Arsenal need a real leader on the pitch by DN
As always, Arsenal captain’s fall by the wayside and Per Mertesacker looks like he is going to be the next victim of the captains curse, and he is really only the second-in-command. But Gabriel would appear to have finally gained Wenger’s trust and will probably start on Sunday against Leicester.
So who will be captain? Theo Walcott was given he armband against Chelsea, but that was purely honorary and is unlikely to happen again. Laurent Koscielny got the nod last week against Bournemouth, 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 occurence. 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.
This is why I would prefer Petr Cech. What do you think?
Darren