Yes of course he is.

I'll give him some credit. He's just paid Carra the ultimate compliment.


This post has been edited by Duke Red: Jan 24 2008, 02:58 PM

Mancs will claim that I'm saying this just because I'm a Liverpool fan and who knows? Maybe I am. On the issue of best defender, I personally think that Rio is the most complete defender. I mean he is quick, strong in the air, good at reading play and is comfortable with the ball at his feet. Often, he can help start an attack from the back. My biggest criticism of him though, is his concentration. He is prone to the occasional error. Though not Titus Bramble-esque, just one error can mean the difference between victory and defeat especially when you are playing in a cup final. Bramble is consoled by the fact is he seldom plays in important one off games. The celebrity side of his playing career isn't something I like to see in a professional footballer either. I like to drink and party, but then I'm not a professional footballer am I?

Carra is the least flashy of the 3 and puts the ball out, no fuss. He has high concentration levels (well, you need to if you are playing in the Liverpool defence) and has an extremely high work rate. He's also really good at reading play and makes timely interventions in almost each game he plays for us.

Terry is a commanding presence in defence and marshals his line well. The Chelsea defence is all out of sorts without him. He's good in the air and though he scores goals, I'd prefer to focus on his defensive elements.

Terry is probably a more complete version of Carra with the exception that I think Carra comes out tops (even if it is by a thin margin) in terms of commitment to his club, passion and professionalism off the pitch. Carra is not the most talented by far, but he is someone you know you can count on.

This post has been edited by Duke Red: Jan 29 2008, 03:19 PM

Just to add, I think captain should be selected based on their personal traits and not ability. I've seen some posters that have placed their candidates based on their playing ability; if this were the case, all the best players in the world would be captains which clearly isn't the case.

One thing Carra gives you is consistency. He very seldom has a bad game. Richards will be used predominantly on the right, he has the pace to go steaming up and down the park. I won't mention King and Woodgate in the same breath as Carra. Rio's concentration levels are suspect, but I do rate Terry.

I'm not to be honest. I can't say anything without coming across as being biased so I won't even try. I do believe that captains are best being in midfield, where they can exert their influence on both ends of the pitch. You can often see Gerrard back lunging into challenges on minute and then steaming forward the next. He has a wide range of skills at his disposal. He is a good header of the ball, can pass it from 40 yards (as the song goes), can shoot from range and is a decent finisher and is fierce in the tackle. He is amongst the most complete players in the league at the moment. He also leads by example (count the numerous times he has bailed us out of trouble - Olympiacos, AC Milan, West Ham, amongst the bigger games).

I don't like appointing GK's as captains. It's not a matter of seniority if you ask me. One can assume that just because the goalkeeper is amongst the oldest players on the pitch that the rest of the squad will respect their elder statesman, but it's more about leadership ability and influence if you ask me. Goalkeepers have to command their box well, I'd agree but how can they give instructions to the strikers? A captain is basically the teams manager on the pitch and he has to be playing in a position that allows him to communicate with his whole squad.

Any reason why mate?

Then why is our defensive record equal to the top clubs? You may say want you want of Carra but there is no denying he reads the game really well and he has proven himself against the best forwards in the world.

Personally I would object to your opinion on Gerrard being in a different league from Viera. He leads by example and have time and time again dragged Liverpool back from the brink of defeat (West Ham - FA Cup Final, Qlympiocos - Champions League, AC Milan - Istanbul, etc). In Istanbul he gave an inspired half time talk and after scoring the first goal, he could be seen waving his hands about urging the players and the crowd to pick the pace up.

Probably makes more impact on Liverpool fans but what the hell? Just providing my reason. It's just one example lah of course. I've read his biography but don't want to repeat everything here.

I would not compare him at the moment to Roy Keane simply because Keane's game improved later in his career as did his influence. Gerrard is approaching his late 20's and still has a number of years ahead of him. It would be like comparing him to Emlyn Hughes or Greame Souness at the moment. His story has yet to come to an end.

Again, this is just my opinion, I'm not saying it's right.

My first impression when you mentioned that they weren't in the same league was that Gerrard was not in their class, hence my reply. Viera and Keane clearly do not like one another. The tunnel scene is evident of that. It depends on what qualities you want in a captain I suppose. You have your bad ass types, you have your cool, calm types and so on. Bryan Robson was a good captain but he didn't go around kicking the opposition about. Gerrard was a bit of a prick in his earlier days but has since adopted a more controlled temperament. If you're suggesting that the rivalry between Keane and Viera is in a different class as compared to Gerrard and player X, then I'd agree. I do not however think that Gerrard is any less influential.