Newcastle fans shouldn't be too despondent after Wolves draw

Terry Connor's Wolves fought back to earn a 2-2 draw with Alan Pardew's Newcastle

Newcastle 2-2 Wolves

It was certainly a case of two points dropped rather than one point gained for Newcastle United this afternoon against Wolves.

However, fans need to keep a sense of perspective rather than vilify the players who have taken the club to an improbable position in the top six of the Premier League.

People can be excused for being frustrated with the way Alan Pardew's team threw away a 2-0 lead against the side from the Black Country, with defensive lapses becoming far too common in recent weeks.

But if someone had suggested before the season began that Newcastle would be in sixth place going into March and just three points shy of the Champions League places, most would have laughed in their face.

Of course, it is important the Magpies follow up their superb start to the season by securing a place in Europe, and performances like the one against Wolves will not help them achieve that.

They were sloppy in possession, shaky at the back and lacked a general attacking threat as the game went on and that will be a concern to Pardew as the team he selected is arguably his full-strength side minus the stricken Steven Taylor.

Demba Ba was starved of service, Yohan Cabaye didn't look at his best in midfield and Mike Williamson continued his poor run of form, while several others struggled to make an impact when Pardew needed them.

It all looked rosy for Newcastle though as they went 2-0 ahead within 18 minutes, with Papiss Cisse scoring a poacher's effort and Jonas Gutierrez netting a scorching second.

Aside from a magnificent save to deny Danny Simpson though, visiting goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey was rarely troubled.

Wolves' confidence seemed to grow with every successful pass and a point was the least they deserved for their endeavour.

If new manager Terry Connor can inspire his side to this sort of performance week in, week out for the remainder of the season, they surely won't be relegated.

In truth, Newcastle's 2-0 half-time lead flattered them.

They had certainly improved markedly on their showing in the first 45 minutes of their last game at Tottenham - they couldn't be any worse than that - but the signs were there that Wolves were not out of it.

Within five minutes of the restart, Connor's side were back in the game courtesy of a deflected Matt Jarvis effort and the industrious Kevin Doyle put them on level terms on 66 minutes after Williamson failed to clear a Jamie O'Hara free-kick.

Doyle's equaliser was a reward for his and Wolves' hard work

Danny Guthrie and Hatem Ben Arfa were introduced by Pardew immediately before the equaliser and the latter looked the most likely player in black and white to score a winner.

Ben Arfa twice shot wide but although he provided the biggest threat to Wolves' largely solid defence, he also frustrated in equal measure with his use of the ball.

As for Guthrie, the less said about his performance the better.

He has arguably been Newcastle's best player in recent weeks and was extremely unfortunate to be left out of the starting eleven to make way for the returning Cheik Tiote.

However, he barely made one successful pass and the impetus his introduction should have given the Magpies was severely lacking.

Guthrie can't be blamed for the draw though - the fact is the team as a whole deserved no more than a point.

Wolves could even be considered unlucky not to have taken all three points away from St James' Park, and Connor will be delighted by the efforts of his players.

Deposed boss Mick McCarthy must be wondering why they didn't play like that for him during his final weeks at the club.

On the evidence of this game, there are certainly worse teams in the Premier League than Wolves and they should have no serious problems with avoiding relegation.

If Newcastle are to be considered Champions League - or even Europa League - material though these are the matches they need to be winning.

Pardew admitted after the draw that it felt like a defeat but the situation is far from doom and gloom on the pitch for the club's supporters.

Pardew will have been disappointed with the way his side surrendered a two-goal advantage

There have been too many off days recently but, overall, Magpies fans should be delighted with where their club currently stands.

A top six finish is certainly still within their grasps and next weekend's mouthwatering derby clash with Sunderland could be exactly what they need to get the last two games out of their system.

It would have been nice for them to get a simple win against Wolves but this is Newcastle United we are talking about. It is extremely rare for them to do anything the easy way and that is why this season has been so refreshing.

It has been largely steady and rewarding - albeit with a few bumps along the way - and there are still far more positives than negatives.

The Wolves draw was certainly disappointing for Newcastle but in the grand scheme of things, it was a minor blip.

