Michezo magazetini leo...

Michezo magazetini leo...

Status
Not open for further replies.
John Terry edges closer to regaining permanent England captaincy

• Capello to smooth things over with Ferdinand and Gerrard
• Chelsea centre-back may wear armband against Wales




  • Richard Williams
  • The Guardian, Tuesday 15 March 2011 <li class="history">Article history
    John-Terry-007.jpg
    John Terry wearing the Chelsea captain's armband. Will he be wearing the England one in Cardiff? Photograph: Craig Brough/Action Images Barely a year after being stripped of the England captaincy, John Terry may be pulling on the armband for the Euro 2012 qualifying match against Wales in Cardiff next week. If that is indeed Fabio Capello's verdict, then it appears possible that the appointment will be permanent.
    "I'm not sure of my decision yet," Capello said . "I need time." He would announce his choice, he said, the day before the Wales match. But the fact that he is meeting Rio Ferdinand and Steven Gerrard, the current captain and vice-captain, over the next two days suggests that he is seriously considering the reinstatement of Terry, who lost the armband following allegations of an affair with the former girlfriend of Wayne Bridge.
    Both the Manchester United defender and the Liverpool midfielder have been ruled out of the trip to the Millennium Stadium. Capello will also have to consider the claims of Frank Lampard and Wayne Rooney, third and fourth in the pecking order.
    When England beat Denmark 2-1 in a friendly in Copenhagen last month, the absence of Ferdinand and Gerrard led Capello to give the captaincy to Lampard. When Lampard was substituted at half-time, the role was passed to Ashley Cole. And on Cole's withdrawal, Gareth Barry became the third captain of the night. Terry, on the pitch the whole time, watched the passing of the armband with increasing frustration, to which he gave vent afterwards. Nor, it now transpires, was Capello best pleased with what he saw.
    "I was upset about this, really upset, when I saw the players handing it around," Capello said. "People were saying, 'Who's the captain?' I had decided on three, the captain, vice captain and second vice captain. But there was confusion. I think for John Terry it was a bad moment."
    A year, the manager added, is "a good period to understand a mistake". Terry had held the job since his appointment by Steve McClaren in August 2006, had it confirmed by Capello exactly two years later after a set of auditions that included Ferdinand and Gerrard, and lost it during a 10-minute meeting at Wembley Stadium on 5 February 2010.
    Now Capello appears ready to forgive and forget. He described both Terry and Ferdinand as "good captains" but stressed that the former had been his original first choice and may also be swayed by the latter's recurring back problem.
    "First of all I want to know what happened with Rio's back and when he will be fit because he is a really important player for us," said Capello. "After that I will explain to him what really happened and what I am going to do, if I will decide on a new captain or about John Terry or something else. I will explain what happened in Denmark and what I think. I would understand if he is not happy. But I am the manager. I have to take decisions."
    Capello was also keen to stress the importance of Jack Wilshere to his plans. When asked whether Arsenal's 19-year-old was captaincy material, he said: "He needs more caps, but he's a leader on the pitch. I watched him speaking to the referee and the other players during a match. It's difficult to find a player like that, so young, with such a big personality."
    As to Wilshere's role in the team, Capello emphasised his need to be involved as one of two midfield players in front of the back four. "Now we need to find another one. But he's incredible. After the Denmark game I was really happy with his performance. He played with confidence, without fear, trying to do the same things he does usually when he plays with Arsenal."
    That was Wilshere's second cap, the first having come back in August, as an 83rd-minute substitute in a friendly against Egypt at Wembley. "The first time he played, I was not so sure," Capello said. "But since that time he has improved a lot."
    The England manager was particularly impressed by his Champions League performances in Arsenal's defeat over two legs at the hands of Barcelona. "In the game in Spain, against the most difficult team to beat at the moment, he played with the same confidence and attitude that he showed in the match in London," he said. "He was incredible."

 
Poulsen kutaja wakali wake leo, Julio atema nyota wawili Send to a friend Monday, 14 March 2011 20:35

kocha%20poulsen21.jpg
kocha Jan Poulsen

Jackson Odoyo na Kalunde Jamal
NANI kapanda, nani kashuka na nani kingíangíanizi hivyo ndivyo hali halisi inavyokuwa kila kocha Jan Poulsen anapotangaza kikosi cha timu ya taifa ya Tanzania 'Taifa Stars'.

Tangu Poulsen alipotua nchini mwishoni mwa mwaka jana amekuwa akibadilisha kikosi chake kila siku mithiri ya watangazaji wa vipindi vya kumi bora au ishirini bora kwenye redio mbalimbali duniani.

Wakati Poulsen akitangaza kikosi chake leo mwenzake wa timu ya taifa ya vijana chini umri wa miaka 23, Ngorongoro Heroes, Jamhuri 'Julio' Kiwhelo ametangaza kikosi cha wachezaji 25 na kuwaweka kando washambuliaji Mbwana Samatta na Thomas Ulimwengu kabla ya kuivaa Cameroon.

Akizungumza na Mwananchi, Poulsen alikataa kutaja aina ya kikosi atakachokuwa nacho badala yake akamtaka Mwandishi wa habari hii kufika katika ofisi za TFF leo atakapokuwa akitangaza majina ya wachezaji hao.

ìSiwezi kusema chochote kwa leo (jana) nakuomba uje TFF siku ya Jumanne nitakapokuwa natangaza majina ya wachezaji ingawa hakitatofautiana sana na kile kilichocheza na Palestine,îalisema Poulsen.

Pamoja na tabia ya Poulsen kupenda kujaribu wachezaji wapya kila wakati taarifa kutoka ndani ya benchi la ufundi limedai kuwa kikosi kitachotangazwa leo hakitakuwa na mabadiliko makubwa huku akiwaita wachezaji wake wote wanaocheza soka nje ya nchi.

ìKocha atatangaza kikosi chake kesho (leo) ingawa amekuwa msiri kutaja kikosi kwa mtu yeyete ila leo (jana) amenidokeza kwamba hatofanya mabadiliko makubwa katika kikosi kilichocheza na Palestine badala yake ataongeza wachezaji wote wanaocheza soka nje ya nchi,î kilisema chanzo cha habari.

Chanzo hicho kilifafanua kwamba; ìkocha atawapa kipaumbele wachezaji waliokuwa katika kikosi cha kwanza katika mechi ya Palestine huku baadhi yao wakipigwa panga.î

ìKocha aliwasifia wachezaji waliokuwa katika kikosi cha kwanza cha timu hiyo katika mechi ya Palestine kwamba walicheza vizuri kuliko walioingia katika kipindi cha pili.î

Kikosi kilichocheza na Palestine kiliongozwa na kipa Shaban Kardo, Shadrack Nsajigwa, Juma Jabu, Agrrey Moris, Nadir Haruob, Ramadhan Chombo, Shaban Nditi, Mussa Hassan Mgosi, Jabri Azazi, Mrisho Ngassa, John Bocco.

Huku wachezaji wa akiba ambao hata hivyo baadhi yao wako katika hatari ya kuachwa katika kikosi hicho ni pamoja na Mbwana Samata, Godfrey Bonny, Julius Mrope, Mohamed Banka, Chacha Marwa, Juma Nyoso, Kelvin Yondani, Haruna Shamte, pamoja na Salum Machaku.

Wakati huo huo; Kocha wa Ngorongoro Heroes, Kiwhelo ametangaza kikosi cha wachezaji 25 na kuwaacha washambuliaji Samatta na Ulimwengu.Kikosi hicho cha Ngorongoro kinajiandaa na mchezo wake wa kwanza wa kufuzu kwa michezo ya Olimpiki 2012 dhidi ya Cameroon huko mjini Younde hapo Machi 23.

Baada ya kutokea mavutano baina ya kocha huyo na uongozi wa klabu ya Simba kuwa nani mwenye haki ya kumtumia chipukizi Samatta, Julio amekubali kumwacha nyota huyo pamoja na Ulimwengu aliyetakiwa kufanya majaribio na timu ya TP Mazembe.

"Tumewaachia Samatta kwa sababu klabu yake imeshindwa kumruhusu kujiunga nasi katika kipindi chote cha mazoezi hivyo hatoweza kutusaidi sana kwa sasa ila bado ni miongoni mwa wachezaji wetu," alifafanua Julio.

Kuhusu kumkosa Ulimwengu alisema wamelazimika kumpa ruhusa ili akafanye majaribio yake na mabingwa wa Afrika, Mazembe atakapomaliza atarejea kwenye kikosi hicho.Kabla ya kwenda Cameroon timu hiyo itacheza mechi mbili za kirafiki kwa ajili ya kujiweka fiti, mechi ya kwanza itacheza dhidi ya Azam hapo Jumatano na Ijumaa waaivaa Mtibwa Sugar kwenye Uwanja wa Jamhuri mjini Morogoro.

Julio alisema kuwa kuhusu mechi yao ya kirafiki ya kimataifa dhidi ya Uganda itategemea na mipango iliyowekwa na Shirikisho la soka Nchini (TFF)."Kujua kama mechi hiyo itachezwa hapa au Uganda tunasubili jibu kutoka kwa TFF hii leo.

Kikosi cha Ngorongoro kinaundwa na Shabani Kado- Mtibwa Sugar, Gharib Mussa- Mtende Rangers,Salum Telela- Yanga, Faraja Kabari- Simba, Issa Rashid- Mtibwa Sugar, Mbwana Hamis- Simba, Shomari Kapombe- Polisi Morogoro, Idrisa Juma- KMKM, Abdul Gulam- Malindi, Seme Omega- Yanga, Himid Mao- Azam, Babu Ally- Morani, Ibrahim Rajabu- Azam, Salum Abubakar- Azam, Awadh Juma- Azam, Godfrey Wambura- Simba, Jamal Mnyate- Azam, Frank Domayo- JKT Ruvu, Cosmas Fred- Azam, Mcha Khamis- Zanzibar Ocean View, Ventlaus John- KMKM, Eddo Christopher- Simba, Amour Suleiman- Zanzibar Ocean View, Zahoro Pazi- African Lyon, Samwel Ngasa- African Lyon
 
'Ni vita ya mwanafunzi, mwalimu' Send to a friend Monday, 14 March 2011 20:20

Imani Makongoro
KOCHA Mkuu wa klabu ya Simba, Patrick Phiri ameifananisha mechi yao dhidi ya Mabingwa watetezi, TP Mazembe sawa na 'vita kati ya Mwanafunzi na Mwalimu'.

Akizungumza kwa njia ya simu kutoka Arusha, Phiri alisema kuwa wanajua kuwa wanapambana na timu kubwa yenye historia mpya kabisa katika soka la Afrika na lengo lao litabakia palepale la kutafuta ushindi.

Alisema kuwa TP Mazembe ni mabingwa watetezi kwa mara ya pili mfululizo na klabu pekee katika bara la Afrika iliyoweza kufika fainali ya klabu bingwa ya Dunia kwa kuzitoa timu kongwe duniani.

ìSimaanishi kuwa hatuwezi kuwatoa TP Mazembe, hapana, kwani hata Mwalimu anaweza kushindwa kwa mwanafunzi, tunakwenda kushindana na vile vile kusaka ushindi,î alisema Phiri.

Alisema kuwa historia mara nyingi uwa inatengenezwa kwa mechi mfano dhidi ya TP Mazembe kwani wadau wengi wa soka wanadhani kuwa tutafanya vibaya kutokana na historia ya timu hiyo kwa soka la Afrika hivi sasa.

ìTunajiandaa kwenda kushindana, kupigana mpaka tone la mwisho, naamini tutafikia lengo letu, ubora wa TP Mazembe si wa kubeza na naamini wachezaji wangu watafanya kile kinachotarajiwa na wadau wengi kama ilivyokuwa kwa timu ya Zamalek ya Misri mwanzoni mwa miaka ya 2000,î alisema Phiri.

Alisema kuwa anawajenga wachezaji wake kwa kisaikolojia, kiufundi na kujuzi kwa ajili ya mechi hiyo ambayo inasubiriwa na mashabiki wengi wa soka Tanzania na Afrika kwa ujumla.

Alifafanua kuwa kambi yake imezidi kuhimarika na hasa baada ya kupona kwa Mussa Hassan Mgosi na maendeleo mazuri ya Emmanuel Okwi ambaye alikuwa anasumbuliwa na ugonjwa wa tumbo.

ìPia Patrick Ochan ni mgonjwa, Echessa (Hillary) anaendelea vizuri na Owino (Joseph) naye anaendelea vizuri, uwepo wao katika timu utajulikana Alhamis na hasa kutegemea taarifa ya daktari wetu,î alisema.
 
Make John Terry captain for now &#8211; and turn focus on England's failings

The importance of the armband is an obsession with England's players. It should not be a fascination for Fabio Capello



  • John-Terry-Chelsea-captai-007.jpg
    Should John Terry be confirmed in the role as anything other than a caretaker England captain, Rio Ferdinand will have effectively been stripped of the role simply for the crime of having been injured. Photograph: Ian Kington/AFP/Getty Images Welcome back, then, England captain John Terry. A year after being theatrically stripped of the armband in the shemozzle over Wayne Bridge's ex-girlfriend (newspaper allegations, incidentally, that have always been denied by the lady in question and which are also the subject of litigation), it seems likely Terry will once again captain England for the Euro 2012 qualifier against Wales in Cardiff. In Rio Ferdinand's prolonged absence it seems likely that this will be a permanent, or at least rolling, appointment.
    What, if anything, are we supposed to think about this? There are perhaps two ways of looking at it. The first is to take a longer view, the approach that suggests the England captaincy is a red herring, that English football would be best served shedding the peeled-eyeball fascination with who gets to wear the armband and do the toss, grounded as it is in the notion that players represent a sub-strata in need of leadership, someone to communicate with the overlings and formulate their thoughts, or simply to yell convincingly in moments of doubt.
    Nations who tend to win trophies also tend not to put such store in captaincy. It is perhaps a wider issue of mentality. Dutch players, we hear, are taught, or at least allowed, to eschew such hierarchy of thought, to adapt and react in real time and to trust their own judgment rather than seek bellowed instruction or leadership by example. An absence of such in-game intelligence, an atomised quality, is usually fingered as one of England's summer tournament crimes against progressive football, along with reliance on the long hoof and basic inadequacies of touch and movement.
    This is all very well, but it may not be the right approach for right now. Capello has already demonstrated he is uninterested in effecting a root and branch cultural change within English football. He is also currently a short-term England manager, with one very specific goal (triumph, progress, or at least a non-embarrassing outcome at Euro 2012). With this in mind reservations about the generational fetishising of the armband must take a back seat to a more simple fact. The players care about the captaincy. It is important to them, and not just for reasons related to sponsorial bonuses. It has an enduring emotional and hierarchical importance, one that can easily destablise the group.
    As a result the question of the captaincy must be at least defused. The restless and apparently ad hoc passing about of the armband in Copenhagen last month &#8211; substitutions meant England fielded three captains on the night, none of them a visibly vexed Terry &#8211; emphasised that this is a tension-knot within the squad in need of a decisive massaging.
    The issue has of course been brought to a head by Ferdinand's current and ongoing back problems. Terry has also been regularly absent from England squads, but is fit and playing well. His appointment on a permanent basis might induce a sting of wounded pride in those also in line &#8211; Ferdinand, Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard &#8211; but it is no longer the tabloid hot potato of this time last year. There is no Team Bridge deployment within the England changing room, primed to mount its high horse. There is also a reduced Manchester United contingent bound by club loyalties to Ferdinand. Wayne Rooney is unlikely to take perfumed umbrage at the notion of a man stained with boudoir sleaze still playing a major role for his country.
    From one angle, then, the appointment of Terry might look like a pre-emptive nipping in the bud, groundwork being laid for a period of stability leading up to Fabio's last stand next summer. But of course this is England and something of a muddle remains. Should Terry be confirmed in the role as anything other than a caretaker, Ferdinand, his first-choice partner, will have effectively been stripped of the role simply for the crime of having been injured. At the same time the machinations surrounding the latest bit of armband-anointing seem to confirm rather than undermine the notion that captaincy really is something we should be expending energy on. Capello's talk of Terry being forgiven for his original sins of the flesh only fans the unhelpful notion that there is some moral dimension to this role, a sense of delegated feudal nobility.
    Worse, Capello is once again refusing to play completely straight. "I'm not sure of my decision yet," he said yesterday. "I need time." Really? How much time? England have played only five matches in the last nine months. But the England captaincy, always a live issue, looks set to dominate once again in the buildup to the Wales match.
    If Capello really wanted to quash this in a single manoeuvre nine months before the start of Euro 2012, he seems to have lost his nerve at the last. Better simply to appoint Terry now, a club captain and England regular who is currently fit and in form; deliver a few helpful asides on the folly of attaching excessive importance to the captain's role in what is more than ever a team game of minute tactical fluidity; and get on with quietly addressing England's more pressing failings.

