POLL - Who should our captain be?

[Beefymcfc]

I'm going for Stevie Ireland ................................................... with Phillipe Lahm as Vice Captain.

[Original Dub]

Ah CHRIST!!!

I didn't know adding one player to the poll would wipe all your votes.

BOLLOX.

[Kladze]

De Jong will not be regular on this side in the future so therefore pointless appointment.

Strange how all of us can see things so differently eh?

I see De Jong as an absolute fixture in the team for years to come - I doubt I'm the only one.

Honestly, he offers absolutely nothing with the ball. He is a great tackler and good at getting opposition midfield off the balance, that is without a doubt. However his inability to do anything with the ball always makes all the good he does pointless.

I'm not saying he is a poor player. Far from it. But if we are looking for "world domination" or whatever the plan was, we need player like Yaya in his place who can both defend AND do stuff with the ball.

But yeah, I can full well see why people rate him and I do enjoy watching his tackling very much.

Still haven't forgiven for the second half of The 3-4 Derby last season though. He was absolutely abysmal and let Darren fucking Fletcher run the show. Unforgivable.

His positive use of the ball is coming on leaps and bounds lately - maybe because the players in front of him are offering themselves more effectively.

[Kladze]

Ah CHRIST!!!

I didn't know adding one player to the poll would wipe all your votes.

BOLLOX.

PMSL

[Original Dub]

De Jong will not be regular on this side in the future so therefore pointless appointment.

Strange how all of us can see things so differently eh?

I see De Jong as an absolute fixture in the team for years to come - I doubt I'm the only one.

Honestly, he offers absolutely nothing with the ball. He is a great tackler and good at getting opposition midfield off the balance, that is without a doubt. However his inability to do anything with the ball always makes all the good he does pointless.

I'm not saying he is a poor player. Far from it. But if we are looking for "world domination" or whatever the plan was, we need player like Yaya in his place who can both defend AND do stuff with the ball.

But yeah, I can full well see why people rate him and I do enjoy watching his tackling very much.

Still haven't forgiven for the second half of The 3-4 Derby last season though. He was absolutely abysmal and let Darren fucking Fletcher run the show. Unforgivable.

His positive use of the ball is coming on leaps and bounds lately - maybe because the players in front of him are offering themselves more effectively.

Like all holding mids, he's effective when we've already gone a goal or two up - in fact, he looks like the glue that holds us together... but when we're chasing a game, he needs to come off IMO.

I think he's one of the best of his kind in the world, maybe after the likes of Mascherano and Yaya when he was at Barca... certainly top 5... the problem is, I think "his kind" is not the future of football, more like a phase in the last few years.

[Niall Quinns Discopants]

De Jong will not be regular on this side in the future so therefore pointless appointment.

Strange how all of us can see things so differently eh?

I see De Jong as an absolute fixture in the team for years to come - I doubt I'm the only one.

Honestly, he offers absolutely nothing with the ball. He is a great tackler and good at getting opposition midfield off the balance, that is without a doubt. However his inability to do anything with the ball always makes all the good he does pointless.

I'm not saying he is a poor player. Far from it. But if we are looking for "world domination" or whatever the plan was, we need player like Yaya in his place who can both defend AND do stuff with the ball.

But yeah, I can full well see why people rate him and I do enjoy watching his tackling very much.

Still haven't forgiven for the second half of The 3-4 Derby last season though. He was absolutely abysmal and let Darren fucking Fletcher run the show. Unforgivable.

His positive use of the ball is coming on leaps and bounds lately - maybe because the players in front of him are offering themselves more effectively.

Like all holding mids, he's effective when we've already gone a goal or two up - in fact, he looks like the glue that holds us together... but when we're chasing a game, he needs to come off IMO.

I think he's one of the best of his kind in the world, maybe after the likes of Mascherano and Yaya when he was at Barca... certainly top 5... the problem is, I think "his kind" is not the future of football, more like a phase in the last few years.

good summary.

I think the tide is turning in that teams sacrifice player on midfield for only defensive duties. I feel that in future holding midfielders are expected to contribute more and more on attacks.

Like OD says, brilliant player to have on the bench when you are on the lead deep in the game but starting with players like De Jong and Mascherano? I don't know about that. Which brings us to the original subject, I want the armband to be given to someone who will start all the time and is expected to stay with the Club for a while.

[the_georgian_genius]

Kompany is too hot headed and immature as a footballer to be our captain at his age and at this time.
Yaya Toure too new.
Kolo Toure doesn't inspire me as a captain and hinders him.
Barry same as Kolo Toure in that he wouldn't inspire me as captain, too nice.
Tevez, i never beleive in giving your best player the captaincy.

For me it would be De Jong.

You have got to be having a laugh? Have you ever heard an interview with him. Immature is just about last thing that comes to my head. Sounds like one of the VERY few footballers whose company I'd actually enjoy in real life.

De Jong will not be regular on this side in the future so therefore pointless appointment.

I did say "AS A FOOTBALLER". Off the pitch he conducts himself well in interviews ect but on the pitch there are still signs on him being immature AS A FOOTBALLER, getting involved in petty scraps, showing signs of ill discipline. He's getting better at it but not captain material at the moment. De Jong will also be a main fixture in this side for years to come.

