Captains come and captains go.
But who make the best captains?
I'm not talking about players but rather position wise. Word from Capello is that Rooney would be a possible captain in the future and some have suggested that defenders rather than strikers make the best captains.
I beg to differ on both counts. I believe goalkeepers make the best captains. Stop huffing and keep reading.
As I said two seconds earlier, many people suggest defenders make the best captains, and I wonder why.
Is it because defenders have a better overall command of strategy and the game in general? Is it because defenders, especially center backs, have a wider range than any other position, able to run up and score while at the same time backstop attacking players from the opposing team.
Or maybe it comes down to something as simple as the fact that defenders are usually the least tired players at the end of 90 minutes, discounting goalkeepers.
Ask yourselves what these following players have in common:
Carlos Alberto TorresFranz Anton BeckenbauerHileraldo Luis Bellini
Marcos Evangelista de Moraes [Cafu]
Fabio Mamerto Cannavaro
Didier Deschamps
Carlos Caetano Bledorn Verri [Dunga]
Mauro Ramos de Oliveira
Robert Frederick Chelsea "Bobby" Moore
Daniel Alberto Passarella
If you guessed that they were all defenders you are right. And if you guessed "They are all World Cup winning captains" you must be one hell of a stud at soccer trivia games.
Indeed, save for Beckenbauer and Oliveira, the rest are all pure defenders, able to not only carry the ball up, as was in the case of Cafu's famous overlapping runs, but also stone opposing attackers, as is in the case of the incredible Cannavaro.
So what about midfielders? Only three winning World Cup captains have played in the midfield position: Diego Armando Maradona, Lothar Herbert Matthäus and Obdulio Jacinto Muiños Varela.
I feel midfielders on the whole tire out faster and have too much of a hard-nosed mentality, attracted to physical play and prone not only to injuries but also cards. Midfielders I find, are also highly selfish about their positions and the way they want to play the game. They have a set formula they run in their head and chemistry with the team is paramount to succeed in this position.
And what about those forwards? Only one winning World Cup captain has played up front [or rather only one that I know of]: Giuseppe Meazza.
Who?
Meazza is generally regarded as one of the best Italians to ever play the game. Influential enough that the San Siro is now officially called Stadio Giuseppe Meazza.
Forwards I find tire out too easily, are more susceptible to bad play and overall don't have as much contact with the rest of the team on the field than defenders and midfielders.
Strikers don't require as much chemistry with defenders and defensive midfielders and feast on the understanding between himself/herself and the striking partner. Or in the case of Greece... you can stand there by yourself.
And lastly, what about Goalkeepers. I never had the captain's armband handed to me but two goalies who have went on to win the World Cup. Gianpiero Combi and Dino Zoff.
Goalkeepers in my estimates would make the best captains due to the fact that they have the best view of the whole field, can map out strategies, are more level headed on the field and generally command more respect from peers, opponents and officials.
Goalies have a better visual range than anyone else on the team and don't have to worry about being offensive or defensive, rather marshal the troops in position, map out tendencies of opposing strikers and midfielders and not to mention the fact that, other than running up for a corner kick and back down, have great stamina and do not tire through constant jockeying for the ball and running.
Injury wise goalies are taught when young how to "fall" and goalies, while not as conditioned as most midfielders, have the luxury of the fact that they cannot be touched by opponents.
So there you go, my reasoning why goalies make the best captains. My personal best?
Peter Schmeichel.
Given the captain's armband with the loss of a suspended Roy Keane, Schmeichel carried Manchester United to that famous 1999 Champion's League final victory over Oliver Khan's Bayern Munich.
Bayern had a 1-0 lead until the dying minutes of the match, when United received a corner kick. Schmeichel ran blindly into the attack, attempting to cause some confusion amongst the Germans, and Sheringham scored the equalising goal.
A few seconds later the baby-faced assassin, Solskjaer scored the 2-1 winner for United.
Sadly that was Schmeichel's last game for the club.
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3 months ago
Your argument is valid Shawn. I personally dont think it has anything to do with positions but the fact that the player is a leader. For instance, Gerrard is an influential player at Liverpool and there hasn't been a keeper who's that influential to his team since Schmeichel at United as you mentioned ...
