It’s not just about shouting at people.
Gough, Butcher, Ferguson, Greig, etc were leaders because they demanded the very best from themselves for every single game. They wouldn’t tolerate a drop off in their own form. If they had a bad game they would come back stronger in the next game. They rarely (if ever) had a howler in the biggest matches - instead, this was exactly the kind of pressure they thrived on and they could be counted on.
This gave them the moral authority to demand the same from their team-mates. It meant they had their respect and the rest of the team would look to them as an example. It’s simple leadership. Leading from the front, leading by example.
Look at our current captain. How often has he been outstanding in the biggest matches? Cup finals, semis, big Euro matches - he’s either anonymous or guilty of making stupid mistakes. No wonder the rest of the players don’t seem to respond to him. He isn’t a leader, plain and rumple. Whether he is good enough to be in the team at all is another argument.
What is worrying is that we don’t have a single other player who would fit the criteria for being our captain. None of our defenders, perhaps Jack at a push from midfield and none of our strikers. It’s shameful and partially explains our recent dreadful run, since we appear to have no-one who is ready to roll the sleeves up and drive themselves (and the team) on to better things.
