RUMOUR: Gunter to Boro

[NewCorkSeth]

Stam made the most of what he had available to him. He stood by Al Habsi even though he was totally unsuitable for the style of football we were trying to play. Sign of a good manager. Once the season ended and the transfer window opened. Stam knew which parts of the team he has to improve on. Gunter will be the most suitable candidate for Captain next season. An important role.

He's already proven he was a poor captain under Adkins. I can't think of a worse candidate in our side now Williams has gone.

I can't see any reason to demote McShane, and if we did I'd give it to Moore, Kermorgant, Berg or McCleary long before I gave it to Gunter.

Complete lol at this.
If we play a back 5, McShane is 4th choice behind Moore, Ilori and Blackett so we'll need a new captain.

And then for you to suggest that McCleary is suitable for captain is completely laughable. Showed his lack of cool headedness against Barnsley last season. Try to switch your brain on next time before you post.

I don't get the argument? Since when does the club captain have to start? It's a more important job than just what's on the pitch no?
Also cool headed captains? Who was Man Utds captain between 1997 and 2005? And who was their captain the year before that?
Since when does a captain need to be cool headed?

[The Informant]

He's already proven he was a poor captain under Adkins. I can't think of a worse candidate in our side now Williams has gone.

I can't see any reason to demote McShane, and if we did I'd give it to Moore, Kermorgant, Berg or McCleary long before I gave it to Gunter.

Complete lol at this.
If we play a back 5, McShane is 4th choice behind Moore, Ilori and Blackett so we'll need a new captain.

And then for you to suggest that McCleary is suitable for captain is completely laughable. Showed his lack of cool headedness against Barnsley last season. Try to switch your brain on next time before you post.

I don't get the argument? Since when does the club captain have to start? It's a more important job than just what's on the pitch no?
Also cool headed captains? Who was Man Utds captain between 1997 and 2005? And who was their captain the year before that?
Since when does a captain need to be cool headed?

Where do you live mate?

[NewCorkSeth]

Complete lol at this.
If we play a back 5, McShane is 4th choice behind Moore, Ilori and Blackett so we'll need a new captain.

And then for you to suggest that McCleary is suitable for captain is completely laughable. Showed his lack of cool headedness against Barnsley last season. Try to switch your brain on next time before you post.

I don't get the argument? Since when does the club captain have to start? It's a more important job than just what's on the pitch no?
Also cool headed captains? Who was Man Utds captain between 1997 and 2005? And who was their captain the year before that?
Since when does a captain need to be cool headed?

Where do you live mate?

In a perpetual state of ambiguity. Or Paris. Pick one.
Any thoughts on my post?

[Hound]

Didn't McShane basically start every time he was fit last year?

He might be your 4th choice, but thats pretty irrelevant if Stam keeps picking him

[muirinho]

He's already proven he was a poor captain under Adkins. I can't think of a worse candidate in our side now Williams has gone.

I can't see any reason to demote McShane, and if we did I'd give it to Moore, Kermorgant, Berg or McCleary long before I gave it to Gunter.

Complete lol at this.
If we play a back 5, McShane is 4th choice behind Moore, Ilori and Blackett so we'll need a new captain.

And then for you to suggest that McCleary is suitable for captain is completely laughable. Showed his lack of cool headedness against Barnsley last season. Try to switch your brain on next time before you post.

Just fyi, you saying McShane is 4th choice based on nothing but your own musings is meaningless. And even if he was, which is daft, it doesn't mean he needs to have the captaincy removed.

Also lol at getting indignant about my 5th choice captain when the alternative suggested as first choice is Gunter. A man whose already failed as captain and had the armband take away from him.

Gunter did pretty well as acting captain for pretty much half of last season. And frankly I'd rate Steve Clarke's judgement about anything as highly as I'd rate some of the nobbers on this board. Having said that, the decision may have had nothing to do with Gunter per se anyway - new managers often change captains when they come in, just to shake things up a bit.

