It seems like Eddie Howe is set to stick with Jamaal Lascelles as club captain for the upcoming season which has come as a surprise to many fans.
Lascelles doesn’t even look assured of his place in the starting lineup these days with the likes of Dan Burn and Fabian Schar ahead of him in the pecking order, and now with the arrival of Sven Botman, you’d think Lascelles is likely fourth choice centre back. However, that hasn’t stopped Howe from publicly backing Lascelles as club captain.
The Chronicle have quotes from Howe regarding the captaincy; when asked who will lead the team if Lascelles was absent, Howe said “It’s a difficult question to ask, Jamaal is our captain. He led the team really well last season.
“He is a big presence and a very positive influence in the squad. He has been excellent pre-season so Jamaal is our captain.
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No. Time for change
“If he doesn’t play for whatever reason, injuries or whatever, I will pick somebody else. But it’s not the time to talk about it.”
Reading between the lines, it doesn’t seem like a definitive statement just yet, but it is entirely possible that Lascelles can be club captain while someone else, maybe Kieran Trippier, will lead the team on the pitch.
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