Ronaldo or De Gea - Who should be Manchester United's new captain?
Manchester United are ready to move into a new dispensation under a coach who has never interacted with English football prior to his appointment.
This could be a good thing for the Red Devils because they have since failed with coaches who have English football experience. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's was the last, despite the Norwegian being more tied to United than David Moyes, Jose Mourinho and Louis van Gaal.
Fans can expect a totally new style of football, the same one which helped Erik ten Hag claim three Eredivisie titles in five years at Ajax Amsterdam. But it all starts with their leadership on the pitch.
Harry Maguire has been their captain for the past two-and-a-half seasons and it has been nothing short of a bust. The 29-year-old is a good defender on his day but has looked clueless when the time comes to lead the team on the pitch.
The change is starting with him and ten Hag has asked the team to appoint their new captain. The two leading names in the mix are the veterans Cristiano Ronaldo - who returned to the club after 13 years away - and David De Gea, the current longest-serving member of the side.
We make a case for both candidates in the following sections.
Cristiano Ronaldo
This is not a piece to extol the Portuguese superstar's qualities as there will be no end to it if we delve into those waters. However, it is important to note that United stand to gain the most from having Ronaldo captain the side in the incoming season.
At the moment, he is the oldest member of the team. At 37 years old and with two decades of experience at the highest level in football, he is also the most qualified to lead the very young and largely inexperienced Manchester United team.
Ronaldo likes to be seen and heard. When he is not paid attention to, he goes and does something spectacular like score a hat-trick or a last-minute goal or even a bicycle kick to get the crowd on their feet. Doing these things as captain also gives him the high of leading a team to glory, something we see often with the Portugal national team where he has served as captain since 2008.
It will also be key in getting him to stay as the media currently has it that he is being offered to several clubs.
David De Gea
The Spaniard has been Manchester United's most consistent performer since Sir Alex Ferguson left the role in 2013.
His performances dropped between 2018/19 and 2020/21 but he has since picked up the pace and is back on top again. He would have claimed the award for Manchester United's player of the year but for Ronaldo, who, of course, outscored everybody on the team.
The 31-year-old loves the club and is also one of its biggest critics. He is not afraid to speak the harsh truth about their performances to the media or to the managers and has arguably the best interaction with fans among the players.
Giving him the armband would help ten Hag in that aspect and it will also be a reward for his service to the club in the past 11 years. The responsibility could also help him get better to reclaim his spot on the Spanish national team, which he lost during his slump.
Both candidates are leading names for a number of reasons which are very key to the hopes of the club. Both will also be great options for the role. But whoever gets the armband will go a long way in making or breaking ten Hag's debut season in Manchester United, so it is not a light decision to be had.
The next few weeks will be interesting to witness.
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