I’m certainly not opening a can of worms, and I actually feel Rice won’t leave next summer personally.
If however it does happen, who do you think will take the armband?
We obviously have 3 ‘vice’ captains in Fabianski, Ogbonna and Cresswell.
As all are the wrong side of 30, I cannot see any of them being given the permanent role.
Is there an obvious replacement?
We’ve had unbelievable captains over the years, all of which have been revered or obvious continuation from the previous skipper.
Aside from the 4 mentioned, do we have an obvious candidate?
We don't have a suitable option in the event of Rice leaving.
Those that most closely fit it aren't guaranteed starters and in most cases, should be on the bench as often as they start.
Fabianski - not a fan of keepers being captain unless they are legendary, half of us think he shouldn't be starter.
Cresswell - longest serving and rooted in the culture, personally see no reason other than that he should captain us. Don't need to explain why.
Johnson - been with us since a kid, fantastic personality, loves the club and gets us. Not good enough to start all games. Not experienced enough.
Soucek - doesn't speak the language very well, not a guaranteed starter, prone to poor form.
Antonio - not known for being a leader, but also just doesn't start half the time.
The only English (not that it's a prerequisite) player who is pretty much nailed on to play all the time and is one of our best players would be Bowen. But he has admitted himself that he's not a natural leader, nor particularly vocal.
I imagine if Rice leaves in 2023, Moyes will play it safe and put the armband on Cresswell, which will then lock him into starting more games than he should.
Personally I'd just put it on Gianluca because he's the most handsome and will look best with him being the first face to walk out of the tunnel.
That’s why the signings we made this summer and the next couple of windows are very important, as even though we do have leaders outside of Rice, we don’t know how much longer they’ll stick around for.
Dawson is likely to go in January or the summer. And I certainly think this will be Oggy’s last season, unfortunately. So we could only have Antonio, Cresswell and Fab left for next season, should the latter 2 get a new contract. If they keep up their good performances so far this season, I don’t see why they wouldn’t.
Despite the fact he was a c*nt for what he did earlier in the year, I wouldn’t rule out Zouma being a bit of a leader behind closed doors in the training ground or dressing room either.
Moyes has certainly added a lot of good characters to the squad over the years, from the likes of Coufal, Soucek, to this summer with the likes of Kehrer. Whether they are good enough leaders for the long term, only time will tell.
Should he stay injury free and cement a spot in the starting 11, I can definitely see Ben Johnson being a contender in the future. He has a lot of good qualities and is a great role model too.
As often gets said there should be 11 captains on the field. The bloke who wears the armband only really has one responsibility and that is to call heads or tails.
The club captain, on the other hand, as Noble was last season is a more important role. A bit like an HR manager if you like. So I wouldn't necessarily see the club captain's role needing to go to an automatic first team selection. I seem to remember when Russia first invaded Ukraine Fabianski was very involved with helping Yarmolenko get his family into Poland. That's the sort of bloke I'd want having my back if I had an issue.
I have a hunch that if Rice goes, then our next captain doesn't currently play for the club. It's worked previously with Neill, Upson (until he went to pot), and Nolan - I suspect Moyes will do the same and sign a captain and leader rather than promote from within.
-DL- wrote: ↑Thu Oct 06, 2022 8:11 am
I have a hunch that if Rice goes, then our next captain doesn't currently play for the club. It's worked previously with Neill, Upson (until he went to pot), and Nolan - I suspect Moyes will do the same and sign a captain and leader rather than promote from within.
I agree with that actually. In this league specifically, you need a leader in the middle of the pitch. Soucek isn’t that and Downes is an unknown at the moment.
Kehrer is more likely to be still with us next season than Rice, Dawson, Cresswell and Soucek. Whether he’s able to keep his place in the side is a different matter. I seem to be in the minority and not yet impressed by him.
Westbourne Bill wrote: ↑Thu Oct 06, 2022 8:36 am
Kehrer is more likely to be still with us next season than Rice, Dawson, Cresswell and Soucek. Whether he’s able to keep his place in the side is a different matter. I seem to be in the minority and not yet impressed by him.
I definitely think he has some significant weaknesses. I also think he has the personal attributes to be captain.
A lot of clubs these days tend to have more than one captain. Even the likes of Man City and Liverpool. Man Utd under Sir Alex also.
Ever since Big Sam came to the club we have had a ‘club captain’ and a ‘team/vice captain’. Kevin Nolan was the ‘club captain’ and Noble would of course have the armband whenever Nolan wasn’t on the way pitch. Then when Nolan departed the club Noble became ‘club captain’ and whenever he didn’t play we have had the likes of Reid, Cresswell etc. captain until Rice eventually made the break through and established himself as a 1st team regular. Rice became the ‘team captain’, and now Noble has retired we now have Rice as the ‘club captain’. Uniquely at quite a young age. Noble was around 28 when he got the gig! I think Nolan was about the same, if not slightly older.
If Rice left next summer then Moyes will want someone no older than at a peak age to be a minimum of a ‘team captain’ going forward, like what we initially had with Rice and Noble. I reckon Moyes will just make Cresswell ‘club captain’, if given an extension on his contract. Like Nolan and Noble. Cresswell won’t have to play every week. I think he’d make a great ‘club captain’ too.
-DL- wrote: ↑Thu Oct 06, 2022 8:11 am
I have a hunch that if Rice goes, then our next captain doesn't currently play for the club. It's worked previously with Neill, Upson (until he went to pot), and Nolan - I suspect Moyes will do the same and sign a captain and leader rather than promote from within.
Ward Prowse when the scummers get relegated would be my bet
