Captains arent immune from being dropped, but it is not a decision taken lightly. He is the coaches decision maker on the pitch. I think Regis will understand the importance of that and its complementaty nature. Regis will have chosen him to be his right arm so to speak.
Captains in the modern game have a different role than even 10 years ago. They are getting closer to a criket captain in some ways. They are the only player allowed to speak to the ref for example. I used to admire captains like Robson or Butcher. Really demonstrable on the pitch, loud and demanding. When I played I captained teams and it was how I was. Then we had the likes of Keane who I didnt like. I always thought he was more bully than captain. It is a fine line. Our squad is so young I think a demanding voice would be counter productive. I think Regis would hate a captain shouting the odds and throwing his arms in the air. It is the opposite to him on the touchline. We are a calm, measured, leadership team. Neil is having to learn this but I believe of all of our squad he is best placed to work well with Regis. Certainly Regis must think so.
I thought ONien was a great captain but always felt we needed a different profile. He will be the perfect club captain. Everything he does to represent us is brilliant. And we know he is 100% supporting Neil as he learns the role. I think in time Neil will grow into a really smart leader on the pitch and off it. I urge some support as he takes this on. In life, as well all take on more responsibility, we need time to adapt. Footballers need the same. We need to demonstrate 100% support for him IMO. There is continuing interest from top end Premier league clubs. They arent going away. I know this for certain. A season as captain makes him more appealing to them. I would hate to think we didnt help him on his journey by being OTT in response to a handful of poorer performances. I hope he is thick skinned, but he cares as much as any fan does about this club, it might way heavy if his community are going overboard.
Would love him to have a solid game tomorrow. Nothing special. Just play his game, dictate the pace of the game and out possession and shape. No daft mistakes in the box. I will be happy with him.