    Football

    Sport

    More comment


    Related





    's comment


    Comments in chronological order (Total 62 comments)


    Post a comment
    • icons_staff_16.gif
      Staff
    • icons_contributor_16.gif
      Contributor

    • 60x60.png
      MattLeHoosque 15 March 2011 2:52PM

      Capello was a bit bulldozered into making a football decision due to a non-football situation by the British media.
      Many foreign coaches that come to these isles are a bit stunned by the media's hunger for tabloid sensationalism.
      Capello isn't stupid, or a donkey as was portrayed in one red top last year, so i think that we need to come to the conclusion that the way we go about things in this country has to be examined.
      The idea that the choosing of the national team's captain should be in any way a distraction to the team is just clearly nutty. By definition there are bound to be a few club captains in the national squad so i just say pick the one with the most caps and get on with the bloody game.

    • no-user-image.gif
      Navigator 15 March 2011 2:52PM

      What is it about the England job? If you look at Capello's managerial track record it is second to none.
      And yet he, like so many others before him, appears to be no longer dealing from a full deck.

    • 60x60.png
      MattLeHoosque 15 March 2011 2:53PM

      Give it to Wilshere. Why not?
      ​
      Because he has enough to worry about to start with.
      You don't want to kill the boy.

    • 60x60.png
      VoodooMagicMan 15 March 2011 2:54PM

      Give it to Wilshere. Why not?
      ​
      Because we'll have Ugovin on here gloating like a five year old remedial

    • 60x60.png
      VoodooMagicMan 15 March 2011 3:02PM

      The English idiosyncracies have gotton to Capello after he showed so much resolve early on.
      Look at the crap Richard Williams wrote about yesterday suggesting Arsenal need a more effective captain than Fabregas. And then he goes about the right back Sagna wearing the number three shirt like that should affect his ability to play.
      The role of the captain is not as important as it is made out to be. Do you think it effects Man Utds performances whether it is Vidic, Giggs, Neville or Ferdinand who wear the armband?
      Just give it to someone who can lead by example on the pitch - for a team of England's ambitions, that really ought to be any one of six or seven - and then just get on with it. All the fuss over it is ridiculous.

    • no-user-image.gif
      jivemyth 15 March 2011 3:03PM

      The england football captain is a total non-job. It hardly worth a second of debate.
      its like 2 bald man fighting over a comb

    • no-user-image.gif
      Zaid216 15 March 2011 3:07PM

      The importance of the armband is an obsession with England's players
      ​
      I don't think it is. It is more an obsession with the media. Hence the article. At the Chelsea press conference today they were asking Carlo and Brano about what makes John Terry a great leader etc etc.
      The media got involved in the first place last year and effectively forced Capello to remove it from JT. England had just come off a very successful World Cup Campaign and everything was going nicely. I'm not saying that last years 'scandal' was the main reason for England's failures at the World Cup but it didn't help matters.

    • 60x60.png
      24HourPastyPeople 15 March 2011 3:07PM

      If Capello doesn't consider the captaincy that important, then it doesn't much matter who it goes to, as long as he doesn't backtrack on a previous big decision.
      What Capello thinks he gains on the pitch by giving it to Terry, he immediately loses off the pitch as questions surface about his control and judgement.
      After all, Terry's still as a big a t**t as he was a year ago, just slower.

    • 60x60.png
      dunf2562 15 March 2011 3:08PM

      Give it to Wilshere. Why not?
      Because we'll have Ugovin on here gloating like a five year old remedial
      ​
      Gonna happen anyway

    • 60x60.png
      VoodooMagicMan 15 March 2011 3:10PM

      Give it to sidvicious
      ​
      The recommendations on this nugget are rocketing! Is Norris McWhirter to hand?

    • 60x60.png
      aliasboy 15 March 2011 3:10PM

      Better simply to appoint Terry now, a club captain and England regular who is currently fit and in form
      ​
      For what it's worth, they are the usual criteria for getting the captain's armband.
      A good article indeed - even if the armband isn't as important elsewhere and England (Capello's England) have far more pressing problems than how to play pass the parcel with a bit of cloth and elastic.

    • 60x60.png
      WeAretheBenches 15 March 2011 3:10PM

      Give it to Wilshere. Why not? Because we'll have Ugovin on here gloating like a five year old remedial Gonna happen anyway
      armed with a list?

    • 60x60.png
      MattLeHoosque 15 March 2011 3:13PM

      After all, Terry's still as a big a t**t as he was a year ago, just slower.
      ​
      What has he done this year to upset you so much?
      Plus, I know that he's not the fastest sportsman in the world but when was the last time he was actually beaten for pace and it was clear that it was a problem in the way he plays?
      It's like trying to claim that because Gigi Buffon can't run the 100 metres in under 11 seconds makes him a bad goal keeper.
      Do try to actually watch a game that a player plays in and then comment.

    • 60x60.png
      dw7978 15 March 2011 3:20PM

      @MattLeHoosque:
      Terry is a twat, we all know that but he has played well recently and seems to have quietened down.
      The Buffon point though is not a great one. Keepers don't need to sprint far, defenders do.

    • 60x60.png
      dunf2562 15 March 2011 3:23PM

      Give it to sidvicious
      The recommendations on this nugget are rocketing! Is Norris McWhirter to hand?
      ​
      Am I the only reader here to have recommended neither?
      Even though they are both equally deserving of it I must add

    • 60x60.png
      HankVanTek 15 March 2011 3:23PM

      Capello isn't stupid,
      ​
      Gareth Barry in the holding role and Emile Heskey in any role must have been red herrings then.

    • no-user-image.gif
      F0Xinthebox 15 March 2011 3:25PM

      I like the way the Guardian Universe likes to pretend the captaincy doesn't matter just because the Guardian Universe reckons it ought not to matter. It's not just the media who make it into an issue. The players clearly do too. Terry wants it, and didn't want to lose it in the first place. Rio and his agents don't want to lose it. Capello is prepared to make an issue of it.
      It matters. If you can't get your head around that then that's a delusion you are entitled to. But right or wrong it's hard to make the case otherwise.

    • 60x60.png
      HankVanTek 15 March 2011 3:29PM

      Give it to sidvicious
      The recommendations on this nugget are rocketing! Is Norris McWhirter to hand?
      Am I the only reader here to have recommended neither?
      Even though they are both equally deserving of it I must add

      ​
      She's gonna blow! They are mutating like Godzilla or something. Run for your lives!

    • no-user-image.gif
      buddha9 15 March 2011 3:29PM

      Barney well done to you son -- least you mentioned the litigation and the endless denials from all concerned -- unlike the mail who still linger on this press beat-up like it was the truth
      JT should never have lost the captains band in the first place and it could be argued it did a lot of damage to england's chances when capello gave in to the press on this matter
      this is not a ferdinand verses terry argument thought the press will try to make it so.
      the bloke gives everything for england and its not his fault he lives in soceity where some of the press are more interested in sales than getting behind the team ( while of course using their patriotism to sell lots of mask, papers and other useless fan shit)

    • no-user-image.gif
      derMeisterSwinger 15 March 2011 3:31PM

      Sorry, completely off thread and topic but have just read that Löw has signed up for a further 2 years and had to get it off my chest. Great news.

    • 60x60.png
      Silverflash 15 March 2011 3:33PM

      The importance of the armband is an obsession with England's players
      ​
      Seems to be more of an obsession with the media.

    • 60x60.png
      HankVanTek 15 March 2011 3:33PM

      Sorry, completely off thread and topic but have just read that Löw has signed up for a further 2 years and had to get it off my chest. Great news.
      ​
      Not for England!

    • 60x60.png
      SergeantZim 15 March 2011 3:35PM

      An absence of such in-game intelligence, an atomised quality, is usually fingered as one of England's summer tournament crimes against progressive football, along with reliance on the long hoof and basic inadequacies of touch and movement.
      ​
      One line on English football's real failings and ten paragraphs on captaincy guff.
      Oh for the day when it's the other way round and English newspapers write about football.
      Did you see Stoke murder the game at the weekend ?
      Pullis should be arrested and charged with bringing the game into disrepute.
      The more I listen to Pullis, Graham Taylor, Alan Shearer and many others the more I believe that many people in English football are just faking it, bluffing their way through without any real football education, top-level coaching, real professonal understanding, expertise in their profession !

    • no-user-image.gif
      RR17 15 March 2011 3:36PM

      Who cares? Prime example, I'm not even sure who captains Spain or Barcelona.
      Give it to the goalie for all I care and just make sure you have players who are at the top of their game on the pitch not just names trading on past glories. England will never be good enough to win a tournament until they lose the egos and start playing passing football based on technical excellence. Wayne Rooney is probably the only England player with the technical skill of a Barcelona player. Shame he's also an annoying hothead.
      Sort yourselves out England.

    • 60x60.png
      BlueMoonRising 15 March 2011 3:39PM

      @rr17
      Give it to the goalie for all I care
      ​
      If you threw the armband to Joe Hart he'd just punch it out for a throw in.

    • 60x60.png
      dunf2562 15 March 2011 3:39PM

      I'm slowly catching the Todger...
      ​
      Bit more information than we really needed there voodoo

    • no-user-image.gif
      RRR7 15 March 2011 3:40PM

      Why is Terry even playing in this meaningless friendly? He's hardly the future of English football is he?
      It's time to ditch the tattered remnants of the "Golden Generation" and start building a team to seriously challenge for the next World Cup (let's face it, we're never gonna win the European Championship next year).

    • 60x60.png
      MattLeHoosque 15 March 2011 3:40PM

      @MattLeHoosque:
      Terry is a twat, we all know that but he has played well recently and seems to have quietened down.

      ​
      That was kinda my point.

    • 60x60.png
      HankVanTek 15 March 2011 3:42PM

      Are Todger and Voodoo holding everybody's wife and kid's hostage until they recommend them? 400 in an hour - this is unprecedented. Take a bow, sons! Take a bow.

    • 60x60.png
      dunf2562 15 March 2011 3:43PM

      It's time to ditch the tattered remnants of the "Golden Generation"
      ​
      Please refrain from mentioning the G word anywhere Mookie might turn up.
      It could lead to mayhem

    • 60x60.png
      dw7978 15 March 2011 3:44PM

      I was agreeing with you on that, much as it pains me as Terry has always disgusted me.

    • no-user-image.gif
      RememberThe66 15 March 2011 3:44PM

      England's failings has a lot to do with the media than journalists would like to admit.
      It's all well and good for reporters to say after a bad World Cup: "Maybe the pressure from us and our colleagues had a little to do with it" and then chuckle it off is not enough.
      I don't know whether it is the case in other countries with their own national players, but here, almost anything an English player does is magnified to breaking point.
      For my sins, I bought the News of the World on Sunday. There was a double-page spread about Jack Rodwell sending saucy text messages to the prostitute that Wayne Rooney allegedly slept with, Jennifer Thompson.
      The story went on to say that Rodwell sent her a picture of his penis and the reporter said that there is an Act in place that could put Rodwell in jail for six months because of sending a rude picture.
      Was that made up, or is there a little-known law which can jail people for one consenting adult sending a rude picture to another adult who I'm assuming wasn't offended by it?
      In that very same paper, they had a story about Frank Lampard looking to sell an apartment in Spain which his ex-girlfriend's grandma who is in her 90s lives in.
      The story went with the bullshit angle that Lampard was heartless and he was practically making the woman homeless.
      Okay, this lady is old and likes living where she does. Unfortunately, Lampard's ex-girlfriend can't afford to buy the place for her grandma, but she can afford somewhere cheaper nearby I'm sure?
      This granny will be better off than many people in their 90s who are struggling to afford heating in their house so they freeze to death.
      English footballers are not all angels, but the media, more specifically, the tabloid media, like to bury them though.

    • 60x60.png
      blaugrananord 15 March 2011 3:45PM

      "Nations who tend to win trophies also tend not to put such store in captaincy. It is perhaps a wider issue of mentality. Dutch players, we hear, are taught, or at least allowed, to eschew such hierarchy of thought, to adapt and react in real time and to trust their own judgment rather than seek bellowed instruction or leadership by example."
      And how many World Cups has Holland hoisted, hmm?
      The armband may be less of a tabloid obsession in other countries, but it still has importance and meaning and should be given to senior players who embody leadership on the pitch. France, for example, fared better with strong captains like Blanc and Zidane, and one only has to look at what happens when an inappropriate figure (Evra) is given the armband to see how having the wrong person in the role can make small problems worse. Likewise, Spain benefits from having captain in Casillas who plays the same role for his club. For all their talent, I do question whether they would have done as well if the armband was given to, say, Pique or Torres.
      While I do agree Capello underestimated the importance of the armband to the players, I don't think he should necessarily give it back to Terry, who seems to merit consideration because of his whole annoying 'Chelsea's/England's Brave and Loyal John Terry' schtick. The whole "look at me lads, I'm a leader" thing may be good for the media, but JT's ability to motivate "the lads" obviously doesn't contribute a great deal to England's performance in these tournaments. Perhaps they would respond better to someone else.

    • 60x60.png
      cpeskett 15 March 2011 3:45PM

      RRR7,
      Isn't this "meaningless friendly" a EURO 2012 qualifying match?
      Just askin'

    • 60x60.png
      MattLeHoosque 15 March 2011 3:47PM

      The Buffon point though is not a great one. Keepers don't need to sprint far, defenders do.

      ​
      No, i don't want to have two cental defenders who can sprint fast, that is the point of having two that compliment each other.
      The point i was trying to make, badly in this case, is that if Theo Walcott or Gareth Bale wasn't very fast then their effectivness would be dulled. Look at Micheal Owen after he lost his pace.
      Terry was never fast but that has never been an issue so it is comprable to someone moaning that a really good goalkeeper isn't fast.

    • 60x60.png
      SuperRuss 15 March 2011 3:48PM

      Do what the Italians do and give it to whoever has the most caps in the team for that game. The idea of one player being the inspiration for the rest of them is a load of crap. You want all your players to be able to perform at their best without the need for someone being a cheerleader for them.

    • no-user-image.gif
      mickoo 15 March 2011 3:49PM

      Giving Terry the captaincy will be apt for England and their fans! Make a massive arse of yourself and within a year you're back to being the greatest!
      As for Terry his hunger for the captaincy is driven by his ego and the additional earning potential he can extract from it. This was witnessed last year, as he almost prostituted the position before being stripped of the thing!

    • no-user-image.gif
      patsyloho1989 15 March 2011 3:50PM

      jt the best leader and least injury prone of the realistic candidates ( jt, rio and gerrard) so it makes sense to appoint him as captain. i reckon hes been punished enough and keep quiet enough the last year out of trouble. hes also playing quite well lately with luiz beside him good combenation. Even as a united fan rio should not have it because of the amount of games he misses. Its a shame coz when he has played this season beside vida he looks to be back to his old self compared the start of last season when he was making errors and being written off. ( torres incident). Gerrard great player but dont think hes a great leader or communicator like the other two

    • 60x60.png
      ajgraham 15 March 2011 3:51PM

      This shouldn't even be relevant. The captaincy has been more about PR and sponsors (see Beckham for example) for the past 15 years, and the only reason players want it is so they can up there fees for endorsements as spnsors will pay the England captain more than if they were just an England player.

