Captaincy…

[edcunited1878]

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That's not what Ralf said...just another Tweet mixing words from a press conference to suit someone's narrative.

Question: If Erik (ten Hag) asks you about the captaincy and he asks you in your role as consultant, should Harry Maguire be the captain, would you recommend that, Ralf? What would you say to him, knowing Harry, having been here, five or six months?

Answer (Rangnick): That's how I did it, I know that not a lot of head coaches do it that way (having the players vote, with four or five players having the most votes and alternating captaincy when necessary, but the top vote getter is captain of the team).

Comment: Guardiola does it at City

Response (Rangnick): Yeah, so that's what I would do if I was still the manager next season, but I'm not, so that is something for Erik to decide.

 

[Marzo]

That's not what Ralf said...just another Tweet mixing words from a press conference to suit someone's narrative.

Question: If Erik (ten Hag) asks you about the captaincy and he asks you in your role as consultant, should Harry Maguire be the captain, would you recommend that, Ralf? What would you say to him, knowing Harry, having been here, five or six months?

Answer (Rangnick): That's how I did it, I know that not a lot of head coaches do it that way (having the players vote, with four or five players having the most votes and alternating captaincy when necessary, but the top vote getter is captain of the team).

Comment: Guardiola does it at City

Response (Rangnick): Yeah, so that's what I would do if I was still the manager next season, but I'm not, so that is something for Erik to decide.

Absolutely, the bolded part is the key. I have just listened to the press conference, and this is the correct context.
Rangnick is definitely not an idiot and seems to make a lot of reference to his job as an advisor, at his old clubs, not as a “Head Coach” as they call the manager in Germany. This decision is entirely Ten Hag’s to make.

 

[ole@thewheel]

If not Harold, then who?

I can’t see any senior players that will not have question marks over them next season, none of them are guaranteed regulars. I also doubt we’d sign someone and make them captain immediately.

I don’t see De Gea as a captain, although he’d be an easy choice, but there has also been a lot of conversation about his own standing next season. Only option I can see is Luke Shaw perhaps, who has been terrible this season, although was one of the best full backs in the world last season and will probably be first choice every week next hear if he can find some form. Either him on Bruno, who I personally don’t want to see as a regular next season, although he probably will be.

Slim pickings ultimately if you want to avoid passing the armband round from week to week.

Inevitably, it will be Ronaldo if he stays.

Bruno will take it after that.

 

[Rozay]

Inevitably, it will be Ronaldo if he stays.

Bruno will take it after that.

Declan will be our long term captain if we ever sign him.

 

[UNITED ACADEMY]

Ironically, Emery did similar thing by using vote to choose his captain which was voted on Xhaka. After the Xhaka incident disrespecting the fans, Emery was criticised for using the same method to choose his captain, Arsenal fans at that time believed that captain should be chosen by the manager not players and criticised Emery for letting players to chose their captain.

 

[Foxbatt]

Italian national team used to have that the player with the most number of caps is the Captain. We used to have a club captain in Robbo and Bruce as the team captain.
Someone mentioned that Daly Blind is the Ajax Captain. It's Tadic who is the captain.

 

[::sonny::]

Mannschaftskapitan

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[NoPace]

Not going to be easy to introduce democracy to England.

 

[Rolaholic]

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[RoyH1]

We have to stop giving the captaincy quasi-mystical status. Other clubs don't give it the same importance and they do fine.

 

[choccy77]

I read earlier, that Ronaldo is to be named Captain and Maguire & Bruno will be vice captains.

 

[mu4c_20le]

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fecking hell read it wrong... thought he was keeping the captaincy and his place. Almost had a panic attack.

 

[IRELANDUNITED]

The sensible thing is to make Ronaldo captain for next season and reassess it next year. Ronaldo should be captain now and it will give ten Hag 12 months with the squad to find a long term captain that he wants.

 

[Tavern in the town]

We have to stop giving the captaincy quasi-mystical status. Other clubs don't give it the same importance and they do fine.

Completely agree. It’s amazing to me the emphasis people place on the captaincy because in football it’s nothing more than a piece of cloth. There are other sports, for example cricket, where the captain is pretty much a manager on the field and has real influence on decisions but football is not one of them. I know people argue about “leadership” but the truth is leaders will be leaders regardless of whether someone else is the official captain. Do you really think *random example* Van Dijk is less of a leader in the dressing room or on the pitch because it’s Henderson who has an armband on his arm? I somehow doubt it.

 

[charlenefan]

The sensible thing is to make Ronaldo captain for next season and reassess it next year. Ronaldo should be captain now and it will give ten Hag 12 months with the squad to find a long term captain that he wants.

The sensible thing is to give it to a player in the last year of his contract? Okay...

 

[Artorias]

The sensible thing is to give it to a player in the last year of his contract? Okay...

At least is our best player and the only who cared about winning (besides De Gea).

 

[Tavern in the town]

At least is our best player and the only who cared about winning (besides De Gea).

He cared so much he called in injured when the manager told him he was being dropped vs City.

