Football Focus

[Atila Reincarnate]

jimmy two times Wrote:

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> I agree about Gomez. I think he should be number 1

> for Brazil. AbsoloutelyFabianski could have been

> number 1 for Poland but he couldn't fit on the

> team bus with his clown shoes on.

Yeah he could borrow some from you along with a revolving bow tie, a big red nose and a made up face.

[Atila Reincarnate]

jimmy two times Wrote:

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> Maybe Wenger should sign him. He's gotta be better

> then NotSo-Fabianski between the sticks.

Or alternatively you could sign one of our cast offs for silly money, whoops nearly forgot, you've got soppy cods Bentley.

[jimmy two times]

Well your mob would know all about signing dodgy cast offs from rivals. Remember Willie Young.

[Sandperson]

Narnia Wrote:

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> Well I just wonder if Terry is going to get

> Beckhamesque type treatment BEFORE The World Cup.

> I don't know if his obvious dip in form is due to

> this current scenario or that he is just over the

> hill. Admittedly England would have a problem at

> CH as well as LB without Terry and Cole, but play

> like Brazil and it wont matter.

Terry constantly goes in and out of form which is precisely why he shouldn't have been England captain in the first place and why he shouldn't be an automatic choice for the first team. I can't quite believe he's basically shagged his way into a guaranteed start for England!

[jimmy two times]

I still can't understand why Steven Gerrard hasn't been awarded the captaincy. Ferdinand is not a worthy candidate in my opinion and he now clearly has fitness issues.

[Sharon_H]

Maybe because of his court case.

Also Ferdinand was vice Captain so don't they usually get promoted?

[ruffers]

Narnia Wrote:

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> So no one thinks Terry should have ba**s and make

> himself unavailable?

Me.

I think Bridge should have left it till after the weekend when he has to play against Terry to see how it went.

What I can't believe is all the talking heads on Sky Sports News saying he should be above all this, be professional and go to the World Cup. He's dreamed of going to a World Cup his whole life, this isn't taking the easy option it's making a huge sacrifice as he is clearly very upset as a person. And I know his statement is PR'd but I respect his statement that his presence may be divisive, probably true. Hope Terry get's dropped, or injured and Bridge can go. Let's face it, our FIFA rank of ninth is about right so we're not likely to win it anyway.

[ratty]

Cherries being wound up by HMRC now. Pray for them that the saggy faced jowell hound does not pitch up and buy them out of administration!!

[????]

I see you are in admin tomorrow Ratty so that's relegation but I guess you'll be pleased if you survive as a club as they've suspended the wind up for now. I'm not lying when I say I can think of about 18 other clubs in the premiership I was rather in your position. Proper club and supporters.

[Mick Mac]

jimmy two times Wrote:

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> I still can't understand why Steven Gerrard hasn't

> been awarded the captaincy. Ferdinand is not a

> worthy candidate in my opinion and he now clearly

> has fitness issues.

A defence needs to be marshalled. Hence mostly a captain will be a defender. Gives him the necessary authority to get the defence towing the line.

[jimmy two times]

Not necessarily. Some great midfield captains include:

Lothar matthaus of Germany

Graeme Souness at Liverpool

Roy Keane at Man Utd

Patrick Viera at Arsenal

Dunga of Brazil

Btyan Robson of Man Utd and England

Billy Bremner Leeds

Johnny Giles Leed snd Ireland

Gerard Liverpool

There have also been some great deep lying attackers as captains

Maradona Argentine 86

Cruyff Holland 74

Platini France 84

Zidane France

Somtimes captaincy is as much about inspiration as it is about organisation.

[Jah Lush]

Just to add to that. Danny Blanchflower, Dave Mackay and Steve Perryman.

[jimmy two times]

Great call Jah.

[Atila Reincarnate]

jimmy two times Wrote:

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> Well your mob would know all about signing dodgy

> cast offs from rivals. Remember Willie Young.

And Sol Campbell and Pat Jennings oh yes I remember it well

[matthew123]

Sandperson Wrote:

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>

> Terry constantly goes in and out of form which is

> precisely why he shouldn't have been England

> captain in the first place and why he shouldn't be

> an automatic choice for the first team.

Even so, JT is still England's best and most consistent centre half. It makes a mockery of the hard line taken against Terry to actually replace him with Rio and all his baggage. Rio has neither the temperament, fitness or focus to lead England anywhere but for an early flight home.

[Mick Mac]

jimmy two times Wrote:

>

> Somtimes captaincy is as much about inspiration as

> it is about organisation.