[steveo_88]

Kompany is the man unless you give it to Yaya next year. Vince will play almost every game and unlike Tevez (because he'll be knackered/ we have the luxury of being able to take him off ala bin dippers 1) will also finish every game. Kompany is crucial for organisation and lifting moral on the defensive but when we attack we need to keep our shape and the back door firmly shut. Tevez purely from where he plays cannot have the same impact as a defensive or midfield player can on the rest of the team.

[Niall Quinns Discopants]

Kompany is too hot headed and immature as a footballer to be our captain at his age and at this time.
Yaya Toure too new.
Kolo Toure doesn't inspire me as a captain and hinders him.
Barry same as Kolo Toure in that he wouldn't inspire me as captain, too nice.
Tevez, i never beleive in giving your best player the captaincy.

For me it would be De Jong.

You have got to be having a laugh? Have you ever heard an interview with him. Immature is just about last thing that comes to my head. Sounds like one of the VERY few footballers whose company I'd actually enjoy in real life.

De Jong will not be regular on this side in the future so therefore pointless appointment.

I did say "AS A FOOTBALLER". Off the pitch he conducts himself well in interviews ect but on the pitch there are still signs on him being immature AS A FOOTBALLER, getting involved in petty scraps, showing signs of ill discipline. He's getting better at it but not captain material at the moment. De Jong will also be a main fixture in this side for years to come.

Hold the fuck on! You say Kompany is getting involved in scraps then go on to suggest that De Jong is better option! Anyone else saw him running on the pitch against Uruguay in World Cup trying to kick off with anyone and everyone? He certainly has aggro side to him.

Kompany talks on the pitch yeah and occasionally shows opposition their place but generally behaves well and always shakes hands afterwards. You make it sound like he is dirty which couldn't be further from the truth.

[Scorchio]

Tevez being given the armband was all about Tevez, trying to keep him sweet. He can lead by example without the "burden" of captaincy.

Kompany is the natural leader and captain.

[Grob]

I see De Jong as an absolute fixture in the team for years to come - I doubt I'm the only one.

Honestly, he offers absolutely nothing with the ball. He is a great tackler and good at getting opposition midfield off the balance, that is without a doubt. However his inability to do anything with the ball always makes all the good he does pointless.

I'm not saying he is a poor player. Far from it. But if we are looking for "world domination" or whatever the plan was, we need player like Yaya in his place who can both defend AND do stuff with the ball.

But yeah, I can full well see why people rate him and I do enjoy watching his tackling very much.

Still haven't forgiven for the second half of The 3-4 Derby last season though. He was absolutely abysmal and let Darren fucking Fletcher run the show. Unforgivable.

His positive use of the ball is coming on leaps and bounds lately - maybe because the players in front of him are offering themselves more effectively.

Like all holding mids, he's effective when we've already gone a goal or two up - in fact, he looks like the glue that holds us together... but when we're chasing a game, he needs to come off IMO.

I think he's one of the best of his kind in the world, maybe after the likes of Mascherano and Yaya when he was at Barca... certainly top 5... the problem is, I think "his kind" is not the future of football, more like a phase in the last few years.

good summary.

I think the tide is turning in that teams sacrifice player on midfield for only defensive duties. I feel that in future holding midfielders are expected to contribute more and more on attacks.

Like OD says, brilliant player to have on the bench when you are on the lead deep in the game but starting with players like De Jong and Mascherano? I don't know about that. Which brings us to the original subject, I want the armband to be given to someone who will start all the time and is expected to stay with the Club for a while.

Good discussion re De Jong.

Ive often wondered how we would play with Barry playing as the deepest midfield player, almost as the quarterback to use 'football' terminology, dictating the player in a similar fashion to what Hamann used to do. Dominating possession in midfield with triangle passes, moving the ball quickly from side to side.

Also, something Mancini did at Fulham which I think was by accident but worked incredibly well last season was he played De Jong further up the pitch off Tevez/Santa Cruz and it disrupted the back four and their sitting midfielder, pressurizing them into the long ball which we dealt with and we easily rode the game out.

De Jong has been very good in the past few games. His passing has been much better. Of course whilst we are even or behind, he's often a passenger, but if we are defending a lead, he's valuable.

Difficult connundrum but figuring it out is why Mancini gets paid to manage the team and not us.

Personally, and probably controversially, i'd sell De Jong and look for the next Essien or Mikel.

[ronk]

Personally, and probably controversially, i'd sell De Jong and look for the next Essien or Mikel.

Prefer to find the next Essien first before that. But I'm really not mad on the idea as Essien and Mikel are examples who play in the same team, demonstrating that there can be a need for 2 such players, especially with the way yellow cards can get wracked up.

de Jong plays a decent role in maintaining possession and providing an outlet so more forward players don't get closed down, I'm happy enough with that at the moment. Him holding just allows others to get forward more and makes us less vulnerable on the break. He's excellent at winning the ball during breaks or even just slowing them down. That can count as a contribution to an attack.