 2 years ?
iii) when was the last time he was tested & and by whom for what ?

One Teddy Maybank · Mar 19, 2013

Herr Tubthumper said:
But sitting on a nice warm bench for 90 minutes might actually do his back some good?

A nice hot water bottle?

joeinbrighton · Mar 19, 2013

Well, I've watched a lot of Rio this season and I've got to say that he has been playing as well as he has played at any point in the last 5-6 years and is up there with Ashley Williams and Jan Vertonghen as best performing centre back in the Premier League this season. Since Boxing Day when Man United beat Newcastle 4-3, United have played 10 league matches, won 9 and conceded 3 goals, whereas up to Christmas by common consent their defending had been Kamikaze. Many of the pundits attribute this improvement to Nemanja Vidic coming back but I would put it down far more to how consistently well Rio Ferdinand has performed in those matches. He was man of the match again on Saturday against Reading where not only was he solid at the back, but was involved in setting up the goal and he also played a sublime 40 yard diagonal ball in the 1st half.

With my England hat on, it is a real shame that he won't be turning out for England, although it is really curious that both Rio and Roy Hodgson have seemingly not ruled out the possibility of him playing again for England at a later date. Given the number of double headers there are in international football now, if Rio's training programme was an issue this time it should would be again every time England have competitive fixtures in the future. I don't think Hodgson has handled things especially well in the past, what with 'Tubegate' and with his 'footballing reasons' comment about Rio's exclusion from the Euros which seemed somewhat disingenuous.

People saying that England should be building for the future are of course right in their reasoning, but the problem is that England don't have top quality central defenders growing on trees. Phil Jagielka is currently injured and although he is a decent enough Premier League defender, he wouldn't have been getting in the England squad 15 years ago. Gary Cahill is decidedly average and Chris Smalling and Phil Jones still have much to prove. Steven Caulker shows promise and I think he could end up being a very good defender, but it is early days. Joleon Lescott performed admirably against Spain last year but now can't get a game for his club. All said and done, the best 2 English centre backs playing in the Premier League even now past their peak are Rio Ferdinand and John Terry and therein lies the problem. It won't matter against San Marino where you could pick any English defender from the top two divisions and they would have nothing to do, but blooding young defenders with plenty to prove in Montenegro with a World Cup to qualify for up against Kovetic and Vucinic is far from ideal.

Herr Tubthumper · Mar 19, 2013

Hodgson has made a right pig's ear of handling the Ferdinand issue as well.

red star portslade · Mar 19, 2013

Ferdinand has made the FA look like fools, got away with his assault on Torres and then ****ed them off.

Sheebo · Mar 19, 2013

Herr Tubthumper said:
I'm pleased with some of the new players coming through now. 3 were not actually born in the UK so it will hopefully hush the gums of the tiresome bores who bleat on incorrectly about the German side being populated with numerous Poles and Turks.

I'm sorry, are you German or English?

joeinbrighton · Mar 19, 2013

red star portslade said:
Ferdinand has made the FA look like fools, got away with his assault on Torres and then ****ed them off.

It could be argued that Hodgson previously did much the same to Ferdinand's credibility with 'Tubegate'.

Re: Sheebo's question, the prefix in Tubthumper's username appears to offer a clue to his nationality.

glasfryn · Mar 19, 2013

Solid at the back said:
Does anyone actually give a toss about them lot anymore?

no and I don't know why I opened this thread about that tosser

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