ToffeeWeb - Season 2009-10

The Mail Bag

Captains

I dunno if this is a co-incidence or Moyes's transfer plan, but has anyone noticed how many ex-captains Everton have, and others who can easily replace Neville?

Yobo - Nigeria captain
Jagielka - ex Sheff Utd captain
Distin - ex City captain
Neill (providing he moves) - ex West Ham captain
Bilyaletdinov - ex Moscow captain
Neville - current captain
Arteta or Cahill - definite candidates for new captain

I think for mentality and leadership of the team, that's fantastic for us. It's just an interesting observation which I have just figured out.
Ben Jones, Anglesey Posted 17/09/2009 at 10:36:56

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Ciarán McGlone
1 Posted 17/09/2009 at 14:25:29

A captain should be a player who is always likely to guarantee a starting spot in the line-up on footballing merit..

Arteta seemed to relish the role last season when he had the chance...May not seem like captain material but you never know..

Dan McKie
2 Posted 17/09/2009 at 14:27:07

Isn’t Yobo the official vice-captain? Personally I think he is too quiet to take on the role for a long period, but if he is vice-captain, then it will be him. Personally id give it Cahill.

Chris Fisher
3 Posted 17/09/2009 at 14:42:58

Yobo is vice captain but that has got to change surely?! Distin has only been with us a few weeks and you can already see he has to tell him what to do!!!

Dick Anderson
4 Posted 17/09/2009 at 14:47:12

Yobo is easy choice to fill in as Captain in Neville absence but personally I think he should worry more about his own performances.

I wouldn’t mind Moyes spreading the Captaincy around for a few games, maybe let Hibbert or Baines have a go.

Then give it to Arteta when he returns.

Rupert Sullivan
5 Posted 17/09/2009 at 14:56:57

I would rather the captain wasn’t Neville to be fair, I don’t think he should be a regular in the side - I would agree with Dan and go for Cahill but I would rather see him as an impact sub. Arteta for me is the man, failing that Distin or Jags.

James Thomas
6 Posted 17/09/2009 at 15:12:14

Why Yobo is national captain or our vice-captain i do not know. Distin already controls this defence after two games and has to shout at Yobo and tell him what to do. Joey likes having a vocal partner and his game has remarkably improved - it was never good with him and lescott at the back.

I know he’s barely been here but with Phil and Mikel both injured I genuinely think Distin would be our best choice for captain, if not him then Tiny Tim.

Yobo just doesn’t inspire confidence or lead by example in my opinion, but the eternal optimist in me would hope that he would relish being captain and up his game.

Norman Merrill
7 Posted 17/09/2009 at 15:25:55

In the absence of Phil Neville, I would go for Distin, but giving it more thought, I feel Moyes will go for Tim Cahill, for his enthusiasm.

Ben Howard
8 Posted 17/09/2009 at 15:26:47

Distin or Cahill for me. How can you have a captain that needs to be told what to do all the time?

Incidentally I think Rodwell would be a great future captain. Out of interest who is the youngest player to captain Everton? I can see another record coming his way.

Duncan McDine
9 Posted 17/09/2009 at 15:29:32

Tim Howard is another candidate - he’s guaranteed to start, and shouts very loud (somethimes due to his condition)... not sure I agree with the Keeper being captain though.

For me it has to be Timmy Cahill as vice-captain, Jags captain for next season.

As others have said - Yobo isn’t an organiser on the pitch... but I hear he organises a cracking karaoke night. He’s currently taking bookings for Christmas parties.

Tony Gee
10 Posted 17/09/2009 at 15:43:38

Distin for captain... pure madness. how can anybody suggest giving the armband to somebody who’s played twice for the club...

Brian Labone would turn in his grave...

Ciarán McGlone
11 Posted 17/09/2009 at 16:06:39

Making Distin captain would also create a David Weir scenario....where he’ll still be getting played long after his bench date simply cos he has an armband..

Anyway, it’s all academic..Neville will be captain for a very long time..

Mark Murphy
12 Posted 17/09/2009 at 16:53:53

Jags must be the next captain but just out of interest why do so many see Arteta as captain? What qualities, apart from being our most skillful player by a mile, do you see in him to suggest he would be a good captain?
No criticism intended - just curious to the reasoning behind it?

Tony Marsh
13 Posted 17/09/2009 at 16:53:33

No doubt Osman will soon get his chance at being captain at EFC then it will be imposible for Moyes to drop him. Leon possesses all the credentials to be skipper.

Strong in the tackle, pacey, no end of skill, great talker on the pitch, and never scared to square up to the big boys in the heat of battle. Always willing to die for the cause and never one for going missing in games.

Yep, it's Leon for me every time.

Charlie Dixon
14 Posted 17/09/2009 at 17:04:52

Hibbert you say Dick Anderson?! Tony Hibbert!!! Not on my watch. He shouldn’t even have been given a number, let alone the armband

Anthony Millington
15 Posted 17/09/2009 at 17:05:38

I think Jagielka would be a great captain for Everton. He has proven what a top defender he is and that he is more than worthy of his place in the team and he plays with his heart on his sleeve.

For me over the next couple of seasons the armband will have to be passed on from Neville, because although he is a really good leader his position in the team is an area I feel we need to strengthen if we are to push on. I would like to see Tim Cahill maybe appointed as vice captain although there are many candidates such as the current vice captain Joseph Yobo.

Jay Harris
16 Posted 17/09/2009 at 17:43:26

Jags
when he returns for leading by example and echo the thoughts on Distin given his age,experience and maturity.

Apart from Neville I dont see any other worthy captain material.

Mike Dillon
17 Posted 17/09/2009 at 17:59:46

For me, the captain’s role has been devalued somewhat over the years. It used to be the captain’s role to be the manager’s voice on the pitch, to organise players and to make sure everyone’s doing their job. I feel that in today’s game this sort of behaviour is expected from almost every player involved.

I think Moyes is filling his team full of captains/ex-captains for one simple reason; to become captain of a football team, you must be mentally strong, have good communication and leadership skills, and generally have a good workmanship personality.

Build a team of captains and you build a team of experienced characters willing to fight for one another. Could well be the source of our apparent never-say-die mentality.

Liam Reilly
18 Posted 17/09/2009 at 18:17:40

Tony Marsh.
Excellent! Had me in stitches.

Stuart O'Malley
19 Posted 17/09/2009 at 18:29:13

Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit, eh Tony...

Jim Hillier
20 Posted 17/09/2009 at 23:47:00

I have kind of warmed to Neville as a character, but have never been convinced in terms of skill.

For me, the main criteria for an Everton captain are

- Guaranteed first team selection on merit
- Ability to lead by example
- Blue through and through

Got to be Jags, surely? The nearest thing we have to Brian Labone.

Steve Ferns
21 Posted 18/09/2009 at 01:17:08

I don’t know for certain who our youngest ever captain was, but I’d stick my money on Kevin Ratcliffe, who is the youngest player to lift the FA Cup, at 23 in 1984. I think he was our youngest proper captain, again at the age of 23 or maybe even as young as 22.

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