Captaincy

[Gutter Boy]

Rafa is the obvious leader of our players.

However, I don't like attacking players as captains.

So I'd give it to Verts - seems to be intelligent, articulate and have a winning mentality. Been captain of Ajax for a while.

Kaboul would be my only other thought, but he just doesn't seem to have the right personality.

 

[Disco Benny]

Voted Parker, as VDV never finishes 90. Oh, but hang on, neither does Parker, in that case it better be Brad, but I hate goalies as captain.

 

[The Moonlit Knight]

Rafa is the obvious leader of our players.

However, I don't like attacking players as captains.

So I'd give it to Verts - seems to be intelligent, articulate and have a winning mentality. Been captain of Ajax for a while.

Kaboul would be my only other thought, but he just doesn't seem to have the right personality.

You'd give to a brand new player straight away?

 

[The Moonlit Knight]

Voted Parker, as VDV never finishes 90. Oh, but hang on, neither does Parker, in that case it better be Brad, but I hate goalies as captain.

Thing is, next season I'd expect Sandro to be first choice over Parker. Especially considering Sandro's end of season form. Parker did superbly last year, he was my player of the year, but I wouldn't give him the Captaincy purely based on the fact I don't think he'll play as much.

 

[nayimfromthehalfwayline]

I cant choose. As MK says Parker isnt a man for every game.

Kaboul is, but I havent seen leadership qualities in him.

Modric is a mouse.

I like VDVs attitude, but Im not sure he is captain material and as pointed out he rarely finishes games.

Friedel has a lot to offer, but being a GK that gets limited. Kind of pointless.

King, Dawson, Gallas.... Not regular enough.

Quite honestly I dont know who to give it to.

IF a new player had the gravitas and leadership skills to do the job, while its unusual I would be tempted to give them the armband - but only through a lack of alternatives

 

[Jordinho]

Players with leadership skills will lead regardless of any armband. It's not exclusively down to whoever's captain.

 

[Gutter Boy]

You'd give to a brand new player straight away?

We did with Parker.

If he's the right personality, then why not.

We certainly need to freshen up a few things this summer, and a new player as captain giving some of the too comfortable ones a kick up the arse wouldn't be a bad start.

 

[southstand1882]

What about Bongani Sandile Khumalo?

 

[The Moonlit Knight]

We did with Parker.

If he's the right personality, then why not.

We certainly need to freshen up a few things this summer, and a new player as captain giving some of the too comfortable ones a kick up the arse wouldn't be a bad start.

As far as I recall Parker wasn't made club captain. I know he captained us in a few matches, but I didn't realise he was officially given club captaincy. If that was the case, then why are we even having this discussion? You don't strip someone of the captaincy, and if Redknapp announced Parker was club captain at the beginning of last season then he is again this year.

 

[tractorspur]

VDV for me.

 

[punk_is_back`]

VDV for me definitely, he's first choice for his position, has experience at the top level of football and is passionate. Redknapp will probably play parker and in turn jeopardise our relationship with Sandro.

 

[ledley's knee injections]

I cant choose. As MK says Parker isnt a man for every game.

Kaboul is, but I havent seen leadership qualities in him.

Modric is a mouse.

I like VDVs attitude, but Im not sure he is captain material and as pointed out he rarely finishes games.

Friedel has a lot to offer, but being a GK that gets limited. Kind of pointless.

King, Dawson, Gallas.... Not regular enough.

Quite honestly I dont know who to give it to.

IF a new player had the gravitas and leadership skills to do the job, while its unusual I would be tempted to give them the armband - but only through a lack of alternatives

Good summary. If Gallas played every week I'd give it him (assuming no Ledders), he always shows true leadership type attributes IMO: winning mentality, barking orders, organising and bringing players with him, and plays excellently nearly every time he steps on the pitch.

While I agree on what you say bout Parker... while 'Arry is manager, it may as well be Parker, cos 'Arry doesn't exactly drop Parker when fit.

 

[The Moonlit Knight]

Good summary. If Gallas played every week I'd give it him (assuming no Ledders), he always shows true leadership type attributes IMO: winning mentality, barking orders, organising and bringing players with him, and plays excellently nearly every time he steps on the pitch.

