The Curious case of Arteta and the Arsenal captaincy

Does Arsenal need a new captain by Galen.

Arsenal have had some great captains and great leaders in the past. They didn’t just captain Arsenal but they captained their countries as well. I think of Adams and Viera. In the last couple of years we have changed captains like a pub team. From Gallas to Cesc to RVP to Verminator to Arteta….Our captaincy situation has become a joke. I even hear fans saying that when you are made Arsenal captain it means you will soon be out of the club. LOL!

The Captain is an embodiment of the manager on the pitch. He is a leader of Men . I have read so many opinions about Arteta on this forum. He is a fine player and a classy man. I have also mentioned loads of times that I am not a fan of having a Captain on the bench. If you are captain and leader you should be on the pitch. Imagine Coquelin on the bench next season if Arteta is fit? Like most Arsenal fans I want another DM. But how can we justify keeping Arteta and Flamini at Arsenal if we want another DM? At the moment I don’t see Arteta making the bench if everyone is fit and that is not my idea of what I call a captain.

Sir Alex said a Captain needs to be playing games and he needs to be on the pitch representing his manager. He said one of the reason Evra was made captain was because he was always present. “Rio Ferdinand would have been captain if he hadn’t had all those problems with injuries at the time.”

Before the FA cup final Martin Keown interviewed our players and asked them who is the most vocal leader in training and on the pitch. Almost all of them mentioned Per Mertesaker and Jack Wilshere. Funnily enough Arteta said Jack. I was waiting for one player to mention Arteta but no one did. I guess its just not his style. But I believe going into the new season Arsenal needs a permanent Captain who is going to be fit and who will play games.

Last season we had only 3 players playing more than 30 premier league games. That was Per, Cazorla and Alexis. We need to have a captain that will be first choice pick and that will be consistent on the pitch. I have a thing for a centre-backs as captains, so I will go for one of Per or Bosscielny. If not then I think Rambo will be great choice too.

Who do YOU think should be Arsenal captain for next season? Should we stick with Arteta or change the captaincy. Who in our squad do you think will make a great Arsenal captain? Or should we just let things be as they are?

Galen

Tags Arteta Koscielny Ramsey

31 Comments

  1. Mertsacker is vice captain and a regular starter so makes sense to give him the captaincy

    1. @Fred, yes per deserves it, as. He is already the main armband bearer, then Rambo as Vice. Santi/Jack Vice. II.

      1. Say what you will about him but when it comes to Captaincy Mertsacker is our man, I love the way he layes in to our players if they don’t clap the fans after each game he looks timid but his our anchor his controlling all the time and his always there for the back pass

  2. Right now, what we need is a competely reinforced squad that can seriously compete for the League TitLe……. Finding a captain for the team can wait!

  3. To be fair going into last season Arteta was first choice to start So him being captain was a very good choice. He played in the community shield & champions league qualification then only featured in a handful of games before he was injured. He had been one of the most consistent players over the previous three seasons and he looked pretty sharp going into last season. I think the whole team has improved defensively since Coquelin has come into the team more bodies getting back behind the ball Arteta was the only real disciplined player in midfield at times. I think he’s been massively underrated and he’s an easy target. With the team getting better I don’t think he is an automatic starter anymore and maybe the captains armband should go to someone else next season maybe Cech. But Arteta is a leaded a true professional attends every game sits will Wenger and Bould the guy is genuinely pure class not many other injured players do that. Also he’s been coaching some of the youth teams while his been injured defiantly a player worth keeping around and a quality backup if needed.

    1. @Alan Frank
      Thats a good assesment you have on Arteta. But would Arteta want to play a small part role? I have seen this things happen at many clubs. When you are Captain you want to be on the Pitch. If Arteta stays then why should we buy another Dm then? Those are some of the questions we need to address. Arteta is a top pro. But not even a top Pro will just want to be a dressing room captain who never starts for his club.
      I don’t underate Arteta. I just think he won’t be starter at Arsenal anymore and if we bring Kondogbia for example He will even struggle to make the bench.

      He said it himself that he was dissapointed not to make the bench in the FA cup final after training for 3 weeks.

      1. Maybe so and he’s Definitely still good enough to play week in week out at another club so maybe he will leave. If that was his choice I’d respect it. For me he’s far better than Flamini so for now he’s 2nd choice just Flamini was fully fit Arteta wasn’t for the bench at the FA cup final. See who comes in this summer that will probably have an impact on his decision but whatever he’s still a very good option to have and I think there’s still a role for him to play cup player / substitute back up in case of injuries. I’d rather have him than not.

    2. That’s a good assessment but
      Arteta has athletic limitations. He did the best he could playing a position he is not suited to play. Looking forward, Arteta is a fringe player. Nothing against him but the team has gotten better while he has gotten older.

