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Another week of summer gone, another week closer to the start of the 2016/17 season. Anyone else excited? It seems like most of you are. We ran a quick Twitter poll this week, after Johnny's somewhat excited hot take about Cellino got some of you hot and bothered... and the results were impressive. 89% of you think we'll be better than last season, which saw our best finish in three years.
It's a good time to be a #LUFC supporter, according to a whopping 89% of you. Thanks for voting. Can't wait for Aug. pic.twitter.com/NTTxHBH08e
— Through It All LEEDS (@ThruItAllLUFC) July 19, 2016
So that's encouraging, right? On that note, we're going to take a quick roundtable look at the upcoming season and make our arguments for who will be wearing the captain's armband in 2016/17. Only three of us answered this week, so there are plenty more options out there. Let us know if you think we've got it wrong and who you would choose, on social media or in the comments below.
Sitting around the roundtable this week: Jack Dudley from Cambridgeshire, Anthony Linley from Yorkshire, and Johnny Wakefield from Charlotte, North Carolina in the States.
All of us are "all Leeds," and all of us will try to answer the question we present every Wednesday to the best of our ability. It's not a quiz show, but it should give you insight into us as fans and writers alike.
And at the end, in the comments, don't forget to let us know how you'd answer the question of the week.
The Weekly Wednesday Roundtable... begins now.
Who will be wearing the captain's armband for Leeds United in 2016/17?
Jack Dudley: Well, our weekly get-togethers usually have me typing right away, knowing exactly what I'm going to say. This edition, however, has me somewhat stumped.
Instantly, there is not one player that seems to stand out for me and shouts: "Give me the armband!". This question could pose a problem in it's own right - who is our standout leader?
I've always been quite the traditionalist in believing the captain of any side should come from the back - Gary Kelly, anyone? Sol Bamba's drop in form and subsequently from the team last season doesn't fill me with the greatest confidence in his ability to lead, however I really don't see much of an alternative. We still have yet to bring in the full-back or the midfield general we've been crying out for who would be 'Leeds' enough for the role.
Bamba needs to be better this season, and I believe if he and Kyle Bartley can form a new partnership that is consistent and used week-in-week-out, then he could well become the rock in the side that we so badly need. If Charlie Taylor can keep up his brilliant start, and of course if we can actually keep him, then he would undoubtedly be one of the fans choices in the coming years.
The club are offering lots of little hints that they're not done in this market yet, and if a new centre-half were to join the fold, then I would not be surprised or necessarily upset if they were to pick the armband up straight away... watch this space!
Anthony Linley: My 2016/17 Captain is the ghost of Gordon Strachan. It's 25 years this season since we were the last champions and the formula employed then has always stuck with me. My Captain has to be one with years of combat experience in the middle of the park and ability to lift the troops when things aren't going that well on the pitch (all too often in recent times).
He'll be a leader, an individual who gives 100% and 100% of the time. In my mind, we do not yet have that player. Our Captain is yet to arrive. Come on Cellino, splash the cash.
Johnny Wakefield: Yeah, like the other two gents, I can't see a clear leader on this squad just yet. Bamba wore the armband for most of last season, but he was part of that error prone back four I just couldn't get behind. If Bartley plays as well as I hope he will, he could be my choice, but that's a big if at this point.
Up top, Wood is a decent candidate, as the focal point of the offense. And Stuart Dallas, our lone Euro representative this summer, could get the nod. But if I'm going to choose one man to lead this team, a veteran with experience at every level, the rock to build the 2016/17 season on... it's going to be Rob Green in goal.
It's a bit of a stretch for me, I'll admit: I like to have my captain in the midfield. But as Anthony pointed out, we don't really have a leader there yet this season, thanks to Cellino's Bournemouth money grab. Cookie would've been a clear choice, marking a leader for the future and a foundation to build the entire club upon, but that's no longer an option.
Instead, we have a 36 year old in the back, capable of making saves like the ones above, and hopefully with enough left in the tank to lead us to promotion this season. He's experienced, capable of premiership-level performances, and hopefully the man for the captain's job, maybe more by default than not. As of now, he's my captain for the first game of 2016/17, fittingly against his old club, QPR. Who's yours?
So that's all we have for this week's roundtable. A bit shorter than most, but that gives you plenty of chance to respond. Which writer do you agree with? Or will it be someone else on August 7? Vote in the poll and let us know in the comments. Thanks for reading this week, enjoy the last few weeks of summer, and see you again next week. #MOT