THE VIEW FROM THE STANDS
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A DYING ART
What makes a captain in today’s game? Being the best player? Or being the oldest? Maybe it’s the length of time a player has been at a club. Long gone are the days of the galvanising captain who would grab a game by the scruff of the neck or bark orders at his team- mates, a la Roy Keane. Unai Emery once had five captains at Arsenal, which is funny – because if there was one team who has lacked leadership over the last few years, it’s Arsenal. It’s possible that the decline of the captain goes hand in hand with the rise of head coaches in the game, meaning that players are never unsure what to do or where to be, as they’ll be constantly receiving orders from the touchline. Aside from shaking hands with officials and choosing which way to shoot, what does a captain do now? Steven Custons, via email
DYCHE DASTARDLY
If gamesmanship was an art form, then Sean Dyche is Leonardo da Vinci. There aren’t many coaches in world football ( none?) who, at 4- 0 up against Wolves, would instruct his players to hold the ball in the corner to waste time. Dyche’s Burnley are well drilled, disciplined and hated by everyone who steps foot into the hallowed halls of Turf Moor. They always try to make life as hard as possible for the opposition, and Dyche is a master of his craft. Da Vinci had his Mona Lisa, but Dyche... well, he has Ashley Barnes. Ben Holt, via email
N’GOLO FOR GLORY
Luka Modric’s Ballon d’or win of 2018 was seen as a breath of fresh air, breaking the Messi- Ronaldo duopoly. I’d never suggest those two didn’t deserve their domination, but it’s always annoyed me that defensive players don’t get the same credit. Fabio Cannavaro was an outlier in 2006; Matthias Sammer before him.
Wouldn’t it be nice to see a titan like N’golo Kanté rewarded for another incredible year? He’s transformative in any team he plays for, and now a winner of it all. Vote N’golo!
Karl Blackwell, via email