WHAT MAKES A GOOD CAPTAIN



Ray Wilkins knows football inside and out. Each week, he shares his
knowledge of the game with www.premierleague.com. Here, he tells us
what qualities the best captains in the game have to set them apart
from their rivals.



It goes without saying that to be successful in the Barclaycard
Premiership a club must possess a talented team and a strong squad.
But it is no coincidence that the teams chasing the game's most
prestigious prizes are also led by men of genuine inspiration.
The value of such captains cannot be underestimated whether they be
a firebrand with a laser tongue and a short fuse such as Roy Keane
at Manchester United or a man of few words but shimmering example
such as Arsenal's Patrick Vieira.
The key is respect. Invariably a skipper commanding such a quality
is the first name on the team sheet precisely because he is the
umbilical cord between the manager and the team.
The skipper is the manager's eyes and ears. He is the closest to the
heartbeat of the team and the inner thoughts of the manager, which
is why it so often appears that a manager and his captain have been
carved from the same mould. They simply have to operate on the same
wavelength.
So the vocal, abrasive style of Keane perfectly mirrors the feisty,
no-nonsense personality of Sir Alex Ferguson while the quieter, lead-
by-example demeanor of Vieira reflects the more cerebral approach of
Arsenal's Arsene Wenger.
One thing, however, is imperative. The captain has to be virtually
irreplaceable. He has to be the main man, sure of his place in the
side, secure in the knowledge that his work-rate, his commitment and
his talent cannot be questioned.
It is certainly the only way a captain whose preferred method is to
dish out carpeting on the pitch on a regular basis can retain his
authority. Footballers are quick to see the chink in any team-mate's
game or any dip in his standard and a captain's words would bounce
back at double speed if he let his own game drop in quality.
It is a delicate, often psychologically fraught, balance. It's good
for a captain to be a hard man, to retain high standards and to
possess an iron will - but he must not rule by fear, a commodity
which can ruin a player's form and confidence with frightening
speed.
Having said that there is much to be said for the vocal approach. I
was captain of Chelsea at just 18 and my style was always extremely
vocal - not dishing out roastings perhaps but trying to encourage
and energise players around me.
I found most players responded much better to an arm around the
shoulder than to a gratuitous hurl of invective. The young players
especially look to the captain to sort out the problems on the
pitch, to iron out the numerous spats and guide them through a match
which might not be going quite to the plan envisaged in the changing
room.
I always worked on the basis of trying to get at least a seven-and-a-
half performance out of every player with the occasional 10 out of
10 thrown in and by continually chivvying and encouraging them that
was possible.
It is much easier to do that from midfield than any other position
on the pitch, which is why so many top skippers seem to occupy that
controlling position.
True, Alan Shearer has done a wonderful job at Newcastle but with
him it is less the art of persuasive communication and more his goal
contribution and phenomenal industry which is at the heart of his
inspiration. Like Vieira he works his socks off.
There is nothing like being in the thick of the action to get the
rounded picture a skipper requires. It comes down to geography. It
is simply impossible with the huge crowds and noise generated at
today's Barclaycard Premiership grounds for a striker to make
himself heard to most of his team.
The same goes for a goalkeeper, though it has to be conceded that
some defenders, such as Arsenal's Tony Adams, were supreme leaders
operating from the heart of defence.
To my mind the art of captaincy is a God-given talent. In terms of
man-management I suppose parts of it can be taught to an extent but
its most important essence comes from within.
It derives from the individual's own personality which, after all,
has been formed by a combination of genes and all manner of
experiences.
In the end it comes down to a very simple equation. Treat people in
the right manner and they will respond in the right manner.
Not rocket science - but then football played at its best truly is a
simple game.






MANAGING A SQUAD
Ray Wilkins knows football inside and out. Each week, he shares his
knowledge of the game with www.premierleague.com.



