[Archived] Captain Idol

[Al]

As far as I can see the only one who is sure of his place is Freidel. I would have said Todd but it is possible that the two new guys could push very strongly for the center half berths. Perhaps Emerton is fairly safe but I do not see him as captain material.

Goalkeeper would not be my favourite position for captain but I honestly don't see another short term option.

[rover6]

MGP.

Ah...but he's so weedy the armband would just slip off...

I would go for Andy Todd. Captains need to earn their role, I don't like it when a new signing comes in and is immediately awarded the captaincy (as sort of happened with Ferguson).

[joey_big_nose]

My problem is that I don't believe he left us with a team in a better shape than when he arrived. Sure we were in Division 1 then and going backwards, but we were absolutly abysmal when he left and could easily have been beaten by almost anybody. (Indeed the "second string"- who Hughesy tried out were beaten by BOURNEMOUTH and the first string managed a home draw with West Brom and a loss to Southampton and we now know how poor they are)

I think the PLAYERS, by and large are better than the team that were there when he arrived (although I'd take Dunn, Duff and a fit Jansen above anything that we currently have), but they were unfit and poorly trained- see what Hughes has got out of them and judge the difference.

I honestly foresaw a fall to below where we were before had he stayed (without being able to spend £7m on Andy Cole's equivalent to bail him out). The fact that we had good times in between was great, but he should have gone when it became obvious he'd started losing people's support. (around the time of his spat with Dunn)

I dont mean to seem like I am getting on your back, but thats just nonsense.

Souness got together arguably the finest 'town' team in the country since our own Championship side of 95. He bought most of them, trained them, made the tactics. We finished sixth and were outstanding.

Friedel-Niell-Berg-Short-Gresko-Thompson-Tugay-Dunn-Duff-Cole-Yorke

He spent a fair bit to do it but others (notably Birmingham, Fulham) did also and never produced a team of that quality.

To even consider that the playing staff left this season is worse than that when we were in the First is ridiculous. Despite the hamering they have taken Emerton and Reid turned out to be very decent players, Gray was our finest player in the second half of last season, Friedel is quality, Thompson even Pedersen. Ferguson, the boy of the day, is not a bad player either.

What planet are you on? Souness bought players will continue to make up the core of the team and that is no bad bad thing. Many fo them are first class. He had his time with Blackburn, he lost it towards the end but the legacy was not monsterous...

your agenda is just baffling.

[Jan]

Joey

I din't say the playing staff was worse, I just said they were badly trained and unfit- and that THOSE traits could have caused them to be worse than the team was when he arrived.

[Blue blood]

It has to be Brad for me. I know his position on the pitch isn't ideal, but no other player commands respect more than him.

For me, the rest of the senior squad members don't rate because:-

- Todd is a little too temperamental for me and has played for the Dingles.

- Neill isn't assured of his place anymore.

- Short is injury prone and not likely to be in the team anyway.

- Flitcroft's had his time.

- Dickov doesn't exactly come across as captain material.

- Nelson & Mokoena (& Savage?) are new to the club.

- Nissa - nah!

- Tugay's no longer an automatic choice.

- Thompson shows promise, but needs to prove his fitness.

- Emerton flatters to deceive and isn't consistent enough to be captain.

All IMHO, of course!

My opinions too, Brad's the most deserving of the armband. I think Flitty would be the best short term solution if Savage wasn't coming as he's proven in ther role and the team needs a midfield battler.

However the captaincy could be just what Tommo or Todd needs to settle them down and gain some consistency. It's a bit of a risk though.

[blue/white]

I still think some people arent givng full credit to all the good stuff Souness did for the club, last 18months of us not getting relegated or going bust not included. but hey what would I know, Jan was right all along - shall go and self flagellate myself this instant

Flopsy, a few folks have stolen my thunder- Jan, YSBlue... et al. Many thanks to rustic Graeme for the first half of his tenure, bringing us back & Cardiff are wonderful memories & the timing could't be topped.