They shouldn't be drawing games from a position of a two-goal lead and their passing and defending need to improve, but now is certainly not the time to panic.

Newcastle are still in the top six and merit that position, so the players deserve continued backing from the fans.

Some of those players are punching well above their weight and will make mistakes from time to time, but they are all doing honest jobs and helping to provide Newcastle with their best season in quite some time.

The prospect of the Champions League is tantalising but the true goal must be a place in the top seven, or top six if possible.

Newcastle are still having a superb season and it is important people do not lose sight of that - however frustrating days like this are.

Chelsea would be mad to sack Villas-Boas now

Speculation over Andre Villas-Boas' Chelsea future has intensified since their 3-1 defeat to Napoli

The knives are out. Again.

Andre Villas-Boas knew what to expect when he took on the manager's job at Chelsea last summer given Roman Abramovich's record for hiring and firing.

But even by Abramovich's standards, it would be crazy to sack Villas-Boas now.

The Portuguese 34-year-old represents the future.

If he doesn't succeed at Stamford Bridge, he will succeed somewhere else.

True, Chelsea have had a shocking run of late - indeed a shocking season up to now - and some of Villas-Boas' tactics have been naive, but there has to be some sort of long-term strategy at the club.

Why spend an estimated £13.3million to get Villas-Boas out of Porto only to spend a similar amount to get rid of him less than a year later?

If he was sacked now, who in their right mind would want to take the poisoned chalice of the Chelsea job?

A lot of Chelsea's problems this season have been created by Villas-Boas, but it is an incredibly difficult job he took on at Stamford Bridge.

He inherited an aging squad whose standards slipped last season while 'star' players like Fernando Torres have simply not fired for him.

Torres' lack of form has cast a huge shadow over the club over the last year and he has become a millstone around the manager's neck.

Villas-Boas seems to have finally lost patience with the Spaniard but the worry is Abramovich will not accept his £50million signing not playing.

This is Andriy Shevchenko revisited.

Shevchenko looks a bargain compared to Torres at £30million, but his lack of form was surely a factor in Jose Mourinho's departure from the club.

Shevchenko was arguably seen as bigger than the manager back then, and a similar situation seems to be arising now with Torres.

Torres is continuing to flatter to deceive at Chelsea

That cannot be allowed to happen.

Villas-Boas must be the most important person in the club and trusted to make his own decisions.

His choice to leave out Ashley Cole, Frank Lampard and Michael Essien against Napoli in the Champions League last night was described as "managerial suicide" by Jamie Redknapp, but it was in fact a great show of strength by the manager.

Cole was not fully fit, so it was understandable he didn't start the game, and if his alleged dressing-room row with Villas-Boas in the days leading up to the match played a part in the decision, then it has to be regarded as a brave choice.

The manager showed he was the boss and that, even in such a vital game as a Champions League knockout fixture, nobody was immune to the axe.

As for Lampard and Essien, they simply haven't played enough recently to warrant a place in the side.

As it turned out, Villas-Boas made the wrong decisions in Italy but it was merely a sign of the challenges he is facing at Stamford Bridge.

Aging players with big reputations are simply not good enough to start every game anymore and there is not the quality needed in reserve to replace them.

John Terry, Lampard, Didier Drogba, Florent Malouda et al can't have long left at the top level yet Villas-Boas was expected to phase that generation out and implement a new expansive playing style in a season?

If Abramovich thought that was achievable, he is mad.

Chelsea's chaotic defence is in dire need of a makeover, with David Luiz undoubtedly a talented player but not responsible enough for a defender and Gary Cahill lacking experience on the big stage.

They need an effective player in front of the defence to snuff out opposition attacks and may have that man already in Oriol Romeu, while a new striker may become a necessity unless Torres gets his act together.

The only real positives at the moment are Juan Mata and Daniel Sturridge, but Chelsea cannot expect to win ties like the one against Napoli with such a chaotic defence.

Players of the quality of Edinson Cavani and Ezequiel Lavezzi are not going to pass up the kind of opportunities they were given last night and Chelsea's 3-1 defeat leaves them with a mountain to climb in the second leg at Stamford Bridge.

