David Ornstein speaks and confirms next Arsenal captain

Respected BBC journalist David Ornstein, who is regarded as an authoritative voice when it comes to Arsenal has confirmed that Granit Xhaka is set to be announced the permanent Arsenal captain.

Taking to Twitter Ornstein said that the players have been consulted, however, there is no clarity on whether this was what the players had voted for or if Emery has made the decision himself.

Ornstein also tweeted that a vice-captain has not yet been confirmed and that it is between Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

If it is confirmed that Xhaka is the players choice then there cannot be any real criticism aimed at Emery, he will have gone with what the players have themselves wanted.

However, if this is the manager’s decision and the vote of the players ignored then he will be storing up problems for himself at a later date.

It has to be said that this decision will not be popular among the fans who have turned against the Swiss international and it does show a bit of a disconnect between the club and the fans on this one specific issue.

Regardless, if Xhaka is confirmed this afternoon then as Arsenal fans we have to support him, there is absolutely no sense in booing him when he next takes to the field.

45 Comments

    1. Only reason why someone can name Xhaka a captain is that have nothing to do with football. Maybe some connection with Albanian mafia or something.
      Crazy choice!
      Even Ramsey would be more reasonable choice… wait! He is not an Arsenal player any more! Cool 🙂

  1. Whilst I don’t like Xhaka as Captain I can see why our players may have chosen him.

    Holding has said its Xhaka who deals with the mundane side of the Captaincy that we as fans tend to forget. It’s Xhaka who makes sure people turn up for training on time, don’t fekk around on their phones, issues fines for those who break rules etc etc.
    As much as I love Auba and Laca they are both jokers and I could see how they may be more complacent on that side of things.

    Nor does it necessarily mean Xhaka will be starting but either way no point moaning anymore, we just have to get on with supporting the team.

    1. We need leaders on the pitch, not backstage. Anyways, as per our previous club captains history, I can accept Xhaka because he will be gone next season and his mentor Unai hopefully will be gone by December. I expect Unai to be fired on Oct 1st if he cannot get a result (I meant a victory) at OT.

      1. And Xhaka does show leadership on the pitch too, he’s the first one to approach the ref, first one in to defend his players in any fracas and calm the situation down, you can see him directing players and the play too (even if he’s not on the ball himself). Everything you want from a Captain.

        What he doesn’t show is the skill level for the league/position he is in…. That doesn’t detract from his leadership qualities imo 🤷‍♂️

        1. Xhaka first to approach the ref because he’s usually the one getting booked!

          The guy can’t tackle, defend, out of position far too often, and getting senseless penalties that hurt the team. So he’s the one that leads on the pitch?
          Why not name Sokratis vice captain as well. No sense in being half-mad, go full madness or not at all.

          1. And let’s not forget that our new captain was scared of Watford…I wonder how he’s feeling going to Old Trafford then?

        2. Am sure a lot of us here won’t agree with you, but you are right. I know Arsenal fans can easily pick on a player and demoralize him.
          If he has been picked, support him.
          Let us help our players to regain confidence.

  2. It’s almost as though Emery has signed his own death warrant by allowing this to happen.Just what is it that Wenger and now Emery see in Chaka that most of us mere mortal supporters do not? So our midfield is now Xhaka + Two. He has been awfull and gets rewarded with the captaincy.Just speechless with this decision

    1. I agree it was a bad choice Death warrant for choice of Captain?
      You’re being a bit dramatic
      Wenger made poor choices for
      Captain too and it neither affected the team or his job

      Kroenke won’t care about that.

      If he signs his death warrant it will be for poor performances

      1. Name me ONE SINGLE GAME this season that Xhaka has played where the team has performed well.Exactly.There isn’t one.Name me one game where a Xhaka stood out as a leader.Agsin.He never has.

    2. Not just Wenger, Emery and Xhaka’s ex-manager, but the Gunners also select him as the captain too. Emery can’t be blamed in this matter, because he must have seen what the Gunners like in Xhaka

      Ashley Cole once said the Invicibles liked Vieira, because they could always depend on Vieira when needed. I believe the Gunners consider Xhaka as a highly dependable too, but we simply don’t see his demeanor off the field

      I find his defending and playmaking methods are ineffective, but his teammates are the ones that play with him regularly. I hope their decision is not made based on emotion, but based on experience and logic

      1. If Xaka is announced by the coach then we have to support him bcos in reality, there is little we can do about it as fans. It would take the players revolt to unseat a captain. Beside,I think Xaka has his qualities may be outside the playing field.
        But to me I will prefer Lacazet as V.Captain bcos of his work ethic.
        There are games where Auba easily go missing. We need a workaholic and motivators as captains. Otherwise, R.Holding would be fine.

    3. Said it before & I’ll say it again “grant hacker” is gonna get Emery the sacker!its almost as if Emery has given a two fingers up to the fans.i know best.how many games have you managed? Remind you of anyone?This will end badly for dick.

