Is Rafa building a team of leaders?

[Philby]

Rafa is forever talking in terms of "mentality" & "character" when he describes players that he has brought on board & it occured to me that the squad is full of players who have either captained Liverpool, their countries or other club sides at one point or another.

 

If you were to add the two current targets of Keane & Barry to the mix there's quite a few there with significant experience.

 

It looks like Benitez is looking to build a team of leaders with 6-8 of the players below likely to figure in the majority of games next year (should the 2 mooted transfers go through)..or it could just be a coincidence.

 

Keane - Spurs & Ireland

Barry - Villa & England

Carragher - Liverpool & England U-21s

Hyppia - Liverpool

Gerrard - Liverpool & England

Kuyt - Feyenoord

Torres - Athletico Madrid

Mascherano - Argentina

Benayoun - Israel

Alonso - Real Sociedad

[John am Rhein]

I hope it's not just a coincidence because it's a very good idea.

 

The 'make the best player captain' syndrome may make that list a bit longer than it would otherwise be, mind.

[Tosh]

Heap Many Chiefs

 

Too Few Injuns

[Caramba]

Rafa is forever talking in terms of "mentality" & "character" when he describes players that he has brought on board & it occured to me that the squad is full of players who have either captained Liverpool, their countries or other club sides at one point or another.

 

If you were to add the two current targets of Keane & Barry to the mix there's quite a few there with significant experience.

 

It looks like Benitez is looking to build a team of leaders with 6-8 of the players below likely to figure in the majority of games next year (should the 2 mooted transfers go through)..or it could just be a coincidence.

 

Keane - Spurs & Ireland

Barry - Villa & England

Carragher - Liverpool & England U-21s

Hyppia - Liverpool

Gerrard - Liverpool & England

Kuyt - Feyenoord

Torres - Athletico Madrid

Mascherano - Argentina

Benayoun - Israel

Alonso - Real Sociedad

 

 

Benitez seems to perfer not only leaders but intelligent players, which is key when adapting to all the different tactical structures he sets up for every game.

[Ronnie Whelan]

I definitely think this is by design rather than coincidence.

 

One of the things that was pretty evident over the last couple of seasons is that if our big players from an attacking point of view are not performing (Steve, Torres, Babel & Kuyt to a lesser extent) then we create very few opportunities and no-one tends to step up to the mark. This is what a captain is expected to do. To drive the team on even if we are not playing particularly well.

 

I made a point in another thread about needing to pick up the points in games where we are not performing and I really believe that if we do that we will be in with a real shout this coming season.

[Woodsyla]

Rafa is forever talking in terms of "mentality" & "character" when he describes players that he has brought on board & it occured to me that the squad is full of players who have either captained Liverpool, their countries or other club sides at one point or another.

 

If you were to add the two current targets of Keane & Barry to the mix there's quite a few there with significant experience.

 

It looks like Benitez is looking to build a team of leaders with 6-8 of the players below likely to figure in the majority of games next year (should the 2 mooted transfers go through)..or it could just be a coincidence.

 

Keane - Spurs & Ireland

Barry - Villa & England

Carragher - Liverpool & England U-21s

Hyppia - Liverpool

Gerrard - Liverpool & England

Kuyt - Feyenoord

Torres - Athletico Madrid

Mascherano - Argentina

Benayoun - Israel

Alonso - Real Sociedad

 

A minor point but hasn't Hyppia captained Finland and didn't Alonso captain Spain when he played in the Euros. If you are including Barry as an England captain then surely the same applies to those two. Agree about needing more leaders on the pitch

[The Hitman]

SiGn PoL pOt

[SkippyjonJones]

This is exactly what I was thinking the other day – I was going to research who had been a captain etc..

 

Also throw into the mix the u23 levels etc and you’ll find a few more captains (Lucas) plus clear leaders – IE Pepe..

 

No doubt that the players required for the system are required to understand what it means to be a captain and leader on the pitch…

 

 

So ignore all transfer rumours where the player involved hasn’t been a captain somewhere

[badtodabone]

im pretty sure benayoun captained macabee Haifa at some time

[Mad Scientist]

Rafa is forever talking in terms of "mentality" & "character" when he describes players that he has brought on board & it occured to me that the squad is full of players who have either captained Liverpool, their countries or other club sides at one point or another.

I said the same thing a couple of days ago in the transfer thread. Blink and you'll miss it .

[Sol]

Keane - Spurs & Ireland

Barry - Villa & England

Carragher - Liverpool & England U-21s

Hyppia - Liverpool & Finland

Gerrard - Liverpool & England

Kuyt - Feyenoord

Torres - Athletico Madrid

Mascherano - Argentina

Benayoun - Israel

Alonso - Real Sociedad & Spain

Lucas - Brazil U20

[Rich Gobey]

Voronin- captain of Kaisers heart

Edited July 18, 2008 by Gobez

[Herbie von Smalls]

Voronin- captain of Kaisers heart

i've got this image of kaizer getting up on his computer desk and proclaiming "oh captain, my captain!" (a la 'dead poets society') when voronin's name crops up on a forum.

[Stevie H]

not just leadership, we're also it seems getting more players with attitude into the side. i'd say that agger, skrtel, dossena, mascherano, carragher, gerrard and torres are probably all right c*nts to play against.

[John am Rhein]

not just leadership, we're also it seems getting more players with attitude into the side. i'd say that agger, skrtel, dossena, mascherano, carragher, gerrard and torres are probably all right c*nts to play against.

 

and being hard to play against is the most important thing in football - really

[Stevie H]

and being hard to play against is the most important thing in football - really

john that reads like an andy townsend quote. i'm surprised at you. i expected you to say something like 'sign more baity c*nts'.

[John am Rhein]

If Andy Townsend agrees with me then I'm wrong

[Florist Cinema Pond Goal]

If Andy Townsend agrees with me then I'm wrong

 

I knew things would go all wrong last season when Townsend was raving about our side, saying we had a great chance of winning the league/Champions League after beating Toulouse 4-0 in August.