3 Jun 2015

Major Surprise? Liverpool Legend claims 'outstanding' £120k-a-week star may replace Jordan Henderson as permanent LFC captain

With Steven Gerrard now sadly gone, Liverpool need a new captain, and all indications suggest that Jordan Henderson is next in line for the coveted role. My personal choice is Martin Skrtel, but Reds legend Jamie Carragher argues that Brendan Rodgers may ultimately ignore both players and make a surprise choice instead.

Discussing the captaincy situation this week, Carragher hinted that Hendo is on thin ice with regards to the captaincy, and predicted that Rodgers may hand the honour to James Friggin' Milner:

"Rodgers wouldn't confirm Henderson as this season's captain even though he was captain in Gerrard's absence, [which] makes me think him and Milner could be competing for the armband. Was that another thing that enticed Milner to join?"

The allegedly 'outstanding' Milner as Liverpool captain? Based on what? Making Milner captain over Henderson, Skrtel is a man-management mistake of the highest order, for the following reasons:

* The decision will almost certainly alienate Henderson, Skrtel, and (possibly) other members of the squad. They'll take the decision professionally, but they're also human beings, and giagantic snub like that will sting.

* A player should earn the right to captain Liverpool, not just turn up and take the honour as a reward for joining the club.

* Through their performances, character, and consistency, Henderson and Skrtel have earned the honour of captaining Liverpool. Milner - who reportedly wants £120k-a-week to sign for Liverpool - has not.

* There's little logic in placing extra unnecessary pressure on Milner. If he signs, his main focus should be playing well, and improving on his poor career creative return of 1 goal every 11 games.

* If he proves himself over an entire season, and shows leadership quality when the going gets tough, then it'll be time to think about promoting him to captain.

To be brutally honest, though, neither Skrtel nor Henderson distinguished themselves on a leadership level in the final third of the season. Indeed, Liverpool's capitulation against the likes of Crystal Palace and Stoke City underlined once again the fatal lack of leadership in the team.

In a recent column for the Liverpool Echo, Reds legend Mark Lawrenson argued that Skrtel should be LFC's next captain:

"Skrtel plays almost every game, could handle the responsibility and it would help him communicate more. He is a battler, too, and has more leadership qualities (than Henderson]. He got stood on the head by Giroud [vs. Arsenal] but he stayed on to head home a late equaliser".

I recently conducted a poll asking fans who should be Liverpool's next captain:

* 55% of participants voted for Skrtel. Only 28% chose Henderson.

* 10% chose Lucas; 7% Lallana; 1% Lovren.

This suggests that there's a slight disconnect between the fans and Rodgers on this particular issue. For me, Skrtel still remains the outstanding candidate:

* After Gerrard, 'warrior' Skrtel is one of the most senior players in the squad; he's paid his dues, and after six years at the club, he's arguably earned the right to lead the team.



* After being dumped for Jamie Carragher last season, Skrtel showed real strength of character and admirable attitude to fight his way back to being Liverpool's number-one centre-half. In that time, the Reds have spent £45m on three different central defenders, yet Skrtel remains the one constant in the heart of defence.

* Skrtel is the perfect bridging option. After Gerrard leaves, there will be immense pressure on the next captain to live up to the skipper's influence. That's even more likely to the case with Hendo as he is a midfielder, and therefore directly comparable to Gerrard.

* Skrtel is a defender, so there will (arguably) be less pressure on him. Plus, at the age of 30, he probably only has a couple of years left at LFC, so it makes sense to give him the job, and allow Henderson to work at increasing influence on the field.

* Once he's achieved that, Henderson will - through the consistent level of his performances - command more respect from players and fans alike, and that will help his transition into the role of captain.

* Additionally, Henderson will have the advantage of taking over from Skrtel, and not Gerrard.

* The same applies to Milner: if he takes the captaincy, and plays (as expected) in a central midfield role, he'll be constantly compared to Gerrard, and that will be detrimental, especially since he's nowhere near that class level.

Forget Milner as captain (and as a signing, but that probably won't happen!), and just give the captaincy to Skrtel, whom I believe will rise to the challenge.

polls


Author: Jaimie K


72 comments:

  1. * Additionally, Henderson will have the advantage of taking over from Skrtel, and not Gerrard.



    To me, that is the most important thing.


    You don't want to replace the legend. You want to replace the guy who replaced the legend.

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  2. I would like to see Friggin here. But if he was appointed captain, I would be ashamed.

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  3. Please Rafa, do us a solid and splash that madrid cash to bring sterling there!

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  4. I was in the "you must be kidding me" corner until I looked it over again. Won everything bar the CL, a level head who has show he is the model of consistency, and you can see him leading by example at City every time he steps on the pitch.


    From a purely unbiased view, if I was a player I would follow Milner before Hendo. Hendo will get there but, for me, right now Milner is a better leader as he's a much better blend of experience, ability, passion and consistency - which is what I look for in a captain

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  5. Maybe sell us Ronaldo, bale, benzene or a couple midfielders while he is at it!

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  6. i dont want ronaldo nor bale. id rather take ramos and modric =)

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  7. Milner captain? No.