While I agree on what you say bout Parker... while 'Arry is manager, it may as well be Parker, cos 'Arry doesn't exactly drop Parker when fit.

But he did at the end of the season?

 

[nayimfromthehalfwayline]

Im not convinced Parker is a captain. A for effort, never fault him there, but I dont see him displaying leadership skills, dragging a team through results, showing a calm head in a storm etc - things Id like to see in a captain

 

[ledley's knee injections]

But he did at the end of the season?

Injury-induced, no? And then Sandro came in and absolutely killed it, when Parker was half-fit with the Euros round the corner... would have been madness to have drop the boy Sandro.

Start of next season, if Parker is fit, he'll start and play till he gets injured...

 

[The Moonlit Knight]

Injury-induced, no? And then Sandro came in and absolutely killed it, when Parker was half-fit with the Euros round the corner... would have been madness to have drop the boy Sandro.

Start of next season, if Parker is fit, he'll start and play till he gets injured...

Parker got injured, Sandro siezed the chance, Parker was then fit to start but couldn't get back into the team. And rightfully so (just like it was right that Sandro couldn't break into the team when Parker was playing well).

 

[harr1984]

Im not convinced Parker is a captain. A for effort, never fault him there, but I dont see him displaying leadership skills, dragging a team through results, showing a calm head in a storm etc - things Id like to see in a captain

Well he puts his body on the line, throws himself infront of anything - I guess John Terry style?

 

[ledley's knee injections]

Parker got injured, Sandro siezed the chance, Parker was then fit to start but couldn't get back into the team. And rightfully so (just like it was right that Sandro couldn't break into the team when Parker was playing well).

We'll see man. I think Parker was half fit when he came back, as referenced several times by 'Arry (mentioned the achilles problem he had several times). 'Arry ain't stupid and he ain't loyal to the point of blindness, that's not what I'm suggesting btw. I'm just saying: that Parker went out of the side due to INJURY (nothing to do with form), having not been rotated whatsoever, and he didn't get back in due to a combination of his own fitness/Sandro's form.

We'll see, as I said. Start of next season, if both Parker and Sandro are 100% fit, it'll be interesting to see who starts (presuming we play 1 of the 2 of course).... I'm putting my money on Parker.

And he'll stay in the side, until he gets injured. Pretty much how 'Arry works.

 

[The Moonlit Knight]

We'll see man. I think Parker was half fit when he came back, as referenced several times by 'Arry (mentioned the achilles problem he had several times). 'Arry ain't stupid and he ain't loyal to the point of blindness, that's not what I'm suggesting btw. I'm just saying: that Parker went out of the side due to INJURY (nothing to do with form), having not been rotated whatsoever, and he didn't get back in due to a combination of his own fitness/Sandro's form.

We'll see, as I said. Start of next season, if both Parker and Sandro are 100% fit, it'll be interesting to see who starts (presuming we play 1 of the 2 of course).... I'm putting my money on Parker.

And he'll stay in the side, until he gets injured. Pretty much how 'Arry works.

And that's the way it SHOULD work too. A Manager should pick what they believe their best players to be, and injuries and suspension will force rotation organically.

 

[ledley's knee injections]

And that's the way it SHOULD work too. A Manager should pick what they believe their best players to be, and injuries and suspension will force rotation organically.

I don't agree.

If you believe in building a first 11 and a first 11 only, then maybe.

Which is great. Our first 11 is the gonads.

Only problem is, it's virtually impossible for that first 11 to go through a whole season at the same level of quality, avoid injuries, avoid suspensions.

Which as your post suggests is inevitable.. so then you need a squad. But it's pretty hard to keep a squad of players happy if they only EVER start in those circumstances, IMO.

To do that you need squad players of a certain level of quality, who possess the game to replace the missing first team players and fit into the first 11 'system', and who can accept the above conditions. Quite hard to find these type of players, based on these conditions.

'Arry is a master at building individual-driven first 11s. Less convinced bout how he can create an interchangeable squad able to rotate effectively.

But blah blah blah. This'll turn into a whole squad/rotation discussion, which I can't be arsed to roll with right now.

The point is as far as this thread goes, Parker may as well be captain IMHO, cos as we've basically agreed on, he ain't gonna get dropped unless he gets injured.