    • 60x60.png
      dw7978 15 March 2011 3:53PM

      He's just a horrible person. Probably no better (or worse) than any of the others but he's just someone I find disgusting.
      Strangely, I find Ashley Cole quite endearing


 
Make John Terry captain for now – and turn focus on England's failings

The importance of the armband is an obsession with England's players. It should not be a fascination for Fabio Capello



  • John-Terry-Chelsea-captai-007.jpg
    Should John Terry be confirmed in the role as anything other than a caretaker England captain, Rio Ferdinand will have effectively been stripped of the role simply for the crime of having been injured. Photograph: Ian Kington/AFP/Getty Images Welcome back, then, England captain John Terry. A year after being theatrically stripped of the armband in the shemozzle over Wayne Bridge's ex-girlfriend (newspaper allegations, incidentally, that have always been denied by the lady in question and which are also the subject of litigation), it seems likely Terry will once again captain England for the Euro 2012 qualifier against Wales in Cardiff. In Rio Ferdinand's prolonged absence it seems likely that this will be a permanent, or at least rolling, appointment.
    What, if anything, are we supposed to think about this? There are perhaps two ways of looking at it. The first is to take a longer view, the approach that suggests the England captaincy is a red herring, that English football would be best served shedding the peeled-eyeball fascination with who gets to wear the armband and do the toss, grounded as it is in the notion that players represent a sub-strata in need of leadership, someone to communicate with the overlings and formulate their thoughts, or simply to yell convincingly in moments of doubt.
    Nations who tend to win trophies also tend not to put such store in captaincy. It is perhaps a wider issue of mentality. Dutch players, we hear, are taught, or at least allowed, to eschew such hierarchy of thought, to adapt and react in real time and to trust their own judgment rather than seek bellowed instruction or leadership by example. An absence of such in-game intelligence, an atomised quality, is usually fingered as one of England's summer tournament crimes against progressive football, along with reliance on the long hoof and basic inadequacies of touch and movement.
    This is all very well, but it may not be the right approach for right now. Capello has already demonstrated he is uninterested in effecting a root and branch cultural change within English football. He is also currently a short-term England manager, with one very specific goal (triumph, progress, or at least a non-embarrassing outcome at Euro 2012). With this in mind reservations about the generational fetishising of the armband must take a back seat to a more simple fact. The players care about the captaincy. It is important to them, and not just for reasons related to sponsorial bonuses. It has an enduring emotional and hierarchical importance, one that can easily destablise the group.
    As a result the question of the captaincy must be at least defused. The restless and apparently ad hoc passing about of the armband in Copenhagen last month – substitutions meant England fielded three captains on the night, none of them a visibly vexed Terry – emphasised that this is a tension-knot within the squad in need of a decisive massaging.
    The issue has of course been brought to a head by Ferdinand's current and ongoing back problems. Terry has also been regularly absent from England squads, but is fit and playing well. His appointment on a permanent basis might induce a sting of wounded pride in those also in line – Ferdinand, Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard – but it is no longer the tabloid hot potato of this time last year. There is no Team Bridge deployment within the England changing room, primed to mount its high horse. There is also a reduced Manchester United contingent bound by club loyalties to Ferdinand. Wayne Rooney is unlikely to take perfumed umbrage at the notion of a man stained with boudoir sleaze still playing a major role for his country.
    From one angle, then, the appointment of Terry might look like a pre-emptive nipping in the bud, groundwork being laid for a period of stability leading up to Fabio's last stand next summer. But of course this is England and something of a muddle remains. Should Terry be confirmed in the role as anything other than a caretaker, Ferdinand, his first-choice partner, will have effectively been stripped of the role simply for the crime of having been injured. At the same time the machinations surrounding the latest bit of armband-anointing seem to confirm rather than undermine the notion that captaincy really is something we should be expending energy on. Capello's talk of Terry being forgiven for his original sins of the flesh only fans the unhelpful notion that there is some moral dimension to this role, a sense of delegated feudal nobility.
    Worse, Capello is once again refusing to play completely straight. "I'm not sure of my decision yet," he said yesterday. "I need time." Really? How much time? England have played only five matches in the last nine months. But the England captaincy, always a live issue, looks set to dominate once again in the buildup to the Wales match.
    If Capello really wanted to quash this in a single manoeuvre nine months before the start of Euro 2012, he seems to have lost his nerve at the last. Better simply to appoint Terry now, a club captain and England regular who is currently fit and in form; deliver a few helpful asides on the folly of attaching excessive importance to the captain's role in what is more than ever a team game of minute tactical fluidity; and get on with quietly addressing England's more pressing failings.

    Football

    Sport

    More comment


    Related





    's comment


    Comments in chronological order (Total 62 comments)


    Post a comment
    • icons_staff_16.gif
      Staff
    • icons_contributor_16.gif
      Contributor

    • 60x60.png
      MattLeHoosque 15 March 2011 2:52PM

      Capello was a bit bulldozered into making a football decision due to a non-football situation by the British media.
      Many foreign coaches that come to these isles are a bit stunned by the media's hunger for tabloid sensationalism.
      Capello isn't stupid, or a donkey as was portrayed in one red top last year, so i think that we need to come to the conclusion that the way we go about things in this country has to be examined.
      The idea that the choosing of the national team's captain should be in any way a distraction to the team is just clearly nutty. By definition there are bound to be a few club captains in the national squad so i just say pick the one with the most caps and get on with the bloody game.

    • no-user-image.gif
      Navigator 15 March 2011 2:52PM

      What is it about the England job? If you look at Capello's managerial track record it is second to none.
      And yet he, like so many others before him, appears to be no longer dealing from a full deck.

    • 60x60.png
      MattLeHoosque 15 March 2011 2:53PM

      Give it to Wilshere. Why not?
      ​
      Because he has enough to worry about to start with.
      You don't want to kill the boy.

    • 60x60.png
      VoodooMagicMan 15 March 2011 2:54PM

      Give it to Wilshere. Why not?
      ​
      Because we'll have Ugovin on here gloating like a five year old remedial

    • 60x60.png
      VoodooMagicMan 15 March 2011 3:02PM

      The English idiosyncracies have gotton to Capello after he showed so much resolve early on.
      Look at the crap Richard Williams wrote about yesterday suggesting Arsenal need a more effective captain than Fabregas. And then he goes about the right back Sagna wearing the number three shirt like that should affect his ability to play.
      The role of the captain is not as important as it is made out to be. Do you think it effects Man Utds performances whether it is Vidic, Giggs, Neville or Ferdinand who wear the armband?
      Just give it to someone who can lead by example on the pitch - for a team of England's ambitions, that really ought to be any one of six or seven - and then just get on with it. All the fuss over it is ridiculous.

    • no-user-image.gif
      jivemyth 15 March 2011 3:03PM

      The england football captain is a total non-job. It hardly worth a second of debate.
      its like 2 bald man fighting over a comb

    • no-user-image.gif
      Zaid216 15 March 2011 3:07PM

      The importance of the armband is an obsession with England's players
      ​
      I don't think it is. It is more an obsession with the media. Hence the article. At the Chelsea press conference today they were asking Carlo and Brano about what makes John Terry a great leader etc etc.
      The media got involved in the first place last year and effectively forced Capello to remove it from JT. England had just come off a very successful World Cup Campaign and everything was going nicely. I'm not saying that last years 'scandal' was the main reason for England's failures at the World Cup but it didn't help matters.

    • 60x60.png
      24HourPastyPeople 15 March 2011 3:07PM

      If Capello doesn't consider the captaincy that important, then it doesn't much matter who it goes to, as long as he doesn't backtrack on a previous big decision.
      What Capello thinks he gains on the pitch by giving it to Terry, he immediately loses off the pitch as questions surface about his control and judgement.
      After all, Terry's still as a big a t**t as he was a year ago, just slower.

    • 60x60.png
      dunf2562 15 March 2011 3:08PM

      Give it to Wilshere. Why not?
      Because we'll have Ugovin on here gloating like a five year old remedial
      ​
      Gonna happen anyway

    • 60x60.png
      VoodooMagicMan 15 March 2011 3:10PM

      Give it to sidvicious
      ​
      The recommendations on this nugget are rocketing! Is Norris McWhirter to hand?

    • 60x60.png
      aliasboy 15 March 2011 3:10PM

      Better simply to appoint Terry now, a club captain and England regular who is currently fit and in form
      ​
      For what it's worth, they are the usual criteria for getting the captain's armband.
      A good article indeed - even if the armband isn't as important elsewhere and England (Capello's England) have far more pressing problems than how to play pass the parcel with a bit of cloth and elastic.

    • 60x60.png
      WeAretheBenches 15 March 2011 3:10PM

      Give it to Wilshere. Why not? Because we'll have Ugovin on here gloating like a five year old remedial Gonna happen anyway
      armed with a list?

    • 60x60.png
      MattLeHoosque 15 March 2011 3:13PM

      After all, Terry's still as a big a t**t as he was a year ago, just slower.
      ​
      What has he done this year to upset you so much?
      Plus, I know that he's not the fastest sportsman in the world but when was the last time he was actually beaten for pace and it was clear that it was a problem in the way he plays?
      It's like trying to claim that because Gigi Buffon can't run the 100 metres in under 11 seconds makes him a bad goal keeper.
      Do try to actually watch a game that a player plays in and then comment.

    • 60x60.png
      dw7978 15 March 2011 3:20PM

      @MattLeHoosque:
      Terry is a twat, we all know that but he has played well recently and seems to have quietened down.
      The Buffon point though is not a great one. Keepers don't need to sprint far, defenders do.

    • 60x60.png
      dunf2562 15 March 2011 3:23PM

      Give it to sidvicious
      The recommendations on this nugget are rocketing! Is Norris McWhirter to hand?
      ​
      Am I the only reader here to have recommended neither?
      Even though they are both equally deserving of it I must add

    • 60x60.png
      HankVanTek 15 March 2011 3:23PM

      Capello isn't stupid,
      ​
      Gareth Barry in the holding role and Emile Heskey in any role must have been red herrings then.

    • no-user-image.gif
      F0Xinthebox 15 March 2011 3:25PM

      I like the way the Guardian Universe likes to pretend the captaincy doesn't matter just because the Guardian Universe reckons it ought not to matter. It's not just the media who make it into an issue. The players clearly do too. Terry wants it, and didn't want to lose it in the first place. Rio and his agents don't want to lose it. Capello is prepared to make an issue of it.
      It matters. If you can't get your head around that then that's a delusion you are entitled to. But right or wrong it's hard to make the case otherwise.

    • 60x60.png
      HankVanTek 15 March 2011 3:29PM

      Give it to sidvicious
      The recommendations on this nugget are rocketing! Is Norris McWhirter to hand?
      Am I the only reader here to have recommended neither?
      Even though they are both equally deserving of it I must add

      ​
      She's gonna blow! They are mutating like Godzilla or something. Run for your lives!

    • no-user-image.gif
      buddha9 15 March 2011 3:29PM

      Barney well done to you son -- least you mentioned the litigation and the endless denials from all concerned -- unlike the mail who still linger on this press beat-up like it was the truth
      JT should never have lost the captains band in the first place and it could be argued it did a lot of damage to england's chances when capello gave in to the press on this matter
      this is not a ferdinand verses terry argument thought the press will try to make it so.
      the bloke gives everything for england and its not his fault he lives in soceity where some of the press are more interested in sales than getting behind the team ( while of course using their patriotism to sell lots of mask, papers and other useless fan shit)

    • no-user-image.gif
      derMeisterSwinger 15 March 2011 3:31PM

      Sorry, completely off thread and topic but have just read that Löw has signed up for a further 2 years and had to get it off my chest. Great news.

    • 60x60.png
      Silverflash 15 March 2011 3:33PM

      The importance of the armband is an obsession with England's players
      ​
      Seems to be more of an obsession with the media.

    • 60x60.png
      HankVanTek 15 March 2011 3:33PM

      Sorry, completely off thread and topic but have just read that Löw has signed up for a further 2 years and had to get it off my chest. Great news.
      ​
      Not for England!

    • 60x60.png
      SergeantZim 15 March 2011 3:35PM

      An absence of such in-game intelligence, an atomised quality, is usually fingered as one of England's summer tournament crimes against progressive football, along with reliance on the long hoof and basic inadequacies of touch and movement.
      ​
      One line on English football's real failings and ten paragraphs on captaincy guff.
      Oh for the day when it's the other way round and English newspapers write about football.
      Did you see Stoke murder the game at the weekend ?
      Pullis should be arrested and charged with bringing the game into disrepute.
      The more I listen to Pullis, Graham Taylor, Alan Shearer and many others the more I believe that many people in English football are just faking it, bluffing their way through without any real football education, top-level coaching, real professonal understanding, expertise in their profession !

    • no-user-image.gif
      RR17 15 March 2011 3:36PM

      Who cares? Prime example, I'm not even sure who captains Spain or Barcelona.
      Give it to the goalie for all I care and just make sure you have players who are at the top of their game on the pitch not just names trading on past glories. England will never be good enough to win a tournament until they lose the egos and start playing passing football based on technical excellence. Wayne Rooney is probably the only England player with the technical skill of a Barcelona player. Shame he's also an annoying hothead.
      Sort yourselves out England.

    • 60x60.png
      BlueMoonRising 15 March 2011 3:39PM

      @rr17
      Give it to the goalie for all I care
      ​
      If you threw the armband to Joe Hart he'd just punch it out for a throw in.

    • 60x60.png
      dunf2562 15 March 2011 3:39PM

      I'm slowly catching the Todger...
      ​
      Bit more information than we really needed there voodoo

    • no-user-image.gif
      RRR7 15 March 2011 3:40PM

      Why is Terry even playing in this meaningless friendly? He's hardly the future of English football is he?
      It's time to ditch the tattered remnants of the "Golden Generation" and start building a team to seriously challenge for the next World Cup (let's face it, we're never gonna win the European Championship next year).

    • 60x60.png
      MattLeHoosque 15 March 2011 3:40PM

      @MattLeHoosque:
      Terry is a twat, we all know that but he has played well recently and seems to have quietened down.

      ​
      That was kinda my point.

    • 60x60.png
      HankVanTek 15 March 2011 3:42PM

      Are Todger and Voodoo holding everybody's wife and kid's hostage until they recommend them? 400 in an hour - this is unprecedented. Take a bow, sons! Take a bow.

    • 60x60.png
      dunf2562 15 March 2011 3:43PM

      It's time to ditch the tattered remnants of the "Golden Generation"
      ​
      Please refrain from mentioning the G word anywhere Mookie might turn up.
      It could lead to mayhem

    • 60x60.png
      dw7978 15 March 2011 3:44PM

      I was agreeing with you on that, much as it pains me as Terry has always disgusted me.

    • no-user-image.gif
      RememberThe66 15 March 2011 3:44PM

      England's failings has a lot to do with the media than journalists would like to admit.
      It's all well and good for reporters to say after a bad World Cup: "Maybe the pressure from us and our colleagues had a little to do with it" and then chuckle it off is not enough.
      I don't know whether it is the case in other countries with their own national players, but here, almost anything an English player does is magnified to breaking point.
      For my sins, I bought the News of the World on Sunday. There was a double-page spread about Jack Rodwell sending saucy text messages to the prostitute that Wayne Rooney allegedly slept with, Jennifer Thompson.
      The story went on to say that Rodwell sent her a picture of his penis and the reporter said that there is an Act in place that could put Rodwell in jail for six months because of sending a rude picture.
      Was that made up, or is there a little-known law which can jail people for one consenting adult sending a rude picture to another adult who I'm assuming wasn't offended by it?
      In that very same paper, they had a story about Frank Lampard looking to sell an apartment in Spain which his ex-girlfriend's grandma who is in her 90s lives in.
      The story went with the bullshit angle that Lampard was heartless and he was practically making the woman homeless.
      Okay, this lady is old and likes living where she does. Unfortunately, Lampard's ex-girlfriend can't afford to buy the place for her grandma, but she can afford somewhere cheaper nearby I'm sure?
      This granny will be better off than many people in their 90s who are struggling to afford heating in their house so they freeze to death.
      English footballers are not all angels, but the media, more specifically, the tabloid media, like to bury them though.

    • 60x60.png
      blaugrananord 15 March 2011 3:45PM

      "Nations who tend to win trophies also tend not to put such store in captaincy. It is perhaps a wider issue of mentality. Dutch players, we hear, are taught, or at least allowed, to eschew such hierarchy of thought, to adapt and react in real time and to trust their own judgment rather than seek bellowed instruction or leadership by example."
      And how many World Cups has Holland hoisted, hmm?
      The armband may be less of a tabloid obsession in other countries, but it still has importance and meaning and should be given to senior players who embody leadership on the pitch. France, for example, fared better with strong captains like Blanc and Zidane, and one only has to look at what happens when an inappropriate figure (Evra) is given the armband to see how having the wrong person in the role can make small problems worse. Likewise, Spain benefits from having captain in Casillas who plays the same role for his club. For all their talent, I do question whether they would have done as well if the armband was given to, say, Pique or Torres.
      While I do agree Capello underestimated the importance of the armband to the players, I don't think he should necessarily give it back to Terry, who seems to merit consideration because of his whole annoying 'Chelsea's/England's Brave and Loyal John Terry' schtick. The whole "look at me lads, I'm a leader" thing may be good for the media, but JT's ability to motivate "the lads" obviously doesn't contribute a great deal to England's performance in these tournaments. Perhaps they would respond better to someone else.