With games coming thick and fast at this time of year and many
Barclaycard Premiership clubs having more players than ever, there
is a powerful temptation for managers to tinker with their squads.
In my opinion it should be resisted. Football is a simple game and I
feel there is no more successful ploy than a manager picking his
best 11 available players match after match.
I have never agreed with the fear expressed by some that players
will suffer burn-out if they play too often.
In my experience the driving force behind top international players
is pride. They don't want to be sitting on the sidelines with their
feet up, regardless of how taxing the fixture schedule. They want to
be out there, displaying their skills, earning their wages, helping
their clubs to get maximum points, especially at such a crucial time
as Christmas and New Year.
Too much rotation can lead to problems, something which was
illustrated by Chelsea's results over the Christmas period.
For the best of intentions, manager Claudio Ranieri made six changes
against Southampton and seven against Leeds and ended up with one
point out of six.
No doubt Ranieri thought mid-season was the perfect time to give
midfielder Frank Lampard a rest, but the astute Italian has admitted
himself that he succeeded only in disrupting the ebb and flow of
Chelsea's creative department, at the heart of which Lampard has
played such an inspirational role this season.
It was George Best who once said footballers would much rather play
than train and I couldn't agree more. Play, rest, play - it's a
simple combination but I've still to see anyone come up with a more
satisfactory formula for footballing success.
Of course, nowadays the demands made on Barclaycard Premiership
teams involved in Europe at times forces managers to prioritise more
often than they did, but you don't see Arsenal's Arsene Wenger
chopping and changing too much. You don't see Thierry Henry putting
his feet up. Neither does Sir Alex Ferguson disrupt things too
frequently when it is not forced upon him by injuries.
You wouldn't see Sir Bobby Robson leaving out the likes of Alan
Shearer. A settled, stable side fully aware of its strengths and
weaknesses is still the swiftest route to instilling confidence.
Which is not to say that good cannot come out of a manager's desire
to utilise the full range of his squad, whether it be by desire or
by force of injury and suspension.
No better is that illustrated than in the emergence of the two
brightest young stars of the Barclaycard Premiership - Everton's
Wayne Rooney and James Milner of Leeds United.
There is no truer maxim in football than 'If you're good enough,
you're old enough' and there is little doubt both these teenagers
are good enough.
We have been treated to the sight and sound of home grown players
being given their chance in a stirring atmosphere, tingling with
passion and optimism - and rewarding the faith of their managers
with sublime performances, Milner's goal against Chelsea, in
particular, carrying the hallmark of craft and composure.
In many ways the displays of Rooney and Milner have provided the
defining memories of football's festive season ahead of the opening
of the transfer window.
Most clubs are likely to be active to an after January 1, whether in
making improvements amid a relegation battle or providing that final
push for the title challenge ahead, although there are likely to be
more loan deals rather than big-money buys.
However many players are brought in or moved out, the undeniable
fact remains that a team will only perform to its optimum when
populated by its 11 best players.
Invariably in the most successful sides a player has to earn the
right to wear the shirt, rather than be handed an appearance by the
notion that rotation is the route to glory.
It is important for managers to always try and keep their squad of
players happy - but not at the expense of the club.




THE IMPORTANCE OF CONFIDENCE
Ray Wilkins knows football inside and out. Each week, he shares his
knowledge of the game with www.premierleague.com.



Football experts often congratulate a team on their skill and
technique and talk endlessly about commitment and work-rate - and
all are essential to the composition of a successful football team.
But without confidence all of it counts for nothing.
You only have to witness the resurgence of Manchester United this
past month to measure the true worth of a commodity which is so
often taken for granted when it is present and so elusive to regain
once it has disappeared.
With each goal they scored against West Ham on Saturday you could
almost touch the unity and belief in a United side which has
flourished on a wave of six straight victories.
There is nothing like a positive result for sending the feel good
factor coursing through a football team. Wins relieve pressure.
They allow individuals to express the full range of their talents,
to try that ambitious through-ball or that penetrating dribble.
They encourage teams to build a collective will and togetherness.
It is no surprise that the problems Liverpool have been experiencing
recently have coincided with several performances suggesting lack of
confidence.
It is at such times that a good manager really earns his money. Look
at the way United have bounced back after Sir Alex Ferguson gave his
side a verbal roasting following their derby defeat against
Manchester City in the Barclaycard Premiership.
In many ways the Ferguson method is to instill confidence by fear.
His approach leaves big-name players in no doubt when they are not
producing and they know he is capable of leaving them out. Other
managers have a more conciliatory approach.
When I joined Manchester United in 1978 I had a torrid time for the
first six months. I was young. I'd joined a monster club and was
probably consumed with uncertainties about how I fitted in with such
talented players.
But the great Sir Matt Busby, then a father-figure at the club, did
what he did best. After one match in which I had played poorly he
sought me out, put his arm around my shoulders and told me it would
be okay.
He convinced me that Manchester United would never have bought me if
I hadn't been good enough and told me just to relax and play my
natural game.
Simple advice, but coming from a man with the stature of Sir Matt it
made my chest swell with pride. From that moment there was a new
zest to my game, a fresh belief that I was an integral part of
proceedings.
Which is why a manager's role, especially in the modern whirl of the
Barclaycard Premiership, is so crucial and why with substitutions,
for instance, he must sometimes weigh up the worth of the swap
against the negative effect on the withdrawn player.
A good captain, too, can have a huge influence on the field if he
takes the time to constantly reassure individuals who might be going
through a shaky time.
Having said all that there is probably one group who, more than any
other, directly affect the confidence of a player - the fans.
It may be a cliche but it's true that a genuinely supportive stadium
of spectators are as good as a 12th man. On the other hand when the
team loses the trust of a section of fans it often has real
problems.
It's no fluke Southampton have done exceptionally well over the past
18 months with everyone down at the new St Mary's stadium singing
from the same hymn sheet.
A manager, however, cannot allow the supporters to influence his
decisions. If his team tactics were determined by the sway of the
crowd truly he would be lost.
It is pretty easy for the professional to spot when fears and
uncertainties, either caused by personal doubts or fans' reactions,
become demons in a player's mind.
The first touch of the ball is a giveaway. If it springs away from
him like something off a trampette it's pretty obvious that the
player is anxious and lacking that comfort on the ball which comes
with genuine confidence.
The only way to regain that zone in which a player is entirely at
ease physically and mentally is by continuing to work hard,
something Sunderland proved on Sunday when they emerged from their
dip with a performance of great industry against Liverpool which was
crowned with a large slice of luck for their winning goal five
minutes from time.
Hard work and luck - funny how that particular blend often
encourages confidence.