Greatest Club Captain in the History of the EPL

dictionary.com defines "captain" as "a person who is at the head of or in authority over others; chief; leader." This is a fairly wide definition and in the world of English soccer, encompasses a great many responsibilities. Captains, at various times, are considered merely field generals, commanding the attention of the other 10 players on the pitch and setting the tone for the game; ensuring the players are doing their best at all times. He's the roll model, the player everyone else on the pitch looks up to. Off the field, the captain's roll changes slightly, but the purpose should be the same - to provide an example of how to live the life of fame and fortune with dignity.

To determine the greatest club captain in the 18 year history of the EPL, several factors were considered. First of all, club prominence as defined by general levels of success. Without researching the captinial lineage of every mid-table team for 18 years, I focused on the teams that sustained the highest levels of success, simply because while there is something to say for leading a team to 9th place every year (and who knows, maybe outside factors such as financial constraints limited a teams ability to achieve higher levels of success despite having a fantastic captain), leading your team to glory is what it's all about. Secondly, tenure. One or two years with the armband (Cantona), despite any trophies obtained in that time, does not equate to eternal leader, especially if both the predecessor and successor are still on the roster. And finally, non-football factors. You might dispute the way I use this to make my argument later, but as a whole, it could include anything from constant managerial changes, to drug and alcohol problems, to legacy.

I hope you enjoy.

I'll start with a quick rundown of some current skippers that could be considered:
Steven Gerrard - no doubts about his leadership qualities. Liverpool revolves around him and he's mostly stayed out of the tabloids. He has lifted the Champions League trophy (miraculously) but no EPL titles. He's seen the core of his squad overturned year after year under Rafa Benitez and only Jaime Carragher remains from that triumphant 2005 squad (and he also wore the armband for a spell) So maybe in 15 years I'll consider him more, but for now, I think he falls short on the legacy aspect.
Frank Lampard - Funny how you can sometimes be a club captain when your teammate, John Terry, is your national team teammate and skipper. Not quite up to par with the names to come.
John Terry - A few EPL titles, lots of big egos in the club house, but really, why would you ever consider leaving your club for money when you are known as Mr. Chelsea. No dice buddy.
Robbie Keane - A deputy captain for Tottenham while Ledley King recovers from a near 3-year injury absence. Left for Liverpool (his boyhood team) when the front office screwed over the Army, but came back and resumed his duties. Spurs have been close to greatness more than once, but he was never able to push them over the edge, so general achievements leaves him short.

Now for the real players.
Alan Shearer - Newcastle captain from 99-06, all time club goal scorer with a European strike rate that would make anyone take notice. However, he was not a fan favorite at the time when Ruud Gullit handed him the reigns. Newcastle also operated on a yo-yo during his time, finishing in the top 5 and as low as 13th almost every other year. There was constant unrest in the front office (which still continues) and Newcastle made 3 managerial changes during his time. Had Newcastle not been relegated and on the brink of being sold and be able to keep their players, perhaps his legacy would be about more than just his goal scoring. No.

Tony Adams - Captain Fantastic at Arsenal for 15 of his 22 years as a Gunner. Won 9 major trophies. Any time anyone captains a team for 15 years, clearly they're doing something right and deserve to be considered among the greatest ever. And his team was obviously successful, so there's no doubting his ability to lead his team from his center back position into the promised land. But as I said earlier, non-football factors have to be considered. His off-field drinking problem constantly hampered his image and set a terrible example for the rest of the squad. Not being much of an Arse fan, I can still count 5 players that have worn the armband since he left the squad in 2002 - Patrick Vieira, Thierry Henry, William Gallas, Kolo Toure, and Cesc Fabregas. Three of them are currently playing elsewhere. A captain is supposed to lead and teach and instill values. Adams played for 22 years at Arsenal. 22 years. And 3 of the 5 captains over the last 6 years are now gone. Where does that say he knows how to instill the values that make a great leader?

