Sunderland have had three players take the captain’s armband in just 14 matches in League One.
Sunderland manager Jack Ross made a bold move in giving the captain’s armband to young midfielder George Honeyman back in August.
Despite a good start in the third tier for the Black Cats, the 24-year-old has struggled so far this term and his good performances in the Championship last season seem a distant memory.
The captain’s armband seems to be weighing heavily on the young midfielder’s shoulders this term and a smart move by manager Ross would be to give former skipper Lee Cattermole, who has been excellent this term, the armband.
Honeyman broke on to the Wearside scene last season and, even though his side had a dismal campaign, the academy graduate was one of the few shining lights.
But this season has been a different story, and the pressure of being captain of such a big club is not allowing Honeyman to grow into the excellent footballer he clearly could be.
The smart move would be to reinstate the impressive Cattermole the captaincy for the remainder of this campaign, especially after impressive displays which have also included three goals and several man of the match accolades.
It is clear to see why the 42-year-old Scot thought giving Honeyman the armband was a good idea, with the midfielder born in the area and possessing all of the on-field attributes to be a future captain on Wearside, which he most certainly will be.
But, with this season being one in which the Black Cats will need experienced heads to get them through sticky patches, giving the armband to their born leader and long-term player would be a good option going forward.
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