I see no reason to take away the captaincy from McShane - or the effective vice-captaincy from Gunter. Next year will be interesting though. I'd give it to Moore, but if Stam is still with us I wouldn't be surprised to see Gunter get it.

With vdB, Stam, who probably knows him best, preferred Gunter to him when McShane was injured. He wouldn't be a bad shout, but I'd have a long list of other players in front of him. And I have a probably irrational prejudice against forwards being captains. If ever there was a suitable forward, Kermie is it, but just not for me. AFAIR, none of our managers has ever given McCleary the captaincy for even a single game - either because he's inherently unsuitable or because managers generally go for a GK or defender as a captain. I think he's very unlikely.
Obita might have had it for the occasional cup match - so his name might be in the mix.

But based on the players we have now - I think it will continue as we are now for the coming season, and then either Gunter or Moore the following season.

In the last half of the season, pretty much the only criticisms I'd have of Stam was playing Mutch the Norwich game (but at least we found out how awful he was before the playoffs) and playing vdB when he wasn't fully match fit in the PO final, and thereby wasting a sub to replace him. So I'll trust his judgement about the captaincy along with everything else.

[RoyalBlue]

Complete lol at this.
If we play a back 5, McShane is 4th choice behind Moore, Ilori and Blackett so we'll need a new captain.

And then for you to suggest that McCleary is suitable for captain is completely laughable. Showed his lack of cool headedness against Barnsley last season. Try to switch your brain on next time before you post.

Just fyi, you saying McShane is 4th choice based on nothing but your own musings is meaningless. And even if he was, which is daft, it doesn't mean he needs to have the captaincy removed.

Also lol at getting indignant about my 5th choice captain when the alternative suggested as first choice is Gunter. A man whose already failed as captain and had the armband take away from him.

Gunter did pretty well as acting captain for pretty much half of last season. And frankly I'd rate Steve Clarke's judgement about anything as highly as I'd rate some of the nobbers on this board. Having said that, the decision may have had nothing to do with Gunter per se anyway - new managers often change captains when they come in, just to shake things up a bit.

I see no reason to take away the captaincy from McShane - or the effective vice-captaincy from Gunter. Next year will be interesting though. I'd give it to Moore, but if Stam is still with us I wouldn't be surprised to see Gunter get it.

With vdB, Stam, who probably knows him best, preferred Gunter to him when McShane was injured. He wouldn't be a bad shout, but I'd have a long list of other players in front of him. And I have a probably irrational prejudice against forwards being captains. If ever there was a suitable forward, Kermie is it, but just not for me. AFAIR, none of our managers has ever given McCleary the captaincy for even a single game - either because he's inherently unsuitable or because managers generally go for a GK or defender as a captain. I think he's very unlikely.
Obita might have had it for the occasional cup match - so his name might be in the mix.

But based on the players we have now - I think it will continue as we are now for the coming season, and then either Gunter or Moore the following season.

In the last half of the season, pretty much the only criticisms I'd have of Stam was playing Mutch the Norwich game (but at least we found out how awful he was before the playoffs) and playing vdB when he wasn't fully match fit in the PO final, and thereby wasting a sub to replace him. So I'll trust his judgement about the captaincy along with everything else.

I don't think the wasted sub was down to Joey's fitness; far more likely due to the fact he was a second yellow/red card waiting to happen. That, IMO, has always been his biggest downside.

[Hound]

also Obita prob wouldn't have lasted the game either. Otherwise think he would have started in place of Joey.

we were a bit unlucky to be fair with so many of our players being half fit for the play offs - i.e. Obita, Joey, McCleary, Kelly...

[The Informant]

If Gunter went, perhaps we could have made a bid for Dani Alves.

[muirinho]

also Obita prob wouldn't have lasted the game either. Otherwise think he would have started in place of Joey.

we were a bit unlucky to be fair with so many of our players being half fit for the play offs - i.e. Obita, Joey, McCleary, Kelly...