Well that's where we disagree jimmy. Inspirational players can help inspire other players on a good day. But there is one part of the team that requires organisation and leadership more than any other and thats defence. Inspirational players can make a big difference but you don't give them the captaincy just for good performances.

We all know there have been great captains in midfield and these are sometimes justified but if I were a manager I'd go for a central defender (subject to quality and leadership ability being there of course).

Naming lots of captains who have won things does not mean their captaincy contributed materially to that team performance on the pitch.

I give you Dino Zoff lifting a world cup as captain. Are you going to tell me he made a big contribution to leadership and organisation during the games?

Cryff and Maradona were great players. Cryff has moved on to be a great manager so we can probably look back and surmise that he made a captains contribution on the pitch. But whether Maradona had any constructive influence on the field outside his own performance is questionable.

[jimmy two times]

Mick I take your point, but in all honesty defensive organisation in open play and from set pieces is usually worked upon and honed tirelessly in training. Everything should really be in place on match day and the defensive unit should almost be able to work automaically. The coach/ manager would have worked through making his defence compact, dealing with the aerial threat of the opposition, whether they play a high line or play deep, whther a holding midfielder will pick up the forward who likes to drop into the hole or whther the centre back goes with him,whether defending on set pieces should be zonal or man for man. I agree an intelligent and vocal captain at centre back can offer tactical reminders to his fellow defenders during games should tiredness creep in and they switch off. But I don't think a captain should always be a centre half on this basis. John Terry is a good captain but Rio Ferdinand is not in his class in my opinion. Therefore Steven Gerrard would be the best option as he is a great captain for Liverpool.

[????]

Aren't we just highlighting various leadership qualities?

Inspiration

Organisation

Intelligence

Great captains have a good mixture of all 3 - Moore, Alberto, spring to mind. Many decent captains are srtong in just one or two.

I'd go Gerrard.

[Atila Reincarnate]

Gerrard for me to, but he also has not had an unblemished past, fisty cuffs (allegedly) in clubs etc.

[Mick Mac]

jimmy two times Wrote:

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> Mick I take your point, but in all honesty

> defensive organisation in open play and from set

> pieces is usually worked upon and honed tirelessly

> in training. Everything should really be in place

> on match day and the defensive unit should almost

> be able to work automaically. The coach/ manager

> would have worked through making his defence

> compact, dealing with the aerial threat of the

> opposition, whether they play a high line or play

> deep, whther a holding midfielder will pick up the

> forward who likes to drop into the hole or whther

> the centre back goes with him,whether defending on

> set pieces should be zonal or man for man. I agree

> an intelligent and vocal captain at centre back

> can offer tactical reminders to his fellow

> defenders during games should tiredness creep in

> and they switch off. But I don't think a captain

> should always be a centre half on this basis.

To me this analysis explains very well why the captain would preferably be a defender.

Could you put the same analysis together to support why the captain should be a midfielder?

[????]

Midfileder is nearer all areas of play.

Midfielder is nearer all players (including opposition)

Midfielder can better influence attacking set pieces without compromising defensive duties

[jimmy two times]

Yes I was going to make the same points quids. Mick I didn't say that a centre half shouldn't be captain, just that it's not a pre-requisite of the job. If there is not a suitable candidate in defence, and I don't hink Ferdinand is suitable, then the armband can be passed onto someone else, most likely in centre mid. Central mid is actually the heart of the team. The spoke at the centre of the wheel. I think the midfield organisation is just a crucial as the defensive organisation. A central midfielder can have a much more hands on approach to all areas of the pitch.

[Mick Mac]

Midfield is the most important position on the pitch in any team I would give this position priority. He breaks down attacks, wins possession and gets the team moving forward.

This is his role. I think however the main organisational skills are needed in defence and that's where you should have your captain if the appropriate leadership qualities are available.

But I'm happy to agree to differ. :)

[jimmy two times]

Mick it's one of those discussions that I love having because I don't really think it's got a correct answer. It really depends on many factors and I think some coach's prefer a centre half to be captain and some a centre midfielder. I think if you have a decisive player with the qualities outlined by Quids then the actual position of the player can become secondary. Having said that I have never been a fan of an out and out striker being captain. I was never a fan of Lineker or Shearer as captain, simply because there is a degree of selfishness that is a necessary for a striker to possess and this kind of goes against the attributes required by a skipper. They are also not always near enough to play to effect it.

[Mick Mac]

Agreed.