 

[m1tch]

Not going to be easy to introduce democracy to England.

Harry Maguire in a blue tie, with 40% of the vote, will beat Harry Maguire in a red tie. It was looking like it could go the other way so they increased the defenders constituency boundary to include defensive midfielders.

 

[RuudTom83]

Just go with Ronaldo and then DDG when Ronnie needs a rest.

ETH should say the most experienced player gets the armband blah blah blah.

One fire put out!

Next!?

 

[Tarrou]

I'd just give it Ronaldo for a year, kick the decision down the road

DDG would be my second choice

but definitely take it off Maguire

 

[Withnail]

The sensible thing is to give it to a player in the last year of his contract? Okay...

You can pick a new captain once he leaves. There's no actual downside here.

 

[tentan]

Ronaldo

 

[IRELANDUNITED]

The sensible thing is to give it to a player in the last year of his contract? Okay...

Best player, most committed, has won more than the entire rest of the squad put together, captain of his country, most respected player at the club. Okay…

 

[Red Dreams]

Ronaldo clearly.

After he leaves Bruno.

 

[NoPace]

Harry Maguire in a blue tie, with 40% of the vote, will beat Harry Maguire in a red tie. It was looking like it could go the other way so they increased the defenders constituency boundary to include defensive midfielders.

Shaw and Telles sold and we put Pau Torres at LB.

 

[Isotope]

I'd give it to DDG. Longest serving, quite good, and most likely don't have enemy and create camps in the squad.

 

[RedAl22]

Trying to think of a time any player has been stripped of a captaincy apart from for off-field issues?

Being captain is overrated in the UK. Leaders are leaders whether they wear an armband or not but for whatever reason the symbolism means something to the players especially British/Irish ones.

Maguire should have never been made captain in the first place but we are where we are. Stripping him of the armband sends the message he isn't good enough. Which may well be true but it will annihilate anything left of his confidence and he'll be done as a united player.

Despite his horrendous season he's still a decent player. He's just never going to live up to his ridiculous price tag and clearly has major confidence issues. Still, Ten Hag may yet get a tune out of him.

If he thinks he's a write off then by all means strip him if the captaincy and transfer list him. He won't be in the team anyway.

 

[themanguydude]

In terms of seniority, only De Gea is fit for the armband

 

[Lyng]

The sensible thing is to give it to a player in the last year of his contract? Okay...

He is the best option, and it gives Ten hag a whole season to learn the squad and find the long term captain.
Its quite sensible yes.

 

[cyril C]

Just go with Ronaldo and then DDG when Ronnie needs a rest.

ETH should say the most experienced player gets the armband blah blah blah.

One fire put out!

Next!?

Most experienced players - you mean Jones?

 

[Marcus]

Isn't the Captain, in reality, more like the one who has to organise team bonding, take care of some of the more administrative aspects of stuff as well? A bit of a burden? On the pitch, he is the one who has the right to speak with the ref. So should be an assertive but respected guy. So maybe Ronaldo would be a great idea. To intimidate referees a bit.

 

[mitchmouse]

I would never leave this up to the team. It shouldn't be a bloody popularity contest

 

[crossy1686]

Will be interesting to see who the players vote for as captain if that's what it goes to, could also effectively end Maguire's United career if his own teammates give him the vote of no confidence.

An interesting side note is that they do this at City and they voted out De Bruyne from the leadership circle and whatsapp group last season, and he was arguably City's best player last season. They are doing that from a position of strength though, unlike United.

 

[crossy1686]

I would never leave this up to the team. It shouldn't be a bloody popularity contest

It's not if you don't frame it like that, I wouldn't vote for a mate to do it if I knew they were shit at leading the team on the pitch or I knew they would embarrass us in the post match by saying stupid or self interested shit.

If you frame it as "vote for the person you like the most" then that's what you'll get.

 

[crossy1686]

In terms of seniority, only De Gea is fit for the armband

Dave's done enough to get the armband this season but he doesn't speak anywhere near enough during the game. His own defence aren't even organised, he should start helping in that area first.

 

[MikeUpNorth]

It needs to be someone who will play every game. So one of Fred or McTominay.

 

[crossy1686]

It needs to be someone who will play every game. So one of Fred or McTominay.

I think it could end up being one of the Ajax lads Ten Hag brings in. Start a new era with someone you trust and all that.

 

[mitchmouse]

Dave's done enough to get the armband this season but he doesn't speak anywhere near enough during the game. His own defence aren't even organised, he should start helping in that area first.

This. Given that Peter Schmeichel never (as far as I recall) wore the armband and you could hearing him shout over a 70,000 crowd, there's no good reason to give it to a mouse by comparison...

 

[mitchmouse]

It needs to be someone who will play every game. So one of Fred or McTominay.

When I first saw McT, i did think he might make captain material one day. But hey, we all make mistakes!

 

[Escobar]

Under Fergie, we would have had a huge debate as there were so many good options. Now, it is either DDG or Ronaldo, and even these are questionable.