Newcastle United officially entered a new era on Saturday, with Matthias Jaissle taking charge of his first game and Bruno Guimaraes’ £75 million move to Arsenal finally confirmed on the same day.
One of Jaissle’s first decisions offered an intriguing hint about how he could reshape the club’s leadership structure. That said, and while Malick Thiaw was handed the captain’s armband against Valencia on the day of his birthday, the new head coach stopped short of declaring the German center-back Newcastle’s
permanent successor to Guimaraes.
“It was a small birthday gift,” Jaissle said, with Thiaw celebrating his 25th birthday on Saturday. “I still have time to make the final decision, but there is not only one captain; there (will be) a leadership group.”
The decision nevertheless represented a significant show of faith in Thiaw, who established himself as one of Newcastle’s most consistent players last season, appearing in 34 games across all competitions and scoring four goals while being named the Man of the Match on three Premier League outings.
Thiaw was not the only player given an opportunity with the armband on Saturday. Jacob Murphy took over as captain after the center-back was substituted during the second half, suggesting Jaissle intends to assess multiple candidates before making his final decision.
Dan Burn and Fabian Schar could be two obvious contenders, both aged 34, but only Burn projects as a possible starter, and odds are even the England international starts most games on the bench this season.
Chronicle Live, however, reported that Burn remains the “clear choice” to replace Guimaraes permanently, while noting Sven Botman, along with Thiaw, are two other “potential candidates.” Burn, for one, will have his first opportunity to work with Jaissle after rejoining the squad ahead of Wednesday’s friendly against Everton.
The situation could obviously change further depending on Newcastle’s remaining transfer business. Adding someone with experience remains on the agenda, and 31-year-old Marseille captain Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg is among approximately six midfield options being considered.Would you hand the captaincy to Burn, keep Thiaw in the role after Jaissle’s first experiment, or look elsewhere in the squad? Let us know who should lead Newcastle into its new era in the comments below.
