Reece James has been Stripped off the Captaincy batch and his successor has been named
Chelsea players question captaincy decision of Thiago Silva – walexsports.com
A handful of Chelsea players believe that having Thiago Silva as club captain would be more helpful.
One of the first decisions made by Mauricio Pochettino as head coach was to determine who will wear the armband for the 2023-24 season.
Silva was understandably considered for the post given his expertise and status in the world game, especially while Chelsea was assembling a youthful group.
Instead, Pochettino gave precedence to academy graduates Reece James and Conor Gallagher, who were named captain and third-choice skipper, respectively, with Ben Chilwell serving as James’ deputy.
However, that strategy has not worked out as planned, with Pochettino having to rotate that particular role due to injuries to James and Chilwell.
As a result, Gallagher, who has started every Premier League match except one this season, has been selected captain more times than he could have expected in only his second season in the senior ranks.
In addition, Levi Colwill, another young Englishman from the school, was designated captain in Gallagher’s absence for last week’s 2-1 loss against Manchester United.
According to The Guardian, some first-team players have questioned why Silva has not been given the job.
According to the source, there is a sense that the 39-year-old has been treated unfairly, despite Pochettino’s continued support from the group as a whole.
Pochettino has previously explained his decision, hinting that he wanted a domestic core and players who were more familiar with the club.
Nonetheless, some members of the group believe Silva should have been given the task of leading Chelsea on the pitch this season.
The Brazil international had been an ever-present in the squad until he was moved to the bench for Sunday’s 2-0 Premier League defeat at Everton.
With Silva turning 40 in September, sources suggest he is unlikely to be given a contract extension and could go on a free transfer in the summer.
