Hargreaves or Mansell...

[Wisconsin_gull]

We have been blessed with two truly inspirational captains in the last 5 years who will be remembered for years to come for their services to TUFC. The first led us out of the BSP wilderness, and the second is taking us to the Promised Land of Div1 (Div3 in old money) on May 5th.

Curious how folks would rank the achievements of both skippers and which one they would pick for their starting XI ?

[exilegull]

Mansell all the way - we played the best football and got our best results in the conference in the first half of the first season when Mansell partnered Hargreaves in midfield. Once he was moved to right back after Xmas we were never the same for the remaining season and a half in the conference - our promotion season ended in euphoria but if you look back to the performances in the season itself they were pretty average all season long.

Now having been restored to midfield in a division higher he is for me the main reason (alongside Olejnik) that we are where we are due to his goals, overall workrate and inspiration he gives to the team. He is Gerrard-esque - obviously not quite with the range of passing - but has the equivalent ability (at a league 2 level) to create things by driving forward with the ball at his feet, arriving late in the box from midfield as well as being all over the pitch to harrass the opposition when we don't have the ball.

I think the important thing is that Manse isn't his most effective as the defensive player of the two central midfielders and needs the freedom to get around the pitch with an anchor behind that Hargreaves and now Lathrope provides and I think we saw the weakness at the start of this season when it was a 2 man midfield with O'Kane.

[Gullscorer]

I'll wait until Mansell writes a book, then make a judgement..

[Alpine Joe]

exilegull

Once he was moved to right back after Xmas we were never the same for the remaining season and a half in the conference - our promotion season ended in euphoria but if you look back to the performances in the season itself they were pretty average all season long.

A very important point exilegull. I remember looking at our line up in stunned disbelief at St.James Park on Boxing day ( it might have been New Years Day, I can't be bothered checking) & seeing that Mansell had been moved to right back. The fact that it wasn't just an emergency measure for a couple of games & that he kept him there for the rest of the Season also caught me by surprise. Hargreaves already elderly legs did their best, but taking Manse's boundless energy away had a significant impact.

This was compounded by Buckle playing the same players for League, F.A Cup & F.A Trophy matches,squad players rarely got a look in. Hargreaves & some others were out on their feet at the end of the season & we ended it with nothing. The Trophy final & play off game at home to Exeter pretty much showing a side with nothing left in the tank. Of course the ultra fit Mansell barely had to break sweat to fulfill his right back duties in comparison to the non stop box to box running he had been used to, & could probably have played another 46 games that season with no problem. But such was the logic of PB.

Little wonder than Hargreaves started of the next season in a central defensive role, the prospect of doing all the midfield running & tackling, as Manse was again stubbornly kept at right back probably didn't appeal.

So I really wouldn't like to place one above the other. Having decided half way through his first season that Buckle was a clown, I looked around to try & work out who was the brains of the operation & thought it may well have been Hargreaves. Later I also gave far more credit to John Milton for finding us some fabulous players even though Buckle would on occasions play them laughably out of position etc. Buckle left to his own devices ?.....we'll you can see what you get when that happens by witnessing the shambles he left for Mark McGee to sort out at Bristol Rovers.

We've been lucky to have such inspirational captains as Hargreaves & Mansell & I hold them both in the highest regard.

[happytorq]

He is Gerrard-esque - obviously not quite with the range of passing -

True, Gerrard's range of passing is incredible - he can sky it to any of rows X, Y, or z

[AustrianAndyGull]

Mansell for me. Gerrard-esque apart from Manse doesn't dive.

[westbaygull]

Mmm, let me think...Greavsie. Next? : ohdammit, still can't do smilies on this flamin' phone