They showed enough going forward to suggest they are more than capable of scoring at least twice against the Italians, while Napoli themselves looked shaky at the back and so Chelsea should still have a chance in the tie.

However, Napoli will always be dangerous on the break with their 'Holy Trinity' of Cavani, Lavezzi and Marek Hamsik, so it is hard to see Chelsea keeping a clean sheet in the return leg.

Napoli's 'Holy Trinity' would striker fear into any defence

They certainly have it all to do to reach the quarter-finals, while their league form and position suggests they will find it difficult to qualify for the competition next season.

However, even if all goes wrong and Chelsea fail on both fronts, that should not mean the end of Villas-Boas.

To sack him in the summer would leave his successor facing exactly the same situation Villas-Boas left behind.

However, if faith is shown in the Portuguese boss it will give him the chance to continue the process of phasing out the older players and allow him to drag the club out of the situation he has got them in.

There is no doubt he has to shoulder much of the blame for Chelsea's plight but sacking him is not the solution.

Sooner or later, Abramovich must back a manager and Villas-Boas' record at Porto, effort in bringing in a new style of play and reputation among other managers he has worked with should be enough to convince the Russian he is the man.

Ideally, Abramovich should break his silence and support Villas-Boas publicly rather than allow the rumour mill to go into overdrive.

That is extremely unlikely, of course, but it can't have done the manager or his players any good on the eve of a crucial Champions League encounter to see the likes of Jose Mourinho and Rafael Benitez linked with the job.

Situations like that simply shouldn't be allowed to develop.

Villas-Boas has become something of a joke figure, with websites set up pondering whether he has been sacked yet and players thought to be sniggering and sniping behind his back.

He should be the future of Chelsea, whether their egotistical, pampered stars like it or not.

To sack him now would show an incredible short-term philosophy and would be a huge waste of money, while they would probably regret the decision if Villas-Boas was to go on to be as good a manager as he is predicted to become.

Abramovich's appointment of a young manager was a risk but he surely must have known that at the time.

Why would he appoint a youngster if he wasn't going to give him time to build a squad and to change the philosophy?

In reality, Villas-Boas is unlikely to be given the time he needs to rebuild this Chelsea squad.

The process has started, but still has an awful long way to go.

If it is decided Villas-Boas is not the man to complete it, you have to wonder if it will be possible for anyone to work at Stamford Bridge long-term and make the changes that are needed.

Neil Warnock the perfect man for Leeds United job

The appointment of Neil Warnock as manager should pay off for Leeds

It didn't take long for Neil Warnock to make an impact at Leeds.

A matter of hours after agreeing to succeed Simon Grayson as manager at Elland Road, Warnock, despite not being in official charge for the game, gave the pre-match and half-time team-talks and helped inspire his new side to a 3-2 comeback win against Doncaster.

It was a show of tremendous spirit from Leeds to turn around a 2-0 deficit against the Championship's bottom side, and it could yet prove to be the turning point in their season.

Whether Warnock's words had a massive effect on the players or not, what is clear is that he is exactly the type of manager Leeds need to have a chance of reaching the Premier League.

That dream may be beyond them this season - although a play-off push is certainly not out of the question - but Warnock is the ideal man to launch a promotion push next year.

His promotion record is unrivalled and Leeds chairman Ken Bates has done well to snap him up now before one of his Championship rivals did.

Warnock was always going to be in demand after his sacking by Queens Park Rangers last month, and he now appears to be at another club which will give him a great chance of adding yet another promotion to his CV.

The 18-month contract he has signed at Elland Road should suit everybody, as it gives both parties the chance to sever ties quickly if the explosive-looking partnership of Warnock and Bates turns sour.

Leeds is a club which always attracts headlines and this has been intensified under Bates' leadership.

Now, with football's 'Mr Marmite' as manager, there will never be a dull moment at Leeds but it is important Bates - if it is possible for him - keeps a low profile and lets Warnock get on with it.

