Following England boss Fabio Capello's swift decision to strip John Terry of the England captaincy, some media commentators have been quick to assert that "it was Capello's only option".
This is not true. Capello has taken the right decision, and for that reason, the majority among England fans and media are supporting it, but the matter of Terry's future as England captain was not a straightforward one. (But as the ITV Spy predicted last Tuesday, Terry was sacked by the weekend).
Some seemed to believe that while being a strict disciplinarian, the pragmatic side of Capello's nature would mean he would not want to rock the boat, and would allow Terry to continue in the captaincy.
Wrong again. And Capello's treatment of the situation is more evidence that he was a superb appointment. Can you imagine if the Terry scandal had erupted on Sven-Goran Eriksson's watch?
Firstly, Eriksson may have lacked the moral authority to sack Terry over the allegations of an affair with team-mate Wayne Bridge's ex-partner, given Eriksson's own conduct in his private life.
And secondly, it seems unlikely Eriksson would have taken the brave decision that Capello has. The Swede was often unable to wrestle control of big stories from the clutches of the media because, arguably, he pandered to the big names in the squad.
And control is the key word in this affair. Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson spoke recently in an interview about why control is the key to his success at Old Trafford:
"If I lose control of these multi-millionaires in the Manchester United dressing room then I'm dead. So I never lose control. If anyone steps out of my control, that's them dead."
Similarly, Capello's decision was based on control. He understood how he could stamp his authority on the situation. By dismissing Terry he has taken control of a scandal that threatened to derail England's World Cup bid.
He could not control the headlines - both in the recent past, and in the near future - about Terry's off-field conduct. But he had the option to send a strong message to his players by sacking Terry and he did not disappoint.
Interestly, there has not been one hint in the newspapers suggesting that the Italian has "bowed to media pressure" by dismissing his captain.
Taken by another manager, the decision to sack Terry may have been construed in some senses as weak. But the respect he has built up during his earlier career, his results and behaviour as England boss, mean that the England players, fans and media believe, almost to a man, that he has taken the right course of action.
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