We have no captain figure - We could really use a player like Douglas.

We have no captain figure - Douglas.

Coloccini is a superb player, and we look better organised with him, than without him, no doubt. His intelligence and tactical awareness definitely improve our defence. But there's more to being a captain than just quality.

He does nothing to rally up the troops. He never bollocks anyone for mistakes, he doesn't talk to team mates, he shows no real voice or backbone. The closest thing to passion I've seen from Colo is when he got angry and tried to cripple Suarez. He's normally calm and composed, and that's fair enough because he's playing the game, not the ocassion, and that is usually the better way of going about it. However he needs to be able slap players into shape.

Colo does have a lot of qualities you like to see from your player with the arm band, but he does not have the right qualities to pick a team up when it is getting battered. We seemed to have a lot more backbone when Nolan and Barton were here. True, we weren't as good of a team, but these lads did lead the team and were strong characters. A lot of our results came from the likes of Nolan keeping us riled up.

Saylor is the only one that shows consistent passion and strength, but unfortunately he's injured too often to claim the armband.

We really could use a player like Douglas. He's worn the captains armband at Twente quite often. Yes, he's had his moments, but he knows how to grab his team mates by the scruff off the neck and get them back on their feet, and at the same time show quality and set an example. Douglas is 6ft 4, dominant in the air, reads the game well, is as precise in the tackle as Colo is, and he's a powerful presence that can help lead a side.

If he doesn't take the armband, he can at least be another captain like figure, that can add some steal to go with the intelligence.

 

Disagree, I think Colo is a fantastic captain.

Look at what we've achieved since he's been captain, and look how woefully we played the 3 games without him.

Also, look at what he did when Ryan Taylor got injured. I really think he commands respect from the rest of the team.

 

I never said he was a bad captain, I think he has a lot of good captainesque qualities, but he does not know how to pick his side up when they are down, he does not know how to get them back on their feet and fighting.

He offers good intelligent and tactical improvement to our defence, but that's not enough IMO. He will improve our performances, but when we need emotion more than quality, he's not the best captain. Sometimes it's not just about quality and playing the game, it's about a morale boost and waking players up after they've made a mistake.

 

No, all we need is a competent defender instead of Mike Williamson. That's all. Look at his reaction after he's pwnd by fcking Jones - he knows he's useless. He can barely pass a ball 10 feet, so rather than try he lumps it upfield - he's frightened of having to defend, it's shocking. I'd drop the fool, I don't care how tall he is he's sht in the air, and I'd either put Perchy back there or go with Remie Streete/Curtis Good. ANYONE has to be better than Willo. Kudos to the board for thinking he was a good enough backup.

He was literally one of Stoke's best players - essentially created two goals and hit the post.

 

I could imagine there might be a slight language barrier which may cause some issues on the pitch, but that isn't a big enough problem to change the captain.

 

Although I agree we do need a better defender than Williamson, I don't think you got what I was saying. We need to get someone who can pick the lads up when they've been knocked down, it's not just about quality performances. We cannot perform every game, but sometimes captains can pick their side up and give them a bollocking or an emotional boost to get them back on their feet.

And with regards to the 2nd goal vs Stoke, Williamson cannot really be blamed for that. I've always liked Jones, and the reason is he's strong as a ****ing Rhino, he's 6ft 2/3 and he can also jump well. Normally it's smaller players that can jump, where as bigguns cannot, but Jones climbs extremely high, and I seriously doubt it would have made a difference who was up against Jones for that header. Saylor wouldn't have beaten him.

Colo was also to blame for it. Jerome totally lost him. Blame shouldn't be placed just on the players who lose their aerial challenges, but the players who don't pick up those who are picking up these knock downs.

When I saw Jones and Jerome coming on, I was ****ting myself, because Jones IMO is better in the air than Crouch, and wins more aerial challenges despite being 4/5 inches smaller, plus hes a lot stronger. Then there's Jerome who's very quick, and Stoke's 2nd goal was text book target man knocking the ball down for another striker to pick up.

 

I'm not saying we should change the captian, all I'm saying is that Coloccini doesn't have all the characteristics of a good captain.