Warnock's record in the Championship with the likes of Sheffield United, Crystal Palace and QPR cannot be questioned so Bates will have to stay in the background and trust his manager.

The pair - perhaps unsurprisingly given the prickly nature of their personalities - have history, as Warnock turned Bates down when he offered him the Chelsea job in 1991, but Bates has clearly recognised the manager with the best chance of taking Leeds up is Warnock.

Their partnership could go spectacularly wrong and there will be fireworks but Warnock and Leeds should be a match that goes hand in hand.

Leeds is a terrific club with great and loyal fans who deserve to be in the Premier League.

Warnock is an experienced manager with a proven record of taking lower league teams where they want to be and, as he put it, has "one big challenge" left in him.

Leeds couldn't have picked a better manager to lead a promotion push and Warnock couldn't have picked a better club so everything ought to be in place for a successful partnership.

The only problem appears to be Bates.

Bates has had a rocky relationship with the Leeds fans

He is loathed by a large number of Leeds fans for a perceived lack of investment and for letting a number of players leave on free transfers, and he must back Warnock in this summer's transfer market to give him a chance of success.

Supporters have seen the likes of Jermaine Beckford, Neil Kilkenny and Bradley Johnson leave on free transfers in recent years, along with captain Jonny Howson relatively cheaply, Kasper Schmeichel in surprising circumstances and Max Gradel in the closing stages of last summer's transfer window.

Fans could be forgiven for worrying about the futures of the likes of Adam Clayton, Aidan White, Tom Lees and Ross McCormack, and one of the first jobs Warnock faces at Elland Road is to seek assurances from Bates none of them will be sold.

Despite all the recent departures, there is still the spine of a very strong team at Leeds which gives Warnock something to build on.

Midfielder Clayton is a terrific player and a real talent who has been the recipient of many man of the match awards this season.

Clayton has been Leeds' main man for much of this season

Alongside Clayton, there is also McCormack, who has been in fantastic goalscoring form this season, Robert Snodgrass, who looks destined to be a top flight player very soon, Andy Lonergan, who has been a successful replacement for Schmeichel, Luciano Becchio, who appears to be finding some form again up front and youngsters like White and Lees who look so impressive.

The loss of Howson to Norwich in January was a real blow but there are still some excellent players at Leeds for Warnock to work with and mould into a promotion-challenging team.

There will be no pressure on him to deliver that this season - although it certainly cannot be ruled out - and his main goal for the remainder of the campaign should be to boost confidence around the club and tighten up the team's defence.

With a bit of backing in the summer, Warnock will be confident a promotion is more than achievable for a club of Leeds' stature next season.

He has certainly made the ideal start with the enthralling victory over Doncaster and his task of waking English football's biggest sleeping giant has now begun.

The Warnock-Bates partnership will produce fireworks and it could all end in tears, but with Warnock's record, it is more likely to be tears of joy for Leeds fans.

Wolves will be in safe hands under Curbishley or Bruce

Mick McCarthy did a terrific job at Wolves

Mick McCarthy's departure from Wolves seemed inevitable given the 5-1 mauling his side suffered against West Brom on Sunday, but it's hard to see many other managers doing a better job than him at Molineux.

McCarthy was well-liked by the players, knew the club inside-out and had been terrific for Wolves since joining as manager in 2006.

A heavy defeat at home to your fiercest rivals though makes almost any manager's position untenable - unless you're Sir Alex Ferguson and in a position where you can't possibly be sacked - and the fact the result saw Wolves fall into the bottom three made a knee-jerk reaction highly likely.

The axe duly fell on McCarthy yesterday, but he can walk away with his head held high having done a terrific job.

The club needed someone to take it by the scruff of its neck and drag it into the Premier League, and there aren't many with a better track record of doing that than McCarthy.

Promotion to the top flight was secured in 2009 and McCarthy went on to prove he could cut it as a manager in the big time, keeping Wolves in the Premier League for two seasons.

That experience of winning battles against relegation would have stood he and his team in good stead had the board kept the faith, and it has to be doubtful whether his successor will be able to achieve what McCarthy did over the last two seasons.