    Henderson? Still doubtful.


    Skrtel? I guess it will have to be.


    We don't have many leaders in the team.


    STERLING FOR CAPTAIN!!!!

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  8. Especially when considering their previous title before FSG bought them was in the early 1900s

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  9. Skertel for captain but im confused, milner has a poor creative record with goals, dont assists count? Not a mention of how many assists he has maybe people should at his stats in that area!

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  10. I'm not a huge Ramos fan but I'll take him. In all honesty I would take bale in a heartbeat. He is a game changer. He would be dominating on a flank and would allow countinho to sit in the middle and behind Sturridge allowing countinho to spray those beautiful defence splitting passes or make those defenders drop off so he could fire his rocket launcher and get more beautiful goals like vs southhampton

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  11. Skrtel all the way baby..... Hendo bit too young maybe couple of years. But this is all moot, since Hendo is the captain.

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  12. For Man City, Milner averages 1 assist every 4.5 games (45 assists in 203 games), which is not that great, and is certainly not worth £100k+ a week (IMO)

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  13. Damn, why didn't I think of that :-)

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  14. Better than henderson

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  15. So is Friggin his middle name or last name? I've heard Jaimie has high praise for him indeed after all his mentions, apparently that Mercenary guy is decent we should get him too(!)

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  16. I've just checked First Row and they are showing it select 'Tennis ' and click on a link

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  17. But you're forgetting that Skrtel performs best under minimum pressure and is prone to mistakes in a back four. Do we really want our captain to be making silly errors like he does sometimes? No thanks.

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  18. What I am talking about is that when we were inches away from the 4th people were saying no way, when we were inches away from the title- same. Yes they were right but how can you be a supporter and not believe is beyound me..

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  19. This is where he stands they are backing him and apparently happy to splash the cash but i have no doubt he has been told waste it your out.

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  20. Most could see the writing on the wall when United entered the fray the media kept it going.

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  21. coutinho could do it. he could really grow into the role

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  22. I think Milner is seriously underrated. Give the lad a break, it'll be a decent signing.

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  23. Have LFC not got the captain of France in SISSOKO - and if so Why is he not in the reckoning ?? Keep it clean now boys

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  24. I just want to know what you guys think about Milner getting £150 k per week and not Sterling? How does that sit with you guys because I think it's a joke.

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  25. What does it matter? According to his agent, he would have rejected £900k per week.

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  26. Malner all day long

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  27. James Milner is his nickname. I'm pretty sure it's just Friggin Friggin Friggin.

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  28. It appears that Rodgers is already enamoured with Milner. At this rate Anfield might need to be re-christened to 'St. James's Park'...

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  29. Ha ha! Seriously do expect the clown to go after isco, bale, modric et al? Even if they were offered to us he will say "Liverpool were never interested" in hope of getting more overpriced average British players

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  30. I like Milner but I think Sterling will go on to be something special and by being cheapskate now LFC will regret it later. But I fear it is too late already and Sterling will go ;-(

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  31. Check out Tito and Amanda watts

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  32. Wow. Would love to meet the people that paid those two ske tchy-looking fre aks $99.99 for a block of wood

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  33. I don't know what exactly has gone on with Sterling. But it seems he is definitely going.


    In the short term FSG have stood their ground and saved some money. But long term LFC have lost out big time imom

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  34. Firstly we don't know if that statement is true. My guess is that it is. However we could have singed him up last season and my feeling is that he would have stayed. We can get a good 15 years out of him. But instead we give Milner 150 straight away.

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  35. My thoughts exactly. It makes me sick. Don't get me wrong,sterling is greedy and I have slated him on here but with the right players around him he is a game changer. It's just embarrassing how Lfc are dealing with things one the last 3 years

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  36. oh I see ok then...

    ..that leaves jordan sinclair then since he's never made a mistake....

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  37. Dammit on further reading turns out to be an April fool- I prefer to believe it's not

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  38. cool man, and thanks for the level headed reply instead of the condescending ripping pis* that seems to be rife at present...


    ...I get your point, especially from your experience, its just that although i really appreciate that Milner is reliable, strong, and experienced what do you make of team bonding when a brand new recruit gets made captain - I mean from your experience - I've only ever competed as an individual.......

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  39. What has Milner won, what has Sterling won?

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  40. last 3 years..

    Liverpool have been doing this for 20 years. Don't you remember what a mess they made with McManaman?



    Really getting tired of people blaming 20+ years of failure all one BR.


    Yes they guy has made many mistakes, yes I believe he is not the man to take us forward but please stop trying to blame him for 20+ years of failures.

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  41. Are you really asking that question? Really.... 21 and nearly 30 😂

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  42. Best comment of the day :)

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  43. Who mentioned BR? This has nothing to do with. He has nothing to do with the contracts. I massively supported BR. I feel he lost me with the last 6 games because 4th place was there for the taking. But I am fully behind him for this season. I would have taken Carlo A, but nothing would make me happier then to see Brendan smashing it up next year

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  44. Sorry - but I take exception to your definition of the term supporter/fan.