  4. I’ll go either for Koscielny or Cazorla. Both players will play most games. Per is the natural choice but I suspect he’ll eventually lose his place to Gabriel.

  5. All you People love mediocrity

    I (and only a couple of others here).want to win the PL and CL. But you people are happy with average players like lacazette, Martinez, krychowiak, Schneiderlin, Fekir, etc

    This is How you build a decent team

    SELL
    Wilshere for £35 million
    Ramsey for £35 million
    Oxlade for £30 million
    Podolski/Campbell/Sanogo/Jenkison/Gnabry/Mertsacker for £40 million

    That is £140 million plus £70 million war chest = £210 million

    BUY
    Your precious Cech that you love so much £10 mil
    Hummels £30 mil
    Kondogbia £30 mil
    Gundogan £30 mil
    Reus £45 mil
    Cavani £45 mil
    Ibrahimovic £15 mil
    Youth player £5 mil

    SIMPLES SIMPLES SIMPLES

    This team will NOT win the CL but may be good enough to challenge for PL and the Mickey Mouse trophy that we won last two years

    Next summer we can get more wc players to maybe challenge for CL

    1. im sorry if i dissappoint u men, but i think i can win u on fifa, ur team vs our actual arsenal squad + cech, a dm to back up le coq and maybe a cf…one more thing: cavani is overrated, look at him in uruguay…

  6. I know most people would choose a center back or a midfielder as the captain, but what about Sanchez? He plays almost every game, is one of the first names on the team sheet, motivates the players to try harder and give it there all, made arsenal a much better team (even carrying us through part of the season) and is a world class player! When one of the players is asked about Sanchez, they all say how hard working he is and how its made them work harder and improve… so he has already earn’t everyone’s respect.

    My other choice would be Kos!

    1. Sanchez will make a good captain but here are somethings to consider:
      1.Language verier
      2.Too hot headed
      3.Just arrived
      4.It can affect his concentration/hardwork as he have added responsibility.

      1. Yeah that’s true! Sanchez could be a bit of a risk. I think Wenger will make Mertasacker the captain next season anyway. I was just thinking of another option besides the ones listed above.

        Twig – my grammar isn’t great but i think other people can understand the point i was making…

        1. @arsenal 369
          I think Twig was referring to Alexis not speaking English, rather than your poor grammar skills.

  7. If Cech joins he’d be my choice for captain next season. He’d be an automatic starter experience as a captain & a leader. I think the only other automatic starters if fit are Ozil, Sanchez & Koschelney aren’t true leaders. Other players Cazorla, Ramsey Jack mert aren’t going to start every game.

  8. Burnley, QPR and Hull City all went down with their players to the Sky Bet Championship at the end of last season. And it has been reported that Tottenham Hotspur have secured a defender named, Trippier from Burnley for a low fee. Hasn’t the Boss seen a quality in those 3 downcast clubs to pick? That preamble apart, Was long sidelined Vermaelen not the Arsenal Captain up to the time he was sold to Barcelona? If the Boss did not get a top quality DM to sign or did not want to sign one who should play differently from Coquelin by destroying the opponents attacking buildup from source. A fully recovered Arteta could stake a contrasting DM job alongside Coquelin next season to start in our home game against West Ham. All things being equal, the Starts: Cech/Szczesny. DebuchyRhino’KoscielnyNewLB. NewdmArteta(C)Coquelin. NewrwWilshereOzilSanchez. Giroud/Walcott/Welbeck. But I suspect the Boss will still start Cazorla to pair Coquelin and may also start Ramsey at right wing.

  9. Sorry guys, I am still stuck on Ospina to be sold. I don’t think we need to sell him. We always complain about players not being commited to the club, but what about club commited to the players??? Has he done anything wrong? No. He actually did very well when he played. He is very humble, great lad. So why don’t we send Polish keeper on loan for a season or two, that will humble him, help him to understand that he needs to do his talking on the pitch not anywhere else, plus help him get better. #KeepOspina#

    1. Totally agree, Ospina has to stay and there is still room for improvement.

      How many people would of taken De Gea after his 1st season, and how many would take him now.

      #KeepOspina#

  10. I agree with the sentiments of @dima. Ospina hasn’t done anything wrong. No major goofs that have cost us matches (that I can remember…). If anyone should go on loan it’s Szczesny, purely because he is someone who *can* pull off great saves and good performances, but perhaps needs a humbling and to master the art of consistency in a slightly different environment.

    At 25 Szczesny is still relatively young for a GK and has a big frame, but needs to master application, decision making and concentration; and possibly to improve his confidence under a little less pressure.

    1. Easy to forget/overlook Ospina is only 26 – only a year older than WS but the difference appears bigger, almost man v boy.

  11. Mert is not a bad captain choice except that we need Gabriel to take his starting place next year.

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