New captain? Vermaelen to leave?

[MutleyGooner]

Does it matter who our captain is? He'll be gone next year and we'll have a new one, rinse repeat.

Wenger is a disgrace for using the Arsenal captaincy armband as merely a tool to flatter wantaway players into staying put. Tony Adams and Frank McLintock once wore that armband, Arsene you twat.

Don't forget that "we have eleven leaders out there" 1989, they would all go over the trenches for the club
(but could someone give little theo a bunk up)

Sounds like a job for the tennis clique

[goonerwalker]

Which two retards voted for Song??!!

He's got four votes now!

[Gunnersaurus]

For a laugh he should give it to Frimpong, imagine his programe notes.

[QuartzGooner]

For a laugh he should give it to Frimpong, imagine his programe notes.

I would really look forward to them, be a right laugh.

"Scouse man dem getting battered today blud, trust me.

P.S. New single by Lethal Bizzle out now from http://www.dench.co.uk"

[Gunnersaurus]

[LDB]

I know there was a poll knocking around at the start of the transfer window about who should be the new captain. If i remember correctly Vermaelen dominated the voting but heres the thing: I dont even think Vermaelen should be in the team, at least not at centre half and I'm not into playing players out of position.

Imo Koscielny has to play, our best defender by a mile. So that leaves Mertesacker vs Vermaelen. Now, Mertesacker is going to have some dodgy moments due to our cavalier way of playing but imo he's a calming influence and a lot of the time you don't get to see hollywood defending from him because he has already snuffed out the danger at source. Vermaelen has the attributes to be a very good defender but he needs a proper defensive coach to get him to know when to charge out and go for the ball and when not to. In the first half of that Cologne match he let some German second division player flick the ball past him because he overcommitted to winning the ball when it wasn't there to be won. If that were Djourou we would be foaming at the mouth.

Which leaves the question of the captaincy. Does the captain have to be a first pick? For me he has to be so who else?

Arteta (although with Cazorla in he's not necessarily a first pick either)?
Or why not Koscielny or Mertesacker?

I'm assuming that everyone agrees that RvP should be stripped of it regardless of whether he stays. Feel free to get stuck into that assumption if you disagree

[QuartzGooner]

(I have merged the threads LDB.)

I think that the club should be shrewd, and appoint a Club Captain and a Team Captain.

Perhaps Sagna or Arteta can be Club Captain, a sort of ambassadorial role with an off the pitch emphasis.
Of course, if picked, they will bring level headed qualities to the table and help the team.

Vermaelen as Team Captain, more of an emphasis on the pitch with battling qualities.

The plurality allows for what happens if someone is not in the team.

I would pick Veremalen first choice but,
this is a bit controversial, if Song leaves and we fail to get a replacement I genuinely would consider Vermaelen for a defensive midfield role if needed there.

[donaldo]

Sorry Quartz thats bollox.There should be a captain and vice captain

[Arsenal Till I Die]

Any of Sanga, Verm, Arteta or Kos will do.

[Herd]

None of them are leaders or very bright ,its been the problem since Vierra left !

[supergeorgegraham]

I know there was a poll knocking around at the start of the transfer window about who should be the new captain. If i remember correctly Vermaelen dominated the voting but heres the thing: I dont even think Vermaelen should be in the team, at least not at centre half and I'm not into playing players out of position.

Imo Koscielny has to play, our best defender by a mile. So that leaves Mertesacker vs Vermaelen. Now, Mertesacker is going to have some dodgy moments due to our cavalier way of playing but imo he's a calming influence and a lot of the time you don't get to see hollywood defending from him because he has already snuffed out the danger at source. Vermaelen has the attributes to be a very good defender but he needs a proper defensive coach to get him to know when to charge out and go for the ball and when not to. In the first half of that Cologne match he let some German second division player flick the ball past him because he overcommitted to winning the ball when it wasn't there to be won. If that were Djourou we would be foaming at the mouth.

Which leaves the question of the captaincy. Does the captain have to be a first pick? For me he has to be so who else?

Arteta (although with Cazorla in he's not necessarily a first pick either)?
Or why not Koscielny or Mertesacker?

I'm assuming that everyone agrees that RvP should be stripped of it regardless of whether he stays. Feel free to get stuck into that assumption if you disagree

Mertasacker scares me. I think he will be a massive weak link this season along with Djourou and Santos. These 3 players will cost Arsenal any chance of silverware and leave us in that Champ League 4th spot. Add Richardson to that as well.

[Red Member]

it is a ridiculous situation that with 5 days to go to the start of a new season we still dont know whether our captain and best player is going to stay or not.

because RVP is so important this summer is proving to be even worse than last year.
for all the optimists out there we have played ONE meaningful friendly this summer and lost it 2-0.

[I Hate Hleb]

None of them are leaders or very bright ,its been the problem since Vierra left !

[franksav63]

A total disgrace from Wenger, yet again, to give RVP the captains armband when he came on yesterday... WHY!!!

[Red Member]

A total disgrace from Wenger, yet again, to give RVP the captains armband when he came on yesterday... WHY!!!

because he is the captain of the team?