Taking a critical look at the start of this ‘captain-gate’ saga in 2005 with Vieira, it seemed Wenger has a tactic of using the captains band as bait for his most sought after players, who coincidentally double as the team’s most influential player. All the four players, with the exception of Gallas, were sought after for a season or two by other clubs and they were very influential to the club then. It seems Wenger’s tactic of baiting these players with the band is deeply flawed as the players end up leaving anyway.
With the exception of Gallas and Vieira, who was sold against his will as he revealed later of his pain of being sold to Juventus after he rejected the advances of Real Madrid, and the latter stripped off the band before leaving, others have forced through a move one way or the other. I say this because Arsene’s choice of captains has been somewhat controversial since the departure of Vieira.
I have never been in support of forwards being handed the armband as it is an extra responsibility to lead the team, and players in the defensive half of the team have a better view of their team and can control their team better while accessing from the rear. This can greatly affect their primary duty of finding the net as with Henry, who did not succeed very well in combining both, and Van Persie, who was covered on several occasions by the other five captains in his team whenever they played.
I feel Gilberto Silva was an automatic replacement for Vieira as he not only played a similar role and complemented the Frenchman, but he was Brazil’s captain meaning he had experience in the trade already.
After Henry’s departure, Gallas’ appointment was outright shocking as he was not best suited for the role ahead of the then impressive Ivorian and long-serving invincible member Kolo Toure.
Cesc’s appointment that followed raised eyebrows for me as he was not only young at 22, but it was obvious Wenger was looking for ways to keep him at the club at all costs.
The last pick of Robin as captain I also disagree with because Vermalean, who was Belgian captain then, was better placed on the field to lead the team and knows the role.
As it is now, Arsenal has had problems with their skippers since the departure of Vieira and I will be tempted to say the harsh treatment of the Frenchman has been haunting Wenger and the club, as we have had issues with this role since. Maybe Wenger should’ve found a way to appease the Frenchman and then we can hope to find a long-term captain. The gaffer should also attempt to hand out the band based on competence, and he should stop using it as part of the deal to hold on to players. Better yet, we could pray to the football gods if there is any to help resolve this ‘captain-gate’ saga. As it is, Arsenal had better start preparing for life without Robin and the next in line to lead the team is present vice-captain, Vermalean.
With reports suggesting RVP is on Barcelona’s radar, we might be having a 5th episode of the ‘captain-gate’ saga, with the Tommy Verminator starring in it.
In conclusion, it is obvious that it is one underlying factor that all of these players have one thing in common which they claim is a quest for trophies, and the board had better wake up and smell the coffee before Arsenal lose their best players and they turn the club into a mid-table team. Not forgetting the likes of Mathieu Flamini, Samir Nasri and Alexander Hleb who all left due to similar reasons, plus a likely extension or continuation of this saga with Theo Walcott and Alex Song nearing the end of their respective deals that qualifies them for the ‘CAPTAIN-GATE’ SAGA.
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This idea of us being unable to hold onto our captains is nonsense. If I can try to show the other side of where we are:
1. RVP had a great season but is not a talisman. He has always been a great player but played no more than 20 games a season for half of his time at Arsenal. He became our only route to goal but that does not mean he was the only was we could score. Our team has never been as food when we have reverted to a single focal point of attack (Ian Wright, TH14 in his last couple of years).
2. Along those lines, the fact that we will not build our side around him for the next few years seems like absolutely the right decision given that it would be unwise to think that his injury record will improve with age. In fact, absent the drama of his website declaration, if we decided to cash in on him after his only complete season immediately after we had just signed two of the best forwards in Europe, it could be seen as great planning.
3. To compare Cesc’s leaving with Vieira, TH or Gallas is to rewrite history. Vieira and TH were both sold at the time that AW wanted them to go, we got good value for both of them and neither of them reproduced anything close to their Arsenal form after they left. Gallas was a bad captain and a trouble maker, he was not offered a new contract when his old one expired.
4. Unlike last year, we have signed replacements for RVP in June, if he leaves, we clearly need to invest in another attacking option as well as some midfield reinforcements but that would be the case whatever RVP had decided.
i just pray that we can winna da title, we deservation fro it
Arsenal board is d problem of d club. Lead AW to sign big player so dat gunners will not be losing our skipper and our star player anymore.
van pepsi is not a starmeter, man. Henry, laruen, kos, cashley are stars but vanp are not.
All this talk about leaving to win trophies is all bollox. How many goals did Van Persie, Nasri and Fabregas score between them against a relegated Birmingham in last seasons Carling Cup final. If they were as committed to winning trophies as they are to the sound of rustling pound notes then Arsenal would be ruling the premier league right now.