But as he started losing the plot, in his mania/paranoia whatever it was, he proceeded in alienating players that we loved and destroying his creation. Granted at the time, we thought it was all part of his masterplan, but his departure demonstrated that he was grasping at straws and took the first lifeline out of town.

I don't miss him, nor do I wish him ill will.. (well, Kamy's re-creation did have me doing handstands for 10 minutes). But a good kick in the pants would be brillant, no?

Edited January 18, 2005 by blue/white

[blue phil]

Savage is the obvious contender as he'll be the most vocal and inspiring on the pitch (hopefully) , but he'll have to wait a suitable period until he settles in . For the interim period Friedal should be given the job . Like Al says he's probably the only one who can be absolutely certain of being in the team for the long run.

[jobo380]

Todd showed what he can do as a captain on saturday..he was brilliant!

The only other person it could be is Friedel.

Edited January 18, 2005 by jobo380

[Flopsy]

A keeper as Captain???

NO NO NO NO

Im sorry it would never work, your captain needs to be able to move round the pitch - its better as a midfielder or defender

[blue phil]

The captaincy is only a nominal appointment anyway - a natural leader will emerge on the field of play , and that will be Savage .

Flopsy - you're shouting again . It's against the rules .

[modes98]

A keeper as Captain???

NO NO NO NO

Im sorry it would never work, your captain needs to be able to move round the pitch - its better as a midfielder or defender

agree 100% i don't doubt for half a second that brad would do a superb job, but it just doesn't have the same influence as an outfielder.

It really should be a central mid or failing that a centre back.

[trueblue]

What about Emerton?

More! More!

It'd be a laugh.

Not as much as a laugh as YOUR suggestion... MGP !!! ffs

[colin]

Mad Andy for me.

Shouldn't we be having a vote on this? It seems a good candidate.

[LeChuck]

I've been extremely impressed with Mokoena in interviews, seems very approachable and dignified and we know he has leadership qualities.

Probably a bit too early for him but could very well be our own Radebe in a few years time, for now I'd probably give it Savage or Thompson. Not keen on the idea of Todd, seems like he could be a Beckham-esque captain to me; leads by example but very quiet vocally...not that sort of captain I like.

[Parasyte]

I'm not seriosly suggesting it, but I wonder what would happen to Jansen performance if he was hadned the armband?

Personally, I'd say Neill. Savage is gonna rule the midfield, and Dickov up front, whereas Todd leads by example, so a calmer presence at the back could help us. Plus, its not as if Neill is always hemmed back, he does get forward into the play more.

[thenodrog]

However, Hughes obviously knows a lot of Savage's qualities and sees the signing as a guarenteed success - as opposed to a slight risk with buying someone he has not worked with before.

Or maybe Hughes is looking for a team captain.

You heard it here first folks.

Just like it was obvious that Souness had snubbed Flitty and promised the captaincy to Ferguson I feel that Hughes has done likewise with Savage. Never mind his comments in public I feel that Hughes shares my view that Ferguson is expensively over-rated and that he has engineered this transfer request situation to get a hugely rewarded but poor performer of his payroll in order to generate the wherewithall necessary to bring more of his own men in.

Edited January 18, 2005 by thenodrog

[American]

Don't break your arm patting yourself on the back...

[Ossydave]

leads by example but very quiet vocally...

Are you taking the ######?

Todd's been organising the back 4 lately and is one of the few who dares stand up to Brad's (often wrong) opinions.

[Uxbridge rover]

Don't break your arm patting yourself on the back...

[thenodrog]

Don't break your arm patting yourself on the back...

Easy Peasy.........should have been obvious to a blind man on a galloping horse that MH doesn't rate Ferguson.

Anyway whatever happened to the concept of giving credit where credit is due eh?

Edited January 18, 2005 by thenodrog

[laughatthedingles]

Andy Todd.

[S15]

What about Emerton?

More! More!

It'd be a laugh.

Not as much as a laugh as YOUR suggestion... MGP !!! ffs

After all I was been serious.

[grizfoot]

I'd say Todd

[frosty]

Give it Todd

[Uxbridge rover]

What about DT may calm him down and he is an outspoken little bugger