Have we ever had a less inspiring captain

[curiousorange]

And just to add something else to support my point, what happens when the first-choice captain is missing? Fabregas was away for huge chunks of last season but I don't recall Arsenal forgetting how to play their natural game.

[Merv]

He hardly inspires the people around him though. That is crucial. He simply isn't worthy of the armband.

Okay, but how do you quantify that? How do you judge whether he inspires people around him? Our better players last night were the ones alongside Petrov in midfield... Reo Coker's playing well, alongside Petrov. Petrov was the one chasing down Pennant in the final minute (yeah, okay, he gave the foul away, though that was harsh), so you've got your captain leading by example in the final seconds...

I don't know... as I said, we need someone to replace him, possibly even for next season, but judging whether he inspires team-mates... I don't know where the evidence is to say he doesn't. It certainly can't be stated as fact.

[peter w]

I don't think Petrov is a bad captain at all. The problem being that by making him captain last season MON made him undroppable and as a staement of intent it was that our midfield was Petrov +1 in the middle. Milner to a degree hid a lot of the problems, but this season they are glaring, and that is Petrov isn't good enough consistently for 90 minutes to be in the team, never mind captain.

In saying that though, the problem of making him captain and not buying anyone to push him for his place, is that there is no-one to drop him for. You could not envisage a side withouit Ash and Petrov at the moment. One for the wrong reasons.

[Phil from the upper holte]

Collins for me, I didn't realise Petrov was playing till he got tripped.

he's not good enough & I think we really need to invest in the midfield come Jan

[Salsa Party Animal]

I think we should only have Vikings as Captain. ie Laursen, Mellberg

[Dante Lavelli]

Football is a funny ol' game isn't it. 

Petrov for me is a consistent 7 out of ten player.  Disciplined, always puts in a good shift and appears to do a fair amount of organising during the game.  So in my humble opinion, a pretty ideal captain, particularly when there are few other candidates who are dead certs to play every week.

It's hard for him to stand out as 90% of his work is in the area of the pitch that never appears on the highlights on TV and rarely draws attention, however it is the base from which our team is built.  The opposite of a "highlights player" I suppose.

[FatSam]

Football is a funny ol' game isn't it. 

Petrov for me is a consistent 7 out of ten player.  Disciplined, always puts in a good shift and appears to do a fair amount of organising during the game.  So in my humble opinion, a pretty ideal captain, particularly when there are few other candidates who are dead certs to play every week.

It's hard for him to stand out as 90% of his work is in the area of the pitch that never appears on the highlights on TV and rarely draws attention, however it is the base from which our team is built.  The opposite of a "highlights player" I suppose.

This is pretty much exactly how I feel about it.

Also, the issue of captaincy is really all about the dynamic of the particular group, and I'm not sure how it is possible for a supporter in the stands to judge how vocal, or inspiring to his team mates he is.

[Bottom Right 89]

Collins for me, I didn't realise Petrov was playing till he got tripped.

You must be joking? Collins shouldn't even be in the team right now let alone Captain, along with Warmcock he had a shocker at Stoke. If Cuellar doesn't start on Saturday there's no justice.

[Dave]

Collins was our best player by an absolute mile last night.

[Bottom Right 89]

Collins was our best player by an absolute mile last night.

According to Rory Delap maybe. Hooof

[eamonn]

The opposite of a "highlights player" I suppose.

Maybe that's why his hair looked blonder than normal, help him stand out a bit. On a similarly coiffured theme, during the commentary of the United-Rangers game tonight Mark Lawrenson said: ''Oh, has Ji Sung Park got new highlights? Looks like he's had his roots done''. An awkward pause followed before the commentator resumed with describing the action.

[themossman]

Petrov sums up our team. A grafter who puts himself about, tidy enough passing but no real penetration, zero goal scoring threat, ulltimately without the vision and calmness in possession to be a proper continuity player.

[Dante Lavelli]

Petrov sums up our team. A grafter who puts himself about, tidy enough passing but no real penetration, zero goal scoring threat, ulltimately without the vision and calmness in possession to be a proper continuity player.

That's the point though.  His position does not - generally - permit him to get into goal scoring positions.  if he was popping up in the box every other attack we'd be left horrifically exposed in the midfield.  For the same reason, his passes lack penetration because they're not played in the final third of the pitch.  For every Xavi and Iniesta there needs to be a Busquetes.  A Song for every Fabregas...

Whilst it doesn't grab headlines, the role demands discipline.  Certainly its been said enough times that Gerrard is incapable of playing the role as he cannot hold his position.

Having defended the guy, I would be looking to buy another player of his ilk as he needs support and is not getting any younger.  Toulalan or Flamini would be my suggestions.

[themossman]

Don't get me wrong I'm not anti Petrov. I just feel that in buying 2 box to box midefielders and trying to turn them into play spoilers MON did half a job. As you say he's wasted where he is as he's too deep to play like he has for most of his career, but then he hasn't got the legs to do the enforcer role properly.

[Monty]

I don't think Petrov is a spoiler at all, that's NRC's job. Petrov is our most important player in possession, because he's the only player we have with a real brain, knows where to stand and what to do when in quite subtle ways and, like Dante says, that's hardly highlights reel stuff.

On Collins, quickly, I think it's ridiculous to say he hoofs. He's actually one of the most accurate long-passers of a ball playing at centre back in the league. A hoof isn't aimed anywhere but 'generally towards the goal' - Collins sprays 70 yarders into feet.