Micah Richards - Released

[Drummond]

I think that Richards is a good choice; Clark doesn't need the pressure.

Club captain is a role that in essence is like the father of the house in the Commons, an official title for not doing much other than having been around a long time.

[Toronto Villa]

Gabby being club captain is recognition for length of time at the club and his loyalty. He's a good person who does a lot of work with Acorns. It's more an ambassadorial role. It's a good decision by the club to do this.

[pauliewalnuts]

I think Clark maybe deserved a good shot but I suppose he has a good attitude and is experienced. 

Good luck to him and hopefully he does us proud as a commanding CB and leader.

Edit:  Does Gabby being club captain suggest that Sherwood doesn't expect him to be a regular starter, or just that he sees him as good in the dressing room but not the best leader on the pitch?

I've never understood 'club captain'. What's the point, is it just to appease someone who isn't going to be playing a lot as Ryu asked?

Nor me.

I imagine it is like being Bert Cooper in Mad Men.

Captain Emeritus.

I am of course devoting the rest of the day to imagining the characters from Mad Men as players/managers. Alex McLeish would be the secretary who runs over the English ad exec's foot with a lawn mower. Not sure who would be the guy who cut off his nipple and presented it to Peggy.

Curcic.

[pauliewalnuts]

I think that Richards is a good choice; Clark doesn't need the pressure.

Club captain is a role that in essence is like the father of the house in the Commons, an official title for not doing much other than having been around a long time.

I think they also get to be pointer-in-chief.

[Drummond]

I think that Richards is a good choice; Clark doesn't need the pressure.

Club captain is a role that in essence is like the father of the house in the Commons, an official title for not doing much other than having been around a long time.

I think they also get to be pointer-in-chief.

And club representative when the real captain doesn't go.

[Ryu]

Now, this might be the 2 Bulmers that I had at lunch but I'm optimistic about Clark and Richards as a central defence pairing.

For so long we've been a calamity at the back waiting to happen that would instantly undo any good work we'd done at the other end in a game.  I'm not totally sure about Richards as a CB but I at least have hope going in to this season!

[PaulWinch again]

I'm hoping Okore still gets plenty of game time.

[paul_e]

I'm hoping Okore still gets plenty of game time.

I'm happy with him being the 'next off the line' for now but I'd really like to see another that I'm happy with as cover for Clark, I really don't trust Baker, he needs game time but this season we just can't afford to give him it.

[Villa in Denmark]

I'm hoping Okore still gets plenty of game time.

I'm happy with him being the 'next off the line' for now but I'd really like to see another that I'm happy with as cover for Clark, I really don't trust Baker, he needs game time but this season we just can't afford to give him it.

Well if you go with the normal left / right orthodoxy, Okore is cover for Richards and Senderos or Baker are covering for Clark.

Where it's really gone tits up for us the last few years is where we've had Clark on the right alongside Baker, or when we've had to field at least one CB who's only half fit.

[Gregorys Boy]

Think I would had gone with either Clark or Guzen as captain.  Richards makes sense, but I can see him being a bit injury prone too, and it sends an odd message to other players to give the armband to a player who has just arrived.

[PaulWinch again]

I think it sends a message of this is a fresh new era, which is fine by me.

[paul_e]

Not Guzan, I can#t stand keepers as the captain, just feels wrong.

I'd have been happy with Either Clark or Richards though so this is fine by me.

[Toronto Villa]

really excellent today. Just everywhere and as they hopefully stay fit and build a relationship with Clark can become a very nice partnership. We need to protect them better from wide areas but they and Richards in particular did really well.

[Risso]

He's built like a brick shite house but is still quick with it.  I wouldn't want to get in the way when he's charging out for a clearance.

[Toronto Villa]

There's a few times he just bullied the forward off the ball with brute strength.