Don't Blame it on Rio

You have to feel sorry for Rio Ferdinand. After several years of largely unblemished excellence for both England and Manchester United he has become the subject of stinging public criticism for recent performances. Although his form is undoubtedly below par, the calls for him to be dropped by both club and country are ludicrous.

Ahead of a World Cup offering more than the usual blinkered English optimism, the media are yet again intent on throwing the national team off the rails. In the absence of Steve McClaren style calamities on the pitch and Sven-esque intrigue away from it, red top column inches are proving tougher to fill than usual. So with the goalkeeping debate reaching unthinkable realms of dreariness, enter Rio Ferdinand.

The Manchester United defender’s recent high-profile mistakes have opened the door on an unceremonious blanket review of his worth. With poor judgement against Man City and Ukraine providing untimely reminders of his lackadaisical past and Fernando Torres showing him up for pace and strength against Liverpool.

Although there is clearly something amiss, Rio’s consistency over the last three years has done him no favours, only serving to accentuate his current form. Whether a matter of concentration or physical condition, it’s important to retain a degree of sanity over the situation. Suggestions that this is the beginning of the end for one of England’s finest ever centre-backs are ridiculous.

Amidst the cat calls, there are accusations that Rio has too many off the field commitments, particularly with his recent co-funding of British feature film ‘Dead Man Running’. Other than the obvious puns to coincide with his dip in form, this is merely a side project. The facts behind his bad patch are far less glamorous. The simple truth is that Ferdinand’s pre-season was ruined by a thigh injury. He is still building up to full match fitness and sharpness, a fact that Sir Alex Ferguson and Fabio Capello will be acutely aware of.

With South Africa looking like a genuine opportunity for England’s best World Cup since 1990, it is vital Rio is given time and patience, rather than a barrage of criticism in the press. It’s clear he has great ability, but also easy to forget that he thrives on confidence. When undermined, Ferdinand has a tendency to commit uncharacteristic mistakes. But at his ego-driven best he was one of the outstanding England players at the last two World Cups.

Complacency has been suggested as another contributory factor, with Rio’s Man United and England place facing no genuine challenge. However, Matthew Upson’s admirable performances will not have gone unnoticed and as too will Fabio Capello’s lack of regard for reputations.

But in reality, any chance of England lifting the World Cup next year will require an in-form Ferdinand alongside an in-form John Terry. Where Upson is Terry-like in his style, the Man United centre-back provides the perfect foil, with athleticism, anticipation and distribution to match the best in the world. All qualities required from a centre-half when facing the most technically gifted teams on the planet.

For the collective good of the World Cup bid, it’s about time we backed Rio. There’s no denying that he splits the public with his off the field personality and myriad of side projects. But whilst we collectively cringed at the excruciating ‘Merk’d’ of 2006, it should be noted that his soon to be launched ‘Live the Dream Foundation’ indicates a social conscience missing from many of today’s modern stars.

So, in the absence of interesting stories to write about England, I would direct the spotlight towards the amoral Robinho. His recent flirting with Barcelona makes Cristiano Ronaldo’s Madrid courtship look positively bashful. Whilst Man City are hardly anyone’s second team at the moment, you have to sympathise with Mark Hughes. In order to get the neutrals back on side, why not force the ungracious Brazilian to play out the remainder of his contract in the reserves? Let’s face it, they hardly need the money.

Whatever happens, it would be nice to see the pressure lifted from the England players for at least a few months ahead of South Africa 2010.