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Arsenal Have Evolved out of Mikel Arteta’s Captaincy
By Josh Sippie
The captain is supposed to be the man that embodies the club. With that being the case, who could have been a better captain against Zagreb and for past Arsenal than Mikel Arteta? In the current state that Arsenal is in, no one embodies the Arsenal squad more than he. This is the way captaincy has always been at Arsenal. When Thomas Vermaelen was captain, Arsenal was good defensively but thin and susceptible to errors.
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When Robin van Persie was captain, Arsenal was 100% dependent on the Flying Dutchman. That was their ticket to whatever success was found. Thierry Henry’s captaincy was similar to RVPs – attack, attack, attack.
Then there was the Patrick Vieira captaincy which saw Arsenal as one of the most physically imposing teams in the world. So much so that they were often criticized for playing too physical.
With Arteta as captain, Arsenal have become synonymous with injuries, a lack of defensive presence in midfield, and pristine passing. Sounds like Mikel Arteta to me.
What we saw against Dinamo Zagreb was very telling. It was painful, horrifying and will haunt my dreams until our next great upset, but it was also telling. Arsene Wenger put Mikel Arteta in a no-win situation. Next to Cazorla, he was supposed to be the defense. Just like the Arsenal of old, they therefore had no hope of defending the midfield. That is not what Mikel Arteta does. What Arteta does is pass and control the ball. That is also what Arsenal do.
The Gunners controlled the flow of the game, just like their captain and manager would have wanted. But they fell victim to the counter attack.
This is not a bashing of Mikel Arteta. He played the way he has always played in a position that he should not have been playing. Arteta is not cut out to be the captain of an evolving Arsenal. But as long as he is on the pitch as its captain he is going to play his style.
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The point is that Arsenal need a new captain. This is not Arteta’s Arsenal anymore. We saw that against Zagreb. That was Arteta’s Arsenal. That was an Arsenal with a soft core, no real physical presence, but still maintaining possession.
Arsenal need a captain like Laurent Koscielny. Laurent Koscielny would bring a different mentality. A mentality of physical power and aggression. That is what Arsenal need to be. They are caught between eras and Arteta may well be one of the people tying them down to the previous era. At least that much is true when he is on the pitch.
Captaincy may only be a symbolic title to Arsenal, but when you dig deep the Gunners have molded to their captain. It is more than symbolic title and it has come time for Arsenal to get a new field marshal.
Next: 5 Things to watch for in Arsenal's UCL Escapades