Why Koscielny should NOT be the Arsenal captain!

As usual, Arsenal have lost another non-playing captain as Mikel Arteta has hung up his boots and gone into coaching. The current vice-captian Per Mertesacker looks like he is going to be spending a lot more time on the bench now that Wenger has gained more trust in the Brazilian Gabriel Paulista. So who will be captain next season?

Laurent Koscielny has been rumoured to be a shoe-in for the job, but he is certainly not a shouter and organiser at the back. I remember he said in an article last year when asked if he was a leader on the pitch. He replied: “I think I lead by example on the pitch. The boys also know that if I’m not happy, I will go out at training and put big tackles in!

“They know that I am reserved but that I have a temper! Now and again, I speak out. I recall one big talk since 2010. It was two years ago before the FA Cup semi-final against Wigan. I was out injured so I couldn’t play.

“I told the squad what I was thinking. I wanted to mobilise everybody. I had a message to get through. It came from my heart and it went down well… I think! Even now, we joke about it sometimes. It was in English as well.

“There is no point to talk too much, anyway. It has to be at the right time, for the right thing and the right way too. Sometimes, also, you don’t need to talk. Just a look or a gesture is enough. I’m more like that.”

You see? That is hardly going to motivate the team if he looks at them funny is he? And if the squad are still talking about the one time he did speak out and it was two years ago, then it must be a very unusual occurrence. The problem with Arsenal is that Wenger too often goes for “leaders by example” rather than the shouty types like Tony Adams used to be.

I really think that Wenger will only choose Koscielny for his seniority rather than his leadership skills, which is not what we need at all. Perhaps Granit Xhaka will prove to be the one but he surely can’t make him captain until he has played for us for at least a year.

Is there any crrent player that you would pick in front of Koscielny? Cech perhaps…..

Tags Cech Koscielny Xhaka

18 Comments

  1. Um, I think Kos’ should be the captain. My head also says Cech but I like my captains to be a midfielder or defender’. Looking at our midfielders. Wilshere is vocal but not always fit and being just vocal don’t mean you are a leader. Sanchez is another name that comes to mind. He has got that drive but I don’t think He is vocal. I like Coquelin though. He has the desire. Xhaka comes to mind. He has got all the necessarily ingredients to be a captain but he just came to the club.

    Koscieny should be the captain. Xhaka showing the leadership quality’ Sanchez with the drive and never give up attitude, Coquelin with that desire, Cech organising the back and Wilshere standing up when He is down. LOL

    The players can learn from each other and then have a strong character.

  2. I think making Xhaka captain could be an interesting move, and one that certainly has potential to work. A tough tackling central midfielder always sounds like a good option to captain any side, but the main advantage of using Xhaka, is because he is new to the club. It’s a fact that Arsenal have no backbone, a poor mentality that has been instilled into the players from the manager, but because Xhaka is a new to the club, he doesn’t have any affinity with Arsenal, Wenger, the players, and our problems. He is not aware of how easy the players have it, how soft, and complacent we’ve become.

    No doubt, eyebrows would be raised appointing Xhaka as captain, but all Arsenal fans know our club needs a major shake up, and maybe an outsider is the answer. We need a new manager, and owner, which we’re still waiting for, but at least in the meantime, someone like Xhaka might be able to shake things up on the pitch.

    1. Wenger once handed it to a new comer which was hardly deserved back then (William gallas), so I suggest he should do it now again with Xhaka. A born leader. “When I was small my parents use to leave the keys of our house to me even though I have elder brothers”- Xhaka.

    1. Cech this year. Xhaka or Wilshire (if he can stay injury free and in the starting line up) next year.

      Koscielny – love the guy – but he makes too many rash, bone-headed plays to be captain.

  3. Let boscielny keep his focus on bolstering our defense! He doesn’t need the extra pressure now!

  4. Petr chec would be a good candidate for captain he is a leader and someone who’s been there, that knows about winning!

  5. To be perfectly honest no player stands out as captain material so I`m going for a positional selection which means one of the two midfielders. I reckon Santi Cazola (providing he keeps fit) will do the job for the 2016/17 season and see what happens.

  6. Vermaelen Arteta
    and Mertz have all
    been low key captains.
    Top 4 has always been
    achieved so perhaps
    Captaincy is not a major issue.

  7. Surely, if Wenger can’t motivate the players before and during a game. .. What chance has the man with the armband got?
    As I suggested before, we have just signed a captain and since our boys like to joke and mess around during training, it’s only normal that they won’t take one of their team mates seriously (without fear) during a game when he is shouting out orders, as captain. Thats why it is better to give the armband to a new comer, as a psychologic effect, the current bunch will be wary of him, especially if Xhaka is as aggressive as he is made out to be.

    To be honest, I doubt that Wenger really wants a ‘vocally’ aggressive Captain.
    He will probably tell him not to shout! ? ?
    Well… he does tells players not to shoot…. and there you go

  8. OT….check out Kalidou Koulibaly from Napoli….he’s a ridiculous beast….has everytin a centre back needs and is just 24….I know YouTube flatter players but even maradona is a major fan of d guy… says he’s d best cb in d world….him and a world class st should give us d league…..unless Mr Wenger and d players get royally f**ked by d devil

    1. Apparently Koulibaly, Morata and Xhaka were the 3 signings Wenger were referring to and we already secured 1. Nothing against Gabriel but he doesn’t fill me with confidence and I wish we had opted for Virgil Van Dijk instead of letting Southampton get him. Still early days for Gabriel though…

      1. Don’t give up on Gabriel too soon. Have you forgotten Koscielny’s and Ozil’s first seasons at Arsenal?

  9. Jack or Aaron should be the next captains.

    But it’s interesting that Kos’s name is being floated for the captaincy so early in this transfer window. It’s probably two-fold: Wenger is rumored to be looking for another CB this window. Spreading the rumor that Per’s not going to be captain signals Per’s not going to be the everyday CB, which could lessen an incoming CB’s apprehension about getting enough playing time.

    Also, by dangling the captaincy for Koscielny would make it less likely that he’d want to skip town should Barcelona (who just lost Dani Alves and Javier Mascherano to Juve) come calling.

Comments are closed

Top Blog Sponsors