There are some quality players on the books at Molineux, like Steven Fletcher, Kevin Doyle, Matt Jarvis and Wayne Hennessey, while there is a strong backbone to the side which should see them safe.

However, changing manager does not always guarantee success, particularly for a side battling relegation at this stage of the season.

It worked for West Brom last season with Roy Hodgson and it's worked for Sunderland with Martin O'Neill, but Alan Shearer and Iain Dowie both failed at Newcastle and Hull respectively.

There is an argument that sticking with managers fighting relegation can also be perilous, like Avram Grant at West Ham last season, and so Wolves chairman Steve Morgan found himself in a very tricky situation with McCarthy.

McCarthy provided only happy memories for Morgan at Molineux

He was going to be criticised whatever he decided, so his judgement cannot be praised or condemned until at least the end of the season.

What can be condemned, though, is the way he undermined McCarthy by giving his players a dressing down after their defeat to Liverpool, as the manager deserved better than that for all he had done for the club.

McCarthy has now left Wolves with a great deal of dignity and with respect seemingly from all fans of the club, so Morgan must surely regret how he handled the situation.

However, his decision to sack the Yorkshireman cannot yet be criticised and could turn out to be another example of a chairman intervening at just the right time to save his club from relegation.

McCarthy did excellently at Wolves but Morgan will be hoping the new manager will follow in the footsteps of Hodgson at West Brom and Alan Pardew at Newcastle, who were the replacements of Roberto Di Matteo and Chris Hughton respectively last season after they were sacked in unpopular circumstances, and take the club onto the next level.

Success for Wolves is clearly still survival, and that will be the short-term aim of the new boss.

However, Morgan will need to balance that with appointing a man he believes can progress the club further and establish Wolves as a mid-table Premier League team.

Of all the candidates rumoured to be in the frame to replace McCarthy, only Alan Curbishley and Steve Bruce have CVs to suggest they would have a better chance of saving Wolves than the former Ireland and Sunderland manager.

Curbishley has been out of football since leaving West Ham in 2008, and his chances of returning to the game have looked slim recently.

Curbishley has done very little wrong in his managerial career

He is perceived by many as arrogant for his view that he belongs in the Premier League and would therefore not accept a job at a lower level, but it is hard to argue against his top flight record.

Curbishley is a legend at Charlton for the job he did at the Valley, taking the Addicks into the Premier League and seeing them excel there before resigning after six successful years in the top flight.

He then joined West Ham and secured a miraculous survival followed by a top-10 finish before resigning after a row over transfers.

His reputation has taken a battering since then but he remains the same, successful manager he was in his days at Charlton and West Ham.

Curbishley's name is unlikely to set Wolves fans' pulses racing but he could be just what they need to secure survival.

He is certainly the calibre of manager they will be looking for but if he doesn't take over at Wolves, you would then have to question whether he would ever get back into the game.

The only other realistic candidate who would do the jobs Wolves need would be Steve Bruce, another manager whose reputation has recently taken a battering.

Bruce was always fighting a losing battle at Sunderland as a well-known supporter of their fierce rivals Newcastle, but his record stands up against almost anybody's.

Bruce is an early frontrunner to replace McCarthy

Even at Sunderland, he took the club to a top-10 finish but it was the lack of success from his big-money signings which eventually did for him at the Stadium of Light.

His other spells as a Premier League manager were at Birmingham and Wigan, and he did a terrific job with both of those.

He took the Blues to the top flight for the first time in 16 years in 2002, and the club only spent one more season outside the Premier League before Bruce left in 2007.

Bruce then went on to somehow save Wigan from falling into the Championship before leading them to an impressive 11th-placed finish the season after.

The job Bruce did at the DW Stadium is looking even more impressive now given their current struggles, and Wolves would surely love Bruce to do a similar job at Molineux, although they would want him to show them more loyalty than he did Wigan.

There really aren't many other realistic candidates who could save Wolves.

A bold appointment would be Huddersfield boss Lee Clark, who looks destined to manage at the top, but Morgan has already indicated he wants an experienced manager and there are doubts over whether Clark would leave his current job for a risky role with the Premier League strugglers.

