The Brazil national team hasn’t been going through one of the better parts of their history and there’s been some disappointment in the results and performances in recent years.
Manager Dorival Junior has been expected to change things up for the current international break, and in training there’s been a clue that a few players will be replaced in the starting line up.
Wednesday saw reports from Brazil stating Gerson had been in the training starting team instead of Newcastle United’s Bruno Guimarães, but the latter was expected to keep his place.
He may have even cemented it, with Dorival Junior taking Guimarães to the country’s press conference on Thursday afternoon.
There’s now even talk of the Newcastle United player having a more senior role in the squad than he’s had previously. That is all pleasing the man himself, and when asked if he enjoys leadership he explained it suits him perfectly.
Globo Esporte quote the Magpies midfielder as saying: “Yes, I do, I’m looking for it. I’ve been very active in training, the locker room, meetings, trying to talk, motivate, understand, listen. I’ve always liked it, I was born with it, and I want to develop it in the National Team. I love being here, playing for my country, I want to develop, but for the benefit of the team and not exclusively for Bruno.”
We’ll forgive him for speaking in the third person.
Another part of being a leader, especially of a football as big and emotional as Brazil, is to keep the fans onside. Bruno made sure to send them some praise: “Here at the hotel, it’s been crazy, they’re very happy and excited, it gives us extra energy. It’s time to do something for them. Warm welcome, people crying, saying they love us. It’s great to be back, but we need to respond on the pitch to leave here 100%.”