    Being a supporter/fan does not equate ONLY to a 12-year old girl swooning after the hippest boy band of the time - ie blind and absolute fandom. As Nick has articulated, you can still support (ie want the best for) LFC by being analytical and objective.

    Now, I can understand some fans may have become over zealous on either side of the BR in/out fence, but at no time does that mean they are not supporters of LFC.

    Simply some have the capability to follow blindly (some might say like lemmings) while others need to be convinced.

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  45. If this is an attempt at humour Antoine, you are miles wide off the mark!

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  46. No he is just a clear thinker who puts his brain into gear before posting, unlike your example!

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  47. You just answered your question why Milner who has played over 500 games, over a hundred of them in European Competitions and been a major part of a team that has won the Title twice deserves more money then a 20 year old who has won nothing, had a poor season and is just potential at the moment.

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  48. Sorry but you stated in the last 3 years, so it was either a complaint against BR or FSG and consider how good of a job FSG have done since they have taken over I just presumed you meant BR.

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  49. I appreciate that as I've never seen anyone make a good point by belittling others.


    Back on topic I understand what you mean and it's why I laughed off the notion at first. But with Gerrard going, Sturridge unhealth, Sterling on the outs, and the Suarez hangover this is as big a transitional summer as ever. I feel like we might need a character of his nature leading the team and although he's new, the transition might not be that significant taking to account who's leaving/has left.


    Having said that, I'm not entirely sold on it and wouldnt mind if Skrtel or Hendo got the captain band, but I can definately see the positives in giving it to Milner

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  50. You have just answered your own question.


    One is nearly 30, played over 500 Competitive games, over a hundred of them in European Competitions and has played a major part in a team that won the league twice so knows what it takes to win.


    The other is a 20 year old who has won nothing, had a poor season when he had the chance to really make an impression and has potential but is far from the finished product. .

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  51. Why would we consider him as captain ? He has no leadership ability or any experience. For me it should be skrtel sakho or Henderson. Sakho was a previous captain at psg and has improved a lot recently. I'd love to see him further up the field in dm alongside can.

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  52. hmm.. tried to reply but both times it is being held for moderation and I have no idea why

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  53. I can understand signing Lahm, Schweinsteiger, Thiago Silva or someone of that ilk as a captain, but Milner? If the only reason is that he's better than Henderson, we probably need to be setting our sights a bit higher.

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  54. They will come through, did the same to me last time. Jamie must think we need to be kept apart

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  55. My point was that as far as value, Mandzukic has more to offer us than Benteke, if we have to buy that type of player.

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  56. English record signing!!!

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  57. James Pearce has been Rodgers media voice all along.


    Tony Barrett will not make any news available until he is 100% sure as he has a reputation to uphold. He has had very little to say about Rodgers while the Liverpool Echo are still singing praises for Rodgers.

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  58. I suspect Klopp told them to rethink the Transfer Committee of Death, and they decided to give it a proper chance to fail, to which BR, having nowhere better to go, figured he might as well stay. At least Rafa sounds enthused about Real Madrid. :-) might have to stop willing them to fail for a season or two.

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  59. It's a shark/remona deal.

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  60. The Liverpool echo are annoying. To Pearce's credit though, even he thought Rodgers was goneskies after Stoke.

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  61. You're entitled to think that, but I just don't see it the same way. I was totally disillusioned once the last two games played out. It was Gerrard's last two games, yet we dished up, collectively, by far our season's worst performances. To me, that didn't look like the players buy into their manager anymore. If Rodgers somehow proves me wrong, then that's brilliant, but I just do not see enough qualities in him to be able to dramatically turn it around. He's made mistake after mistake, and doesn't deserve to get away with it anymore.

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  62. Not even an oil baron will get you anywhere these days. Under FFP, you need pre-existing gigantic revenue streams if you want to spend like an oil baron. Chelsea and City won the lottery at the right time.

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  63. Do not know why JK deleted my comment, merely stated the fact that he rehashes transfer stories from the media...

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  64. Obviously the last two games hurt, combined with the fact that they were Stevie's final two games.


    But I'm not going to put too much weight into those two individual games.


    Rodgers doesn't have much more slack here. In my opinion, if this team isn't close to top 4 come Christmas time, we will change managers mid-season (provided a better one is available, which I imagine Klopp will be).

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  65. Very true... but there are still other ways around FFP (particularly via changing/increasing revenue streams).

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  66. For me, those final two games were the straw that broke the camel's back.

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  67. Outside of it being Stevie's final two games, if we had gotten the same results back to back earlier in the season people would have forgotten about them because we would have been playing the next week.


    But the prospect of not playing even a friendly for another 6 weeks from now has left a really bad taste in peoples' mouths (and rightfully so).


    But I'm not going to get too down because of those two games.


    I was far more disappointed by the draw to Basel that knocked us out of the CL, than by the 6-1 Stoke loss in Stevie's last LFC game.

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  68. I was very disappointed in the Basel draw too. I was very disappointed in many things. I already wanted BR gone before the final two games, those games basically rubber stamped it.

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