Considering Capello’s dislike of the sort of WAG circus which descended on the Black Forest town of Baden-Baden during England’s World Cup campaign four years ago, it was a masterstroke from the stand-in captain.
Gerrard could hardly have chosen a better way to impress Fabio Capello than by ruling his wife out of contention for the World Cup finals at least until the semi-finals stage.
“I don’t know if having the WAGs there affected our performance last time,” said Gerrard before Wednesday’s friendly against Egypt which England won 3-1. “I can’t tell you that, but my wife won’t be there this time, not unless we get to the semis or the final. She’s got two kids who’ll be in school and it’s a long way away. If we get to the semis, she deserves to come and see me.”
After the scandals which have hit his squad since they last played, Capello’s message is clear: focus on football.
Last week, the Italian issued a public warning that he would not tolerate more reports of bad behaviour by his players off the pitch and, just to make sure they understood, he told them again on Monday. Gerrard said the manager’s address was short as he outlined the players’ responsibilities. — Daily Mail.