[offtopic] I met a relative of Kelly's a few weeks back - she told me it was a dodgy Nando's that laid him out. [/offtopic]

[tidus_mi2]

also Obita prob wouldn't have lasted the game either. Otherwise think he would have started in place of Joey.

we were a bit unlucky to be fair with so many of our players being half fit for the play offs - i.e. Obita, Joey, McCleary, Kelly...

[offtopic] I met a relative of Kelly's a few weeks back - she told me it was a dodgy Nando's that laid him out. [/offtopic]

Is that the alternate version of a cheeky Nandos?

[Sutekh]

Didn't McShane basically start every time he was fit last year?

He might be your 4th choice, but thats pretty irrelevant if Stam keeps picking him

McShane 4th choice

McShane and Moore are the first two central defenders on the team sheet if they're both available. After them it'd be Ilori then Blackett followed, I presume, by Berg when we're desperate.

Be interesting to see if any of the Academy centre halves start getting close to the first team squad this season or get loaned out at a decent level.

[Snowflake Royal]

Complete lol at this.
If we play a back 5, McShane is 4th choice behind Moore, Ilori and Blackett so we'll need a new captain.

And then for you to suggest that McCleary is suitable for captain is completely laughable. Showed his lack of cool headedness against Barnsley last season. Try to switch your brain on next time before you post.

Just fyi, you saying McShane is 4th choice based on nothing but your own musings is meaningless. And even if he was, which is daft, it doesn't mean he needs to have the captaincy removed.

Also lol at getting indignant about my 5th choice captain when the alternative suggested as first choice is Gunter. A man whose already failed as captain and had the armband take away from him.

Gunter did pretty well as acting captain for pretty much half of last season. And frankly I'd rate Steve Clarke's judgement about anything as highly as I'd rate some of the nobbers on this board. Having said that, the decision may have had nothing to do with Gunter per se anyway - new managers often change captains when they come in, just to shake things up a bit.

I see no reason to take away the captaincy from McShane - or the effective vice-captaincy from Gunter. Next year will be interesting though. I'd give it to Moore, but if Stam is still with us I wouldn't be surprised to see Gunter get it.

With vdB, Stam, who probably knows him best, preferred Gunter to him when McShane was injured. He wouldn't be a bad shout, but I'd have a long list of other players in front of him. And I have a probably irrational prejudice against forwards being captains. If ever there was a suitable forward, Kermie is it, but just not for me. AFAIR, none of our managers has ever given McCleary the captaincy for even a single game - either because he's inherently unsuitable or because managers generally go for a GK or defender as a captain. I think he's very unlikely.
Obita might have had it for the occasional cup match - so his name might be in the mix.

But based on the players we have now - I think it will continue as we are now for the coming season, and then either Gunter or Moore the following season.

In the last half of the season, pretty much the only criticisms I'd have of Stam was playing Mutch the Norwich game (but at least we found out how awful he was before the playoffs) and playing vdB when he wasn't fully match fit in the PO final, and thereby wasting a sub to replace him. So I'll trust his judgement about the captaincy along with everything else.

I think Gunters actually a good vice captain, likeable, loyal committed and popular.

But he doesn't lead by example on the pitch, I've never pegged him as particularly vocal and he's not the sort of player who will take hold of a match and inspire a change. You can't really make someone captain instead of him when the regular captain is out, but that's the odd game and about not undermining him, not his actual suitability for that aspect.

[tidus_mi2]

Didn't McShane basically start every time he was fit last year?

He might be your 4th choice, but thats pretty irrelevant if Stam keeps picking him

McShane 4th choice

McShane and Moore are the first two central defenders on the team sheet if they're both available. After them it'd be Ilori then Blackett followed, I presume, by Berg when we're desperate.

Be interesting to see if any of the Academy centre halves start getting close to the first team squad this season or get loaned out at a decent level.

I'd like to think Dickie will get his chance to prove himself in pre-season, there was a lot of positive noise about him in the middle of last season, they even cut his loan at Cheltenham short to get him amongst the first team.