Curbishley and Bruce are the two names who should be in the frame, with both more than capable of saving Wolves from relegation.

Everything seems in place for Wolves to become an established Premier League club and it is a shame McCarthy couldn't see through the job and do that, but he won't be out of a job for long.

Any ambitious Championship club looking for a manager in the near future will have McCarthy and Neil Warnock at the top of their shortlist as there are not many better at turning a club around and taking them to the Premier League.

McCarthy will feel hard done by to have left Wolves but it is understandable why the club made the decision to sack him after their poor run and heavy defeat to their fierce rivals.

This managerial appointment now though is crucial and the club must get it right or risk derision for getting rid of McCarthy.

The man Wolves need is Curbishley or Bruce, and if either of those can save them, the harsh-looking sacking of McCarthy will be justified.

Chris Hughton's reputation continues to grow at Birmingham

Chris Hughton has done a remarkable job in difficult circumstances at Birmingham

To say Chris Hughton hasn't had the easiest of starts to his managerial career would be an understatement.

He took the reigns at Newcastle when the club was at its lowest ebb and became Birmingham manager under similar circumstances.

He left Newcastle in a comfortable position in the Premier League after a superb Championship-winning campaign, and they wouldn't be where they are today if it wasn't for Hughton.

Without him, there is a real chance the Magpies would still be in the second tier - or worse.

After their relegation from the Premier League in 2009, not many expected them to bounce straight back, with many established players departing and owner Mike Ashley refusing to replace them.

They infamously lost 6-1 at Leyton Orient in a pre-season friendly - a result which led many to suggest Newcastle were set for back-to-back relegations - yet Hughton somehow salvaged the situation, got his best players performing and took the Championship by storm.

They destroyed all before them in that season before impressing in the Premier League, with a 5-1 thrashing of local rivals Sunderland, 6-0 win against Aston Villa and 1-0 triumph at Arsenal earning Hughton hero status on Tyneside.

He was then ruthlessly sacked, and although many will now look back on the decision to replace him with Alan Pardew as correct, Hughton still deserved much more for his efforts.

The job he took on at Birmingham last summer was arguably even more difficult than the one he had at Newcastle.

With the Magpies, his squad may have been threadbare but it did not lack quality.

It still had the very strong spine of Steve Harper, Fabricio Coloccini, Jose Enrique, Kevin Nolan and Andy Carroll among others, but Hughton had no such luxuries at Birmingham.

He was stripped of almost all of his best players in the summer, including the likes of Craig Gardner, Roger Johnson and Scott Dann, and saw more key players depart in January.

Somehow, he has led his hard-working side to third place in the Championship, within two points of the promotion places, despite an inauspicious start.

Hughton has been working on a shoestring budget at St Andrews and has relied on loan signings and free transfers, so deserves enormous credit for the job he has done.

The likes of Marlon King are spearheading Birmingham's promotion push

Birmingham also had an extremely positive time in the Europa League - despite their group stage exit - and the whole place seems reinvigorated by the club's upturn in fortunes.

That is down to Hughton and his calming influence, and it can only be hoped that he is allowed to see the job through with the Blues, something which was snatched away from him on Tyneside.

He has led Birmingham to a run of 12 games without defeat and they are still in the FA Cup, while their form suggests promotion is a real possibility.

That would be an incredible achievement by Hughton given the chaos of Carson Yeung's ownership. He is certainly the man for a crisis.

The job he has done so far at Birmingham is as good as any other manager in the country has done this season, and it is time Hughton is given the admiration he deserves from everyone in the game.

For some, he is still just a 'coach', but he has now surely proved beyond doubt he is in fact an excellent manager capable of achieving success in any circumstances.

Hughton has got the maximum he possibly could out of his players this season and has now installed a winning mentality at St Andrews, just as he did at St James' Park.

The likes of Nathan Redmond have flourished this season under Hughton's guidance, while the manager has moulded a promotion-challenging team capable of returning to the Premier League at the first time of asking.

Promotion seemed impossible at the start of the season for Birmingham but Hughton looks like he might just make it happen.

