Redfearn and Hourihane were both captains, weren't they? And, going back many years, so was Eric Winstanley, not to mention the great Danny Blanchflower, captain of Spurs' fantastic double-winning team.
I reckon him being the only lad in midfield willing to put a foot in impacted his game more than being captain. That midfield last year was limp as f.ck and Connell took the brunt of it.
Form is temporary class is permanent. He’s the most technically gifted player at the club. Whilst I would like him to stay, moving on may be the best for his development.
The best player rarely has the best traits to be captain. There are exceptions, but I'd rather the best player focuses on what they do, not everyone else
Not sure I'd class him as technically gifted. Especially compared to our other midfielders. However, I think he does a fine job when played in a deeper role and he keeps things simple. Happy for him to stay, if that's going to his role. However, I think he's probably easier to replace than Phillips and/or Russell.
I'd prefer him to stay, but honestly I haven't seen anything memorable from him since his Wembley moment. Seems a really nice lad and if he can sort his head out at another club, it might be best for all concerned
This is true and applies across other sports as well. How many times has England's best batsman been promoted to captain only to see his form drop off alarmingly. Relieve him of the captaincy and see his form come back eg. Joe Root
I really like Luca. I’m not going to sit here and pretend his performances have recently been at the standard of what he produced under Duff but I still think he offers us a lot in the team. For a start, he’s the only midfielder that would dare to put a foot in. When he’s got that tenacity and bite in the middle of the park, I love it. I would also like to see if Hourihane can work with him. If he leaves for a championship club, I can accept it but if he goes to a fellow league 1 club, I’d be a bit annoyed. He’s still got plenty of time on his contract so if he does go anywhere, it needs to be for seriously good money.
Connell has been the main stay in a dysfunctional midfield that has got worse over the last 18 months.
If he's done nothing for two seasons which is over half the time he's been here, I would say that's his form.
His form hasn’t really returned after having post viral fatigue , something like that can last a long time , don’t think having the Captaincy was his problem
Durkar Red’s spot on. I think a lot of people have just assumed he’s over the health scare he had because he came back playing after 4 months but it can take years to get over fully. Mark Cavendish is the most famous example of someone who’s had the same condition & he stopped winning races for over 2 years. It’ll just be our luck to sell him for a pretty low fee & then him get back to full health & show his best form soon afterwards.
He was my first name on the teamsheet under Duffman. I still love the lad, he's a general in midfield. On the other hand I do think a move would potentially benefit him. Fresh start might reignite his talents/career. Blow for BFC, but I'd rather Luca go if he's stagnating here
Massive difference captaining a cricket team, you are virtually managing everything whilst in pitch. A captain doesn’t make half as many decisions during a football match