    • 60x60.png
      cpeskett 15 March 2011 3:45PM

      RRR7,
      Isn't this "meaningless friendly" a EURO 2012 qualifying match?
      Just askin'

    • 60x60.png
      MattLeHoosque 15 March 2011 3:47PM

      The Buffon point though is not a great one. Keepers don't need to sprint far, defenders do.

      ​
      No, i don't want to have two cental defenders who can sprint fast, that is the point of having two that compliment each other.
      The point i was trying to make, badly in this case, is that if Theo Walcott or Gareth Bale wasn't very fast then their effectivness would be dulled. Look at Micheal Owen after he lost his pace.
      Terry was never fast but that has never been an issue so it is comprable to someone moaning that a really good goalkeeper isn't fast.

    • 60x60.png
      SuperRuss 15 March 2011 3:48PM

      Do what the Italians do and give it to whoever has the most caps in the team for that game. The idea of one player being the inspiration for the rest of them is a load of crap. You want all your players to be able to perform at their best without the need for someone being a cheerleader for them.

    • no-user-image.gif
      mickoo 15 March 2011 3:49PM

      Giving Terry the captaincy will be apt for England and their fans! Make a massive arse of yourself and within a year you're back to being the greatest!
      As for Terry his hunger for the captaincy is driven by his ego and the additional earning potential he can extract from it. This was witnessed last year, as he almost prostituted the position before being stripped of the thing!

    • no-user-image.gif
      patsyloho1989 15 March 2011 3:50PM

      jt the best leader and least injury prone of the realistic candidates ( jt, rio and gerrard) so it makes sense to appoint him as captain. i reckon hes been punished enough and keep quiet enough the last year out of trouble. hes also playing quite well lately with luiz beside him good combenation. Even as a united fan rio should not have it because of the amount of games he misses. Its a shame coz when he has played this season beside vida he looks to be back to his old self compared the start of last season when he was making errors and being written off. ( torres incident). Gerrard great player but dont think hes a great leader or communicator like the other two

    • 60x60.png
      ajgraham 15 March 2011 3:51PM

      This shouldn't even be relevant. The captaincy has been more about PR and sponsors (see Beckham for example) for the past 15 years, and the only reason players want it is so they can up there fees for endorsements as spnsors will pay the England captain more than if they were just an England player.

    • 60x60.png
      dw7978 15 March 2011 3:53PM

      He's just a horrible person. Probably no better (or worse) than any of the others but he's just someone I find disgusting.
      Strangely, I find Ashley Cole quite endearing


 
Bingwa Kili Taifa Cup kulamba 40m Send to a friend Monday, 14 March 2011 20:19

Sweetbert Lukonge
BINGWA wa michuano ya Kilimanjaro Taifa Cup 2011 itakayoanza kutimua vumbi Mei 7, atajinyakulia shilingi milioni 40, kutoka kwa wadhamini Kampuni ya Bia Tanzania (TBL).

TBL kupitia kinywaji chake cha Kilimanjaro wadhamini wakuu wa mashindano mwaka huu wamepanga kutumia zaidi ya Tsh 800 milioni kwa lengo la kufanikisha michezo hiyo.

Akizungumza jana katika hafla ya uzinduzi wa mashindano hayo iliyofanyika jijini Dar es Salaam, Meneja wa Bia ya Kilimanjaro, George Kavishe alisema kuwa safari hii wamejipanga vilivyo ili kuhakikisha mashindano hayo.

"Mwaka huu tunatarajia kutumia zaidi ya Tsh 800m kwa ajili ya maandalizi ya timu, usafiri, malazi na vifaa mbalimbali vya michezo.

"Pia, tumeboresha zawadi kwa mwaka huu mshindi wa kwanza ataibuka na kitita cha Sh 40 milioni wakati mshindi wa pili atajipatia Sh 20 milioni na watatu ataibuka na milioni 10," alisema Kavishe.

Alisema lengo kubwa la kufanya hivyo ni kuongeza hamasa na ushindani zaidi katika mashindano hayo ambayo lengo lake ni kuibua vipaji mbalimbali vilivyo jificha kutoka katika mikoa yote ya Tanzania.

Katika hatua nyingine Kavishe alisema kuwa wameboresha zawadi kipa bora, kocha bora pamoja mwamuzi bora watajinyakulia kitita cha Sh 2 milioni wakati mfungaji bora yeye atajipatia Sh 2.5 milioni.

Wakati huohuo, Katibu mkuu wa Shirikisho la Soka Tanzania (TFF) Angetile Oseah ameipongeza TBL kwa mchango wake mkubwa wa kuinua soka hapa nchini na kuhaidi kushirikiana ili kuhakikisha mchezo huo unapiga hatua zaidi.

Mbali na hilo pia Oseah amwetaka viongozi wa mikoa kuanza kutafuta wafadhili wengine na sio kila kitu wakategemea ufadhili wa TBL kwa lengo la kuhakikisha wanafanya maandalizi mazuri kwa ajili ya michuano hiyo.

"Licha ya TBL kupitia kinywaji chake cha Kilimanjaro kudhamini mashindano haya viongozi wa mikoa nao pia watakiwa kutafuta wafadhili wengine wa kusaidia sehemu maandalizi hayo," alisema Oseah.
 
Simba, Yanga, Azam zafukuzana Ligi Kuu Send to a friend Monday, 14 March 2011 20:17

Clara Alphonce
IKIWA zimebaki mechi tatu ili Ligi Kuu Tanzania Bara imalizike huku kila timu ikiwa zimebakiza mechi tatu tatu timu ya Simba ndiyo inaongoza ligi hiyo kwa kuwa na pointi 44 baada ya kucheza michezo 20.

Simba ambao ni mabingwa watetezi wa ligi hiyo baada ya kuchukua kikombe hicho msimu uliopita ndio inashikiria usukani kwa kuizidi Yanga ambao ndio wa pili katika msimamo huo kwa pointi nne tu.

Pia katika ligi hiyo mpaka sasa yamefungwa magoli zaidi ya 125 mshambuliaji wa Azam Mrisho Ngassa akiwa anaongoza kwa kuwa na magoli 13 akifuatiwa na Mshambuliaji wa Kagera Sugar Gaundence Mwaikimba ambaye ana magoli 12.

Hata hivyo mpambano mkubwa kwa sasa itakuwa katika nafasi ya mfungaji bora kutokana na ushindani uliopo kati ya wafungaji hao ambao toka mwanzo wamekuwa wakitofautiana kwa goli moja.

Msimu uliopita kiatu hicho za dhahabu kilichukuliwa na mshambuliaji wa Simba Mussa Hassan Mgosi ambaye kwa sasa ana magoli saba baada ya kumshinda Mrisho Ngassa kwa magoli mawili tu.

Ligi ya msimu huu imekuwa ngumu kutokana na timu tatu za juu ambazo ni Simba, Yanga na Azam kuonekana kufukuziana kila wakati kwa kuwa na pointi chache wanazopitana kwa kila timu.

Hata hivyo, kazi inazidi kuwa ngumu kwa timu nne za mwisho ambazo ni Polisi Dodoma ambayo ina pointi 17, Ruvu Shooting pointi 16, Majimaji pointi 13 na AFC pointi 11 ambazo ziko katika hati ya kushuka daraja.

Timu hizo tatu ukitoa Majimaji ya Songea ndio timu ambazo zimepanda daraja msimu uliopita lakini zimeonekana kusuasua katika Ligi kwa kutotoa upinzani wowote kwa timu zilizopo kwenye ligi na kuingia katika hati ya kushuka daraja tena
 
Mohamed Al Fayed committed to Fulham despite club's £16.9m losses

&#8226; Losses up by £10m due to increased contracts and wages
&#8226; 'The continued success of Fulham is my priority'




  • Press Association
  • guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 15 March 2011 12.25 GMT <li class="history">Article history
    Mohammed-Al-Fayed-007.jpg
    Mohamed Al Fayed has been the chairman of Fulham since 1997. Photograph: Joe Giddens/Empics Sport/PA Photos The Fulham chairman, Mohamed Al Fayed, remains fully committed to the club despite the Cottagers posting a £16.9m loss for the last financial year.
    Under their former manager Roy Hodgson, the side reached the final of the Europa League in 2010, which helped bring in an additional revenue of around £12.5m. However, overall losses went up by £10m, mainly because of increased wages and new contracts.
    Al Fayed, the former owner of Harrods, has been in charge of Fulham since 1997, with the club having sustained their top-flight status now for 10 consecutive seasons.
    Al Fayed has already bankrolled Fulham's rise through the divisions to the tune of more than £160m on an unsecured, interest-free basis. And the 78-year-old insists he is as passionate about the club now as the day he arrived at Craven Cottage.
    "As is evident, I remain committed to making investment funds available to achieve our goals both on and off the pitch," Al Fayed said. "The continued success of Fulham and its eventual financial self-sustainability is my priority."

 
Matokeo mazuri yazibeba kadhaa Ligi ya Mabingwa Ulaya Send to a friend Monday, 14 March 2011 20:14

MUNICH, Ujerumani
HUKU zikikabiliwa na mechi za marudiano za Ligi ya Mabingwa Ulaya leo, timu za Bayern Munich, Olympique Marseille na Manchester United zilifanya vizuri katika mechi zao za mwisho wa wiki.

Timu hizo zinakabiliwa na mechi hizo muhimu za marudiano za Ligi ya Mabingwa Ulaya, ingawa itakuwa ni Bayern Munich ambayo inaikabili Inter iliyokuwa na matokeo mazuri zaidi katika Ligi Kuu ya Ujerumani, Bundesliga baada ya ushindi wa mabao 6-0.

Hata hivyo, Man United na Olympique Marseille ambazo zinakutana kwenye Uwanja wa Old Trafford, Manchester baada ya suluhu ya 0-0 , pia zilishinda kiaina.

ENGLAND

Ushindi wa Man United wa mabao 2-0 dhidi ya Arsenal Jumamosi kwenye Kombe la FA utaikutanisha na wapinzani wao wa jiji la Manchester, Man C ity kwenye mchezo wa nusu fainali .

Man United waliwalaza wapinzani wao wakubwa wa msimu katika mbio za kusaka ubingwa wa Ligi Kuu, Arsenal na kuwatupa nje ya michuano hiyo, wakipangiwa sasa kukutana na Man City kwenye mchezo wa nusu fainali mwezi ujao katika Uwanja wa Wembley.Hilo lilikuwa pigo la pili kwa Arsenal baada ya kutolewa na Barcelona katika mchezo wa Ligi ya Mabingwa Ulaya kwa kipigo cha mabao 3-1

"Ulikuwa mchezo wenye shinikizo kubwa kwa timu zote mbili," alieleza kocha Sir Alex Ferguson.
Kwa upande wao, Man City, baada ya kuiondoa Reading kwa bao 1-0 wamejikatia tiketi ya kucheza na Man United katika nusu fainali ambayo itafanyika kati ya Aprili 16 na 17.

Nusu fainali nyingine itakuwa baina ya Stoke City na Bolton Wanderers ambazo ziliziondoa West Ham na Birmingham City katika mechi nyingine za mwisho wa wiki.

UFARANSA

Lille MÈtropole imeendelea kukaa kileleni mwa Ligue 1 baada ya ushundi mgumu wa dakika za mwisho za mchezo kwa bao la Eden Hazard katika ushindi wa 2-1 dhidi ya Valenciennes Jumapili. "Tulikuwa wenye bahati baada ya kipindi cha kwanza kucheza wastani," alisema kocha Rudi Garcia.

"Tulitarajia kwamba kitu maalum kingetokea kipindi cha pili na ndivyo ilivyokuwa kwa bao la Eden." Stade Rennais wanashika nafasi ya pili kwa tofauti ya pointi tatu baada ya kufungwa 2-0 na Marseille, ambao wao wapo nyuma kwa pointi wakishika nafasi ya nne. Nafasi ya tatu inashikwa na Olympique Lyon, walioko mbele ya Olympic Marseille kwa tofauti ya mabao baada ya ushindi wao wa mabao 2-0 dhidi ya Sochaux.

UJERUMANI
Uongozi wa Borussia Dortmund kileleni mwa Bundesliga umepunguzwa na kuwa pointi tisa baada ya kufungwa 1-0 na TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, kipigo chao cha tatu msimu huu.

"Sina wasiwasi hata kidogo," alisema J¸rgen Klopp. Mpinzani wa karibu wa Dortmund, Bayer 04 Leverkusen, walishinda kwa bao 1-0 dhidi ya Mainz 05 wanaoshika nafasi ya tano.

Hannover 96, waliofungwa kwa mabao 4-0 na FC Koln wapo nyuma kwa pointi tano, huku vinara wa ligi, Bayern wakiwa nyuma kwa pointi mbili zaidi baada ya ushindi mnono wa mabao 6-0 kwa Hamburg SV, ambao walimtimua kocha wao, Armin Veh.

ITALIA

Huku AC Milan wakiongoza kwa tofauti ya pointi tano, kileleni mwa Serie A, walizuiwa na kutoka sare ya 1-1 dhidi ya klabu ya mkiani, AS Bari. Udinese walipata karamu ya mabao 7-0 dhidi ya Palermo, ambayo karibuni ilifungwa pia mabao manne na Cagliari. Kinara wa mabao wa msimu uliopita, Antonio Di Natale alifunga mawili na kufikisha idadi yake kuwa 24 , pungufu ya mabao manne kufikia idadi yake msimu uliopita.

Pia, ilikuwa siku nzuri kwa Francesco Totti, ambaye alishangilia ushindi wa klabu yake, AS Roma kwa mabao 2-0 kwa Lazio kwamba ulikuwa wa kihistoria. "Ushindi huu kwa mabao mawili, yote yangu, dhidi ya wapinzani wetu wa mjini ni jambo la kujivunia."

HISPANIA

Karim Benzema alikuwa chachu ya ushindi wa mabao 2-0 wa Real Madrid Jumamosi dhidi ya HÈrcules , hasa baada ya kubaini kuwa wapinzani wao, Barcelona walishikwa shati na kutoka sare ya bao 1-1 na Valencia, Jumapilid.

Ndoto za Barca kuendeleza ushindi zilianzishwa na bao la Bojan Krkic dakika ya 30, lakini Jes&#729;s Navas alisawazisha kwa Valencia, dakika ya 49. " Ushindi hapa ulikuwa wa muhiomu kwetu na pointi mbili zingesaidia, lakini zimeyeyuka," alisema kiungo Sergio Busquets. "Lakini, kitu kizuri ni kwamba bado tunaongoza kwa pointi tano mbele ya Real Madrid na hii ni dalili njema."
KWINGINEKO ULAYA
Huko Austria, SK Rapid iliishangaza Austria Wien na kuzima ndoto zao za ubingwa kwa ushindi wa bao1-0, ambao umewaacha wapinzani wao nyuma ya SK Sturm Graz kwa tofauti ya mabao. Hakukuwa na mabao katika ligi ya Bucharest baina ya majirani, Rapid Bucuresti na Dinamo Bucuresti, ambao wote wanashika nafasi za tano na sita.

Ligi ya Daraja la Kwanza Czech , Viktoria Plzen iliilaza AC Sparta Praha 1-0 na kukaa kileleni kwa tofauti ya pointi tano. Kule Uholanzi, uongozi wa ligi wa PSV Eindhoven umebakia kwa pointi moja baada ya sare ya 2-2 dhidi ya NEC Nijmegen na wapinzani wao wa karibu Twente kushinda.
 
Azam yataka pointi kwa Yanga Send to a friend Monday, 14 March 2011 20:15

Mwandishi Wetu
BAADA ya kukubali sare ya mabao 2-2 timu ya Mtibwa Sugar kwenye uwanja wa Uhuru Jijini Dar es Salaam katibu mkuu wa Azam, Nassor Idrisa amesema hawakatishwi tamaa na matokeo hayo.

Alisema bado hawajakata tamaa kwani mpira unadunda na dakika 90 ndizo zinazoamua.Timu hiyo ina pointi 39 nyuma ya Yanga wakiwa na pointi 40 katika ligi hiyo inayoongozwa na Simba.

"Bado tupo katika mapambano na tutafanya vizuri , ukimuona mtu ana matokeo ujue sio mwana michezo kwa sababu mpira ni dakika 90 hivyo hatujakata tamaa."

Alifafanua kuwa mechi inayofuata watakutana na Yanga na watahakikisha wanawakabili kwa njia yoyote ile ili mradi tu waweze kuzipata pointi tatu za mchezo huo.

"Yanga ni timu kubwa lakini hakuna jinsi zaidi ya kuikabili na kucheza kufa na kupona na kuhakikisha tunafanya vizuri bila kufanya makosa yoyote ambayo yatatugharimu nasisitiza pointi tatu kuzipata ni muhimu katika mchezo huo" alisema Idrisa.
 
