When the Red Devils managed a win, by way of penalties, over Rochdale in the Carabao Cup, it was the young Academy graduate Axel Tuanzebe that wore the armband. He assumed the captaincy and bypassed Manchester United veterans like Paul Pogba and Sergio Romero, and deservingly so, according to team manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
The decision by Solskjaer came as a surprise both for Old Trafford fans and the United players. Tuanzebe as skipper "was not met with universal approval," by the Red Devils, Metro said in a report.
Going by the manner that the club had advanced to the fourth round, having to go through penalties before scoring a win, it would seem that the "raised eyebrows" were justified. United struggled to get past the opponent, and Tuanzebe playing the captain seemed not a big factor.
Sure, the 21-year-old captain played the entire stretch of the game, but pessimism remains over the leadership role that normally is entrusted to the more experienced.
However, per the same report from Metro, Solskjaer has full confidence invested on the English defender. The United boss was reportedly impressed with how Tuanzebe fared quite well while on loan with Aston Villa in last season.
Solskjaer is firm on his belief that the youngster knows how to handle responsibility and lead when the call arises. He insisted it's about time to give the young kids a shot at leadership role, which explains why Tuanzebe is steering the Red Devils.
In the games to come, it is highly likely that Tuanzebe will carry out the same role, never mind the disapprovals and criticisms, Solskjaer appeared to indicate.
"Axel is a captain in the making, he's a leader - why not give it to young kids? We know we can give it to Sergio and we can give it to Paul, that's no problem and they've been captains before. But it was Axel today and how does he handle it? He was absolutely fine, he enjoyed it," the United chief was reported by Mirror as saying.
Solskjaer added that Tuanzebe skipping for the team is like saying he is trusted. "It's just a way of telling him that we trust him."
For his part, the Englishman admitted, per the report by Blame Football, that playing captain came as a surprise but clarified: "It is something I have been working on for a long time and the moment finally came."
"Dreams do come true. I had goosebumps as I was walking out," Tuanzebe recalled, adding that he was informed about the role during the game with Rochdale.
