Who will/should the England football captain be?

HangTime

HangTime

HangTime

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Now that a new manager has been appointed, it will be interesting to see if Capello decides to appoint a new captain or not. Here are arguably the five leading candidates (although I think two of them are too old):

John Terry
FOR:
-Current captain, would provide continuity if he stays
-Experienced and successful leader with Chelsea
-Has several years at the top ahead of him
AGAINST:
-Has a growing reputation as a bit of a troublemaker, both on (hassling refs) and off the pitch which may not sit well with the FA
-England have an embarrassment of riches at CB, and he's arguably not looked as good in an England shirt as Sol/Rio, so potential questions could be asked over his place in the side

Steven Gerrard
FOR:
-Has revelled in the captaincy at Liverpool, leading them to great success against continental opposition
-Again, is of the right age
AGAINST:
-Has been ineffective for England of late - rarely reproduces his club form at international level
-Tends to lead by example rather than being much of a talker, which could be a problem bearing the above in mind

David Beckham
FOR:
-The most experienced player in the current England setup, has captained the team many times and also spent 4 seasons in La Liga
-Desire and passion is unquestioned
-Knows the manager well from his time at Madrid and could prove a valuable link between the players and management
AGAINST:
-Time is against him, with about 2.5 years until the next major tournament
-Doesn't really play in the best position for a captain, and hasn't covered himself in glory in the past as a captain
-Living 8 time zones away from the rest of the squad could limit how much time he has for team bonding and other off the field duties

Gary Neville
FOR:
-Captained his side to the league title last season
-Vast experience for England and in the CL
AGAINST:
-Age is again an issue
-Position in the side is under threat from the younger, more exuberant Richards
-A big talker but he just doesn't come across all that convincing, maybe due to his physical stature or felt-tip tache.

Michael Owen
FOR:
-One of England's most consistent performers over the last 10 years.
-Very level-headed, comes off as being intelligent
-Aside from liking a flutter, has the squeaky-clean image the FA craves
-Only just turned 28, and hasn't got many serious contenders for his spot in the team at present
AGAINST:
-Injury record makes Anderton and Redknapp look like T-1000s
-Doesn't strike one as being a natural captain/leader, and has very little prior experience (I think he was vice to Becks?)
-Striker isn't the ideal position for a captain
 
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HangTime said:
-Injury record makes Anderton and Redknapp look like T-1000s
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:D

Don't think Neville or Beckham should even be mentioned when talking about the England Captaincy. Probably wouldn't include Owen either. Terry and Gerrard are the obvious choices with maybe Ferdinand as another option.

Given the manager I wouldn't be surprised to see Terry retain the captaincy.
 
To be fair in terms of age and ability, Ferdinand probably has more chance than Beckham or Neville.

His cause isn't helped, however, by the fact that he's a complete tool.
 
Giving Gerrard the captaincy could do his form wonders, he usually performs better with a bit of extra responsibility. The only problem is as you mentioned Hangtime he's not the most vocal person.
 
weringo said:
Giving Gerrard the captaincy could do his form wonders, he usually performs better with a bit of extra responsibility. The only problem is as you mentioned Hangtime he's not the most vocal person.
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I said this before McClaren named his captain. You could visibly see the change in his game when he was named captain of Liverpool and he thrives on the responsibility. I see Terry to be similar to Carra at Liverpool (our unofficial captain), i don't think giving him the captaincy has or will change the way he plays or leads the side.

I don't see any other realistic candidates and the reason above would by why i would give it to Gerrard. I'd be suprised if Terry wasn't still named the captain even though there have been reports that the FA (and even Capello) aren't happy with him.
 
The danger is though, what if Gerrard is given the captaincy and his international form doesn't improve? Can we afford to have a passenger in the side just because he's got the armband, at the expense of say an in-form Frank Lampard Jr?

Contrast this with, say, Alan Shearer. You never had to worry about whether your captain was going to play every game when fit, because there was no way anyone in their right mind would drop him.

That reminds me actually. For all the talk about our so-called 'world class' players, how many of them have consistently performed well for England to the same level that say Seaman, Adams and Shearer did in the mid-90s?
 
The exact same arguement could be made for Terry or any other player being given the captaincy (and you have mentioned it in his against section).
 
True, although if his fitness wasn't such an issue I'd pick Owen every game.
Ashley Cole very rarely lets his country down (unlike Bridge against Croatia), but I think even Tweedy would choke on her champers at the prospect of him being given the armband.
 
imo there is no need to change the captain at this time.
maybe for becks 100th game, but that is all.
 
HangTime said:
True, although if his fitness wasn't such an issue I'd pick Owen every game.
Ashley Cole very rarely lets his country down (unlike Bridge against Croatia), but I think even Tweedy would choke on her champers at the prospect of him being given the armband.
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Owen would be a safe bet but definantly not the best choice for captain imo, he neither inspires nor leads by example (not involved in the game much but pops up a few times a game).
 
I think Terry is a worthy captain tbh, don't see any point in changing it to Gerrard. I prefer a more vocal captain than one who "leads by example".
 
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