Rob Holding has revealed Unai Emery’s unorthodox method for selecting Arsenal’s club captain for the 2019/20 campaign.
The manager has openly asked the players to vote on the decision amongst themselves according to the centre-back, with the squad writing down names on a piece of paper to reflect their captain of choice before Emery makes his decision.
Unai Emery uses unorthodox method for captaincy decision
Arsenal had a pool of five captains last season – Laurent Koscielny, Petr Cech, Aaron Ramsey, Mesut Ozil and Granit Xhaka. So far during this campaign, only Xhaka has worn the armband, with three of the aforementioned players having departed the club during the summer.
However, the midfielder remains unconvincing within the first-team, receiving stern criticism from fans with doubts about what he offers as opposed to the likes of Matteo Guendouzi, who has made a strong impression in the opening games through athleticism and aggression.
Both traits have helped place Arsenal on the front foot in games. Xhaka meanwhile, often appears turgid in possession, slowing down passages of play while impetuous challenges have left the Gunners rueing their own errors.
Speaking about Emery’s methods for captaincy, Holding told Four Four Two: “He likes his five captains. We all did a vote the other week so we’ll see what happens and see who gets named.”
“It was just write names down and then give them to the manager and he will go through them obviously with his input and we’ll see what happens. I have no idea [when an announcement will be made], but there is a lot of leaders in that team who are helping each other out and pushing each other on.”
“Now that we’ve got these five captains that the manager has brought in it’s spreading the leadership group rather than having one person to dictate it. You’re getting more input it’s generating a good environment.”
Arsenal in desperate need of strong leader to cement on-the-field identity
Arsenal have consistently been criticised for a lack of leadership on the field in recent years, with the last season of Arsene Wenger’s reign representative of a team without a true identity and guiding voice on the pitch.
Mesut Ozil was captain for Tuesday’s Carabao Cup win over Nottingham Forest, passing the armband over to Holding after being substituted. The centre-back was quick to praise teammates Xhaka and David Luiz for their influence over the squad, citing their experience as a key trait within the dressing room.
“I love Granit in the changing room. I think he is great. He is really switched on to people being late, people using the phones. He is quick to dishing out the fines,” Holding revealed. “He puts accountability on ourselves, which is important as a leader.”
On David Luiz, Holding praised the way the former-Chelsea defender has come into the side, bringing a strong voice with him. “The way David Luiz has come in and when he is talking in front of the group he speaks really well. He speaks highly of us so he’s a good addition to bring in.”