It would have been easy for him to turn the job down given the chaos which surrounded the club last summer, but he took a chance and put his reputation on the line by accepting it.

Hughton's managerial career is still in its primitive stage, but he surely couldn't have achieved more than he has done at both Newcastle and Birmingham.

Newcastle fans are enjoying seeing their side in the top five of the Premier League under Pardew, but they have not forgotten the input of Hughton.

They know they wouldn't be in the position they are without him, and he has now underlined his ability as a manager in even more difficult circumstances at Birmingham.

Chris Hughton might be relatively unheralded outside of Newcastle and Birmingham, but all that should be about to change.

If he were to achieve promotion with the Blues, he would have to be recognised as one of the top managers in the country.

Who should replace John Terry as England captain?

Poisoned chalice? Who should wear the England armband after John Terry was stripped of it?

It seems like an annual debate: who should be England's new captain?

John Terry has now lost the armband for the second time, and Fabio Capello must again look for a new leader.

Capello is thought to have wanted Terry to continue as skipper, as the Chelsea man has not been found guilty of anything yet, but the FA made the correct decision to strip him of the honour.

This is not the place to debate whether Terry is guilty or not.

Of course, he is assumed innocent until proven guilty but it wouldn't have been right for him to continue to lead the country with such serious allegations hanging over his head.

There are no better leaders than Terry, but Capello must have a captain the whole squad - indeed nation - can get behind and support all the way in Poland and Ukraine.

The importance of the captaincy seems to have diminished in recent years, and if Terry still wishes to be considered to play for his country, he will still be able to demonstrate his leadership qualities going forward.

The captain's main role now is off the pitch. They must be a great ambassador and always present themselves in the right manner, but they are nowhere near as important on the pitch as, say, a cricket captain.

There are no shortage of candidates to succeed Terry, but there is no outstanding one.

Steven Gerrard is the obvious choice, but the doubt with him is his fitness.

He has returned to great form recently since his long injury lay-off and has led Liverpool magnificently over the years, and many see him as the only viable candidate to take over as skipper.

Rio Ferdinand has taken the armband before, but has already ruled himself out of the running and he is not guaranteed a place in the side anyway.

However, there are many others who may be equally as deserving of the honour as Gerrard, and they will now be looked at in closer detail. 

Steven Gerrard

Gerrard captained England at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa

Seen as the only choice by many, Gerrard led England in the 2010 World Cup after Terry had been stripped of the captaincy and Rio Ferdinand went down injured.

Gerrard has served Liverpool with distinction since being appointed captain in 2003, with the defining moment of his reign as skipper being the victorious Champions League night in Istanbul in 2005.

As has already been stated, there are doubts about his fitness after a long lay-off, but he has returned to sparkling form since recovering from injury.

Gerrard turns 32 in May though and can therefore not be considered for a long-term role as England skipper, but it appears the sensible thing to give him the armband now, until at least after the European Championships. 

Scott Parker

Parker's leadership skills are obvious

Parker is seen as a surprising frontrunner to succeed Terry by many, but his form over recent seasons for West Ham and Tottenham have pushed him into genuine contention.

With Jack Wilshere injured, Parker is surely going to be in Capello's side in Poland and Ukraine and, after Terry, appears to be the most natural leader in the team.

Parker wasn't West Ham captain during last year's relegation campaign, but he acted like one and his leadership qualities were there for all to see.

He would also be a great ambassador as England captain and unlikely to let anyone down on or off the pitch, so Capello could do worse than turn to the 31-year-old. 

Frank Lampard

Lampard captained England against Spain in November

Lampard has often been the go-to man when Terry has been unavailable for England, but is an outsider to succeed him on a permanent basis as he is no longer secured a place in the side.

He is certainly too old to lead England on a long-term basis and the fact he is no longer guaranteed a place in the Chelsea team means he is unlikely to be considered by Capello.

However, if the Italian is looking for experience and consistency, he may yet turn to Lampard.

However, that would have to be considered extremely unlikely - Lampard would be delighted to simply be in Capello's starting 11. 