Arsène Wenger's real blind spot is the Arsenal captaincy

The Arsenal manager has handed out the captain's armband as a form of flattery while Sir Alex Ferguson prefers strong figures



  • Ars-ne-Wenger-Cesc-F-breg-007.jpg
    Arsène Wenger's decision to give the Arsenal captaincy to Cesc Fábregas was seen as an enticement to the team's best player to stay. Photograph: Eddie Keogh /Reuters There is no shortage of support for the view that it makes little difference who wears the armband in a football team. You can give the captaincy to the best player (Cesc Fábregas), or the most famous (David Beckham), and the team's performance will still be defined by its members' individual and collective merits and the quality of coaching they are given. From that perpective, it matters little whether or not Fabio Capello chooses to reverse his decision to dethrone John Terry in time for next week's Euro 2012 qualifying match in Cardiff.
    History offers a contradictory view, in the shape of the keen intelligence of Danny Blanchflower and Franz Beckenbauer, the calm authority of Bobby Moore and Franco Baresi, or the controlling industry of Billy Bremner and Didier Deschamps. And, as it happens, a great deal of opposing evidence comes from the two clubs sitting at the top of the Premier League, where Manchester United and Arsenal offer contrasting lessons in leadership.
    Sir Alex Ferguson has always looked for players with a significant influence on the pitch and in the dressing room. His big three captains have been Bryan Robson, Roy Keane and Gary Neville, with interludes from Steve Bruce, Eric Cantona, Rio Ferdinand and Ryan Giggs. The present incumbent is Nemanja Vidic. These players personify strength, resilience, and a certain kind of footballing integrity in sufficient quantity to overcome individual defects, such as Robson's drinking or Cantona's quixotic nature. Even in their less exalted periods, rarely have Manchester United looked bereft of leadership on the field of play.
    The role seems to mean something very different to Arsène Wenger. Just as Ferguson inherited Robson, so the Frenchman found Tony Adams, who would become the only man to captain a title-winning side in three different decades, already in place. After Adams's retirement in 2002 he could promote his deputy, Patrick Vieira, another powerful character who did not embody the Arsenal ethic to quite the same degree but nevertheless inspired awe among his team-mates and could change a game almost single-handedly.
    Vieira led the team through the unbeaten season of 2003-04 but lost form the following season and was sold to Juventus in the summer of 2005. At that point the Arsenal armband was given to Thierry Henry, the club's best player and leading goalscorer, who was thought to be in danger of accepting an offer to move elsewhere. Henry stayed two more years, during which Arsenal failed to regain the title and lost to Barcelona in a European Cup final on which the French striker's influence was nonexistent.
    In captaincy terms, he had fallen far below the standard set by Adams and Vieira (or, in previous generations, Joe Mercer and Frank McLintock). Nor was his successor, William Gallas, another player coveted elsewhere, much more effective. The French defender, given the job ahead of Gilberto Silva, Henry's quietly effective deputy, held the job for only a season and a bit, his tenure most notable for his bizarre sit-down protest at St Andrew's in 2008, the match in which Eduardo da Silva's leg was broken by Martin Taylor's challenge.
    Gallas lost the position 14 games into the 2008-09 season, when Fábregas was appointed. Although only 21, the Catalan was clearly the club's outstanding performer. But given that there were already rumours linking him to a return to Barcelona, it was impossible to escape the thought that Wenger had once again given the armband to a player he wanted to flatter into staying.
    Like Henry and Gallas, Fábregas has not been an effective captain. Injuries have limited his appearances, and he has sometimes tried to return from them too soon. But there are many who believe that, rather than putting all his faith in youth, Wenger would have done better to rely on the experience of Silva for a couple of seasons before identifying a younger player with the necessary attributes.
    Wenger is a great football man and an outstanding contributor to the history of the English game, but he has some curious quirks and blind spots. Putting the No10 on the shirt of a centre-back (Gallas) and the 3 on a right-back (Bacary Sagna) represents one of them. Failing to appreciate &#8211; or perhaps to accept &#8211; the influence of a good captain on a team's mentality is another, and it is the one for which Arsenal are currently paying a heavy price.

    Football

    Sport

    More comment

    Related




    's comment


    Comments in chronological order (Total 209 comments)


    Post a comment
    • icons_staff_16.gif
      Staff
    • icons_contributor_16.gif
      Contributor

    • no-user-image.gif
      Blizard1979 15 March 2011 12:18AM

      Who else could he give it to in the Arsenal team? There are no other obvious candidates, and that in itself is one of Wengers failings.
      Ferguson, in his current squad could call on Vidic, Ferdinand, Giggs, Van der Sar, Scholes, Fletcher, Rooney.
      Who else could Wenger make captain for the day, who is honestly an adequate leader?

    • no-user-image.gif
      FootballFarrago 15 March 2011 12:26AM

      Totally agree with you Blizard - they haven't got any true leaders, and this is their downfall, why they keep stalling at this stage in the season.
      Struggling to even think of one alternative. Wouldn't be surprised if Wilshire gets it in a year or two if Cesc leaves.

    • no-user-image.gif
      calumlaw 15 March 2011 12:36AM

      Lack of leadership is certainly an important factor though I'm inclined to think Wenger's main problem is parsimony, particularly when it comes to defenders and goalkeepers.
      For the last few years I was hoping he'd sign David Villa, exactly the kind skilful, heavily-scoring leader of the line Arsenal needed. Arsenal could've afforded him - though not now. Instead he soldiers on with Bendtner (not up to it) and Van Persie (a world-class player with glass legs).
      It's at the back the real problems have lain though. Toure and Gallas was a very strong pairing - sadly spoilt by their distaste for each other - but let's not forget Toure was converted, almost by accident, into a centre-back, not signed as such. Since them the centre-half pairings have been underwhelming, and as RW says, lacking inspirational never-say-die leadership. Unfortunately, Wenger's aesthetics mean he refuses to value the skills of defenders and goalies (stopping people/balls) alongside those of creative players. This is his undoing imo.

    • no-user-image.gif
      LoonyGoon 15 March 2011 12:37AM

      We don't have any "strong figures" to make captain. As far as I can tell the only players that really have any balls are Nasri and Denilson, maybe Song too, but none are the right personality type. This is not a new problem though, it's been that way for several seasons.

    • no-user-image.gif
      shm00 15 March 2011 12:37AM

      sad but true, most of it. titi would've stayed anyway. or not. vermaelen, nasri would be my first choices, and for the years to come, jack wilshere.

    • 60x60.png
      fonzie 15 March 2011 12:43AM

      Wilshere seems to be one for the future, as he plays with a lot of heart.
      Also there seems to a lot of criticism for the manager before the end of the season with a game in hand and three points behind Man Utd, it seems a little premature.
      He can be a stubborn wotsit somewhat, but sacrificed player transfers for youth to finance the stadium move and make the club self sufficient which it will be in a few years when the current sponsorships expire and can be renegotiated

    • 60x60.png
      jkhd 15 March 2011 12:46AM

      I hate this argument about leaders. It's so full of rubbish. Leaders have nothing to do with rubbish players. They don't have anything to do with someone cocking up in the back.
      Tony Adams' leadership wouldn't have made on jolt of difference to the Arsenal attack on Saturday.
      What Arsenal need are near-clones of the first XI, who are very good, but also injury prone. Without Cesc, Theo, van Persie, Song, etc, it becomes very hard to win games. We need people to slide in and not change things. Diaby, Denilson and Rosicky aren't good enough.
      Instead of going on about bloody leadership and "winners" why don't you ask Wenger why the first XI are so good and the second XI aren't. And really ask. Don't accept the "they're all internationals" rubbish.

    • 60x60.png
      dudeWTF 15 March 2011 12:47AM

      Good argument let down by a couple points...
      Gilberto had a good reputation but if you look at the tapes of his last two seasons' performances he was becoming unreliable and poor. He was failing to keep up with the speed of Arsenal's game and was giving the ball away at critical times. No way would I have wanted this old geezer as captain. He's done well since leaving, but he's been playing for poorer, slower teams. Gallas was a better choice.
      Fabregas has a winning mentality, he's not a showpony. He's very influential on and off the pitch. He is a decent choice as captian in the absence of any other stalwarts in a young team.
      I would personally like to see Vermaelen get the armband when Cesc finally leaves, that guy is all man.

    • 60x60.png
      jkhd 15 March 2011 12:51AM

      Whenever Arsenal lose or draw, people look at the lack of "leadership", rather than the quality of the team. Against Birmingham, United, Sunderland, Wigan, Leeds at home, Orient away, Newcastle at home and West Brom at home we struggled because of missing players.
      I've been saying for quite a while the squad players aren't good enough.
      Enough leadership rubbish. An article about the weakness of our squad, would be more relevant and more constructive than this cliché riddled nonsence.

    • 60x60.png
      rdeceJabolko 15 March 2011 12:51AM

      Vermaelen is the clear choice for captain, but would be more concerned about merely having him back, fit and able to influence and direct the defence, [and take shots from outside the box] regardless of whether he wears an armband.
      Shirt numbers seem irrelevant to me - somewhat surprised this would be mentioned.

    • no-user-image.gif
      BombayGooner 15 March 2011 12:52AM

      Thomas Vermaelen is the guy you're looking for. He's vocal, he's brilliant and he's a fighter.

    • 60x60.png
      nodopepusher 15 March 2011 12:54AM

      Thomas Vermaelen seems to have the necessary fire in his belly to wear the captain's armband. Wilshire too in the future. Johan Djourou is another. Hard to take it away from Cesc though. But with Vermaelen out for most, if not all of the season, how would that have helped us recently? I agree with the under-appreciated role of the captain but our biggest problem has been injuries.

    • no-user-image.gif
      LoonyGoon 15 March 2011 12:55AM

      jkhd 15 March 2011 12:46AM I hate this argument about leaders. It's so full of rubbish. Leaders have nothing to do with rubbish players. They don't have anything to do with someone cocking up in the back.
      I don't agree. If you've ever been on a pitch, or any playing surface in any team sport, you'd see that leaders do make a difference. Some people need direction, motivation and inspiration at times, some more than others. A good leader can be particularly beneficial when things aren't going well. The psychological part of sports is quite substantial, and leaders can help with that.

    • no-user-image.gif
      arsebook 15 March 2011 12:55AM

      Ja, Vermaelen is the right guy for the job. Pity his injury nightmare. The Achilles is tedious. Easier to come back from a broken leg. Wilshere and Ramsey will be good candidates too.

    • no-user-image.gif
      Sree 15 March 2011 12:55AM

      No Big signings, in fact there never was. Best players usually injured. Mostly young and inexperienced. Inspite of all these they are still in the running for the title. Does this mean that Wenger is a genius or the EPL is crap? Considering they had 18 shots at OT, compared to 0 at Nou Camp, I believe its more to the crap EPL.

    • no-user-image.gif
      JRF314159 15 March 2011 12:55AM

      Richard Williams has buried the lede here. The real issue isn't to whom should Arsene give the armband; it is that there is a fundamental lack of leadership on the squad. I feel that there is clearly a void in the defensive midfielder role. If anyone were to step up in this capacity, they would wear the armband.

    • 60x60.png
      dudeWTF 15 March 2011 12:56AM

      jkhd is 100% correct:
      the layer of players just under the first XI is not good enough.
      diaby, denilson and rosicky haven't distinguished themselves at all in 5+ years of service.
      wenger either needs to bring in a couple more solid performers to help carry the 'second layer' players, or he needs to cull some of these passengers and promote some hungry arsenal youngsters like bartley, lansbury and emmanuel-thomas.

      szczesny and wilshere are only kids in their first season, but their hunger and mentality is already influencing the team in a big way. surely it's better that the team gets infected by lansbury's enthusiasm, instead of denilson's apathy.

    • 60x60.png
      dudeWTF 15 March 2011 1:00AM

      don't give me this 'arsenal has no leaders' nonsense.
      djorou, vermaelen, song, fabregas, wilshere, nasri, rvp, chamakh, walcott...these are all tough competitors.
      the problem is that there are too many passengers in the squads next to these guys, and when injuries hit the first XI, it all gets a bit too casual and sloppy.

    • 60x60.png
      rdeceJabolko 15 March 2011 1:02AM

      dudeWTF: diaby, denilson and rosicky haven't distinguished themselves at all in 5+ years of service.
      ​
      Slightly harsh. At Old Trafford Diaby "bulleted" a perfect heade- oh.
      Well, I've settled on Rosicky being completely ruined by his tendon problem. Incredibly disappointing.

    • 60x60.png
      jkhd 15 March 2011 1:05AM

      I don't agree. If you've ever been on a pitch, or any playing surface in any team sport, you'd see that leaders do make a difference. Some people need direction, motivation and inspiration at times, some more than others. A good leader can be particularly beneficial when things aren't going well. The psychological part of sports is quite substantial, and leaders can help with that.
      ​
      I've been on a pitch.
      I had a captain. All he did was yell a lot. It wasn't particularly inspiring. In fact, I wanted to punch him in the face

    • 60x60.png
      KTBFFH 15 March 2011 1:08AM

      Interesting article. From an outsider's perspective, I agree that that Arsenal seem to lack a player or players who can conjure something from nothing in terms of changing the collective mindset.
      The role of the captain in club football is much more important than some of those commenting are suggesting. In adversity, some teams never know when they are beaten and others capitulate and feel sorry for themselves .Fabregas does not seem to me to be the kind of man who can drive his team on, force them to dig deeper, hone their will to win. Wilshire may be that man, though I have no idea how bright he is. He is a bit rough around the edges but he is far and away Arsenal's best hope for the future.
      Hopefully, Wenger will persuade Cesc to remain at the club and continue as captain...

    • 60x60.png
      KTBFFH 15 March 2011 1:12AM

      I've been on a pitch.
      I had a captain. All he did was yell a lot. It wasn't particularly inspiring. In fact, I wanted to punch him in the face

      ​
      Proof by default that the choice of captain is important?
      don't give me this 'arsenal has no leaders' nonsense.
      djorou, vermaelen, song, fabregas, wilshere, nasri, rvp, chamakh, walcott...these are all tough competitors.
      ​
      Tough competitors are not the same as leaders...

    • 60x60.png
      westsidemonster 15 March 2011 1:13AM

      I think Arsenal has players that have the potential to be captains, but they are no encouraged to take charge other than Cesc. He is the one that the team runs through, and will good reason, but there seems to be no drive to step into his shoes when he is injured, and it seems the system encourages it. When Arsenal is passing well and scores early, there is no problem because the whole team moves as one. But when the score is 0-1 in the 65 min, you need someone who will find some extra energy and just ****ing destroy. Rather like Gerrard in top form. Obviously every team needs someone like this to be good, but really needs someone like that. Vidic has really matured into this role for Man Utd, taking over from Rio (he was never really up for it anyway).

    • 60x60.png
      rdeceJabolko 15 March 2011 1:17AM

      jkhd: I've been on a pitch.
      I had a captain. All he did was yell a lot. It wasn't particularly inspiring. In fact, I wanted to punch him in the face
      ​
      Would it not be fair to suggest your experience of what seems to be having a bit of an ineffectual tit for a captain [or your failure to work well together] might not necessarily extend to the situations that occur elsewhere, or during high-level professional games?

    • no-user-image.gif
      LoonyGoon 15 March 2011 1:20AM

      jkhd I've been on a pitch. I had a captain. All he did was yell a lot. It wasn't particularly inspiring. In fact, I wanted to punch him in the face
      Well he wasn't a good captain or leader then. It's not about shouting, it's about motivating individuals, and generating a sense of togetherness as a team. It's not just a game time thing, it's also important in the locker room, during training and away from the game.
      I think the problem is exacerbated by the fact that the team is so young. At the age some of these kids are they can't possibly have full confidence in themselves, some of them aren't even really adults yet. After all, they say the male brain isn't fully formed until the age of 25.

    • 60x60.png
      DCDJ 15 March 2011 1:20AM

      I've been on a pitch.
      I had a captain. All he did was yell a lot. It wasn't particularly inspiring. In fact, I wanted to punch him in the face
      ​
      So a bad captain had a negative effect on you and the game? That demonstrates the point that the captain is important and influences the team, for better or worse. Maybe if you'd had Steven Gerrard shouting at you and volleying the ball in from 30 yards it might've had a positive effect. If we're going on bits of anecdotal evidence, I've been in several half-decent teams, and the captain made a massive difference over the season: particularly the good ones, who lead by example and instruction.

