Arsenal were once again in the news for a seemingly recurring issue at the club- leadership. It seems Arsenal have struggled to find a suitable captain ever since legendary striker Thierry Henry departed the club in 2007; having had seven subsequent permanent captains. So what happened to all these captains? Well, ex-Spurs player William Gallas simply wasn’t suitable. Three subsequent captains were clearly leaders in the side, but ultimately pushed for moves seeking pastures new. For players like Fabregas and Van Persie this proved to be quite fruitful too. Per Mertesacker and Thomas Vermaelen were aging and never completely mainstays in the side, while Arteta only had a couple of seasons before retiring. Most recently, captains Granit Xhaka and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang have both had the captaincy stripped for disciplinary issues!
When a club awards a player the captaincy, it is an honor. That player drives the squad, pushing them for success. Perhaps this lack of leadership is an explanation of Arsenal’s decline over the last decade? Whatever the case, Arsenal need to appoint a new leader fast, so who is the ideal candidate?
Who Should Be The Next Captain Of Arsenal?