ANDY TOWNSEND'S BOOT ROOM: Will Bridge regret his England snub?

If I was Wayne Bridge, I would be busting a gut to play at Stamford Bridge. He has made the decision about his England career solely because John Terry would be his team-mate. But to actually play against Terry should not be a problem for him. If Wayne feels playing alongside John is too much of an issue for him, then playing against him should provide an extra motivation. They cannot avoid each other forever and the quicker Wayne gets out there and puts in a good performance the better. No problem: Manchester City left-back Wayne Bridge may have quit England over former Chelsea team-mate John Terry but to play against him is entirely differentDown the years we have all had situations where there have been players in the opposing team we have detested and whose noses we have wanted to grind into the floor. If Bridge is of the character that I think he is, I am sure he will want to put in a very good performance and try and get one over on Terry in that respect. Enlarge This situation between Terry and Bridge is a rarity; it certainly never happened between two team-mates of mine. Personally, I feel Wayne's decision to announce his international retirement is the wrong one. I do think having a team-mate that you dislike is an issue that you can get over and that is why I am surprised Wayne has decided to retire form international football. He obviously has his reasons but if England go on to have a good tournament in the summer then I think he may regret his decision. As for this lunchtime, when the whistle goes, both players will have enough on their minds in terms of making sure they do their jobs properly. Terry went up to Hull and scored the winner after the story of his affair broke but he has made a few mistakes since, which everybody attributes to his mental state. I don't buy into that at all. I think his mistakes are coincidental. It is easy to assume, because of what has been going on, mentally he is not 100 percent. I was talking to Marcel Desailly and he felt John was not anticipating danger. When Terry is at his very best he is always on the front foot.As a defender, when your form is suffering you tend to try to be a bit safer in your play but that can be counter-productive. Enlarge Milito's goal for Inter was an example of that, where John got caught in the wrong area. Terry at his very best would not allow himself to get caught like that. When he is at his best, John is a top, top player. But when he gets isolated, he is vulnerable, especially when he has got quick, forward players around him. Every player goes through a phase where they make mistakes and they seem to multiply with each game when your form is not that good. You have got to nip that in the bud and when I see John Terry at his best I see him on the front foot, making great tackle and anticipating danger. Enlarge But John is the sort of player, who, if he has made mistakes, will stick his head back above the parapet when the next game comes along. He has the sort of character that could see him being Chelsea's best player at the weekend.  Enlarge  Enlarge   SPORTSMAIL COMMENT: Wayne Bridge - weak men don't win World CupsMARTIN SAMUEL: Left back at home, Wayne Bridge let nobody down ALL THE CARLING CUP AND PREMIER LEAGUE TEAM NEWS Explore more:People:John Terry, Wayne BridgePlaces:United Kingdom

Source: Daily_Mail