      As for Arsenal, surely Walcott would fit Wenger's ideal to take over from Fabregas should he leave: symbolically English (and Henry's successor, apparently), injury-prone, infrequently excellent, and not all that loud on the pitch...

    • 60x60.png
      YouTabloidScumbadf 15 March 2011 1:22AM

      Gilberto was absolutely finished as a top player, he literally couldn't pass the ball and any time he came on in the latter stages of games the team visibly started to crumble. There is a reason he left for Greece.
      Sad because he was excellent pre-Flamini and really rose to the challenge in his second last season, but was a shell of that man the next, he was no leader because he was a confidence player.
      Fabregas was far more influential as a character even at that age and has been a decent captain. You can see the players are his players, just as the previous ones were Adams and Vierias.
      Bert would have no sway over this new team, most key players are around 23, Cesc has been around for 8 years now and is the natural choice for this team.
      Whether you agree he is a great captain, he is the best captain of this team, and to lead these players. Nobody thinks Gilberto should have stayed on and been captain, so the article is a nonsense.

    • 60x60.png
      rdeceJabolko 15 March 2011 1:23AM

      As an aside, would hope Jens is offered some kind of coaching role. Think it could do to have a "mentalist" in the dressing room and training sessions. [Once Manuel has moved on, perhaps.]

    • 60x60.png
      edinburgh17 15 March 2011 1:26AM

      Arsenal only needs Cesc to stay until the time when Nasri/Wilshere/Ramsey are ready to compensate for his loss. I think we'll be able to lose him without much harm in about 18 -24 months. I like Cesc though, he deserves to win some trophies so he can actually walk away with his head high having actually achieved something and having left a legacy for the fans. Hopefully he'll stay on board for this season and next, and then maybe go in summer 2012 or 2013 for a decent little fee of £20m or something. one or two years left on his contract. bargain for barca. good deal.

    • no-user-image.gif
      fudgepot 15 March 2011 1:31AM

      Sure, it helps if some of your guys have hustle and heart but it doesn't matter if they have an armband or not. The players in the locker room decide who the leader is, not the manager or the pr department. This captaincy fetish of the journos and the fans is pure "boy's own" pretend.

    • 60x60.png
      edinburgh17 15 March 2011 1:32AM

      vermaelen should be captain...he would not look out of place wearing the armband for man u even...

    • no-user-image.gif
      sopcontenbar 15 March 2011 1:34AM

      I'm going to agree with Mr Williams on this one, but only to a point. Fabregas has been an excellent captain over the last two seasons but when he's missing things do have a tendency of falling apart.
      He might not be a natural leader but he does seem to instil a confidence and drive in the team when he plays, something Wilshire is developing as well.
      I am, however, also going to agree with many others on here. Vermaelen is the stand-out candidate for captain, before Fabregas leaves or not. It would, of course, be difficult for Wenger to take it off him but, even if Cesc stays for another season or two, I don't think he should be captain.
      There's obviously a balance to the argument, one that can't be proved or disproved in this case. Yes, Arsenal have lacked leadership since Viera left but, despite the fact they've now surrendered three cups in two weeks, they're still capable of winning the league without a solid and regular captain. Don't forget, Fabregas has played only sporadically these last few months and the other obvious choice has been out since September.
      If they're lacking leadership then they've done a bloody good job of dealing with it up to now (or maybe two weeks ago).
      And yet again, the lovely old story of injuries playing their part comes around. It would be nice to see Arsenal make it through an entire season without injuries making it difficult. And yes, I know that's just football but sometimes it just doesn't seem fair.

    • no-user-image.gif
      Lardons 15 March 2011 1:44AM

      This is getting stupid now; Arsenal are getting written off so much that they're going to win the league if you're not careful!

    • 60x60.png
      jkhd 15 March 2011 1:45AM

      Well he wasn't a good captain or leader then. It's not about shouting, it's about motivating individuals, and generating a sense of togetherness as a team. It's not just a game time thing, it's also important in the locker room, during training and away from the game.
      ​
      Yes, it's important. But I don't think it's that important.
      As I said, Tony Adams' leadership wouldn't have gotten Arsenal goals on Saturday

    • no-user-image.gif
      Slickess 15 March 2011 1:45AM

      Adding to good points already made in these comments, Cesc has taken matches by the scruff of the neck and won them for us. He's not a dribbler though (that second goal against the tots notwithstanding)! So he's not going to do a Gerrard. He's also not big, or a thug, so he can't inspire with a bone crushing tackle. But those who have been paying attention know that he's as competitive as they come. He left Barca on his own volition, against wishes, at 16 and not for the money. Plus he has medals that very few players in the premier league have now that the French old guard has retired and the intelligent players at Arsenal, and there are a lot of them (too many perhaps), do respond to him b/c they recognize that he's something of a footballing genius. What he needs to do now is inspire this lot to win their next 10 games and his leadership ranking will soar. Of course, there's the typical gooner in me saying watch this space -- like we've been doing for years.

    • 60x60.png
      jkhd 15 March 2011 1:46AM

      Lardons
      For that reason, I hope Williams, hayward and co put the boot in

    • no-user-image.gif
      Slickess 15 March 2011 1:47AM

      My point with this sentence, "He left Barca on his own volition, against wishes, at 16 and not for the money." is that he's very driven and his own man.

    • 60x60.png
      YouTabloidScumbadf 15 March 2011 1:48AM

      The players that really influence games statistically are Song and Djourou. When neither play Arsenal don't win.
      Fabregas' role can be replaced on the pitch, Nasri is quality in the middle. Fabregas role as the group leader is important however, and also as one of the best midfielders in the world. But Arsenal cannot cope without Song and Djourou, they have and can without Cesc for periods.
      Wengers blind spot is taking gambles on injuries, end of story, the captaincy issue is a load of bollocks spouted as after the fact analysis. A fit first team would be 5 points clear at this stage.

    • no-user-image.gif
      GustheGooner 15 March 2011 1:49AM

      The whole premise of this article is that Fabregas lacks leadership skills. Just at the point where the writer should supply that evidence, he instead points out Cesc's injury record. Now surely this would apply to Keane, Vieira, Vidic and loads of other great captains too.
      A bit more research into actual examples of lack of leadership skills from Cesc and you'd have a decent argument.
      I'm not doubting for a minute the author's point, I couldn't agree more that Arsenal lack leaders, and in particular a captain worthy of the name. One of the things the author missed is the captain's association with, and loyalty to the club.
      Keane 'was' Man Utd. and Adams 'was' Arsenal, their qualities and values were one and the same. The players embodied their club, represented them symbollically. Certainly you never had to worry about them buggering off somewhere else for a bigger paper bag full of notes, as with Vieira and Henry.
      It's just I expect that if you are gonna state something, its prudent to give a couple of snippets of supporting evidence. Otherwise the whole piece is relying on the implict agreement with the reader that Cesc is not one of those 'players with a significant influence on the pitch and in the dressing room'.
      And without being a fly on the wall inside the dressing room, its hard to know this. He can certainly do it on the pitch if example setting is an indicator of an ability to captain.
      Thats my lot.

    • 60x60.png
      1caipiraintelectual 15 March 2011 1:50AM

      The Captain should be the heart and soul of the team. Puyol at Barcelona, Casillas for Spain, Terry at Chelsea, Dunga (I hate to admit) for Brazil, or Maradona for Argentina. He should not be afraid to lose body parts on the pitch if necessary. He should also be the first player that one thinks of when they think of their team. Unfortunately for Arsenal, they don't have any fearless players available, Fabregas fits the second category for most though.

    • no-user-image.gif
      Garsha 15 March 2011 1:54AM

      Wenger does not hold on to his senior players long enough period. The captaincy issue that the authour has raised is a minor byproduct of Mr. Wenger's policy. The main consequence is that in the absence of senior players:
      1. Younger players do not develop as they would/should. 20 year olds need someone to look up to.
      2. The team lacks much needed experience in terms of actual games as well as winning trophies. No one in the present Asenal team has won any trophies except Fabregas's world cup/European cup.
      3. There is no culture of loyalty. If the club is going to dump players then the players will become football mercenaries. (Adebayor, Flamini, Ashley Cole...etc.) Fabregas to follow next summer.
      Unfortunately Mr. Wenger is more interested in balancing the books than winning trophies.

    • no-user-image.gif
      Friggity 15 March 2011 2:02AM

      Is there any argument Arsenal fans will accept for not having won a trophy for 6 years?
      Because they seem to reject all put to them.
      If a "big Club" underperforms for 6 years but no fan is willing to admit to it, did it actually happen?

    • no-user-image.gif
      folom 15 March 2011 2:03AM

      With the transfer of Lehmann it appears to be clear that Wenger is trying to bring in help from the outside.
      If he actually plays a single game he should be made captain- he certainly has the leading abilities.
      By the way, I wanted to propose that as a joke at first, however, it appears to make more and more sense the longer I consider it.
      A bit of Lehmann's bad ass attitude could help.

    • 60x60.png
      94Murfatlar 15 March 2011 2:03AM

      Not being present in the changing room, nor the training pitch, I can only put forward Vermaelen as a better authority figure based on a fairly vague impression. But then, it does help to have one's captain on the pitch for most (any...) matches. RVP is vice captain isn't he? Wonder how many matches Arsenal haven't had either of them play, must be a bunch the past 3 years.

    • 60x60.png
      TheArtfulTodger 15 March 2011 2:12AM

      This is an interesting question. I don't think who the named captain is makes much of a difference, but every team needs players that have leadership qualities. Be it talismanic like bergkamp or cantons or organisational like Keane or vieira. Arsenal have fabregas, but he keeps eyeing up a move.

    • 60x60.png
      94Murfatlar 15 March 2011 2:13AM

      @Garsha
      While I agree with a fair amount of your post, I don't think any of the players you list under #3 are very good examples- we've seen enough of both Cole and Adebayor in other circumstances to realize they are fragile personalities at best, and completely unjustifiable tossers the majority of the rest of the time. Flamini though was a sad departure, since the following season Arsenal seemed to miss his industry immensely. Whether he would have stayed for a first-teamer's salary we'll never know.
      As far as a culture of loyalty- there certainly is one, to the 'Arsenal way'. Unfortunately too many players have found the culture of doubled salaries and readymade successful squads elsewhere to be an even greater loyalty.
      I do think Silva was a premature loss, particularly since Flamini left soon after.

    • 60x60.png
      94Murfatlar 15 March 2011 2:15AM

      Perhaps Lehmann will urinate on EBJT when Chelsea drop by... I'd pay to see that, and the aftermath.

    • no-user-image.gif
      NigelLKB 15 March 2011 2:27AM

      Putting the No10 on the shirt of a centre-back (Gallas) and the 3 on a right-back (Bacary Sagna) represents one of them.
      ​
      What's so weird about giving Sagna the No.3?

    • 60x60.png
      ToffeeDan1 15 March 2011 2:31AM

      Phil Neville - not the best but a good leader
      Steven Gerrard - wanders around the pitch expecting the water carriers to do his work and gets involved in the last 20 minutes - watch him sometime.


 
Arsène Wenger's real blind spot is the Arsenal captaincy

The Arsenal manager has handed out the captain's armband as a form of flattery while Sir Alex Ferguson prefers strong figures



  • Ars-ne-Wenger-Cesc-F-breg-007.jpg
    Arsène Wenger's decision to give the Arsenal captaincy to Cesc Fábregas was seen as an enticement to the team's best player to stay. Photograph: Eddie Keogh /Reuters There is no shortage of support for the view that it makes little difference who wears the armband in a football team. You can give the captaincy to the best player (Cesc Fábregas), or the most famous (David Beckham), and the team's performance will still be defined by its members' individual and collective merits and the quality of coaching they are given. From that perpective, it matters little whether or not Fabio Capello chooses to reverse his decision to dethrone John Terry in time for next week's Euro 2012 qualifying match in Cardiff.
    History offers a contradictory view, in the shape of the keen intelligence of Danny Blanchflower and Franz Beckenbauer, the calm authority of Bobby Moore and Franco Baresi, or the controlling industry of Billy Bremner and Didier Deschamps. And, as it happens, a great deal of opposing evidence comes from the two clubs sitting at the top of the Premier League, where Manchester United and Arsenal offer contrasting lessons in leadership.
    Sir Alex Ferguson has always looked for players with a significant influence on the pitch and in the dressing room. His big three captains have been Bryan Robson, Roy Keane and Gary Neville, with interludes from Steve Bruce, Eric Cantona, Rio Ferdinand and Ryan Giggs. The present incumbent is Nemanja Vidic. These players personify strength, resilience, and a certain kind of footballing integrity in sufficient quantity to overcome individual defects, such as Robson's drinking or Cantona's quixotic nature. Even in their less exalted periods, rarely have Manchester United looked bereft of leadership on the field of play.
    The role seems to mean something very different to Arsène Wenger. Just as Ferguson inherited Robson, so the Frenchman found Tony Adams, who would become the only man to captain a title-winning side in three different decades, already in place. After Adams's retirement in 2002 he could promote his deputy, Patrick Vieira, another powerful character who did not embody the Arsenal ethic to quite the same degree but nevertheless inspired awe among his team-mates and could change a game almost single-handedly.
    Vieira led the team through the unbeaten season of 2003-04 but lost form the following season and was sold to Juventus in the summer of 2005. At that point the Arsenal armband was given to Thierry Henry, the club's best player and leading goalscorer, who was thought to be in danger of accepting an offer to move elsewhere. Henry stayed two more years, during which Arsenal failed to regain the title and lost to Barcelona in a European Cup final on which the French striker's influence was nonexistent.
    In captaincy terms, he had fallen far below the standard set by Adams and Vieira (or, in previous generations, Joe Mercer and Frank McLintock). Nor was his successor, William Gallas, another player coveted elsewhere, much more effective. The French defender, given the job ahead of Gilberto Silva, Henry's quietly effective deputy, held the job for only a season and a bit, his tenure most notable for his bizarre sit-down protest at St Andrew's in 2008, the match in which Eduardo da Silva's leg was broken by Martin Taylor's challenge.
    Gallas lost the position 14 games into the 2008-09 season, when Fábregas was appointed. Although only 21, the Catalan was clearly the club's outstanding performer. But given that there were already rumours linking him to a return to Barcelona, it was impossible to escape the thought that Wenger had once again given the armband to a player he wanted to flatter into staying.
    Like Henry and Gallas, Fábregas has not been an effective captain. Injuries have limited his appearances, and he has sometimes tried to return from them too soon. But there are many who believe that, rather than putting all his faith in youth, Wenger would have done better to rely on the experience of Silva for a couple of seasons before identifying a younger player with the necessary attributes.
    Wenger is a great football man and an outstanding contributor to the history of the English game, but he has some curious quirks and blind spots. Putting the No10 on the shirt of a centre-back (Gallas) and the 3 on a right-back (Bacary Sagna) represents one of them. Failing to appreciate – or perhaps to accept – the influence of a good captain on a team's mentality is another, and it is the one for which Arsenal are currently paying a heavy price.

    Football

    Sport

    More comment

    Related




    's comment


    Comments in chronological order (Total 209 comments)


    Post a comment
    • icons_staff_16.gif
      Staff
    • icons_contributor_16.gif
      Contributor

    • no-user-image.gif
      Blizard1979 15 March 2011 12:18AM

      Who else could he give it to in the Arsenal team? There are no other obvious candidates, and that in itself is one of Wengers failings.
      Ferguson, in his current squad could call on Vidic, Ferdinand, Giggs, Van der Sar, Scholes, Fletcher, Rooney.
      Who else could Wenger make captain for the day, who is honestly an adequate leader?

    • no-user-image.gif
      FootballFarrago 15 March 2011 12:26AM

      Totally agree with you Blizard - they haven't got any true leaders, and this is their downfall, why they keep stalling at this stage in the season.
      Struggling to even think of one alternative. Wouldn't be surprised if Wilshire gets it in a year or two if Cesc leaves.

    • no-user-image.gif
      calumlaw 15 March 2011 12:36AM

      Lack of leadership is certainly an important factor though I'm inclined to think Wenger's main problem is parsimony, particularly when it comes to defenders and goalkeepers.
      For the last few years I was hoping he'd sign David Villa, exactly the kind skilful, heavily-scoring leader of the line Arsenal needed. Arsenal could've afforded him - though not now. Instead he soldiers on with Bendtner (not up to it) and Van Persie (a world-class player with glass legs).
      It's at the back the real problems have lain though. Toure and Gallas was a very strong pairing - sadly spoilt by their distaste for each other - but let's not forget Toure was converted, almost by accident, into a centre-back, not signed as such. Since them the centre-half pairings have been underwhelming, and as RW says, lacking inspirational never-say-die leadership. Unfortunately, Wenger's aesthetics mean he refuses to value the skills of defenders and goalies (stopping people/balls) alongside those of creative players. This is his undoing imo.

