Alex Neil has been given an unwelcome headache in the build up to Norwich City’s borderline ‘must win’ game at home to Swansea, as club captain Russell Martin serves a one-match ban following his dismissal in the final minutes of City’s heart-breaking defeat at the Etihad. A recent online poll gave Wes Hoolahan a marginal lead for the captain’s armband, with Jonny Howson a close second.
This will be a new challenge for the manager, as Martin has started all of City’s 11 league games this season. Experienced midfielder Gary O’Neil has taken the role of ‘cup captain’ when Martin is rested, but he is unlikely to feature in such a big game.
Despite dividing fan opinion over the years, Hoolahan remains a hugely popular figure at Carrow Road. But although he has a very respectable 264 appearances in the famous yellow shirt, I don’t believe he’s suited for the role of captain. The Irishman has a tendency to disappear for large spells and is frequently muscled out of games when against a physically superior opposition. Giving him the extra responsibility of trying to organise the team in-game would only take away from his own performance, and a special player like Wes needs to be fully focussed on providing that moment of magic we so desperately need.
Jonny Howson was also a popular choice for the role. Having captained his boyhood club Leeds at the young age of 23, the Yorkshireman would have no problems adapting to the job. His no-nonsense style and incredible work rate would make him a natural captain, and personally would be my preferred choice. And given his similarities to Alex Neil in his playing days, I imagine Howson will be favourite to wear the armband on Saturday. However, a slow start to the season has led many to question whether he deserves his place in the starting XI.
The only two other popular choices were the physically strong duo of Seb Bassong and Yousouff Mulumbu. Personally, I don’t believe either are right to lead out the Norfolk side against the Swans. Although we will probably never know what caused the sudden breakdown in relations between Bassong and the club during the painful relegation season of 2013/14, it’s clear that the defender’s discipline or commitment is suspicious to say the least. He also shows minimal signs of leadership on the pitch, usually leaving that side of the game to Martin.
Mulumbu managed to rack up an impressive 13% of the vote, which is pretty remarkable when you consider he made his league debut for his new club only last Saturday. His physical and combative qualities in the centre of midfield make him a clear choice to be temporary captain, and I’m sure one day he will, but just a week after your debut is simply too soon to be leading your team in my opinion.
It’s certainly not an easy decision for the Premier League’s youngest manager to make ahead of such a vital game so early on in the campaign. A suspicious choice for captain followed by a disappointing result could lead more fans to start pointing the finger at the manager.
