Weighing up captaincy as Lewis leads way but Joe has backing
WHAT QUALITIES ARE REQUIRED TO BE SKIPPER?
RYAN Yates beckoning players over to celebrate Lewis Grabban’s goal was a small subplot of Saturday’s 1-0 away win against Preston North End.
A relatively minor act of leadership to boost team unity in a welcome moment of success did not shine out like the bat signal over Gotham (fictional city, not Nottinghamshire village).
However, it did show the young midfielder stepping up as a leader on the pitch.
But what of leaders on the pitch in 2021? So often now grizzled former pros bemoan the lack of leaders.
Be it Terry Butcher’s head bandaged and shirt soaked in his blood during an England game in 1989, or Paul Ince’s head bandaged and shirt soaked in his blood during an England game in 1997, there are seemingly fewer examples of sacrificing for the cause these days.
“When I played for my country the FA wouldn’t officially award us a cap unless we sustained some sort of deep gash and came off the pitch a bloodied hero,” said Ince in 2011.
“We had pride in our blooddrenched shirt. When we played away from home, I remember Bryan best suited to the role, but stripping Robson dislocating body parts for Grabban of the captaincy would his country because blood stains come with a potentially adverse alone weren’t visible on the red away effect. kit. ” “He doesn’t automatically strike
With modern awareness of the me as a captain but I wouldn’t dangers of concussion, it was potenchoose a striker,” Jackson said. tially stupid for both men to play on, “If I were a manager I’d just want a even if Butcher in particular is striker to focus on goals. Joe Worrall remembered to this day for claretwould be my first choice but he’s stained bravery. going to be shouting anyway.
So what of leadership at Notting“There’s one thing giving someham Forest? one an armband but it’s another
Much has been made of Lewis thing taking it off someone and what Grabban being captain, with Joe that says to them. Worrall often touted by fans as the “Unless there is a tangible benefit man who should lead the team out. to having someone else as captain
On this week’s Garibaldi Red podthen it’s quite a negative thing to say cast, BBC Radio Nottingham’s David to someone. Jackson said he felt Worrall would be “Maybe being captain says you’re an important part of our team and it gets something out of Grabban in the dressing room we don’t see.”
As Jackson said, Worrall will be a vocal presence whether he is captain or not. How important is shouting at team-mates anyway?
Is Grabban a bad captain because fans don’t see him as a vocal presence? Last season he led by example goals-wise and since his return from injury this season he has scored two important goals.
Ducking under a header in truly terrible fashion at Stoke City does damage his credentials but does that mean he should be stripped of the role?
Leadership is certainly taking responsibility and stepping up when others are wilting. Grabban has done that with his goals historically, Yates does it by being brave enough to do things that don’t come naturally to his game and Worrall is more of the stereotypical heart on his sleeve (excellent) central defender.
In terms of being vocal in a team, Reds defender Cyrus Christie says there is a time and a place for “home truths” but there is a balance to be struck.
When it comes to the Republic of Ireland right-back himself, he prefers to wield the carrot rather than the stick in the Forest changing room.
“It’s always tough when you come into a dressing room. There’s already big voices here,” he told the Post.
“I like to think I can talk well. I’m not a raver and ranter. “That’s not me. “Some people can shout and talk to the point it takes away from their own performances.
“That’s a fine line you don’t want to cross but sometimes you have to hit people with a home truth.
“You have to encourage people too. There’s different ways of going about it. Some people are ranters and ravers.
“Others are more relaxed. I’m like that. I talk to people in a different manner.
“I like to encourage people. Leadership comes in different forms. It’s not just about talking.
“It’s how you adapt, how you train and how you live your life.”
And what of Yates’ beckoning of team-mates? A big deal or something that could be blown out of all proportion?
“I don’t think the team spirit is as good as last year but there’s not so much of a problem that people don’t want to celebrate when others score,” the Post’s Reds correspondent Sarah Clapson said on this week’s podcast.
“It was perhaps more that people were taking their time to celebrate. It’s hard to see from the camera angle if Yates was just beckoning them to come quickly.
“You do read far too much into it. I don’t think there’s massive divisions in the dressing room.”