Gary Neville - On a squad that one 11 EPL titles and 2 Champions League trophies, not to mention all the domestic cups. But has only been captain since the 05-06 season and only made 100 appearances in all competitions during that time. Ryan Giggs and Rio Ferdinand (who will prob end up winning this debate in 15 years) have filled in nicely. I include Neville because despite being hurt for two years, the able deputies, and now losing his place at right back, he is still the captain. He captains this team, which is the favorite for the EPL title (which would be an unprecedented 4 straight, all under his leadership), wearing a suit and tie, sitting on the bench with the gaffer. You never hear about Man U players in the tabloids. There is a greater collection of young and old talent on that team then arguably ever assembled before. Paul Scholes is not meant to be a 75th min sub. Giggs isn't an occasional starter. John O'Shea has played at least 6 positions because that's what the team needs. Players don't come to Old Trafford to be stars, they come to play for Man U and to win trophies, whatever it takes. Ji Sung Park is a national hero with a following as big as Ichiro, but he hardly ever plays and never gets the attention he would somewhere else. Neville keeps this all together. But you can't say it's all Neville. It's also Giggs and Scholes and Rio. So I can't say he's the greatest captain. (Side note - he was the 91-92 youth squad captain in his first year with that team and lead them to the FA Youth Cup, so it's clear he is and has always been a leader. His brother, Phil, former teammate, is now captain at Everton).

And now my choice, Roy Keane. Manchester United. 1997-2005.
Winner of a number of personal awards and winners medals, his football achievements are only eclipsed by his younger teammates who are still playing. His, pardon me, but "Fuck you" attitude set the tone for a Man U team that tore through England for a decade. Gary Neville, Phil Neville, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, David Beckham, and I think even Nicky Butt (and let's not forget then back-up keeper Tim Howard while never a permanent captain, he damn well should be) have all worn the captains armband for their teams since their time with Keane ended. Articles and recounts of off-field opinions can be seen as either positive or negative. He publicly called for the dismantling of the Treble Squad after claiming that some players (my guess is Bitchham) had "forgot about the game, lost the hunger that got you the Rolex, the cars, the mansion." (wikipedia). Some years later, he ripped on new-boy Rio Ferdinand: "Just because you are paid £120,000-a-week and play well for 20 minutes against Tottenham, you think you are a superstar." In both of these cases, he was playing the roll of leader the same way he played the roll of midfielder - there is one way to play this game and that is with everything you got. Nothing matters but how you prepare and how to play every game. Stop working hard, and you get soft. You get soft, you lose. Later in his career, he figured that his hard tackles and frequent suspensions were impacting his health and career so he softened up his tackles. You might argue that Paul Scholes learned a little something from this lesson. Being a superstar is pointless if you have to sit on the bench during a Champions League Final and have to watch your teammates parade around with your trophy. So he has the achievements. He has the longevity. And he has, unlike Tony Adams, which is basically what this came down to for me, as borrowed from the NFL, the 'captains tree,' and Man U hasn't missed a beat.

Roy Keane is the greatest club captain in the history of the premier league.

Honorable mention to Tim Sherwood, Blackburn Rovers, for their 1994 EPL title. Only team not named Chelsea, Arsenal, or Manchester Utd to win that crown.

~ murph

start of something new

so last year didn't really work out so well. was overly ambitious. but now i'm back with a new format - a weekly debate on a random soccer related topic as argued by myself and friend/teammate/fellow coach, tony. posts should be up on fridays.

England Czech friendly

So I just finished watching the England game and was not at all impressed. The second half was 44 of the most boring minutes of soccer I've seen in a while, to the point where I'm even more excited to watch the US Guatemala game tonight because maybe there'll be some flair and excitement in that one. There have been several articles in the last 24 hours about Terry getting the armband over Rio, but really, that's not what Capello should be focusing on. David James, Gerrard, Barry, Beckham, Rio, Terry, and even late-sub Jermaine Jenas regularly wear the armband for their clubs. Picking one leader from 7 shouldn't be a big deal. If you're a captain, you should live by the philosophy of anything for the team, yet this doesn't seem to fly in the English locker room. Perhaps because 350 days a year, the starting XI are bitter rivals, but for two weeks a year are supposed to have this magical chemistry to produce poetry. Also, when was the last time England played a friendly outside of London? Just seems to me that the entire organization needs to get off it's collective high horse, put petty differences and club rivalries aside and focus on being English. For those two weeks a year, they all wear the same crest on their shirt. They have the most talented team in Europe with the least amount of heart and soul, which is why teams like Croatia can knock them out. The way Turkey played in the Euros was amazing; half the talent, three times the desire. Fabio should learn something from them.

