The inspirational skipper – a dying breed
Following Steven Gerrard’s injury-time winner for Liverpool against Fulham on Wednesday night, the red-half of Merseyside finds themselves four-points off the Premier League summit.
Despite all the firepower available at Anfield in this day and age, and quite frankly years gone by too, it’s no surprise to see their midfield dynamo still come up with the goods when they really need it.
There are countless memories spawned from Gerard’s influence. The volley against West Ham in the FA Cup final, the half-volley against Olympiakos to send them through in the Champions League and the header Vs. Milan in the Champions League final are just three that I can instantly recall. I’m sure Liverpool fans have a never-ending supply of Gerrard moments forever etched in the memory.
Gerrard embodies more than a player at a club. Liverpool born-and-bred, the now-England skipper has spent his whole career at Anfield (despite very nearly departing for Chelsea in 2005) amassing 11 honours which includes a Champions League winners medal, but excludes a Premier League winners medal. Incidentally, Gerrard has been Liverpool’s top scorer three times, PFA team-of-the-year seven times and won the man-of-the-match awards in FA Cup (2006 Vs. West Ham) and Champions League finals (2005 Vs. AC Milan).
That is leading your team. As the saying goes, ‘big games are for big players’, and Gerrard typifies this notion. He produces when it counts and turns up for the big occasions, which in doing so, helps the rest of the team rise.
To say what factors comprise a great captain is difficult to dissect. The most-effective captains are those in the mould of Alan Shearer, John Terry, Jamie Carragher and indeed Steven Gerrard. In general, they’re home-town boys who supported the clubs as children. Their affinity for the club is transferable in their play which adds a different kind of layer to just being the outstanding players they already are. It means something. They are symbols for peers and fans alike.
Francesco Totti is another example in Italy. The Italian international could easily have left Roma through his storied career with Real Madrid said to have been vehement pursuers. However, his desire to bring success to the club he loved superseded any other kind of career ambitions one might usually harbour. Many people might argue Alan Shearer represented that stance to a fault.
David Beckham was considered an excellent England captain during his tenure much of which can be attributed to the fact it meant so much to him. Whilst he may not have sported the vocal and in-your-face passion Carragher naturally oozed, nobody worked harder on an England pitch than Beckham when he had that armband on. It brought him to another level and thus by his performances, helped gravitate those who played with him. I sincerely doubt England would have qualified for the 2002 World Cup were it not for Beckham’s endeavours (even if you take THAT free-kick Vs Greece out of the equation).
It’s those captains who inspire and make those around them better that lead the proverbial line. Beckham himself insisted at a recent Q&A: “For me, Roy Keane is the best captain I’ve ever played under. He had two career-threatening injuries and he set the example for us young kids.”
Keane is another welcome example. He was the type of leader who would run through a brick wall for you. He would do anything to win and installed the same mentality and belief in his teammates. If there was a fight to be had, Keane in his prime was probably the one man in world-football you would want to be standing alongside. Terry & Carragher have remnants of his qualities, but from the middle of the pitch, Keane took more opportunities to exert his influence.
Thinking about these colossal captains got me to thinking what the Premier League has to offer today. To save confusion between club-captains and so forth, I will just show the captain by virtue of how many games have been played this season with the armband.
Arsenal - Mikel Arteta (CM, 31 years, 12 apps with the armband)
Aston Villa - Ron Vlaar (CB, 28 years, 20 apps)
Cardiff - Steven Caulker (CB, 22 years, 17 apps)
Chelsea - John Terry (CB, 33 years, 24 apps)
Crystal Palace - Miles Jedinak (CM, 29 years, 25 apps)
Everton - Phil Jagielka (CB, 31 years, 23 apps)
Fulham - Brede Hangeland (CB, 32 years, 11 apps)
Hull - Curtis Davies (CB, 28 years, 16 apps)
Liverpool - Steven Gerrard, (CM, 33 years, 21 apps)
Manchester City - Vincent Kompany (CB, 27 years, 16 apps)
Manchester United - Nemanja Vidic (CB, 32 years, 17 apps)
Newcastle United - Fabirico Coloccini (CB, 32 years, 16 apps)
Norwich - Sebastian Bassong (CB, 27 years, 17 apps)
Southampton - Adam Lallana (LW, 25 years, 23 apps)
Sunderland - John O’Shea (CB, 32 years, 21 apps)
Stoke - Ryan Shawcross (CB, 26 years, 26 apps)
Swansea - Ashley Williams (CB, 29 years, 23 apps)
Spurs - Michael Dawson (CB, 30 years, 25 apps)
West Brom - Chris Brunt (LW, 29 years, 17 apps)
West Ham - Kevin Nolan (CM, 31 years, 21 apps)
There are some interesting statistics there. The 20-stroing list includes only two wingers and four centre-mids, but 14 centre-halves. No strikers make the list, despite some of the greatest captains from years gone by have been focal points (Alan Shearer, Thierry Henry etc). Seven of the skippers are over-30 while conversely the youngest is Steven Caulker at 22 years-of-age (Craig Bellamy is the actual captain, but injuries have restricted him to seven appearances). There is also only eight Englishmen trusted with the captains role out of the 20 clubs, which of course does feature two Welsh clubs. Also, Ryan Shawcross is the only man to lead his team out for every single game thus far.
On the heels of Gerrard’s late heroics at Craven Cottage, I decided to rank my top three skippers so far in 2014:
1) Steven Gerrard - Obviously. Although I have already elaborated in grave detail about the Scouser’s unique talents, I shall delve a bit deeper. Gerrard has managed seven goals and nine assists in 22 outings this season in the top flight, and also sports 72% in the tackles won department according to the clubs website. In a campaign where they appear ready to reassume their position in England’s top four, Suarez and Sturridge have taken many of plaudits. Some superlatives should be saved for Gerrard and his role in affording them the opportunites.
2) Kevin Nolan – If this was over the course of the season, he wouldn’t have stood a chance. Unbelievably irresponsible and stupid dismissals against Fulham and Liverpool saw West Ham have to cope without their goal-scoring skipper. A series of awful results, and the Hammers looked to be heading for Championship status. However, four goals in three games have helped Sam Alladyce’s men to three consecutive 2-0 wins and rather lofty 11th place in the table. Kevin Nolan for the most part (maybe a bit of Andy Carroll too) has been a major catalyst behind the resurgence in form.
3) John Terry – The 33 year-old has been central to Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea competing and currently sitting in, top spot. 196 clearances and 18 blocks in 24 games this season are just small examples of the kind of performances Terry has been turning in. His formidable partnership with fellow-Englishmen Gary Cahill has left the media clamoring for his return to the England fold for the World Cup in Brazil this summer. Back when Chelsea hosted and beat Manchester United, Terry had 100% pass completion. It’s often underestimated how he helps build play for Chelsea.
It was very difficult to omit Adam Lallana from the top three – very, very difficult. The Southampton playmaker has been in outstanding form this term chiming in with eight-goals. He looks a safe bet for England this summer, and will provide excellent balance on the left-side. Southampton have had many good performers this season though in my opinion, I think Kevin Nolan’s recent impact at Upton Park is more profound. He’s directly won West Ham points through his goals and gave them a slight reprieve from the mire where they seemed destined to stay in. That is another example of a captain rising to the task when the team really needs him – not something every club can boast, but is extremely vital.
