Next United Captain?

SuperRash

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(Eric Bailly) Future captain I would say, his quality at 23 is very impressive and he hasn't even reached his full potential. By the time he hits 26/27 I think he'll be regarded as one of the, if not the best in the world. His potential is that great.
 
I think if he wants to get captaincy he needs to get to grips with the language as from what I've read about him his English is still limited but he's only a first year.

If anyone looks like a captain right now in this side it's Rojo he looks like the man in charge of that defence but I'm guessing when it comes up in the summer it'll probably be given to Pogba or if he's staying Zlatan

I don't really buy into the captain thing top sides are full of guys with leadership qualities who take responsibility for their own game and don't look for excuses when things go wrong
 
That is an interesting little side debate, I don't think there is an obvious captaincy candidate after Rooney. I think that's epitomised by giving it to Young and Fellaini, I guess it was because they are the longest serving. However I wouldn't mind giving it to Herrera to be honest but as you say I think Pogba is probably the man as he can grow into the role and be there for years to come.
 
I don't see a stand out candidate either. Valencia I think becomes our longest serving player when Rooney leaves he's a model pro but again he doesn't really speak English despite being in England for over a decade. On the pitch he has all the right qualities but off it there's no chance.

The captain has to go over and above and do all the sponsors smoozing that comes with that role as you're expected to turn up for everything and that's why it'll probably end up being Pogba but a lot will depend on what happens in the summer. Our captain and 2 vice captains (Carrick & Smalling) could all leave this summer

I think the team could do with some experienced heads in the summer who are used to the pressures of big clubs and the attention that comes with it.
 
As said, good teams are full of leaders and some people think it doesn't matter but I like a good captain, has to be someone that plays 40+ games a season. I don't like how it's been passed about this season to whoever has been at the club longest, perhaps that's been Mourinho looking to find out if some players have what it takes to be captain.
 
Herrera would be my choice but only if he's still playing as much next season as this, that would depend on summer signings.
 
I don't think the captain role is vital for Utd it has to be a guy who understands the traditions of the club and sets the tone on and ideally off the pitch. For me Herrera ticks all the right boxes even if he wasn't a nailed on starter every week the captain doesn't need to do that he just needs to make sure everyone in the dressing room stays together.

Herrera seems like a pretty likeable guy but it's hard to tell who leads the dressing room Ashley Young is apparently dressing room DJ these days and Lingard does the social media :p
 
Maybe that's what got Young the captaincy, maybe he put on his Portuguese Love Ballads album while DJ'ing - hit Jose right in the heart! :rolleyes:
 
That there's not a single clear and suitable candidate is a worry for United - it shows the lack of leadership in our team. It's a far cry from times under Fergie when half the team could have done the job and we had great leaders like Robson and Keane.

Rooney and Carrick are the most qualified at United but they have been far from regulars this season and sadly it looks like they are on the way out.

Valencia could be a candidate except he doesn't speak good English and although very strong and determined he seems almost shy when it comes to giving his teammates a bollocking/encouragement respectively (or maybe it's just that he doesn't speak good English)!

I think Herrera is a decent player but too soft for a United captain - I'll never lose that image of Noble carrying him off the pitch last season. I wouldn't like Rojo for a similar type of reason - too much play acting does not make for United captain material.

Smalling could be captain if he were ever to remain fit and consistently at the top of his game for a full season, but it's yet to happen and I question his confidence to be a leader.

Pogba doesn't strike me as captaincy material with his social media, sponsorship deals and image off the pitch. I'm not saying he's not professional whilst at work but it doesn't set the best example to young players coming through.

Young and Fellaini who have recently had the armband probably aren't good enough to be regulars in the starting eleven to be honest so don't make good captains.

The one player it should have been at United this season, and I'm surprised it hasn't been, is Zlatan. He has the ability, confidence, leadership and experience more than anyone. The only downfall is it would be a short term solution before we end up back in the same boat.

This is all why I'm surprised we haven't gone for players like Seamus Coleman or Jordan Henderson (Ireland and England captains) in the past or why we haven't made more of an effort for Kane and Ward-Prowse (probable future England captains). Having those type of leaders in the team is almost as important as having the talent.
 
I wouldn't want Henderson anywhere near our team.

Herrera's improving all the time. He'll eat Henderson for lunch.

Perhaps not now because he's Liverpool captain. But Henderson's idols were Beckham, Scholes and Giggs and he's paid huge compliments to Keane for coaching him the midfield role at Sunderland. Fergie was closely monitoring him before Liverpool came in - the only reason we pulled out was because Henderson's running gait indicated he'd be more prone to injury (which has proven true to a limited extent).

I'd have gladly signed him a few years back and we'd have another good all round midfielder and England captain now, and threads like "Who will replace Carrick?" and "Next United Captain?" wouldn't be so prevalent.

It's the same reason I can't believe we're not throwing crazy money at Kane and passing up on Ward-Prowse (England U21 captain) whilst the media report that City have been sniffing around him.
 
Henderson is a very limited player. He has the odd good games but he is nowhere near the level of Carrick at the same age. I'm so glad we didn't pick him up when he was at Sunderland. The fact when he's fit he's an England starter is further evidence of the poor English midfield stock we have in this country.
 
I agree he's limited but he's good at what he does in a deep lying midfield role. Until this weekend, Henderson had made the highest number of passes of any player in the Premier League (that's even with being out the last couple of months). The player that overtook him was Pogba, against Chelsea. So imagine a midfield of those two - no one would get the ball off them and it would be a great platform for the rest of the team. Also it's not only about playing skill but the leadership ability required to drive on and pick up teammates and that's possibly Henderson's biggest strength.

Anyway, I know I'm fighting a losing battle talking about the virtues of the Liverpool captain here and even I don't care that much to make the case further for him. Just, if not him, that's the type of leader we could do with.
 
Pogba for captain for me, the role is pretty dead these days, so it is really a media role. He suits that down to the ground.
 
I think currently there's a lack of players who are "united" players and by that I mean players who've either grown up in it through the academy or who have spent a long time at the club and fully embraced it. There's a wider question of what even is United anymore as Moyes, Van Gaal & now Mourinho are putting their own twist on things.

Pogba did come through the academy under the Fergie regime and he is the guy on the pitch who always demands the ball and is brave enough to take risks and try the almost impossible it takes a lot of confidence to do that and I don't think the shouting and wailing type guy is really relevant anymore a captain needs to be serious and focused he sets the standards.

We don't really know to much about our players right now we haven't seen to many of those obvious leadership quality performances in the last 3-4 seasons very few players have just taken over a game and won it for us certainly not on a regular basis.
 

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