Our Captain

[taylorsworkrate]

I think James Collins performance today is everything you want from a captain: Passionate, leading by example and an incredible will to win.  He won absolutely everything that came his way.  He inspired the players around him

As good a player as Petrov is/has been, i'm not sure he has all of them qualities in him. 

I think when the new gaffer comes in, he'd be wise to make Collins skipper.

[midnite]

That's a good shout there taylorsworkrate.
If he continues to play like he has been he should become captain. Yesterday was an amazing performance by him.

[Big Dick Edwards]

It's good to have more than one captain on the pitch. Collins and Dunne are warriors and catch the eye more readily as potential leaders but Petrov is under rated.

How many examples can you think of where a club has demoted the captain a few games into the season?

[midnite]

It's good to have more than one captain on the pitch. Collins and Dunne are warriors and catch the eye more readily as potential leaders but Petrov is under rated.

How many examples can you think of where a club has demoted the captain a few games into the season?

A new manager coming in could potentially change the captain. Although I don't think he will if i'm honest. Petrov last season for me wasn't captain material. I'm not just basing my views on the last three matches.
Flip side to that of course could be with a new manager and new ideas he could have a new role for petrov and he could flourish. He's had one good season since being at villa. He need to do more to prove he's worthy of that armband.
I'm trying really hard to like the guy. I just find him so frustrating. We all know he has the ability. I've said somewhere else on this website, he can ping a 40/50 yard pass inch perfect and you're left gobsmacked. But he does too much sideways that stops the flow of football.
Again, i get you need players like that, moving the ball around, it's not all about going forward. But he does it too much and there can be better passing options available.

[tsvet]

I hope people do realise that the fact MON signed Petrov for Villa does not make the latter automatically a MON pet. He's too professional in his relationship with his boss, which apparently people misread as weakness and blind obbeyance.  Suggestion that MON's been on the phone to suggest disruptive actions by the captain are pathetic. And I wonder what people see (or more like don't see) as captain's material? Captain is someone who talks, stands by his teammates, shows passion, encourages during the game etc. I'm biased but I see Petrov doing this very, very well and also don't see anyone else from our current crop of players doing it better.

[TheSandman]

I hope people do realise that the fact MON signed Petrov for Villa does not make the latter automatically a MON pet. He's too professional in his relationship with his boss, which apparently people misread as weakness and blind obbeyance.  Suggestion that MON's been on the phone to suggest disruptive actions by the captain are pathetic. And I wonder what people see (or more like don't see) as captain's material? Captain is someone who talks, stands by his teammates, shows passion, encourages during the game etc. I'm biased but I see Petrov doing this very, very well and also don't see anyone else from our current crop of players doing it better.

I absolutely agree.

He seems to have become, somewhat undeservedly, a scapegoat for some of our fans.

[freakypete]

petrovs a good captain,wish fans wud give downing a chance too, mons let us down not his captain nows a time of pulling together

[Russ aka Big Nose]

I think James Collins performance today is everything you want from a captain: Passionate, leading by example and an incredible will to win.  He won absolutely everything that came his way.  He inspired the players around him

As good a player as Petrov is/has been, i'm not sure he has all of them qualities in him. 

I think when the new gaffer comes in, he'd be wise to make Collins skipper.

Agreed.

I also think we should pair Carlos with Collins as the middle two in defense. As well as the battling performance we saw from Collins against Blue-Scouse he is an organiser/talker (much more than Dunne) and is easily the best passer of the three.

I would leave Dunne out until he re-gains the form of the first half of last season. I like Dunne but I don't see why he should be allowed to use first-team matches to shed the extra pounds he has added.

Back to Stan - with Milner gone we have lost some of the energy and drive in midfield. Ireland offers something else but now we have to think about balance to ensure we don't get overrun in midfield.

For that reason, plus the fact that Stan sometimes struggles to get sufficiently involved in some matches and always fades badly means, for me, than he is no longer a nailed on starter - so no way can he be captain.

Unless they do that 'Club Captain' nonsense so he can chat to sponsors and be rent-a-quote for the website, but even that is unlikely when a new manager comes in (even if that is Kevin Mac).

[TheBarneyArmy]

Petrov does a useful job for us, he just needs to be able to last more than 70 mins as the season progresses. Saw him having a quiet word with Albrighton during the first half yesterday about tracking back, once he'd done that the young lad's all round game improved no end. Good bit of captaincy that but seems to go unnoticed by the so-called expert pundits.

[garyfouroaks]

had a look and could not find anything regarding this topic but if there is feel free to move.

Stylian Petrov, is not captain material and I feel that his reign as Villa captain must come to an end.

The captain should inspire, motivate, cajoel(?), kick up the arse, push and shove, be commanding in his own postion and I do not see it in Stylian.
After Sundays debacle he should not even be in the team as he goes missing for alot of the games he plays. I'm not a Petrov-hater as I think he does bring something to the squad but I feel that he should pass that huge responsiblity of being the Villa captain to some-one who can lead the team and club forward.

I am a huge Petrov hater. having cruised, and failed to work hard when he joined us, he only put in 2/3rds of a seasons effort to secure a new contract with the lovestruck and gullible MON after three years , and then we were back to his old ways.

His stats show that he doesnt score, doesn't provide assists and is not a strong tackler. Exactly what he does other than behave like a poor mans Gavin McCann has always been a bit of a mystery to me. On Sunday mid way through the second half I had to check that he had not been subbed so little a contribution had he made.

He has been a passenger in our team for far too long, and his ill advised NOTW comments suggest that he knows that a new manager will find him out pretty quickly. A move to Blackpool, Wigan or Bolton beckons.

He should not be anywhere near the team- let alone the Captaincy.