Guimaraes, Van Dijk, fire, ice and the art of captaincy
Guimaraes pulls strings and heart-strings. Van Dijk exudes control
Leadership comes in many forms. A study could be made of the contrasting captaincy styles, of fire and ice, heart and head, of Bruno Guimaraes and Virgil van Dijk, during last night’s Newcastle United versus Liverpool epic. Both equally determined, but expressing it in differing ways. With an appreciative nod to the work of Dominik Szoboszlai at right-back and then back in his rightful midfield place for Liverpool, the two best players on the field were the two wearing armbands.
Guimaraes first. He runs on emotion, whipping up the players and the fans, always driving forward. Newcastle fans love him for it. At a time when Alexander Isak wants to leave, Guimaraes embodies loyalty. It’s a particularly sensitive subject for Newcastle supporters, who have so often seen talent disappear south down the years, dating back to “Super Mac”, Malcolm Macdonald, going to Arsenal in 1976 (and Terry McDermott to Liverpool two years before).