Micah Richards - Released

[Drummond]

I'd find it hard to concentrate being surrounded with ineptitude.

[Risso]

For a number if years now we've been calling for someone to be vocal, to show they care and want to win. Our captain does it and everyone wants him to shut up.

All of that's fine, but a captain also needs to be able to help organise the team on the pitch, which Richards is clearly very bad at, and lead by example, when all he seems to do is get involved in nonsensical shoving matches.

[aj2k77]

I haven't really seen Micah be vocal where it counts though, on the pitch.

[claretandbeer]

Why do some of us think that we can sort our defensive woes by moving one of our not-so-good centre-halves into midfield? Are we unique in thinking like so? Clark before has often been suggested, now Richards. I'm struggling to think of examples when this has worked either here or anywhere else. The other way round, midfielder into defence, there's been a few, Southgate being one. I just don't see how his poor positioning and ball-watching would be negated by playing further up the pitch.

Poor positioning and ball watching are serious weaknesses for a centre back.I can't think of a centre back where a coach has remedied those weaknesses.He is,however,a good tackler ,competent passer and outstanding athleticism means that he can go past players and hunt the ball down quickly.These qualities make him more suited to a defensive midfield role.Jack Charlton played Lawrenson and then McGrath in midfield in a successful Ireland team.SGT did the same initially with McGrath.Wrong but they performed.

[Villa in Denmark]

I'd find it hard to concentrate being surrounded with ineptitude.

I'd find it improper to be a bit of a gobshite when I was part of that ineptitude.

[ChicagoLion]

The reason his career stalled was because he was impetuous, when playing for Citeh he could have a good game then foul someone needlessly and give away free kicks.
He possibly could play centre half if he had someone very good and experienced along side him talking and covering. As the dominant player in that position he is obviously not up to it yet.
It has been an experiment that has gone badly wrong, alongside keeping Guzan in goal.

[Villa in Denmark]

Moving Micah around all over the shop, or effectively moving him into midfield to keep him out of trouble is a bad idea. We need to decide on his long term position. If that is still CH, he's got to really be worked on. That means giving him a decent partner and perhaps hiring a decent defensive coach because clearly whatever we're doing in training is not making a blind bit of difference as our organisation is non-existent. Four headless chickens and a deer caught in headlights between the sticks.

At no point in his carrier has anyone other than Micah Richards viewed him as anything other than a fullback, except in an emergency solution.

That we couldn't even take a risk on Senderos' fitness whilst Okore was recovering from his knee op and play Richards where is most suited to is possibly the 2nd most damaging decision of Sherwood's short reign.

[Edvard Remberg]

Ian Wright iss spot on when he responds to Micah's tweeting..."bottom of the league and you worry about me mentioning you are the captain?  " and a "no wonder why" emoticon

[brontebilly]

That's fine but he does need to do his day job properly.

Exactly.
He's got everything in his arsenal to be a very good central defender, IF he can sort his concentration and awareness out and learn his position.
I don't necessarily think playing Right Back will negate him dropping bollocks by anymeans, but perhaps merely give him license to be effective going forward, and also drop bollocks in marginally less dangerous positions at the back.

No matter if he playings central or on the right he's got to improve his awareness and positioning regardless. If he could do that as a fullback he'd be able to do it as a CH I'd imagine. He was only initially moved to fullback in his younger years because of his inexperience and naivety IIRC. I think clearly he wants to be a CH. I just wish he'd learn his trade quicker, or we had someone with experience and legs next to him, who can organise. Lescott has never been an organiser for me. He had Kompany next to him at City, or I think Jagielka at Everton perhaps marshalled things with him too. And Lescott's legs have packed up now anyhow. I'd love to have a Martin Laursen here. He'd get the best out of someone like Richards I think.

Richards has no defensive instincts and is a complete liability when the ball is behind him. It was a dreadful decision to bring him in as captain and play him centre half. He hasn't played the position regularly in years and when he did, next to Richard Dunne at City, he was useless.

As one of the highest earners at the club, we shouldn't be expected to bring in a player to teach him how to play the position.

[CT]

Ian Wright's right. IMO.

[David_Nab]

Ian Wright iss spot on when he responds to Micah's tweeting..."bottom of the league and you worry about me mentioning you are the captain?  " and a "no wonder why" emoticon

He was also right in telling him he had an issue with the comments he could contact Wright in person not make a public song and dance about it on twitter.

Hopefully he is moved to RB for tomorrows game

[olaftab]

I'd find it hard to concentrate being surrounded with ineptitude.

I'd find it improper to be a bit of a gobshite when I was part of that ineptitude.

Well put Sir ...a retort of Wilde magnitude!

[supertom]

That's fine but he does need to do his day job properly.

Exactly.
He's got everything in his arsenal to be a very good central defender, IF he can sort his concentration and awareness out and learn his position.
I don't necessarily think playing Right Back will negate him dropping bollocks by anymeans, but perhaps merely give him license to be effective going forward, and also drop bollocks in marginally less dangerous positions at the back.

No matter if he playings central or on the right he's got to improve his awareness and positioning regardless. If he could do that as a fullback he'd be able to do it as a CH I'd imagine. He was only initially moved to fullback in his younger years because of his inexperience and naivety IIRC. I think clearly he wants to be a CH. I just wish he'd learn his trade quicker, or we had someone with experience and legs next to him, who can organise. Lescott has never been an organiser for me. He had Kompany next to him at City, or I think Jagielka at Everton perhaps marshalled things with him too. And Lescott's legs have packed up now anyhow. I'd love to have a Martin Laursen here. He'd get the best out of someone like Richards I think.

Richards has no defensive instincts and is a complete liability when the ball is behind him. It was a dreadful decision to bring him in as captain and play him centre half. He hasn't played the position regularly in years and when he did, next to Richard Dunne at City, he was useless.

As one of the highest earners at the club, we shouldn't be expected to bring in a player to teach him how to play the position.

That's true. But to be honest I think he'd be a liability at Right back too. He just has no awareness that a defender should. Even at his best at City he had proper CH's and midfielders who could cover him when he bombed forward.
We don't defend as a team and individually are bloody atrocious. No one will cover his mistakes.

Which is why he needs to be properly coached. Lets face it, he's youngish, and he's effectively done fuck all for about 2-3 years. So he's not really been learning the trade during key years. He's still making the errors players make at 22-23.

I like his passion on the pitch but it's so mis-managed, not just by our managers and coaches but by Richards himself. He's got it all in his locker. Pace, strength and he's good in the air, and comfortable on the deck, but until he engages his brain and someone teaches him his trade properly, he's going to be a liability every half the time which will negate the other half of the time where he looks like the missing piece.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Micah, to paraphrase the Godfather of Soul, Mister James Brown, please, please, please FUCK OFF!

[aj2k77]

Wimp and shit.