With Hogg suspended it would seem that Eustace is set to return in after injury. However, previously Dyche has been keen to stress that no-one's guaranteed a place in the squad, even the captain. Surely then this should be the same with regards to who is captain? With Marriappa in charge we have played 4 and won 3 keeping clean sheets in 2 of them. Why then should Eustace walk back into the team and regain the armband? I dont think he should, our defence is much more solid with Mapps leading and the whole squad seems more solid and at ease with Marriappa as the captain. What are your thoughts on this?
Eustace is club captain, so he will be captain if he plays. But agree that, given recent results, he is not certain of a place when every one is available.
i agree with you Dan, though i don't think we have much choice. When Mapps last took the armband we had success, and this time has been no different. It seems a shame that he'll inevitably lose it. I do wish Hogg hadn't been suspended!
That may be true, but why should he be captain when the results under him were worse? How do you think Marriappa will feel if he looses out and we then loose the next 3 games??
Just how big a deal is it who wears the armband? Does a player who wears it play differently because of it? I don't think so. I tend to think that Marriapa is playing well because he has struck up an understanding with NN very quickly. As for the view that we have won several games while he has been captain so shouldn't change, sounds more like superstition rather than anything else.
smug i should think! lol... but he'll understand that JE is the captain, so he won't be expecting to keep the armband.
Mariappa has been our player of the season, with or without Nosworthy or armband. He'll continue in the same vein i should think, with or without Nosworthy and armband, though i hope he keeps at least one of those, coz Nosworthy has been great for us.
I think for the motivation of the team it is a big deal. Imagine you get are the head of a team and then a few days later you get told the ex-leader, who hasn't worked for months, is coming back and is taking your job too. I for one would be very de-motivated and slightly let down. To be given the captaincy is a big thing for the young players, so why should JE get it back when he hasnt earned it? Marriappa has earned it with his dedication and his great performances this year and many years before. We have all said how Eustace seems to have lost a bit if pace and is not performing as well as before, so how has he earned it over Mapps?
That is possible of course. I did way it would seem that JE will return. Nothing is certain, but i would rather see anyone than RJII!!!
When Hogg gets back he is going to have to reign himself back in a bit, I am all for combative midfielders but we don't need to lose him every couple of months after getting silly bookings!
Unfortunately we knew he was a bit impulsive...i hope Dyche can get him to ease up the bad tackles but keep up the energy levels and great attacking skills...
i don't see him with a temper...just passion and commitment...he's going to be great for us..if he can control his tackles...
I agree to an extent. The issue is he is making good tackles, but the referees dont like it when you look at the player wrong. He made several good challenges at the weekend and the player went down like he was shot.
If you tackle someone correctly/strongly unfortunately they go down like there is a sniper in the stands
