POSTED: Saturday July 23rd 2011
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Should Robin Van Perise Take on the Captaincy if (when) Cesc Fábregas Leaves Arsenal?

Arsenal's Arséne Wenger Should Carefully Consider Who Will Succeed Fábregas As Club Captain.

It is becoming increasingly likely that Cesc Fábregas will depart the club for Barcelona in the near future - a rumour which gathers pace all the time as the latest reports confirm that the player will not be in Germany for today's friendly with FC Köln. With the Spaniard's probable departure, Wenger will be forced to appoint a new club captain, but who should the role be given to?

Robin Van Persie is for many reasons the favorite for the skipper's role at Arsenal FC Next season. Firstly, he is Arsenal's most consistent performer. His all round play is superb, and his goals per game ratio in the Premier League over last three years has been outstanding, netting 38 times in 69 appearances along with making 25 assists. If not for his two lengthy injury lay-offs, Van Persie may well have been the top scorer in the division over the last two campaigns. He is also the club's most experienced player having been in the first team since 2004 and has 56 caps for Holland.  Van Persie is also adored by the fans, and gives every indication that he loves the club just as much as they do.

  As the current vice-captain it is widely expected that the Dutchman will take the armband, but perhaps there's something Wenger should think about.

Van Persie's injury record is poor to start with but that won't necessarily put a halt to his appointment.  More relevantly is the issue of having a forward for a captain. Many feel that centre-half or central midfield are the ideal positions for a captain as they can see the whole game well, and are in a position to communicate with team mates more easily than forwards. In Arsenal's case, their successful captains have all played in one of these positions. They were Patrick Vieira, Tony Adams, and Frank McLintock.

Wenger last installed a striker as captain following the departure of Patrick Vieira in 2005. His decision to give the honour to Thierry Henry's saw no success whatsoever and the appointment was regarded by many at the time as a ploy to keep the French player committed to Arsenal amidst speculation about his future. In the end Henry left anyway and Wenger then passed the armband (via William Gallas briefly) to his next best player - Cesc Fábregas. Might this be a pattern to avoid this time around?

Alternatives are few in a team often accused of having a lack of real leaders. Two players though are outstanding candidates; Thomas Vermaelen and Jack Wilshere.

Belgian centre-back Vermaelen has only been at the club for two years and has been injured for one of them. Nevertheless, his impact has been hailed by The Gunner's fans. He certainly gave a good audition for the position recently when he spoke very positively to arsenal.com about the upcoming season. As a central defender, Vermaelen has an understanding of the need to communicate with surrounding players and when of to encourage or criticise his team-mates. He is also a very calm and focused individual who plays well in big games.

Jack Wilshere, although still very young, could be in with a chance of getting made captain, but it is more likely he will succeed the next Arsenal skipper. His sheer devotion and energy, both in and out of possession, show the commitment that he would surely demand of his team as leader. Jack Wilshere has proven himself to be at home communicating with the media (as modern captains must be), which his honest TV interviews and near obsessive use of Twitter demonstrate. Finally, as a Londoner he would share an instant rapport with the fans and hopefully rouse a sense of genuine pride and excitement on matchdays.

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Keywords · arsenal · football · soccer · premier league · england · fabregas · wenger · barcelona · gunners · wilshere · vermaelen · twitter · robin van persie · patrick vieira

Name: J A Kinchin-taylor
Organization: Arsenal Aether
Email:
URL: www.arsenalaether.com

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