Daily Star journalist Harry Pratt has claimed that Alexis Sanchez should have been promoted to Arsenal captain, and that could well have extended his stay in North London.
The talk about captaincy at the Emirates has come around a few times, with out club opting to have a non-playing captain for a number of years now, from Mikel Arteta to an already injured Per Mertesacker, and the job should be given to a player on the pitch.
Alexis Sanchez has been one of the first names on the teamsheet since joining the club, and would have been a worthy contender for the role, but plenty of the opinion by Pratt is simply wrong…
The journalist claims that Alexis Sanchez is a ‘cut or four above’ the rest of our players, and that he was exactly that against Cologne and West Brom in our recent wins, but anybody who has seen those matches, knows he has not been at top form.
Sanchez has even come under criticism for his displays of late, including the two performances mentioned above, and Pratt either has Sanchez-tinted glasses on or simply didn’t watch the games!
It seems a poor attempt at taking a different slant on a story in order to pull readers in, and a pointless one at that.
Making the Chilean club captain would likely have only moved to embarrass our club further, with contract talks having been on the rocks for two years now, and you simply do not make a wantaway player your club captain.
No star is bigger than the club, and you can’t disgrace yourselves with rash decisions in order to save face. Making Alexis would no doubt have screamed of desperation, and why would you want to burden your best player with further responsibility? Let him play his football!
Is Pratt being a prat? Should Alexis have been made captain? Would that be a ply of desperation?
Pat J
Wow, this season there are so many top goal scorers in the best teams even the 2nd choice and thrid choices. For Manu after Lukaku Martial has a lot of goals and assists. Man city have Sane, Jesus and Sterling behind Aguero. Liverpool will have plenty of goalscorers pitching in. Tottenham are in trouble it seems Kane is scoring almost all of their goals. What abut Arsenal?
Even around Europe the best players have got a great goals to game ratio.
Forgot Morata for Chelea, they seem to be in the same boat as Tottenham inerms of top striker scoring 80-90% of the teams goals.
It’s funny how the “Lukaku and Morata are average” comments have died down here.People used to claim Giroud was better than those two yet hardly will any top team choose Giroud first if all three were free.We’ve had many mediocre players who fans seem to love even though they’re part of the reason why we don’t win anyfhing major.I can see it happening this season but I hope I’m wrong because I’m an Arsenal fan.
Currently Sanchez might not be in his best form, but he is still the one that usually breaks the opponent’s defense with his creativity and skills. Arsenal had several opening goals because he could create unpredictable chances.
He has been criticized lately because of his risky play, but a creative player should do it in his team, without neglecting his defensive duties. Messi, Isco and Iniesta also like to create risky movements and passes, but they always chase the ball back once they lose it.
I don’t think Sanchez would be interested in extending his contract just because of captaincy. I think he does not like the way Arsenal play, he is more into Guardiola’s and Barcelona’s styles.
I don’t know how you allow such article…. not match analysis, no tactical approach to a match, just imagine some stuff and write rubbish
Remember all the captains that left? If being captain equals to trophies (I mean major trophies), then you have your answer
Really……no!
Kane, lukaku, morata these guys are out the blocks quickly come on Laca got some catching up to do 🙂
It what a performance from Chelsea tonight nicking it at the end. Backayoko and kante are a dream in mf, oh for just one of them 🙁
Sanchez captain I don’t know, have we not watched mc, mu and Chelsea this early on? Sanchez wand to be part of that!
I am getting sick, and tired of people having a pop at Sanchez, given what has done for us, and that’s he’s clearly our best player by quite some distance. People seem so eager to jump all over maybe a slightly below par performance from Sanchez, whilst consistently ignoring performances from the likes of Ramsey, Xhaka, Mustafi, Wenger, etc.
Even if Sanchez doesn’t give a 100% this season, who’s really to blame for that? I won’t be happy with Sanchez if he’s not fully committed, but there’s always the chance things can turn sour when you’re stupid enough to keep a player at a club against their will.
Personally, I would have made him captain, and I said that last season. He’s the only leader we have, he’s our only WC player (hopefully Lacazette will also prove to be WC), he’s the only one that doesn’t mind telling people some home truths, he’s the only one with the correct mentality, and only Welbeck, and Monreal can match him for work rate. He’s a perfect captain in my opinion.
Ramsey’s the most vilified player in the team, for taking risks and losing the ball, the same thing people have a go at Alexis for. Alexis almost always makes a positive impact with some of his forward moves even if he’s well below par by his standards. That gets him off the hook and being incapable of similar is why Ramsey stays on the hook.
Third man jw.
Anyone in particular annoying you?
Not me I hope I’m not criticising him he wants to leave to go to a club with ambition for more money good on him who wouldn’t? All I was saying how stupid the article that making him captain would mean he’d stay. Crazy it’s well past this point. No doubt he’ll try his best whilst he’s here but he’s hearts no longer in it for us not surprising really.
He should stop laughing at us on camera though that’s just poor show!
Lacazette miss the other week…….
Not you, no. Haha It’s no one in particular, but it’s almost every day there’s a negative article about Sanchez, yet he deserves the least amount of criticism of anyone currently employed by, or owning Arsenal FC. Ozil also wants to leave, but he gets no where near the amount of criticism that Sanchez gets. At least Sanchez does something on the pitch, unlike Ozil!
Yeah I didn’t understand him laughing with Ospina the other night, didn’t look good. I look at Sanchez this season, and I sometimes get the impression, he’s just not that bothered anymore, and I cannot blame him. It’s like he’s damned if he does, and damned if he doesn’t, as I think he conducted himself very well whilst trying to leave, he’s been our best player for three years, he’s been kept at the club against his will, and yet it’s HE that receives all the criticism!
I agree 100% with ThirdManJW, the trouble is Wenger wouldn’t allow a captain to speak he’s mind, he’s a control freak, just look at Bouldy on the bench, too scared to say a word in case he loses he’s job. I said at the start of the season, give Lex the captain’s armband, he’s got passion and he don’t like losing.
Let’s be honest; Sanchez was heading out the door, following the breakdown of his relationship with Wenger, when Wenger benched him against Liverpool at Anfield.
We went down that road too many times and got burned, a captain jumping ship is a really bad look for any side. One that is offered the same money as he’d get elsewhere, but chooses to go to a rival speaks volumes. Thank goodness we didn’t give him the captaincy, that’s finally one thing Wenger might have given up on.
Morata is the one that defiantly got away. Would have loved him to replace Ozil at ACM. The guy has all the Carzola attributes combined with Hazard and is a goal scorer. Him and Sanchez behind Laca would have been devasting.
Alexis is true professional, he`s only interested in winning trophies and making money. The last thing he would want is a title and responsibility for others.