[Archived] Captain?

[gumboots]

It's about time some people on here grew up. Yes, it was stupid to antagonise ordinary fans who have probably never booed him but he's no better or worse than most of us. He makes mistakes but judging by the Eurosport pictures which we videoed ( I was at the match) the rest of the team, staff etc weren't unduly concerned. What Mark Hughes may have to say to him in private about the wisdom of his actions is something else. We should be talking about the match not a 5 second incident which wouldn't have happened if some idiots hadn't decided to boo him in the first place.

[Eddie]

This is so sad. Anyone who won't go to a Rovers game while Neill is still playing is looking for an easy way out of going to games in my opinion. It isn't great that he wants to leave, but I don't think his performances have suffered. Like the rest of the team he hasn't played well recently, but he's been no worse than anyone else. People are specifically targetting certain players (Neill, Benni, MGP and Nonda) and essentially blaming them for the poor performance of the entire team. Grow up folks, I actually found what he did last night reasonably funny and I can understand why he did it.

[gazsimm]

This is so sad. Anyone who won't go to a Rovers game while Neill is still playing is looking for an easy way out of going to games in my opinion. It isn't great that he wants to leave, but I don't think his performances have suffered. Like the rest of the team he hasn't played well recently, but he's been no worse than anyone else. People are specifically targetting certain players (Neill, Benni, MGP and Nonda) and essentially blaming them for the poor performance of the entire team. Grow up folks, I actually found what he did last night reasonably funny and I can understand why he did it.

I wish he did stick two fingers up at us last nigt, then people might realise he doesn't care about the club one bit

[Boz]

The staff were concerned, both Mark Bowen & Eddie Niedzwiecki could see that he was about to do something as he brushed aside his colleagues and headed towards the BBE and both were shouting and waving at him not to.

I don't think MH intends to do anything about this. He is a football man, knows how the game works and in fact did something not dissimilar when he left United for Barca.

Can Rovers afford to disenchant any more supporters?

The issue is not whether he plays (I am more than happy to play him whilst he has a contract and we are paying his wages) as he continues to make positive contributions to the team.

The point is as stated in the title "Captain?".

In my opinion he should not be captain of our club. The longer this goes on, the more it will spiral downwards and if he leads our team against Liverpool on Boxing Day then..................well I dread to think.

I for one apologise if I place more honour in this role than MH, fellow players, ex-players, management team, The Board and others on this forum.

Edited December 14, 2006 by Boz

[Eddie]

I wish he did stick two fingers up at us last nigt, then people might realise he doesn't care about the club one bit

I think he quite obviously does.

[thenodrog]

Tonight, other than get lucky, and on the end of a 93rd minute chance, his performance stank the place out. For the captain of the club to then run 80 yards to take the mickey out of the Blackburn End turned my stomach.

Never want to see him in a Rovers shirt again.

That completely took the gloss off a welcome but totally undeserved win. The youngsters did nothing to put their claims forward and the senior players were even worse

Usual tripe from the boardroom apologist.

Neill has been quoted as saying he would like to join Liverpool (Hughes acknowledged such after the match last night) and that is reason enough in my book for him being dropped from the team and being roundly booed by supporters who help to pay his wages and were at Ewood decades before he was born and will still be there decades after he has left.

Must say you two are odd bedfellows except for the fact that one man carrioes a grudge cos he suffered deep humiliation after attempting to diss Neill Neill at Villa Park years ago ,whilst the other still has never forgiven him for replacing the great John Curtis at rb! (btw just where is Curtis playing his football now?)

Anyway if it's your deepest wish not to play him again taking into account our injury crisis and in revs opinion no youngsters worth a damn, then I assume that you will also take on his wages. He is still being paid whatever whether he plays or not so to let him 'rot in the reserves' a la Abbey would be plain dumb. How easy for him to pull a sicky for December? How easy for him to do Bellamy and lie about staying here? How easy for him to simply do a Todd and fall out publically with the manager? All those would ensure that there would be no injury problem to hinder his transfer but he (and it's rare in this day and age) quite prepared to play his contract out and thats that, and fair play to him for that too.

As for commitment to the Rovers. I dunno but I do know that since I wrongly predicted last January that he would go after the summer world cup, he has displayed hugely more commitment in the games that I have seen than the likes of Nonda, Benny, Todd, MGP, Bentley and Gallagher!

