Vincent Kompany: Our key to victory

To be a successful team you have to have the right blend of players, a fantastic manager, backroom staff and the right attitude. 
Most would say the manager is responsible for the teams success and rightly so, as they are usually a lightning rod for the criticisms and praises of everyone, but the Captain’s role is equally as important. The Captain is not just there to wear an armband and talk to the ref during games, he’s the leader of his players; barking orders and organising, not to mention motivating and taking responsibility. Tony Adams, Tony Book, Stuart Pearce, and Paolo Maldini are just a very small handful of men who have worn the armband for their respective teams but have had a massive effect on their teams. Vincent Kompany has had the armband for a relatively short amount of time, but you can already see what effect he has on our team.

The Belgian is only twenty-five but is very quickly becoming, as Mancini said, “one of the best defenders in the World,” and proving that by making it into the Premier League Team of the Year. Signed from Hamburg in 2008 mainly to be a defensive midfielder, he eventually went to centre-back where he blossomed. He’s made over one hundred appearances for City, and has been appointed club Captain, but even before he was officially awarded the captaincy it was pretty obvious that he was the rock in the City team, and Carlos Tevez clearly did not have the armband for his leadership skills but merely to keep him happy. Not Kompany, he was probably always the real Captain, whilst Tevez was the official one, Kompany’s discipline and hard work is exceptional, his commitment to the team is unquestionable and as his reputation in World football grows, becoming the best centre-back in the World is inevitable.

John Terry has probably been the golden boy of the Premier League and, until recent scandals and decline in his game, was considered one of the best centre-backs and Captains in the PL, but with Vincent Kompany’s potential and integrity, the only way is up, for him. The PL’s best defenders like Ferdinand and John Terry are over thirty years of age, and most would already say they have made way for Kompany, but it’s not a clear way to the top for him. Chris Samba is a solid defender and a big move for him seems imminent, Gary Cahill has recently joined Chelsea and at twenty-six, looks like a replacement for Terry, but the main contender for the best defender is Thomas Vermaelen, at also twenty-six, for he has similarities, but with a few injuries he’s not found proper form. But none of them seem to have what Vincent has, Vincent is the epitome of natural calmness and composed confidence; you never see negative headlines about him neither in or out of football, his charity work is something he is heavily involved in and he’s highly regarded of the future of Manchester City, the Premier League and the Belgium national side.

It’s a fact that all great teams that have been massively successful have not only had a great manager but a great Captain, and one thing is for sure, Manchester City have, not only an excellent defender, but an excellent Captain, a man of integrity and class, and one prepared to go into battle for his team-mates. He’s possibly one of the best signings of Manchester City’s recent history, and the cornerstone of our success.

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