When Saylor and Colo are on the pitch you have an good pair of leaders, but Saylor isn't on the pitch in enough games! Plus he's not had that much experience of captaining a side.

Douglas would be perfect to partner Colo.

 

I agree that Taylors injury issues are a concern. I haven't seen enough of Douglas to make a real comment on him, but he's highley rated, the only problem I have is that in my honest opinion, I'd love to see an English replacement. A guy who isn't afraid to get the players sorted out and isn't afraid to shout. Who do I see out there who can do that? I don't know..

So I'll watch some of Douglas and see what I think.

 

That was the exact point I made in my article mate. And the reason I'm suggesting Douglas is that he can do this for us.

 

That's what happens when you're in work and have to skim through articles haha. I'll make sure I look out for him in that case!

 

You ****ing better.

 

I think there's more to captaincy than shouting and balling.
Colo has the respect of the players and leads by example.
He's not afraid to put a shift in and get's stuck in when he needs to.
I'd take Colo over Douglas anytime with the armband as Douglas is just too hotheaded for that role.
It would be a bad role model for the young guys IMHO.

 

I never said it was all, or even mostly, about shouting and balling. Shouting at players with no purpose wont help anything, but sometimes Colo needs to bollock players and also needs to rally the troops. He doesn't get them riled up when they need a boost, and when our morale is down, he does nothing to pick the lads up.

I never said we should make anyone else captain, and I said Coloccini has a lot of the qualities you want from a captain, but when the chips are down we don't really have anyone that shakes the lads up and gets them back into the fight, apart from perhaps Saylor but he's injured too often.

Douglas has made some mistakes in the past, but Coloccini was hardly setting a good example when kicking Suarez, elbowing Bellamy and elbowing Elmander.

Everyone makes mistakes, even calm characters like Colo. I'm not saying replace him, all I'm saying is that it would be good to have another type of leader to help Colo out. Douglas has worn the captains armband many times and he knows how to inject backbone into his side.

Douglas' 3x red card thing was really the worst thing he's done and he was rightly frustrated. But that was years ago now.

 

I don't think Colo exhibits captaincy in many more ways than dignified calm. That's ok, and a really good quality, but we definitely don't have many fighters. Demba Ba is the only one I consider now to have fighting quality, when we go down, he hunts for the ball and never gives up. The typical example would be Norwich City away last season. Of course, this could all be a figment of my imagination which I've dreamt-up just to contribute to this thread...

Put it this way, if we are 1-0 down to Wigan, even if it's after 30 seconds... Will anyone think we have a hope in hell of winning the game? We haven't won from behind with Pardew, and that's about 2 things, his subs and the lack of fighters in our squad. To be honest, at 1-0 Wigan I might as well leave the stadium safe in the knowledge we've got, at most, 1 point. Of course, call it pride or sadistic/sadomasochistic pleasure, but I will never leave a game til it's over, I'll suffer through the rest like some Japanese blood-porn horror film (am I an EMO?). I wouldn't be surprised to have to get up loads to let people past though, even if it was after 30 seconds, and I'm pretty sure if we aren't ahead by half-time (at the latest), there'll be some ugly scenes

 

p.s

Like Saylor as captain. Heroic defender, if not the brightest. Unfortunately as said, he's never going to be at the back for more than half a season, ever.

 

Tiote for Captain, no-one would argue with him.

Love Colo as Captian though, he's the only one i feel really confortable on the ball.

 

Nobody should ever be afraid to put a shift in, and No, I don't think Colo gets stuck in at all. He even shies away when players take shots, and that's a problem at times(there was a goal sometime back where Colo looked away and the ball slipped past him, while Krul couldn't see the ball and it went in)
On the other hand, players like Saylor and John Terry are exemplary examples for being brave defenders.

On Douglas, I don't even watch Dutch football and the way Cove puts it, I don't even think Douglas is that good. That's based on Cove's judgement as he apparently doesn't rate him. I hope we're not clutching at straws trying to get CBs..

 

Colo is the perfect captain bar his odd hot head moment which is ok. He needs an able partner who is not injury prone. Perfect age for a captain too.