It's the Tim Sherwood, Jason Wilcox, Lee Carsley scenario all over again. Some people must simply need a hate figure to lambast at all times. I wonder who will be next to cop it once Neills gone for without doubt there will surely have to be one for 50% of our followers! Yet another idea for a poll eh guys? btw my money's on either Todd or Savage.

[gazsimm]

I think he quite obviously does.

shame he won't sign a new contract with us then

[gumboots]

Can you get it into your head that we know he doesn't care about the club, but that just makes him like the majority of other professional players? Most of them play for their club because that's the club who pay their wages and the best club they can play for at the time. While Lucas is prepared to play for 90+ minutes for us whenever he's asked to, and try to earn as far as footballers ever do the wages he gets then I don't care that he doesn't feel about the club like fans do. That's a rare quality in a modern day footballer.

[Bobby G]

I wouldve gone and done the same thing to anyone who had booed me too, cause in my mind I havent done anything wrong.

If you are angry he is captain go and boo Hughes.

Neill has always given 100% , but that doesnt mean he has always played well. Big difference!

[gazsimm]

Must say you two are odd bedfellows except for the fact that one man carrioes a grudge cos he suffered deep humiliation after attempting to diss Neill Neill at Villa Park years ago ,whilst the other still has never forgiven him for replacing the great John Curtis at rb! (btw just where is Curtis playing his football now?)

Anyway if it's your deepest wish not to play him again taking into account our injury crisis and in revs opinion no youngsters worth a damn, then I assume that you will also take on his wages. He is still being paid whatever whether he plays or not so to let him 'rot in the reserves' a la Abbey would be plain dumb. How easy for him to pull a sicky for December? How easy for him to do Bellamy and lie about staying here? How easy for him to simply do a Todd and fall out publically with the manager? All those would ensure that there would be no injury problem to hinder his transfer but he (and it's rare in this day and age) quite prepared to play his contract out and thats that, and fair play to him for that too.

As for commitment to the Rovers. I dunno but I do know that since I wrongly predicted last January that he would go after the summer world cup, he has displayed hugely more commitment in the games that I have seen than the likes of Nonda, Benny, Todd, MGP, Bentley and Gallagher!

It's the Tim Sherwood, Jason Wilcox, Lee Carsley scenario all over again. Some people must simply need a hate figure to lambast at all times. I wonder who will be next to cop it once Neills gone for without doubt there will surely have to be one for 50% of our followers! Yet another idea for a poll eh guys? btw my money's on either Todd or Savage.

One question for you do you think he should be captain?

[roversmum]

I don't agree with what Lucas did, but anyone who says they are not coming whilst he is Captain/plays in the side are hurting our great club more than they are hurting Lucas.

[thenodrog]

One question for you do you think he should be captain?

Whilst he commands more respect from his teammates and his manager than anybody else in the squad

then yes of course I do. Return to Andy Todd who has twice deserted and taken his bat and ball home before matches would you?

The fans on the terraces bear no witness to the working relationship that they possess.

[Eddie]

Totally agree theno (shudder). We are in no position to judge and whilst the likes of Savage, Friedel and even Ooijer all appear to be good candidates I think that we have to trust the judgement of Hughes and his staff.

[thenodrog]

Totally agree theno (shudder).

I dont know if I can cope with you and Gunner Graham doing that on the same day.

[Drunx2002]

It may have just been me-but on Eurosport's coverage they showed the players doing a warm down and it appeared as if Benny was joking to Neil about the incident. It looked as if Benny was cupping his ears-kind of showing Neil this is what you should have done. Did anybody else see that?

I zapped the match on sky plus and rewound this incident just after it happened. Yeah, Benni did cup his ear as they were running towards the Blackburn End whilst warming down and Lucas appeared to say "clumsy, hit shift + 8 again!! 'em". I'm no lip reader but that's what he appeared to be saying (rewound it a couple of times to the annoyance of my flat mates!).

However, I agree with the sensible posters on here. Sometimes we forget that because we support rovers that Lucas Neill is an employee of the club. He isn't from the northwest, isnt a fan, and probably grew up in Sydney supporting Liverpool.

