A series of meaningless friendlies under his belt, it's time for Fabio Capello to get serious as he faces the biggest decision of his tenure so far - who will lead his team?

In the aftermath of England's easy but underwhelming win over Trinidad and Tobago, Capello revealed he had whittled down his prospective candidates to two. Although he has used four different captains in his first four games - David Beckham, Rio Ferdinand, Steven Gerrard and John Terry - press reports seem to suggest that the "two" mentioned by Capello are Ferdinand and Terry.

Oh, when will England be blessed with a manager who learns from previous mistakes? Terry's tenure as England captain showed that England do not need a defender as captain.

'England's tame surrender in the Euro 2008 qualifiers was a signal that the team requires a leader who can drag them back into games from the brink of oblivion'


Terry, an influential and inspirational captain at Chelsea, could not exert his influence as England skipper despite working in tandem with Ferdinand in what should be the most formidable defensive line in Europe. I would envisage Ferdinand having a similar impact upon the team as Terry did during his time as captain under Steve McLaren.

England's tame surrender in the Euro 2008 qualifiers was a signal that the team require a leader who can drag them back into games from the brink of oblivion - which leaves Steven Gerrard as the only genuine option.

The moment he had the extra burden of responsibility thrust upon him when made Liverpool captain, Gerrard embraced it, and his game improved tenfold.

Admittedly his form for England has had its highs and lows. However, he has been the victim of his own versatility and forced to repeatedly play out of position. But there is no denying his class.

On countless occasions he has pulled results out of nowhere for Liverpool at the highest level. Champions League games against Olympiakos and AC Milan, and the FA Cup "Gerrard Final" spring to mind.

It is this kind of determination and inspiration that England need to ensure safe passage to the World Cup 2010, and Capello needs to recognise Gerrard's leadership qualities quickly.