Who Will Fire the Gunners Forward as Arsenal Captain?
Arsenal’s new and potential players are dominating the discussion at the moment, but transfer talk doesn’t make issues facing the club’s existing playing staff any less important. In particular, there’s the club captaincy, soon to be vacant with the departure of Mikel Arteta.
Arteta served in this capacity for two seasons. Despite the injuries that limited his involvement on the field, he was an influential figure behind the scenes and a classy representative of the club in public.
Activity in those spheres will be priorities for Arteta’s successor. As I wrote during the 2014-15 season in “The Passion of Mikel Arteta,” the Arsenal captaincy has evolved during Arsène Wenger’s tenure from favoring firebrands on the field (Tony Adams, Patrick Vieira) to rewarding the first-team’s stars (Thierry Henry, Cesc Fabregas, Robin Van Persie) to focusing on players with professional management qualities (Thomas Vermaelen and Arteta).
It’s likely that Wenger and his associates will be looking for another ambassador who can speak to all the club’s audiences from boardrooms to the terraces. The financial and cultural positions of the club demand that kind of professionalism from its playing spokesman.
We should keep this notion in mind as we evaluate the candidates to succeed Arteta as Arsenal captain. Although a dark horse might arrive, the following players seem the most likely nominees.
Per Mertesacker
Arteta’s chief deputy, Mertesacker was the smiling bailiff of the first team’s kangaroo court, enforcing team rules and collecting fines. The German was also the on-field captain for the majority of Arsenal’s Premier League matches in 2015-16. Arteta and Vermaelen before him served as vice-captains before being elevated to the captaincy, so that pattern would put Mertesacker first in line.
Mertesacker is comfortable in his own skin, skilled with the media, and an instigator of much camaraderie as well as honest talk. Those qualities would make him an effective club captain.
However, his influence on the field waned as the 2015-16 campaign concluded. He ceded his spot in the center of Arsenal’s defense to Gabriel, as Wenger explored the potential of a more aggressive pairing of Gabriel and Laurent Koscielny. Mertesacker will turn 32 in late September, meaning his playing time probably won’t increase, and Wenger may prefer to name a more likely starter as captain.
Laurent Koscielny
As the French national team prepared to kick off the European Championships, reports emerged from France that Koscielny had been tapped to take over the Arsenal captaincy. It’s not a crazy notion: He’s been the team’s most consistent performer in the area of the pitch that seems to grow captains.
Indeed, Koscielny started 33 Premier League matches, second most on the team after Nacho Monreal, and wore the captain’s armband as the season concluded, even when titular vice-captain Santi Cazorla returned for the final match.
The question is whether leadership by example on the field of play is sufficient in this captaincy era. By his own admission, Koscielny is not one to rally his teammates vocally, nor does he seem in his element with the board, the media, and supporters. He’d be a reserved, but perhaps an effective, spokesman.
Petr Cech
Cech warmed quickly to the Arsenal club culture and presented the image of a thoughtful, articulate, and responsible man to supporters and the media. His is the level of professionalism we have come to expect from Arsenal captains.
The Czech keeper is accomplished – having won the Premier League and the Champions League with Chelsea – and commands the respect of his teammates. He developed an easy rapport with Mertesacker, in particular, and visibly supported others during several difficult stretches of games. He was also, despite some shaky moments on long-range shots, one of the team’s top performers overall.
Still, he’s been at the club only a year and plays in a position whose occupants have never served as club captain under Wenger.
Santi Cazorla
The Spanish midfielder was Arteta’s other vice-captain. He led the team in matches early in the season when Arteta and Mertesacker did not play. Cazorla suffered a lengthy injury absence from November until late in the season, and when he returned to the starting XI on the last day, he did not regain the captain’s armband.
Cazorla would be a jovial and unruffled captain, imparting his good humor on teammates and onlookers. He’d certainly be able to charm audiences and set an example of skillful play, but his laid-back demeanor and serviceable English might not contribute to a successful club captaincy.
Aaron Ramsey
Ramsey is an intriguing candidate. He’d be a young captain, like Fabregas in that respect, one who’s not visibly vocal, and one who hasn’t yet made a solid starting position his.
All that said, he possesses the professional qualities that the club has valued in its recent captains. You can see Ramsey being equally comfortable in conversations with board members, the media, teammates, and fans. Perhaps that’s because he doesn’t take many risks in those interactions. Yet he’d represent the club very well.
Jack Wilshere
A Wilshere captaincy would be all about passion. He loves the club and relates to its fans, as his two famous taunts toward Tottenham showed. Wilshere’s also not afraid to make his point to more senior teammates.
Naming Wilshere captain would buck the trend of professional management, though. He’d cause controversy at some point, and that eventuality is probably enough to dissuade the club from making him one of its most visible public figures.
Our choice
As with any group of candidates, these potential Arsenal captains each bring strengths and weaknesses. My own preference, knowing nothing about how the whole team interacts on a daily basis, would be for Cech. He seems to instill confidence in others, represents the club expertly, and brings a distinctive, winning perspective.
Those might be misperceptions, or they might be qualities that Wenger sees in other candidates as well. Whoever the captain, the new dynamics of leadership will be interesting to watch.
What’s your guess for who will be or should be Arsenal’s next captain? Share in the comments below.
