Source: Daily_Mail
Gareth Barry is England captain... but he's lost his lead role
It ought to be the proudest moment of his career, captain of England at a packed Wembley Stadium, but somehow it was hard to banish the feeling that Gareth Barry was the winner of a cheap consolation prize. [LNB]Three days ago, Barry did not even make the substitutes' bench in Cardiff and, now, with six players released from the squad and two senior figures already out injured, he has the honour of leading out a reserve team. [LNB] Sinking feeling: Barry (left) is now captain of the cast-offs but his injury before the World Cup was big news[LNB]Fabio Capello, suddenly well versed in the art of delivering a new leader to his squad before training, gathered the group at Wembley and explained that the 30-year-old Manchester City midfielder would be the man pulling on the armband for tonight's friendly against Ghana.[LNB] Barry will be the seventh different captain of Capello's tenure, the fifth this season and the fourth in as many games.[LNB] 'It was a surprise,' said Barry. 'To find myself not involved at the weekend and then, a few days later, to be told I'm going to lead the team out at Wembley sums up how quickly it can change. Saturday was disappointing for me but you try to keep your head and this i s great news.[LNB] 'The manager pulled me in before training, on my own, and said he wanted me to be the captain. He wanted to see if I'd be comfortable with it. I'm not shy about doing it. I had three great years leading the team at Aston Villa. [LNB] The main man: Parker has replaced Barry at the heart of England's midfield [LNB]'I'm well aware there are a lot of players not here and, in different circumstances, I wouldn't be captain but I can't let that take anything away from it. I'm going to lead my country out. As disappointed as I was on Saturday, this is going to be a great honour.' [LNB]The strange thing is that, this time last year, the prospect of Barry leading out Capello's team would not have felt at odds with anything. [LNB]Few players have played such a consistent role at the heart of the Italian's team. Barry will win his 46th England cap tonight and 30 of them will have come under this manager. [LNB]Bitter blow: Barry missed England's World Cup opener after picking up an injury for Manchester City [LNB]He has been a permanent fixture in his midfield, to such an extent that, when he twisted an ankle ahead of last year's World Cup finals, all Capello's plans seemed to descend into chaos.Barry, it appeared, was the keystone, the cool head who allowed others around him to indulge in a little more adventure. [LNB]When he declared himself fit for South Africa, there was a genuine sense of relief inside the camp, but he never hit his best form during the tournament, undoubtedly hindered by a hastened recovery process. [LNB]He will always be vilified in some quarters by the way a swi t counter-attacking Germany team exposed his lack of pace in the second half of that crushing 4-1 defeat in Bloemfontein. [LNB]'Lack of pace is one thing that's been aimed at me since I was 17,' said Barry. 'I'm no slower now than I was then. That one incident from the Germany game was at the World Cup, so it will be remembered.[LNB] 'You have to be strong, forget about it and play your normal game. I'm not going to go out and do extra speed training. It doesn't work like that. You are what you are. [LNB]'It would be easy to look back and say I wasn't fit, that I just wanted to get out there and play for my country, but I felt fit enough.' [LNB]In fact, Barry worked himself into the ground getting his ankle in shape for South Africa and, like Wayne Rooney, who also went to the World Cup on the back of an injury, has been slow to recapture his best form this season. [LNB]Only once before Saturday's win in Wales did Capello have Barry available and decline to use him. Never before had the Italian had him fit and failed to include him among the substitutes. [LNB]It appeared significant on a day when Scott Parker came into the deep midfield position and added a freshness to the team. It seemed like a changing of the guard. Out with the old and in with the new. Apart from the fact Parker is four months older than Barry, that is.[LNB] B-team fury: Capello hits back at angry fans after sending key stars homeBarry handed the England armband by Capello just days after being dropped So, who will be on show at Wembley as England host Ghana in friendly?Trailblazer from Ghana who became England's first black footballer [LNB] [LNB] Explore more:People: Wayne Rooney, Gareth Barry, Fabio Capello Places: Cardiff, United Kingdom, Ghana, Wales, South Africa, Germany
