One of the quirkier foibles of football in this country is our obsession with captaincy, a trait that seeps down into the club game from the national infatuation of who wears the armband for England.
While most nations will just toss the armband to the most experienced player, the role in England comes with added gravitas. We need a permanent captain, not a rotating cast of leaders.
The issue isn't quite as micro-analysed at club level, but there is still an expectancy around captains and the history of those who have gone before at Manchester United conditions a focus on the current incumbent. The lineage of Sir Bobby Charlton, Bryan Robson, Steve Bruce and Roy Keane isn't easy to follow.
But generally, managers from overseas don't place as much gravitas in the role and Ralf Rangnick didn't make a big issue of it when considering whether Cristiano Ronaldo should be promoted ahead of Harry Maguire after his chest-beating interview last week.
"Right now, I don't see a reason to do that because Harry has been the captain so far and as long as Harry is playing he will be the captain," said Rangnick.
"And if he's not playing then someone else will have to be the captain. This can change from game to game just depending on who is playing.
"It's not only Cristiano we have. Edinson [Cavani], we have. Harry, we have, quite a few other older players, David de Gea in goal, Victor Lindelof, Bruno [Fernandes].
"We have enough experienced older players who can not only be role models themselves in training, on the pitch and in games, but also in all those conversations that happen in the locker room or when they are together in the hotel for away games or home games, this has to happen.
"In a team, in a united team that happens automatically and I can only invite and challenge and tell all the players, also the older players, to do that on a regular basis because that helps even more so in a team that we have currently."
Rangnick's answers always provide plenty of detail, but that quote can be surmised simply as Maguire will be captain if he plays, someone else will be captain if he doesn't.
But there is probably a need to have a club captain, someone who can provide a link between the dressing room and the manager's office, and as Rangnick points out United aren't short of options.
They probably were in that position when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer made a show of appointing Maguire just six months into his Old Trafford career. If the captaincy was available now the £80million centre back would by no means be a certainty to take that role.
His biggest issue at the moment is that he isn't playing. Maguire has been a substitute in successive Premier League games under Rangnick and while there was an attempt to suggest this was fitness-related on Wednesday, United's manager said on Saturday that the 28-year-old was fit enough to start.
Instead, Fernandes has captained United against Aston Villa and Brentford, wearing the armband ahead of David de Gea and Ronaldo. He looks the obvious vice-captain at the moment.
And interestingly, Maguire didn't take the armband when he came on for the final 19 minutes at Brentford's Community Stadium on Wednesday night. The club captain will often assume on-pitch duties when he comes off the bench but that didn't happen in this case, with Fernandes continuing as skipper.
Maguire's challenge at the moment is to get back in the team. His stock was as high as it's been during the European Championship in the summer, but he's had a disappointing season for United. United didn't manage a clean sheet in either league fixture this week and maybe that will hand him a chance to force his way back in alongside Raphael Varane.
But if Lindelof keeps his place against West Ham tomorrow then a pattern will certainly be emerging. Rangnick's short-term contract gives him a certain freedom to leave £80million defenders on the bench, but if the club captain becomes a permanent backup it could have an effect on his authority.
Whatever his selection decisions over Maguire, Rangnick will be reluctant to enforce a permanent change in captain. He would rather leave that in the hands of whoever takes over this summer, but if he continues to leave Maguire out a significant decision could yet be forced on him.