Good riddance to these money grabbing whores. If our our club have to bribe these fuckers to play then I’d rather watch a bunch of youth team and journey men pros giving us 100% trying to win a trophy than these cunts. One good season and some of these fuckers think they are suddenly it and run for the money
Make Arteta or Vermarlen Captain as they’ve shown more commitment in the short time they’ve been at the club than these other fucking mercenaries
Spot on!
u are just joking a round, dont ya? i love vermacrock but he is not a definite starter, I mean, our first choice cb shulda be Kos. Merte had better or equal saison than verma. he shuold bringga his first season without his usual brainfahrts.
Squillaci for captain!
i see wat u didda hear
gud coment HarrowGoona,u have my support all d way but i believe d board ought be questioned 4 all these seasonal saga.
hear, hear
Watever where the hell r the other signings don’t get me wrong I’m grateful for podolski and giroud but we shud of signed mvila maybe lloris shud of signed a right back and a cam like ben arfa or gourcuff
this aint no footie manager, silly boy.
lloris is godda shotstoppa but not an orginaza
myila is black unfortunately. he plays decent footie but theres a race issue maybe.
rb? i mean good value ind a market, who? maybe sebastian schröder from Leverkusen?
ben arfa? u have to be kidda me. he is decent at best just cause he had a good half season doenst mean he is arsenal amterial
gourcuff: yeah he is handsome but thats it. he is a failure, sorry. a magician but inconsistentissimo
Just to add what is going on with gourcuff no one is moving for him hurry up arsenal he is and will always be class apart from injury side
u mean, apart from mental side
we don’t need another diaby in our midfield. let wenger find a good player who can play continuosly so that we win games not players draining the wages but for no service read RVP in earlier years aka mr. “i won’t renew contract”
RVP is one of a few unique players in that he can play as a number 10 or number 9. He started his career as more a number 10 or attacking midfielder. Last year he lead the line but I actually believe he is a better number 10 and would have looked forward to him playing in behind Giroud with either Podolski or the Ox to the left of him and Walcott or Gervinho to the right. I actually believe that if Walcott and RVP were to go I would plump for Jovetic who looks every inch a younger right footed RVP. This lad will score goals and has creativity and technique and is at one of the more demanding leagues already. I would also expect a lot more playing time for the Ox and for Gervinho to up his game. Diaby, if fit, can join our attacking options and maybe some playing time to Afobe and Myaichi. I think the number 9 roles are well covered by Giroud and Podolski, who obviously also gives us a deeper option. After Jovetic buy Javi Martinez and we are good to go. Jovetic and Martinez will likely cost £53m but with £35m or so to come back on RVP and Walcott and money back on Chamakh, Bendtner and Vela we would almost break even. I would possibly even consider keeping Arshavin as experienced back up to Jovetic but play him centrally in behind the number 9 when we play him. Our deeper midfielder options are then Martinez, Song, Wilshere, Arteta, Rosicky, Coquelin and Frimpong. Even minus RVP and Walcott that is still a seriously good squad with a blend of power, technique and creativity, and pace and goals.
u are too optimism matter man. but just the away, i mean every supports shoulda be like u are. to be honestly, we should thankfully, that arsenal is a good club. yes, da board is not very good for us, but a manager is greatness, players are decentists, and we will win some trophy at least somewhere in da future, just wait and pray
And sign jovetic already usmanov over stan any day at least he would inject cash even if gazidis didn’t giv wenger the funds usmanov prob would coyg
stop with this coyg thinggy, its da spurs mode, dont ya know?
jovetica is godda playa, but he is proning for injuries well take it or leave it , cause he will be arsenal player neyt year buzt sorry, fiorentina is not big vlubba anymore, so we should buy him by offloading samak. good business because firoentina get an awesome strikker and we get an fantastic paymaker, who can play cf, st, am,
It’s actually the last sentence that sounds too real. It’s a fact that Arsenal have lost all guys wearing the armband, though I don’t really think they basically wanted too, one man is known in that to let some players go because he feels they have nothing more to offer, that’s the gaffer and Fabregas aside which is a different story, the last 3 have not done well after their departure. Does wenger feel that van Persie won’t do us any favor next season? I believe he would love to keep his talisman for one more season but he won’t push the deal that far to be honest, anyway, I love RvP but again when a player wants to leave, there is no point to keep him abord
u luvva vanp? i mean, afta da statementaion? what da hell is wrongga w/ u?
he is a traitorman, get real, man