    • no-user-image.gif
      LoonyGoon 15 March 2011 12:37AM

      We don't have any "strong figures" to make captain. As far as I can tell the only players that really have any balls are Nasri and Denilson, maybe Song too, but none are the right personality type. This is not a new problem though, it's been that way for several seasons.

    • no-user-image.gif
      shm00 15 March 2011 12:37AM

      sad but true, most of it. titi would've stayed anyway. or not. vermaelen, nasri would be my first choices, and for the years to come, jack wilshere.

    • 60x60.png
      fonzie 15 March 2011 12:43AM

      Wilshere seems to be one for the future, as he plays with a lot of heart.
      Also there seems to a lot of criticism for the manager before the end of the season with a game in hand and three points behind Man Utd, it seems a little premature.
      He can be a stubborn wotsit somewhat, but sacrificed player transfers for youth to finance the stadium move and make the club self sufficient which it will be in a few years when the current sponsorships expire and can be renegotiated

    • 60x60.png
      jkhd 15 March 2011 12:46AM

      I hate this argument about leaders. It's so full of rubbish. Leaders have nothing to do with rubbish players. They don't have anything to do with someone cocking up in the back.
      Tony Adams' leadership wouldn't have made on jolt of difference to the Arsenal attack on Saturday.
      What Arsenal need are near-clones of the first XI, who are very good, but also injury prone. Without Cesc, Theo, van Persie, Song, etc, it becomes very hard to win games. We need people to slide in and not change things. Diaby, Denilson and Rosicky aren't good enough.
      Instead of going on about bloody leadership and "winners" why don't you ask Wenger why the first XI are so good and the second XI aren't. And really ask. Don't accept the "they're all internationals" rubbish.

    • 60x60.png
      dudeWTF 15 March 2011 12:47AM

      Good argument let down by a couple points...
      Gilberto had a good reputation but if you look at the tapes of his last two seasons' performances he was becoming unreliable and poor. He was failing to keep up with the speed of Arsenal's game and was giving the ball away at critical times. No way would I have wanted this old geezer as captain. He's done well since leaving, but he's been playing for poorer, slower teams. Gallas was a better choice.
      Fabregas has a winning mentality, he's not a showpony. He's very influential on and off the pitch. He is a decent choice as captian in the absence of any other stalwarts in a young team.
      I would personally like to see Vermaelen get the armband when Cesc finally leaves, that guy is all man.

    • 60x60.png
      jkhd 15 March 2011 12:51AM

      Whenever Arsenal lose or draw, people look at the lack of "leadership", rather than the quality of the team. Against Birmingham, United, Sunderland, Wigan, Leeds at home, Orient away, Newcastle at home and West Brom at home we struggled because of missing players.
      I've been saying for quite a while the squad players aren't good enough.
      Enough leadership rubbish. An article about the weakness of our squad, would be more relevant and more constructive than this cliché riddled nonsence.

    • 60x60.png
      rdeceJabolko 15 March 2011 12:51AM

      Vermaelen is the clear choice for captain, but would be more concerned about merely having him back, fit and able to influence and direct the defence, [and take shots from outside the box] regardless of whether he wears an armband.
      Shirt numbers seem irrelevant to me - somewhat surprised this would be mentioned.

    • no-user-image.gif
      BombayGooner 15 March 2011 12:52AM

      Thomas Vermaelen is the guy you're looking for. He's vocal, he's brilliant and he's a fighter.

    • 60x60.png
      nodopepusher 15 March 2011 12:54AM

      Thomas Vermaelen seems to have the necessary fire in his belly to wear the captain's armband. Wilshire too in the future. Johan Djourou is another. Hard to take it away from Cesc though. But with Vermaelen out for most, if not all of the season, how would that have helped us recently? I agree with the under-appreciated role of the captain but our biggest problem has been injuries.

    • no-user-image.gif
      LoonyGoon 15 March 2011 12:55AM

      jkhd 15 March 2011 12:46AM I hate this argument about leaders. It's so full of rubbish. Leaders have nothing to do with rubbish players. They don't have anything to do with someone cocking up in the back.
      I don't agree. If you've ever been on a pitch, or any playing surface in any team sport, you'd see that leaders do make a difference. Some people need direction, motivation and inspiration at times, some more than others. A good leader can be particularly beneficial when things aren't going well. The psychological part of sports is quite substantial, and leaders can help with that.

    • no-user-image.gif
      arsebook 15 March 2011 12:55AM

      Ja, Vermaelen is the right guy for the job. Pity his injury nightmare. The Achilles is tedious. Easier to come back from a broken leg. Wilshere and Ramsey will be good candidates too.

    • no-user-image.gif
      Sree 15 March 2011 12:55AM

      No Big signings, in fact there never was. Best players usually injured. Mostly young and inexperienced. Inspite of all these they are still in the running for the title. Does this mean that Wenger is a genius or the EPL is crap? Considering they had 18 shots at OT, compared to 0 at Nou Camp, I believe its more to the crap EPL.

    • no-user-image.gif
      JRF314159 15 March 2011 12:55AM

      Richard Williams has buried the lede here. The real issue isn't to whom should Arsene give the armband; it is that there is a fundamental lack of leadership on the squad. I feel that there is clearly a void in the defensive midfielder role. If anyone were to step up in this capacity, they would wear the armband.

    • 60x60.png
      dudeWTF 15 March 2011 12:56AM

      jkhd is 100% correct:
      the layer of players just under the first XI is not good enough.
      diaby, denilson and rosicky haven't distinguished themselves at all in 5+ years of service.
      wenger either needs to bring in a couple more solid performers to help carry the 'second layer' players, or he needs to cull some of these passengers and promote some hungry arsenal youngsters like bartley, lansbury and emmanuel-thomas.

      szczesny and wilshere are only kids in their first season, but their hunger and mentality is already influencing the team in a big way. surely it's better that the team gets infected by lansbury's enthusiasm, instead of denilson's apathy.

    • 60x60.png
      dudeWTF 15 March 2011 1:00AM

      don't give me this 'arsenal has no leaders' nonsense.
      djorou, vermaelen, song, fabregas, wilshere, nasri, rvp, chamakh, walcott...these are all tough competitors.
      the problem is that there are too many passengers in the squads next to these guys, and when injuries hit the first XI, it all gets a bit too casual and sloppy.

    • 60x60.png
      rdeceJabolko 15 March 2011 1:02AM

      dudeWTF: diaby, denilson and rosicky haven't distinguished themselves at all in 5+ years of service.
      ​
      Slightly harsh. At Old Trafford Diaby "bulleted" a perfect heade- oh.
      Well, I've settled on Rosicky being completely ruined by his tendon problem. Incredibly disappointing.

    • 60x60.png
      jkhd 15 March 2011 1:05AM

      I don't agree. If you've ever been on a pitch, or any playing surface in any team sport, you'd see that leaders do make a difference. Some people need direction, motivation and inspiration at times, some more than others. A good leader can be particularly beneficial when things aren't going well. The psychological part of sports is quite substantial, and leaders can help with that.
      ​
      I've been on a pitch.
      I had a captain. All he did was yell a lot. It wasn't particularly inspiring. In fact, I wanted to punch him in the face

    • 60x60.png
      KTBFFH 15 March 2011 1:08AM

      Interesting article. From an outsider's perspective, I agree that that Arsenal seem to lack a player or players who can conjure something from nothing in terms of changing the collective mindset.
      The role of the captain in club football is much more important than some of those commenting are suggesting. In adversity, some teams never know when they are beaten and others capitulate and feel sorry for themselves .Fabregas does not seem to me to be the kind of man who can drive his team on, force them to dig deeper, hone their will to win. Wilshire may be that man, though I have no idea how bright he is. He is a bit rough around the edges but he is far and away Arsenal's best hope for the future.
      Hopefully, Wenger will persuade Cesc to remain at the club and continue as captain...

    • 60x60.png
      KTBFFH 15 March 2011 1:12AM

      I've been on a pitch.
      I had a captain. All he did was yell a lot. It wasn't particularly inspiring. In fact, I wanted to punch him in the face

      ​
      Proof by default that the choice of captain is important?
      don't give me this 'arsenal has no leaders' nonsense.
      djorou, vermaelen, song, fabregas, wilshere, nasri, rvp, chamakh, walcott...these are all tough competitors.
      ​
      Tough competitors are not the same as leaders...

    • 60x60.png
      westsidemonster 15 March 2011 1:13AM

      I think Arsenal has players that have the potential to be captains, but they are no encouraged to take charge other than Cesc. He is the one that the team runs through, and will good reason, but there seems to be no drive to step into his shoes when he is injured, and it seems the system encourages it. When Arsenal is passing well and scores early, there is no problem because the whole team moves as one. But when the score is 0-1 in the 65 min, you need someone who will find some extra energy and just ****ing destroy. Rather like Gerrard in top form. Obviously every team needs someone like this to be good, but really needs someone like that. Vidic has really matured into this role for Man Utd, taking over from Rio (he was never really up for it anyway).

    • 60x60.png
      rdeceJabolko 15 March 2011 1:17AM

      jkhd: I've been on a pitch.
      I had a captain. All he did was yell a lot. It wasn't particularly inspiring. In fact, I wanted to punch him in the face
      ​
      Would it not be fair to suggest your experience of what seems to be having a bit of an ineffectual tit for a captain [or your failure to work well together] might not necessarily extend to the situations that occur elsewhere, or during high-level professional games?

    • no-user-image.gif
      LoonyGoon 15 March 2011 1:20AM

      jkhd I've been on a pitch. I had a captain. All he did was yell a lot. It wasn't particularly inspiring. In fact, I wanted to punch him in the face
      Well he wasn't a good captain or leader then. It's not about shouting, it's about motivating individuals, and generating a sense of togetherness as a team. It's not just a game time thing, it's also important in the locker room, during training and away from the game.
      I think the problem is exacerbated by the fact that the team is so young. At the age some of these kids are they can't possibly have full confidence in themselves, some of them aren't even really adults yet. After all, they say the male brain isn't fully formed until the age of 25.

    • 60x60.png
      DCDJ 15 March 2011 1:20AM

      I've been on a pitch.
      I had a captain. All he did was yell a lot. It wasn't particularly inspiring. In fact, I wanted to punch him in the face
      ​
      So a bad captain had a negative effect on you and the game? That demonstrates the point that the captain is important and influences the team, for better or worse. Maybe if you'd had Steven Gerrard shouting at you and volleying the ball in from 30 yards it might've had a positive effect. If we're going on bits of anecdotal evidence, I've been in several half-decent teams, and the captain made a massive difference over the season: particularly the good ones, who lead by example and instruction.

      As for Arsenal, surely Walcott would fit Wenger's ideal to take over from Fabregas should he leave: symbolically English (and Henry's successor, apparently), injury-prone, infrequently excellent, and not all that loud on the pitch...

    • 60x60.png
      YouTabloidScumbadf 15 March 2011 1:22AM

      Gilberto was absolutely finished as a top player, he literally couldn't pass the ball and any time he came on in the latter stages of games the team visibly started to crumble. There is a reason he left for Greece.
      Sad because he was excellent pre-Flamini and really rose to the challenge in his second last season, but was a shell of that man the next, he was no leader because he was a confidence player.
      Fabregas was far more influential as a character even at that age and has been a decent captain. You can see the players are his players, just as the previous ones were Adams and Vierias.
      Bert would have no sway over this new team, most key players are around 23, Cesc has been around for 8 years now and is the natural choice for this team.
      Whether you agree he is a great captain, he is the best captain of this team, and to lead these players. Nobody thinks Gilberto should have stayed on and been captain, so the article is a nonsense.

    • 60x60.png
      rdeceJabolko 15 March 2011 1:23AM

      As an aside, would hope Jens is offered some kind of coaching role. Think it could do to have a "mentalist" in the dressing room and training sessions. [Once Manuel has moved on, perhaps.]

    • 60x60.png
      edinburgh17 15 March 2011 1:26AM

      Arsenal only needs Cesc to stay until the time when Nasri/Wilshere/Ramsey are ready to compensate for his loss. I think we'll be able to lose him without much harm in about 18 -24 months. I like Cesc though, he deserves to win some trophies so he can actually walk away with his head high having actually achieved something and having left a legacy for the fans. Hopefully he'll stay on board for this season and next, and then maybe go in summer 2012 or 2013 for a decent little fee of £20m or something. one or two years left on his contract. bargain for barca. good deal.

    • no-user-image.gif
      fudgepot 15 March 2011 1:31AM

      Sure, it helps if some of your guys have hustle and heart but it doesn't matter if they have an armband or not. The players in the locker room decide who the leader is, not the manager or the pr department. This captaincy fetish of the journos and the fans is pure "boy's own" pretend.

    • 60x60.png
      edinburgh17 15 March 2011 1:32AM

      vermaelen should be captain...he would not look out of place wearing the armband for man u even...

    • no-user-image.gif
      sopcontenbar 15 March 2011 1:34AM

      I'm going to agree with Mr Williams on this one, but only to a point. Fabregas has been an excellent captain over the last two seasons but when he's missing things do have a tendency of falling apart.
      He might not be a natural leader but he does seem to instil a confidence and drive in the team when he plays, something Wilshire is developing as well.
      I am, however, also going to agree with many others on here. Vermaelen is the stand-out candidate for captain, before Fabregas leaves or not. It would, of course, be difficult for Wenger to take it off him but, even if Cesc stays for another season or two, I don't think he should be captain.
      There's obviously a balance to the argument, one that can't be proved or disproved in this case. Yes, Arsenal have lacked leadership since Viera left but, despite the fact they've now surrendered three cups in two weeks, they're still capable of winning the league without a solid and regular captain. Don't forget, Fabregas has played only sporadically these last few months and the other obvious choice has been out since September.
      If they're lacking leadership then they've done a bloody good job of dealing with it up to now (or maybe two weeks ago).
      And yet again, the lovely old story of injuries playing their part comes around. It would be nice to see Arsenal make it through an entire season without injuries making it difficult. And yes, I know that's just football but sometimes it just doesn't seem fair.

    • no-user-image.gif
      Lardons 15 March 2011 1:44AM

      This is getting stupid now; Arsenal are getting written off so much that they're going to win the league if you're not careful!

    • 60x60.png
      jkhd 15 March 2011 1:45AM

      Well he wasn't a good captain or leader then. It's not about shouting, it's about motivating individuals, and generating a sense of togetherness as a team. It's not just a game time thing, it's also important in the locker room, during training and away from the game.
      ​
      Yes, it's important. But I don't think it's that important.
      As I said, Tony Adams' leadership wouldn't have gotten Arsenal goals on Saturday

    • no-user-image.gif
      Slickess 15 March 2011 1:45AM

      Adding to good points already made in these comments, Cesc has taken matches by the scruff of the neck and won them for us. He's not a dribbler though (that second goal against the tots notwithstanding)! So he's not going to do a Gerrard. He's also not big, or a thug, so he can't inspire with a bone crushing tackle. But those who have been paying attention know that he's as competitive as they come. He left Barca on his own volition, against wishes, at 16 and not for the money. Plus he has medals that very few players in the premier league have now that the French old guard has retired and the intelligent players at Arsenal, and there are a lot of them (too many perhaps), do respond to him b/c they recognize that he's something of a footballing genius. What he needs to do now is inspire this lot to win their next 10 games and his leadership ranking will soar. Of course, there's the typical gooner in me saying watch this space -- like we've been doing for years.

    • 60x60.png
      jkhd 15 March 2011 1:46AM

      Lardons
      For that reason, I hope Williams, hayward and co put the boot in

    • no-user-image.gif
      Slickess 15 March 2011 1:47AM

      My point with this sentence, "He left Barca on his own volition, against wishes, at 16 and not for the money." is that he's very driven and his own man.

    • 60x60.png
      YouTabloidScumbadf 15 March 2011 1:48AM

      The players that really influence games statistically are Song and Djourou. When neither play Arsenal don't win.
      Fabregas' role can be replaced on the pitch, Nasri is quality in the middle. Fabregas role as the group leader is important however, and also as one of the best midfielders in the world. But Arsenal cannot cope without Song and Djourou, they have and can without Cesc for periods.
      Wengers blind spot is taking gambles on injuries, end of story, the captaincy issue is a load of bollocks spouted as after the fact analysis. A fit first team would be 5 points clear at this stage.