By the way, im sure Deschamps isn't a defender. He was a midfielder! A defensive midfielder...
Am I right ...?
3 months ago
You are right Salomon! He's primarily a defensive midfielder and played as a holding midfielder for club but as a defensive midfielder for country. One of the best defensive mids that graced the game however I always felt he was beatable in the air.
I too don't truly believe that positions have anything to do with captaincy but the article brings up an interesting stat in that most winning captains have been defenders.
I really wanted to go against the grain a bit and get people thinking :)
3 months ago
I think players make Captains Shawn not positions. Alan Shearer led Newcastle from the front. Barry Ferguson and Roy Keane won countless trophies leading from the middle.
from 3 months ago
Good point Nigel woolley lead our sunday school team to countless trophies from the front as well.
George Mackentire as well.
3 months ago
I agree that it is the player that makes the captain rather than the position. The perfect captain needs to be able to motivate his team and lead by example. The best I have seen is probably Roy Keane, the amount of times he was able to coax out that extra 10% of performance from his team was unbelievable. Yes, he wasn’t the most level-headed and often got sent-off leaving his team right in it, but in terms of inspiration factor he was everything you wanted a captain to be. All the players respected him and would play for him and Fergie once described him as like having another manager on the pitch as he could sort things out on there quicker than Fergie could from the sidelines.
This is where I think the flaw lies in terms of Goalkeepers as captains, they have no real interaction with the rest of the team (save perhaps communicating with their back line) and this means that they cannot really get involved in motivating/inspiring, etc during the actual game. Or to give another example, during England’s defeat in Northern Ireland a few years back Rooney completely lost control (not for the first time!) and got booked and looked like he was going to be sent off. Beckham quickly ran over from his central position to the near touchline to physically pull Rooney away from the trouble and tell him to cool it and basically saved him getting sent off. Admittedly another player could have done this but a player is always more likely to listen to his captain, especially in a situation like this. A goalkeeper cannot do things like this as he cannot leave his goal so I think this takes at least something away if they are captains.
3 months ago
Well written and great choice of players and examples.
In Brazil stature and looks have something to do with it as well. Someone tall and goodlooking has to raise the cup and talk to the press. PR
He must also have a strong personality off the pitch as well e.g. Dunga`s main job in 94 was to keep Romario in line. This meant sharing the same room with him throughout the cup and watching over and counciling him throughout as well. Dunga also brought together Bebeto and Romario off and consequently on the field. (They were not on good speaking terms before the cup...to put it mildly)
Bellini was chosen for his looks,height and eloquence. The team he played on could have had my mother as captain and no goalie and still would have won non the less.
In Brazil tall captains are the thing ....perhaps by design or chance tall people are usually defenders.
3 months ago
Thanks for the comments guys.
Darlon you bring up an interesting point about appearances being a factor in Brazil. I'm guessing tall footballers make good defenders due to their vertical and flat reach.
Maybe Peter Crouch is playing in the wrong position...
3 months ago
Yes , Crouch has great skill for a tall guy.
Traditionally defenders were tall and attacking playmakers short and stocky to fend off challenges.
Ronaldo and later Adriano and to some extent Kaka herald a new generation of tall offensive players in Brazil and South America on the whole.
It`s harder for a tall guy to get in touch with some of the more subtle aspects of the game....doesn`t mean that tall people can`t be skillful or strikers ...don`t get me wrong...there are many of them out there especially in Europe.
3 months ago
As a Keeper myself, I like your arguments but their is a flaw in your plan, a keeper is generally rooted to his box, if he sees something on the other side of the field he cannot run and let his teammates know, further more He cannot encourage the team throughout the match. And remember a captain is born not made you cannot give a player the role of captain if he is not a leader.
3 months ago
And I think with all the stats that you gave, it means defenders make the best captain.
3 months ago
According to the stats Justin it appears defenders make the best captain, and I do agree with you and the others on the points you guys have been putting in.
My main argument was because a goalkeeper had a full view of the field, he could better marshal his defense and midfield [its pretty obvious I'm a very defensively minded soccer player :)]
A captain is always a born leader and never a manufactured entity. That we can all agree on!
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