US Olympic Performance

I can't believe that Angela Hucles is the leading scorer in the Olympic games. She is terrible. Her story about being a squad player for years and now suddenly, under Pia, becoming our main offensive weapon because she finally got the chance to play it bogus. Yeah, she has four goals, but seriously, the two against Japan in the semi's were a gift. Obviously, Abby is our #1, but she's out for a while. I watched the last tune-up game vs Brazil, as well as most of every game in the Olympics and every player on the field works harder than Hucles, especially A-Rod. That girl busts her butt from whistle to whistle. She doesn't give up on balls destined for the end line, pressures every defender and forced a few key turnovers late in that Brazil tune-up. Going back to World Cup qualifying, I have been terrified of Natasha Kai. Maybe it's the pace she plays at that prevents her from going a full 90min, but the entire dynamic of the team changes when she comes on the field. Usually subbing in for Tarpley and pushing Hucles out to the left, Kai and A-Rod work extremely well together...both have speed, intensity, confidence, and a nose for goal. Hucles just stands around. Watch her after she turns the ball over. She'll stand there. A-Rod, Kai, and especially Abby, would never be caught dead giving up on a play like Hucles does.

There was one sequence in the Brazil tune up by Abby that truly separates her from every other striker, men's and women's, in the world, and it's an example that A-Rod and Kai have learned from while Hucles is still trying to figure out how to take an effective corner. Abby was fouled just left of center about 25yds out while trying to split two Brazilian defenders. She took the free kick and sent it into the 10th row. After turning and jogging back up field, she realized the goal kick was played short to a defender on the American's left. Abby, being the closest American, turned and defended, but in doing so, the ball became free and lead to a 4 v 3 Brazilian counter. From just outside Brazil's 18, Abby out-ran everyone on the field to make the decisive header to clear a cross at the top of our 18. Hucles hasn't run that much in 5 games combined. Anyway, I hope she has a more inspired performance against Brazil on Thursday.

Speaking of Thursday, Hope Solo has probably been dreaming about this game since before the whistle blew to start the WC semi-final. I can't imagine a game with more self-imposed pressure than this one. This is her chance to prove everyone right and her coach wrong. If she fails, then her image is going to take a huge hit. Coaches and managers are trusted to know everything about their players, even the things the players don't know about themselves. Did I agree with benching Solo for Scurry, no, and there's never going to be a way to tell the outcome had she started, but if she gets lit up for 2, 3, or 4 goals and we lose, well, that's a different story. The first real chance Brazil gets will dictate the rest of the game. Brazil, in my opinion, should come out firing and test her early and often. If they can put one in, questions of confidence are gonna start to creep in, but if she saves them, then I expect the US to walk away with Gold. The back four, especially on the outsides, has been very solid, but Boxx and Lloyd in the middle are gonna need to help lock down the middle a little more than they have been to cover any late runs or runs from the mid-field as well as preventing any slicing through balls.

Welcome!

so basically, i love soccer. probably about half of my energy while i'm awake is spent on reading, watching, or thinking about soccer. i'd never been one to post comments on articles or read blogs at all, but lately, i've just had too many thoughts on too many topics and no real venue to share them. which brings me to where i am now.

i don't really have a plan for this site, just an idea, and that is whenever i read an article or posting or watch a game etc all of my thoughts on that topic will finally have a place to go. i'll probably try for 1-2 posts per day for now, but we'll see how it goes. so feel free to respond to anything and everything i say and hopefully we'll end up with some good discussions.

with that said, welcome to the inner workings of my soccer head.

murph