Gareth Barry

Capello is a huge admirer of Barry

Barry led England's under-21 side and his former club Aston Villa, while he has grown in stature this season at Manchester City.

Capello is a big fan of the midfielder and it would not be a surprise to see him in the team in Poland and Ukraine, but he has very little experience of captaining England.

However, the same can be said of many of his fellow contenders.

Barry has many qualities which would make him a great England captain but, for whatever reason, fans have never taken him to their hearts and it would be a surprise if he was to become skipper. 

Ashley Cole

Cole is regarded as one of the best left-backs in the world

The Italian approach to captaincy is to give the armband to the man with the most caps, and if Capello was to implement that now then Cole would succeed Terry.

However, if England are looking for someone who is respected by all and has a squeaky-clean image, then Cole is not their man.

In addition, Cole is only third-choice at best to captain his club side Chelsea, so it seems implausible he would be appointed in the role by his country.

To appoint Cole as captain, Capello would be effectively admitting it doesn't matter who wears the armband, but he surely won't go down that route. 

Wayne Rooney

Rooney's temperament makes him an unlikely England captain at present

Rooney will serve a two-match ban at the start of Euro 2012, but is still England's talisman.

If England are to have success at Euro 2012, then Rooney would have to perform and his commitment during matches is a great example to his team-mates.

However, Rooney remains volatile - as he proved with his red card against Montenegro - and Capello cannot run the risk of his captain being sent off and ruining his team's image.

If Rooney can improve his temperament, he could be a future England captain but, for now, he has much to prove. 

Joe Hart

Hart will be a key player for England for at least the next decade

Hart is one of the few players guaranteed a place in Capello's team and is never short of a word or two.

His big disadvantage in the captaincy debate is the fact he is a goalkeeper and would therefore find it difficult to relay instructions to his team-mates.

However, Spain's captain is Iker Casillas and they haven't done too badly when he has had the armband, have they?

If Hart was surprisingly given the armband, he would be a long-term choice as he is surely going to be England's number one for at least the next decade, but it appears unlikely Capello will turn to the 24-year-old. 

James Milner

Milner's work-rate makes him a possible England captain

Milner is not yet assured of a place in the England team and has not yet captained a club side, making him a real outsider.

However, nobody leads by example more than him and if Capello was to give him the armband, it would be a signal of the effort he expects each player to put in.

Milner has grown in importance for Manchester City this season and is now a key member of Roberto Mancini's title-chasing outfit, while he has a squeaky-clean image and would never let Capello down.

Do not expect him to be Capello's next captain though - he needs to cement his place in the side before thinking of anything more. 

Jack Wilshere

Wilshere is seen as an England captain of the future

Wilshere could miss the rest of the season with injury and is therefore unlikely to feature at Euro 2012, while he is also too young to be given the England captaincy at just 20.

He has also got himself into a few scrapes off the pitch and needs to mature, but he has the ability to be a future captain of Arsenal and England.

His footballing ability will assure him of a place in both sides for at least the next decade, while his tenacity and bite have led even Capello to say he is a future England captain.

Long-term, his destiny is to wear the England armband, but he will certainly have to wait a bit longer to realise that dream. 

Verdict

Capello's only real choice is to name Steven Gerrard as his new skipper.

He already captains a leading Premier League club with distinction and has the experience of captaining England at a major tournament, so it should be a pretty simple decision for Capello to make.

His fitness will be a concern, but that is surely the only test Gerrard will have to face before taking the armband.

Scott Parker would be a good vice-captain to Gerrard as his leadership qualities are just as evident, while the likes of Frank Lampard, Ashley Cole and Gareth Barry will all bring their experience to the squad without needing to take the armband.

Gerrard is only likely to be a first-choice for England for the next two or three years, so it won't be too long before the issue of the captaincy comes up again.

Jack Wilshere would then be the obvious candidate, provided he knuckles down and improves his discipline off the pitch, to lead England for many years, while the likes of Phil Jones are also potential England captains of the future.

For now though, Capello must get behind Gerrard and put the captaincy debacle to one side.

England need a solid leader put in place now to avoid another major tournament fiasco, and Gerrard is the man they need.