Wolves manager Cesar Peixoto has indicated that he would not appoint an official club captain this season, instead relying on a leadership group.

Wanderers wrapped up their pre-season with a 3-0 victory over Racing Santander at Molineux on Saturday, with Toti Gomes captaining the team in the first half and Kieran Trippier taking over after the break, despite the fact that the centre-back remained on the pitch.

Naturally, that sparked debate among the fans, as many had anticipated Trippier to be selected captain following his high-profile arrival in the summer.

Cesar Peixoto addresses the Wolves captaincy position.

However, in an interview with the Express & Star, Peixoto revealed why he will not be naming a specific man as captain, preferring to go with a group of players, with Raul Jimenez and Andre also mentioned as potential captains.

“I already have three, but maybe one or two more. I want four or five captains, and then I determine who would wear the armband during the games.

“I put Toti in the first half and Kieran in the second half.” Andre and Raul are both captains. You’ll see what we’re doing, but the most essential aspect is the team; the group spirit is wonderful.”

Since the departures of Conor Coady and Rúben Neves, Wolves have struggled with their captaincy.

Mario Lemina was dismissed of his captaincy after an on-field altercation at West Ham, while Nélson Semedo and Max Kilman left the club as captains.

Cesar Peixoto must keep the senior players satisfied at Wolves.

This is an unusual arrangement, and while every manager will emphasise the necessity of having numerous experienced players as leaders, there are frequently specified responsibilities, such as captain and vice-captain.

When you look at Trippier’s CV and the role he played as Newcastle captain, it looked like a no-brainer to make him captain, and while he is a new acquisition, his pedigree ensures he will immediately command the respect of the dressing room and the fans.

Kieran Trippier’s Career Statistics So Far (Source: Transfermarkt)

Club

Appearances

Manchester City

– Barnsley (on loan).

44

Burnley 185, Tottenham 114.

Atletico Madrid

86

Newcastle United

160

So it’s no surprise that he’ll be a leader at Wolves, but Peixoto must ensure that all of the players mentioned are comfortable with this strategy.

Similarly, he may alienate players who aren’t part of that, like Ladislav Krejčí. The Czech international is his country’s captain, so he should be among that group at Molineux, yet Peixoto may have left him out owing to concerns over his future.

Ultimately, it will be interesting to watch how this plays out, but the most important thing is that Peixoto has a strong dressing room full of big names who are all working together to help Wolves achieve the Premier League.

Wolves fans respond to Cesar Peixoto’s captaincy claim.

As previously said, the captaincy has been an issue for Wolves in recent years, and it’s safe to conclude that these Old Gold supporters were dissatisfied with Peixoto’s refusal to appoint a captain.