Light at the end of the tunnel for JT

Whether England were poor in the first half or Egypt were very good is a matter of debate, but there is no doubt the Three Lions were much improved in the second half at Wembley. John Terry was in the spotlight for much of the match, but came through with his stock on the rise and he earned praise from Matt Dickinson in the Times for shoring up a shaky defence.

So how long did the booing of John Terry last at Wembley last night? About as long as it took for the crowd to realise that he was the best English defender on the pitch.

Say what you like about Terry’s morals but, 23 minutes into the game with England trailing to Egypt, did anyone care who he sleeps with?

Most of us were more concerned about whether Wes Brown and Leighton Baines really were the best full backs available to Fabio Capello. And what Matthew Upson was doing gifting a goal to Egypt by falling on his backside.

Terry’s personal escapades had put him in the line of fire, and his form had creaked under the pressure (more than his marriage has, by all accounts). But at Wembley last night, even with one very uncertain moment when he was put into retreat, he was the sole defender who offered any sort of assurance. It is why most England fans have happily come to the same pragmatic accommodation as Capello — they may not want “JT” as the leader of their team but they are in no position to do without his tackles.

If this was as bad as the stick is going to get, he has got away lightly compared with David Beckham, Owen Hargreaves, Ashley Cole, the Nevilles and a long list of victims subjected to abuse from their own supporters. For every fan who jeered Terry’s name, there were others trying to drown them out.

Walcott worry for Capello
While much of the focus was on JT, there was an intriguing tale unfolding on the right wing. Theo Walcott got the nod from the start and began brightly, setting up Frank Lampard with a dazzling run, but he faded to be replaced by Shaun Wright-Phillips. Little SWP did himself no harm by capping a bright display with a goal and Alan Smith in the Daily Telegraph feels Capello may now have more to ponder.

Rarely can a player have been in such poor club form and still won a starting place for England. Theo Walcott must know that, as must Fabio Capello. Mind you, the England coach didn’t have too many choices on Wednesday night.

Aaron Lennon, surely the Italian’s first choice on the right wing, has been ordered to rest his groin for a further six weeks, while David Beckham possesses neither the legs nor the game to fit Capello’s requirements – ie a genuine wide man blessed with genuine pace to counter balance the narrower style of Steven Gerrard on the left. Which leaves Capello with Walcott – an enigma of a player who promised so much with that hat-trick in Croatia but who has almost gone backwards in the 18 months since.

Not only that, during the four years he has been exposed to the Premier League at Arsenal, Walcott doesn’t appear to have learned very much.

At worst, he resembles an eager schoolboy with little understanding of the game. At best, he looks like a thrilling prospect who just needs to lose one or two rough edges.

Wright-Phillips replaced Walcott straight after the goal and went on to impress by scoring one and making one to maybe put him ahead in Capello’s World Cup thoughts. If so, Walcott’s fall from grace has been truly spectacular.

Tough times for KP
Life is tough for Kevin Pietersen at the moment. He can’t seem to buy a run and a second failure in the ODI series with Bangladesh has only increased the pressure. The fear for Simon Wilde in the Times is that Pietersen does not have the capacity to grind his way back into form.

The chances of England being severely embarrassed in the Tests in Bangladesh cannot be ruled out as an air of vulnerability continues to hang over their batting. The top four in the order could well comprise a man captaining his country for the first time at the age of 25 (Alastair Cook); someone making his debut (Michael Carberry); and two players chronically out of form (Jonathan Trott and Kevin Pietersen).

If Paul Collingwood ends up walking out at 25 for three, do not be surprised. As ever, Pietersen’s situation is the most intriguing. It doesn’t seem to matter whether this fame-junkie is doing brilliant things, or looking sorry for himself as he is now, the viewing remains compulsive.

There appears to be a general belief that Pietersen never doubts himself, or has no interest in whether others admire him or not, but The Edge has always been of the view that he is someone in constant need of reassurance and support. When he was churning out hundreds in the good old days (he hasn’t scored one for almost a year), his confidence fed off the regular doses of adulation that came his way.

It takes a certain type of mentality to grind out big scores against the less glamorous teams. Sachin Tendulkar (820 runs against Bangladesh, average 136.7) has it. So does Graeme Smith (743 runs, average 82.6). So too did Marcus Trescothick (551 runs, average 110.2).

But Virender Sehwag does not. This most mercurial of batting geniuses has yet to pass 60 in five innings. Like Sehwag, Pietersen needs his creative juices to flow. And the signs are not good: in his only meetings against Bangladesh in official internationals to date, Pietersen has scored 23, 10, 1 and 18. And in all matches in Bangladesh on this tour, he has managed just 25 runs, average 6.3.