    • no-user-image.gif
      GustheGooner 15 March 2011 1:49AM

      The whole premise of this article is that Fabregas lacks leadership skills. Just at the point where the writer should supply that evidence, he instead points out Cesc's injury record. Now surely this would apply to Keane, Vieira, Vidic and loads of other great captains too.
      A bit more research into actual examples of lack of leadership skills from Cesc and you'd have a decent argument.
      I'm not doubting for a minute the author's point, I couldn't agree more that Arsenal lack leaders, and in particular a captain worthy of the name. One of the things the author missed is the captain's association with, and loyalty to the club.
      Keane 'was' Man Utd. and Adams 'was' Arsenal, their qualities and values were one and the same. The players embodied their club, represented them symbollically. Certainly you never had to worry about them buggering off somewhere else for a bigger paper bag full of notes, as with Vieira and Henry.
      It's just I expect that if you are gonna state something, its prudent to give a couple of snippets of supporting evidence. Otherwise the whole piece is relying on the implict agreement with the reader that Cesc is not one of those 'players with a significant influence on the pitch and in the dressing room'.
      And without being a fly on the wall inside the dressing room, its hard to know this. He can certainly do it on the pitch if example setting is an indicator of an ability to captain.
      Thats my lot.

    • 60x60.png
      1caipiraintelectual 15 March 2011 1:50AM

      The Captain should be the heart and soul of the team. Puyol at Barcelona, Casillas for Spain, Terry at Chelsea, Dunga (I hate to admit) for Brazil, or Maradona for Argentina. He should not be afraid to lose body parts on the pitch if necessary. He should also be the first player that one thinks of when they think of their team. Unfortunately for Arsenal, they don't have any fearless players available, Fabregas fits the second category for most though.

    • no-user-image.gif
      Garsha 15 March 2011 1:54AM

      Wenger does not hold on to his senior players long enough period. The captaincy issue that the authour has raised is a minor byproduct of Mr. Wenger's policy. The main consequence is that in the absence of senior players:
      1. Younger players do not develop as they would/should. 20 year olds need someone to look up to.
      2. The team lacks much needed experience in terms of actual games as well as winning trophies. No one in the present Asenal team has won any trophies except Fabregas's world cup/European cup.
      3. There is no culture of loyalty. If the club is going to dump players then the players will become football mercenaries. (Adebayor, Flamini, Ashley Cole...etc.) Fabregas to follow next summer.
      Unfortunately Mr. Wenger is more interested in balancing the books than winning trophies.

    • no-user-image.gif
      Friggity 15 March 2011 2:02AM

      Is there any argument Arsenal fans will accept for not having won a trophy for 6 years?
      Because they seem to reject all put to them.
      If a "big Club" underperforms for 6 years but no fan is willing to admit to it, did it actually happen?

    • no-user-image.gif
      folom 15 March 2011 2:03AM

      With the transfer of Lehmann it appears to be clear that Wenger is trying to bring in help from the outside.
      If he actually plays a single game he should be made captain- he certainly has the leading abilities.
      By the way, I wanted to propose that as a joke at first, however, it appears to make more and more sense the longer I consider it.
      A bit of Lehmann's bad ass attitude could help.

    • 60x60.png
      94Murfatlar 15 March 2011 2:03AM

      Not being present in the changing room, nor the training pitch, I can only put forward Vermaelen as a better authority figure based on a fairly vague impression. But then, it does help to have one's captain on the pitch for most (any...) matches. RVP is vice captain isn't he? Wonder how many matches Arsenal haven't had either of them play, must be a bunch the past 3 years.

    • 60x60.png
      TheArtfulTodger 15 March 2011 2:12AM

      This is an interesting question. I don't think who the named captain is makes much of a difference, but every team needs players that have leadership qualities. Be it talismanic like bergkamp or cantons or organisational like Keane or vieira. Arsenal have fabregas, but he keeps eyeing up a move.

    • 60x60.png
      94Murfatlar 15 March 2011 2:13AM

      @Garsha
      While I agree with a fair amount of your post, I don't think any of the players you list under #3 are very good examples- we've seen enough of both Cole and Adebayor in other circumstances to realize they are fragile personalities at best, and completely unjustifiable tossers the majority of the rest of the time. Flamini though was a sad departure, since the following season Arsenal seemed to miss his industry immensely. Whether he would have stayed for a first-teamer's salary we'll never know.
      As far as a culture of loyalty- there certainly is one, to the 'Arsenal way'. Unfortunately too many players have found the culture of doubled salaries and readymade successful squads elsewhere to be an even greater loyalty.
      I do think Silva was a premature loss, particularly since Flamini left soon after.

    • 60x60.png
      94Murfatlar 15 March 2011 2:15AM

      Perhaps Lehmann will urinate on EBJT when Chelsea drop by... I'd pay to see that, and the aftermath.

    • no-user-image.gif
      NigelLKB 15 March 2011 2:27AM

      Putting the No10 on the shirt of a centre-back (Gallas) and the 3 on a right-back (Bacary Sagna) represents one of them.
      ​
      What's so weird about giving Sagna the No.3?

    • 60x60.png
      ToffeeDan1 15 March 2011 2:31AM

      Phil Neville - not the best but a good leader
      Steven Gerrard - wanders around the pitch expecting the water carriers to do his work and gets involved in the last 20 minutes - watch him sometime.


 
Hatima ya Wayne Rooney shakani tena United Send to a friend Monday, 14 March 2011 20:13 0diggsdigg

LONDON, Uingereza
HUENDA Wayne Rooney akalazimika kuuzwa na klabu yake Manchester United mwisho wa msimu baada ya kuibuka habari za kuingia tena katika mzozo na kocha wake,, Sir Alex Ferguson.

Mshambuliaji huyo wa England alitaka auzwe mwezi Oktoba baada ya kudai kuwa hakuwa na furaha katika kikosi cha Man United, kisha mzozo huo kutatuliwa kwa mkataba mnono wa miaka mitano.Kwa sasa, Rooney anasemekana kuwa kuwa hana furaha tena na maisha akiwa Old Trafford.

Kulingana na gazeti la News of the World jana, mkataba mpya wa mchezaji huyo haujasaidia sana kuboresha maisha ya mchezaji huyo mwenye umri wa miaka 25 na uhusiano wake na kocha wake umezorota kwa kiasi kikubwa.Ferguson anasemekana kuwa amechukizwa na hali hiyo na anafikiria kumuuza mchezaji huyo ambaye kiwango chake kimekuwa kikipanda na kushuka.

Gazeti hilo likinukuu vyanzo mbalimbali kutoka chumba cha kubadilishia nguo za Mashetani Wekundu, limeeleza kwamba Rooney aligombana na Ferguson baada ya mchezo dhidi ya Liverpool ambako walilazwa 3-1.

Mtu aliye karibu na klabu hiyo, Man United alikaririwa na gazti hilo akieleza: 'Rooney amekuwa akisikitika na hali ya kikosi kwa sasa, lakini Sir Alex amemweleza kwamba anatakiwa kujibidhisha kwanza yeye kabla ya kutuhumu wengine.

"Sir Alex hafurahishwi na jinsi ambavyo Rooney amekuwa akicheza."Lakini, hadi sasa Man United haijazungumzia suala hilo na mzozo baina ya kocha na mchezaji wake.

Mwaka jana, Rooney alitajwa kuwa angependa kujiunga na wapinzani wao, Manchester City kwa ada kubwa, ambayo hatimaye ilitolewa kwa Edin Dzeko, raia wa Bosnia kwa pauni milioni 27 kutoka Wolfsburg ya Ujerumani.

Endapo Man United watapenda kumuuza kwa sasa, Rooney atakuwa na timu chache England na anaweza kuuzwa ama Hispania au Italia.
 
Henry: No Dalglish discussions


RivalsDM



PRINT RSS

2

Updated Mar 15, 2011 11:08 AM ET
John W Henry has denied reports that Liverpool have offered a contract to Kenny Dalglish and revealed negotiations have not even started.


Dalglish stepped into the managerial hot-seat at Anfield to replace Roy Hodgson in January, initially agreeing a deal until the end of the season.
His tenure thus far has been a successful one and reports suggested a two-year deal was already in place.
But Henry insists talks have yet to begin - although he has intimated the club's owners are ready to open them.
"The only discussion we've had has been with Kenny and that was solely concerning when we should begin discussions," Henry told the Daily Telegraph.
"I wouldn't anticipate any further comments until such discussions have commenced and we have something to announce.
"Any reports until then are purely speculation."



PRINT RSS



Member Comments

Please note by clicking on "add a comment" you acknowledge that you have read the Terms of Use and the comment you are posting is in compliance with such terms. Be polite. Inappropriate posts may be removed by the moderator.
LOG IN TO ADD A COMMENT Page 1 of 1 PREV PREV NEXT NEXT


Post Comment

  • Report Abuse SpidermanItalia
    • 3/15/2011 11:31:33 AM
    Watched the 2005 Champions league final again. The focus on Harry Kewells face as they lined up boy was he in the zone.
  • Report Abuse Vince_K.
    • 3/15/2011 10:05:18 AM
    fantastic story. i was literally riddled with shocking anticipation until the end.
    losers.
LOG IN TO ADD A COMMENT Page 1 of 1 PREV PREV
 
Alex poised for Blues return


RivalsDM



PRINT RSS



Updated Mar 15, 2011 11:39 AM ET
Chelsea defender Alex is in line to make his long-awaited return from injury in Sunday's Premier League game against Manchester City.
Alex, who has been out since November and was forced to undergo surgery on a knee injury, trained with the first team at Cobham today after returning from rehabilitating in his native Brazil.

The home of the best LIVE soccer and rugby awaits at FoxSoccer.tv -- don't miss a second of the action.

The 28-year-old was badly missed during Chelsea's worst run in the league for almost 15 years at the end of 2010.
He will boost manager Carlo Ancelotti's defensive options, especially in the Champions League, for which new signing David Luiz is ineligible.
Ancelotti said today ahead of Wednesday night's last-16 second leg against FC Copenhagen: "Alex will not be involved tomorrow, but he will be involved on Sunday."
That would leave midfielder Yossi Benayoun as Chelsea's only injured player, with the Israel captain having been sidelined by a serious Achilles problem since September.
But the 30-year-old is also expected back soon, with Ancelotti saying: "Benayoun will come back to train on Thursday or Friday, so this is a fantastic moment for us, to have all the players fit.
"I want to maintain a good motivation for everyone. We need everyone for the run-in."
 
Lehmann relishing Arsenal return


RivalsDM



PRINT RSS

15

Updated Mar 15, 2011 10:40 AM ET
Jens Lehmann is confident he can help Arsenal win the Premier League title as he edges closer to a surprise return to the club.
The former Germany goalkeeper, 41, left Arsenal in 2008 but is in talks over a short-term deal to help the club through an injury crisis which has seen Lukasz Fabianski ruled out until the end of the season because of a shoulder problem and Wojciech Szczesny sidelined with an injured finger.

Sat., Mar. 19​
Tottenham vs. West Ham
Aston Villa vs. Wolves
Blackburn vs. Blackpool
Man Utd vs. Bolton
Stoke City vs. Newcastle
West Brom vs. Arsenal
Wigan vs. Birmingham
Everton vs. Fulham
Sun., Mar. 20​
Sunderland vs. Liverpool
Chelsea vs. Man City
BPL Scores | Table | Fixtures​


Manuel Almunia is the only fit keeper in the squad currently meaning Lehmann, providing the talks go smoothly, could be on the bench when Arsene Wenger's men go to West Brom at the weekend.
And the former Borussia Dortmund stopper believes he can claim a second Premier League crown after being a part of the 'Invincibles' team which went through the 2003/2004 campaign unbeaten.
He told German newspaper Bild: "This time I'm looking forward to being in a back-up role and will look to support Almunia.
"We can still win the title."
Arsenal are currently three points adrift of league leaders Manchester United but have suffered three disappointments in the past three weeks with a Carling Cup final loss to Birmingham and exits from the Champions League and FA Cup to Barcelona and United respectively.
Lehmann witnessed the European setback at the Nou Camp while working for the German media and admitted he did not think things would turn out the way they have when Szczesny was forced off in the first half.
"Arsenal currently have a goalkeeping crisis and I would like to help out," he added.
"I was a Sky analyst in Barcelona and was present when Szczesny injured his finger.
"I did not even dream that Arsenal would then come and get me."



PRINT RSS




Member Comments

Please note by clicking on "add a comment" you acknowledge that you have read the Terms of Use and the comment you are posting is in compliance with such terms. Be polite. Inappropriate posts may be removed by the moderator.
LOG IN TO ADD A COMMENT Page 1 of 2 PREV PREV NEXT NEXT


Post Comment

  • Report Abuse NashvilleGunner
    • 3/15/2011 12:50:18 PM
    lol vince
  • Report Abuse Vince_K.
    • 3/15/2011 12:43:19 PM
    chelscum don't count. i never consider them to be a team. they're the anti-team. whatever that means.
  • Report Abuse NashvilleGunner
    • 3/15/2011 12:41:01 PM
    And Vince...we do have a win against Chelsea...so far...
  • Report Abuse NashvilleGunner
    • 3/15/2011 12:39:55 PM
    see veteran goalkeeper Lehmann happy to help Gunners out article for the posts I was referring to...
  • Report Abuse NashvilleGunner
    • 3/15/2011 12:39:01 PM
    Philly this is literally the same article fox had posted that had several AFC fan comments...why they killed them you'd have to ask fox
  • Report Abuse PhiladelphiaHotSpur
    • 3/15/2011 12:22:41 PM
    And we see only one measly post by a AFC fan.....big shocks as many go back into hiding....

    Anyone see SingleAsianFemale or Dungeons & Dragons lately ???
  • Report Abuse PhiladelphiaHotSpur
    • 3/15/2011 12:19:41 PM
    2010 - I enjoy Spurs victories to the fullest............my 2nd source of enjoyment is AFC's tribulations...How different is that from any THFC fan ??
  • Report Abuse marcbarca
    • 3/15/2011 11:57:14 AM
    With ****ov and Windass they could be top of the table Pud.
  • Report Abuse Yankshire_Pud
    • 3/15/2011 11:31:47 AM
    Now if Man City would just bring Paul ****ov out of retirement, purely to wind up Mad Jens...
  • Report Abuse 2010host
    • 3/15/2011 11:24:44 AM
    Phil You enjoy Arsenals tribulations than you do Tots wins.
LOG IN TO ADD A COMMENT Page 1 of 2 PREV PREV NEXT NEXT
 
oyes plans talks with board

RivalsDM


PRINT RSS

1

Updated Mar 15, 2011 10:30 AM ET
Everton boss David Moyes will hold talks with the club's board this summer to ascertain whether they have a "workable" strategy to go forward.
Moyes has been working on a smaller budget than many of his Premier League counterparts over recent years and chairman Bill Kenwright has made no secret of his desire to attract fresh investment to take the club forward.

Sat., Mar. 19​
Tottenham vs. West Ham
Aston Villa vs. Wolves
Blackburn vs. Blackpool
Man Utd vs. Bolton
Stoke City vs. Newcastle
West Brom vs. Arsenal
Wigan vs. Birmingham
Everton vs. Fulham
Sun., Mar. 20​
Sunderland vs. Liverpool
Chelsea vs. Man City
BPL Scores | Table | Fixtures​


But with no deal imminent, Moyes will continue to operate under the same constraints while also attempting to stave off growing interest in rising midfield star Jack Rodwell.
Moyes, who will celebrate nine years in charge at Goodison Park this weekend, told the Daily Express: "At the end of the season, it's important we find a route to go forward.
"The chairman and the people on the board will listen to my views and they'll need to tell me what the strategy is for the club.
"I will see if what they are talking about is workable."
If money continues to be tight, Moyes is likely to face a fight to keep Jack Rodwell at the club.
It has been reported that Manchester United are willing to part with around £20million in order to land the versatile youngster and, although Moyes is reluctant to lose him, he understands that finances may make a transfer neccessary.
"I am reluctant because I'm trying to build a football team not dismantle one," Moyes added.
"I just couldn't imagine Liverpool really wanting to sell one of their own, Steven Gerrard or Jamie Carragher, too easily.
"They have always done everything to keep them. It is the same with me. I wanted to keep Wayne. I also want to keep Jack.
"I am reluctant to sell my best players.
"I don't see that as being good for any manager, but I also understand that there may be financial situations which might mean that has to be the case."
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar Discussions

Our Community

Coming Soon

Regional Communities

Coming Soon
Back
Top Bottom
Menu
Forums
New posts
Log in
Register