Tottenham named Younes Kaboul as captain and Emmanuel Adebayor vice-captain earlier this week.
This has kicked up a bit of a self-deprecating storm among the Tottenham faithful. Yes, Hugo Lloris makes sense if you’re going to stipulate the captaincy with preferences such as playing consistently and being a top performer. Is he captain material? Yes, you can’t help but respect him as a player.
Is a goalkeeper the best choice? That depends on what the expectancy of a modern day captain is meant to be. Lloris will no doubt shout and command and do what he does to defend his goal regardless of the armband. He leads by example but won’t be able to stroll around the centre of the pitch shouting out instructions to outfield players pushing forward. Still, it’s good enough for France.
Kaboul is pretty much the natural choice based on his time at the club. Perhaps not perfect if you dwell too much on his absence from the first team with injuries. I can’t shake the feeling that we’ve gone with someone that has simply been at the club longer rather than someone who might be better suited based on talent. Then again, would you be content with Jan Vertonghen who hasn’t had the opportunity to impress Mauricio Pochettino? Is he more likely to scream and instruct than Kaboul?
Spurs need leaders all over the pitch. We need mentality strong footballers that are reactive to the games twists and turns and look to naturally encourage each other. The captain in this utopia is nothing more than the chosen one that makes sure things tick over. I’m not trying to undervalue the role or Kaboul. The concern is that Michael Dawson was also vocal but he wasn’t the best defender. Is that contradiction hurtful to the armband? What with the neat collection of centre-backs we now have in our squad you would think that by virtue of being made captain he’s guaranteed a starting role. If not, then Adebayor takes over.
Yes. Adebayor is vice-captain. I can only assume that this is based on the player’s influence and character in the dressing room and on the training pitch. He’s popular within the club. Again, we come back to whether a captain needs to be tactically astute, spotting the odd positional headache, calming down players that might be getting into a spot of bother and also firing up players to take the game by the scruff of the neck…and…er…not getting an unnecessary red card.
Some captains have an aura about them, say like Ledley King. Others are physically intimidating and all inspiring, say like Graham Roberts. All that matters is how their team-mates react to their presence.
Both captain and vice-captain seem to be the politically correct choices within the club but both questionable. Kaboul’s form and ability to avoid the treatment table remains a topic of debate. Adebayor seems to inspire his team-mates but can disappear in games if he’s struggling. However, I also question whether Mauricio Pochettino would give armbands to players that genuinely couldn’t deliver what he expects of a captain.
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