With Michael Dawson out for at least another two weeks, Tim Sherwood has a decision to make over who leads the team in his absence.
As Dawson left the field at Stamford Bridge, he gave the armband to Jan Vertonghen, but would that still be his choice, let alone Sherwood and his fellow coaches, after the fallout and frank words that followed?
I suppose you can play safe and look to keep some status quo in retaining a pecking order, with the likes of Vertonghen, Lloris or Ade, all having leadership experience, whilst I assume there is at least an unwritten code of seniority that dictates who is or at least should be in line for the armband. Question is, does Sherwood use this to simply back the senior man and hope this is an inspirational pick or does he actually be bold and go with someone who will fire things up and also have one eye on the longer term. Perhaps he will antagonise the bitching fans that ridicule his selection of Nabil Bentaleb and make him captain?..
We have seen several players lead out the team in recent times, but is there really one that stands out to replace Dawson in the short, let alone longer term? Picking someone that has divided the dressing room or has already looked at leaving might be clever or cause further disharmony, but does just picking the loudest cheerleader, such as Sandro make the most sense? Being laud and passionate doesn`t guarantee a good captain, though it probably does a good soldier, just as long as he is fighting the same cause. But who are we left with?
Lloris, Vertonghen, Kaboul, Sandro, Ade and no doubt a few others will be suggested, but do any really have what it takes or currently have the passion for the club? Without actually seeing them in the dressing room and amongst the players it is probably a guessing game for fans. We also have to consider who will play tonight, but I do believe that this represents a good opportunity for Sherwood, to either look to inspire and perhaps build bridges or to make another statement of intent to back a player that backs him and is considered a long term player with the club.
It is very difficult to judge players from the stands or TV, which is why I try not to be too judgemental over who does or doesn`t care, however easy the individuals might make it to believe they are unhappy or loving the club. For example do we always believe a player loves the club as much as a fan when he kisses the team badge? Though I actually believe this could be a big decision for Sherwood, I also think he will not take the easy option and will either look at the appointment as an inspiration or a challenge to see if it can make the most minute difference to the teams performance and passion? Good luck with that Tim…
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