  3. The only good thing about it is none of our recent captains last long at the club when they get the armband,
    I would have gave it to holding or chambers …

  4. TERRIBLE choice

    Only Mustafi and Ozil would be worse. But not by much

    Bellerin would have been my choice
    Aubameyang, Torreira, Lacazette would have made better captains

    What worries me the most is whether this also means Xhaka will be a regular starter? Not necessarily but he could be

  5. It’s a good choice. At least he will now be out of Arsenal team sooner than later as the other captains do.

  6. Xhaka as a captain or anybody else is not the team’s problem and won’t be. in the absence of Koscielny last season he was captain in most of the matches. let’s just support the team and stop slaying all this players. I can imagine a support here supporting Mustaf over Luiz and sokratis after bashing him all year. let’s really behind this players and I know the best will come. the only problem I see this season is that we defend too deep and it put too much pressure on our backline. we need a player like Torreira in front of that back 4 to shield them.

  7. a weak manager comfortable with a third rate cautious yes man captain … expect the pair of them to be gone by the end of the season

  8. My feeling is that he is very highly regarded in the dressing room. The players look up to him and he sets a good example for the younger lads. Obviously it’s concerning that his appointment may signal more appearances, but we shouldn’t be annoyed at UE for this; it was a decision made with the players’ full backing. Good lad, good captain, average footballer.

  9. What’s worse than him being named Captain is the fact he’s only just turned 27 ,that’s another 5-6 years left in this team .😢😢😢😢

  10. All we can hope is that Emery judges his captains performances just like anyone else…although that’s unlikely given what we have already seen. Xhaka seems to immune, and it looks like Luiz as well. Those two players alone will easily finish Emery’s Arsenal career, and he’ll only have himself to blame.

  11. Emery can’t pick right team, how do you expect him to pick right captain?

    Laca is our captain on field, he shows that on every single game.That’s a no brainer, nor a pick to make, but a fact, common sense!

  12. Xhaka for captain is not a problem as a matter of fact aside his reckless challenges and stupid decision he makes sometimes that leads to goal, he is the best cm in our team toreria needs to be there as the dm and I know no one will agree matteo needs to leave that team. You don’t see it but he is the one stalling the team….. Slay me all you want

    1. Guendouzi should be first name in that midfield, he’s done more than ceballos, Willock and Torriera this season and u agree with you on Xhaka.. I love the lad, just wish he can cut out errors

  13. Terrible decision by a manager who hasn’t convinced me yet, can someone explain what exactly xhaka brings to the team. A voting poll I saw online, after a count of 1000 voters xhaka 9%, aubameyang 30%, holding 29%. Even wilshere said it should be given to holding my choice exactly.

  14. Congratulations to Xhaka, i know we all write our emotional opinions based on the 90+ minutes we watch on TV. Yes, we will all like Xhaka to play better on the pitch, so also are his other team mates. Only the team and the coaching crew knows what is best for the team because they are directly involved.
    Let us support the team on their decision.

  15. The players made him captain not the coach, their must really be something all these coaches sees in him that we don’t, he’s been made captain/vice captain in all the clubs he’s played for, he was captain at his youth level,he was made assistant captain at Basel in his second season then made captain in his 3rd season, I even read that in the last international matches that Xendan Shaqiri refused to turn up for Switzerland because Xhaka was made captain, but what I don’t seem to understand is what all this experience coaches sees in him that we don’t see, if truly the team vote to make him the captain then they must have also seen something that we supporters don’t see so I think we should just support him.

  16. this is the lazy way out for the rest of the players. i cannott see xhaka bossing any of them about , to be honest.he was probably the only name put forward, the players do not want the responsibility of captaincy, possibly ?.i now hope the old curse of the arsenal captain comes back to haunt xhake, it would be great if a club came in for him, what am i saying , who , on earth, would want to buy this headless worm.

  17. Joke choice. Finding a real leader is something I thought Emery would bring to Arsenal. Instead he has continued the tradition of joke captains we’ve had for almost a decade now. The fact the players picked him just shows that lack of leadership is a true problem at Arsenal.

  18. Xhaka is the best we have.
    Socritis Mustafi and Luiz are useless + be gone in the summer.
    Bellerin is too laid back. Ozil is reluctant.
    Xhaka is the best of a bad lot.
    But Xhaka should not be a starter in big games.
    So why is he captain?
    This is not Emery’s decision. This is a club decision.
    Emery has been left with a garbage squad and if the truth be known wants and needs at least 9 new players especially in defence.
    Emery just goes along with everything.
    Klopp Guadiola Pochettino Mourinho Lampard are huge personalities
    and demand and bully their way to get what they want.
    Why did the club hire Emery if they were not going to back him
    in the transfer market to build a proper team?
    Llunjberg in comparison has standing in the club and will demand the players he wants. He will get top class CB’s and DM’s.
    Emery has been set up to fail the Xhaka appointment proves this.

  19. That players voting stunt was just to dupe us fans into thinking it was the players decision and not emery’s, if it was the votes would’ve been counted in front of the players and announced there and then. I do not accept xhaka as captain and he’ll never be good enough. Giving him the armband will only invite more abuse for him and Emery. I can’t wait to see the both of them gone

  20. My earlier post re’ a “players vote” is gathering pace ;

    “Granit Xhaka will captain Arsenal for the rest of this season after winning a vote held by the squad to determine who should wear the armband, but he has been challenged by Unai Emery to battle negative perceptions about his suitability for the role and his place in the team.”

    More of the press carrying this story.

    If anywhere near true ……… only at The Arsenal.

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