Imagine your job. You have a set contract for your employers that lasts for 5 years. They plucked you from a smaller firm and gave you more money. You work hard and get recognised by other larger companies and internationally for your performance. Your contract is running out, but you want to better yourself by working at one of these larger internationally renowned companies so you decide not to accept an improved contract offer. Your boss publicly states that he is offering you new contracts and that you are turning them down. You keep quiet. He makes a last ditch attempt by offering you a new role. You accept but admit you still wish to leave. Some of the customers grow frustrated that you have decided to leave and begin to voice their disconsent. You keep quiet. Despite this, your boss publicly backs you although quietly you think to yourself "I'm leaving in a few months - I don't need this".

Now there isn't much wrong with that is there. Just because it's football doesnt make it any different - to footballers anyway.

[Exiled in Toronto]

Seems to me that the booing is having a positive effect. He clearly hears it, and his response after the goal suggests to me that his reaction is to show the boo-boys what they will soon be missing - which works to our benefit.

Someone give him a boo from me at Reading

[Ozz]

"... if the decision is he leaves in January - and that decision will be mine - then I'll shake his hand and thank him for his service. But if I feel it's not the right time for him to go ..."

Mark Hughes in the Telegraph

Here.

[FourLaneBlue]

Seems to me that the booing is having a positive effect. He clearly hears it, and his response after the goal suggests to me that his reaction is to show the boo-boys what they will soon be missing - which works to our benefit.

Someone give him a boo from me at Reading

Maybe if we'd started booing him a few years ago somebody might have been bothered enough to actually pay decent money for him in the summer. Benitez seems to be looking at him as a bargain buy rather than someone to actually pursue with any real vigour.

[G Somerset Rover]

Lucas appeared to say "clumsy, hit shift + 8 again!! 'em".

Said what?!

[Drunx2002]

Said what?!

Yeah that's not nearly what he said!

It rhymed with "duck 'em"

[gumboots]

Notice that Hughes also said he needs the crowd behind him. He still hasn't decided whether he's going to let Neill go or not so there's no point in booing - if he ends up staying till summer and leaving on a free it'll be because at the moment our manager can't find anyone he prefers at a price we can afford and we as fans need to respect that decision.

[BigDom]

From some of the comments Hughes has made..........

"All he is doing is keeping his options open," stated Hughes. "He is in the final year of his contract and he is fully entitled to do that."

One thing that I would say for Neill is that he has been professional in his manner regarding his future....he has not been spouting off in the press about joining this club and that club...all the paper talk is just that...paper talk. Anyone in any profession who signs a contract of a specific length is entitled to honour it and then walk....you always hope they will want to keep you and offer you a bit more, but most times there is usually a fresh opportunity and more money elsewhere....and maybe with a better chance to progress.....or in Neill's case....win a trophy.

"He has been a great servant to us, we are still very hopeful he will stay."

Yes, I would agree he has been a good servant....never the best player but someone who gave it there all....until recently where I do feel that his performance has been affected by the hype surrounding his future.

Will he stay ? I doubt it.......put yourself in his shoes....if you were booed by your own supporters, would you stay ? I wouldn't, and I am sure that the recent events will only make Neill more determined to leave in January.

"But he needs the crowd behind him."

Too late....he's lost a section of the crowd, and I think that the boo boys will continue until he leaves.

IMO, I would continue to play him.....we have no choice with the defender injury situation (and on last night's performance, Nolan is nowhere near ready for the Prem)

BUT, I would give the captaincy to someone else.....Savage ? Ooijer ?

Either of these would be better than Neill at the moment

[Roaming Rover]

BUT, I would give the captaincy to someone else.....Savage ? Ooijer ?

Either of these would be better than Neill at the moment

The above makes me laugh.

You don't want a player who wants to leave but the club refused, so carries on playing and doing his best to be captain, yet two players who didn't get the move they want initially and sulked and went on strike / made childish comments about their current clubs to be our captain

Not saying I agree with Neill being our captain, but he' show a lot more respect to Rovers over wanting to leave than Savage and Oojer showed to their previous employers.

[BuckyRover]

Thats because Savage and Ooijer are true Blackburn fans and behaved like that because they wanted to play for the club they have always loved.

True fans

[joey_big_nose]

Savage has real loyalty to Hughes rather than Blackburn. Just as good a reason to give him the armband imo.

I would guess the only reason he hasn't got it already is to head off suggestions of favouritism from the rest of the squad. And I imagine his personality probably gets up the nose of one or two players.

While I have no problem at all of Niell playing for the club I do find this whole captaincy thing bizzare. I bet Hughes is hoping that Nelsen comes back quickly to sort things out smoothly.