Arsenal: Who Will Succeed Cesc Fabregas As the Next Captain for the Gunners?
It is rather premature to speculate on who will succeed Cesc Fabregas as the next captain for the Gunners.
Fabregas has been a good captain for Arsenal and he was inspirational in the previous season. However, this season has seen him sidelined for a number of matches due to injuries, and a number of players have led the Gunners in his absence.
Fabregas had been linked with a move to Barcelona in the summer and has publicly admitted his desire to play for the club in the future. It is inevitable that the Gunners will lose their captain within the next couple of seasons, but they have some amazing youngsters like Jack Wilshere and Aaron Ramsey who can take up the mantle of the influential Spaniard.
Arsenal have had numerous captains this season due to the injuries to Fabregas, and it might be any one of these players who could be the captain for the future. Manuel Almunia, Tomas Rosicky, Robin van Persie and Samir Nasri have all been bestowed with the armband this season, while Thomas Vermaelen is also an able candidate for captaincy.
In this slideshow, I will name the players who have the chance to be named the permanent captain of the future.
Thomas Vermaelen: The Defensive Rock
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Thomas Vermaelen was signed by Arsene Wenger last season from Ajax, and was relatively unknown when he made his debut for the Gunners. He has progressed rapidly to emerge as one of the most important players on the team. Wenger has high confidence in his abilities, which is why he let the likes of William Gallas, Mikael Silvestre and Sol Campbell leave on a free transfer.
Vermaelen is the defensive rock of the team and has to command the defence. But as luck would have it, he has been injured for more than three months now, and Arsenal's defence has shipped in easy goals in his absence. His return will give solidity to the team; he is also capable of contributing important goals.
He has captained Ajax in the past and is the current captain of Belgium. He is a huge fan favourite and supporters will back him to lead the Gunners to glory. He was the captain in some of the preseason games, which is a sure indication of his growing stature within the team.
At 24 years of age, he is the sort of mature, young captain who Arsenal require and supporters will hope can lead from the front, like the legendary Tony Adams.
Samir Nasri: The Supreme Dribbler
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Samir Nasri has been an integral part of the team in the last couple of seasons, but has never produced the sort of consistency that he has shown this season. He scored a total of five goals last season, but has already scored nine goals this season. He is surely emerging as one of the best midfielders in the world, if he can maintain his good form.
Nasri is arguably the best dribbler in the team and is good at scoring and creating opportunities for his teammates. He is an intelligent player who can play in a number of positions. Though he has favoured the central attacking midfield role, he has proven himself to be adept on both flanks. Last season, there were not many goals from the wings, but it has dramatically improved this season due to the superb form of Nasri.
Nasri is regarded as the future of the club and, at 23 years of age, he could be the right man to lead Arsenal. However, he has no prior experience captaining the side and could be under pressure if he is named the captain. Wenger chose Fabregas as captain at the age of 23 and the Spaniard has done a good job. So, there is no concrete reason why Nasri could not do a good job as captain.
Robin Van Persie: The Loyalist
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Robin van Persie is the first choice vice-captain in the current Arsenal team, and is one of the most experienced players. His services were desperately missed last season when he sustained a ligament injury on international duty. He has shown great loyalty to the club and rejected offers from Chelsea, Manchester City and Juventus to remain at Arsenal.
He is a very versatile player and can play as a winger, lone centre forward, supporting striker or as an attacking midfielder. His vision and creativity are amazing and he has scored some wonderful goals for the Gunners. According to reports, he is the second-highest paid player, only behind Fabregas, and does deserve his place amongst the most important players on the team.
Unfortunately, he has been affected by a number of injuries in his career at Arsenal and has missed a number of games for the Gunners. Van Persie remains one of the most influential players in the dressing room, but because of his injury concerns, Wenger might be forced to look at alternatives.
Bacary Sagna: Mr. Consistent
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Bacary Sagna is one of the most consistent right backs in the Premier League, and his value to the team is underrated to some extent. He is defensively excellent and has improved the attacking side of his game. Sagna has been with Arsenal for the last couple of seasons and the backline has benefitted from his experience.
Arsenal have many French players on its team and Sagna is a person who shares an excellent camaraderie with his teammates. He has firmly established himself as the first-choice right back for the Gunners and has done a good job this season. He does not have the hype of van Persie or Fabregas, but he is one of the most important players in the squad.
Wenger might go with someone who is consistent and is not burdened by captaincy. Sagna seems to be capable of leading the side and it could help the defensive backline if the captain of the team is a defender. Sagna is a hardworking player and could instill the same mentality in his teammates.
Manuel Almunia: The Calm Shot-Stopper
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Manuel Almunia has captained the side on a number of occasions and retains the faith of Wenger. In the absence of Fabregas and van Persie, Almunia captained the team on several occasions in the last season. He has been with the club for a long time and his loyalty has been rewarded with the post of one of the vice-captains of the team.
Almunia brings with him a lot of experience, and maybe Wenger believes that responsibility will make him play to the best of his potential. However, Almunia has been rather inconsistent for Arsenal and has been responsible for many goals in the past. In this season, after much speculation, Wenger retained the Spaniard as the No. 1 goalkeeper, but his howlers against West Brom and the injury he sustained in that game gave Lukasz Fabianski a chance to impress.
The Polish youngster has done a decent job in the last two months and looks set to retain his place in the starting 11 ahead of Almunia. With the growing reputation of Wojciech Szczesny, Almunia might have to look for other clubs to gain first-team football. Arsenal supporters have not fully backed Wenger's decision to install him as captain in the past, and he will most probably not be the permanent captain for the Gunners.
Tomas Rosicky: The Inspirational Leader
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Tomas Rosicky has led the team on many occasions in this season. His role in the team is to guide youngsters to fulfill their potential and also to replace important players when they are not fit. Rosicky is a quality player and, after recovering from his horrendous injury troubles, he looks to be nearing his best for the Gunners.
Arsenal's No. 7 is an immensely capable leader and can shoulder the responsibilities. He is also the captain of his country and will look to enjoy his captaincy when given. He has done a decent job and should continue as one of the vice-captains of the team. However, with age catching up and many youngsters coming through the ranks, Rosicky might feature regularly in the future.
He is the outside bet to be the next Arsenal captain but, most probably, he will continue with his role as one of the senior players in the team. He is a wonderful player to have in the team considering his creativity and work ethic, but it is better for the Gunners if they can have a young and bold leader on the field.
Alex Song: The Tough Tackler
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If Tony Adams is considered to be legendary, then Patrick Viera is considered to be one of the best captains for Arsenal in this decade. Viera was the sort of tough, tackling midfielder who inspired the team with his magnificent skills and determination.
Alex Song has established himself as the team's best defensive midfielder and has shown excellent loyalty to the club.
Though Song does not have the build of Viera, he is a good tackler and is unfazed by the physicality of the Premiership. He had a breakthrough season last year and has improved on it this season. His attacking play has improved and he has scored some crucial goals for the Gunners. He puts in a lot of effort and hard work and is a key player for the Gunners.
Though Song has never captained the team, he is the sort of tough guy Arsenal requires to lead them in difficult situations. He has immense respect for Wenger, and his loyalty to the club is well known. He is only 23 and has a long future at the Emirates. Wenger might reward him with vice-captaincy in the next couple of seasons, but the probability that he will lead this Arsenal side is a little low.
Sebastien Squillaci: The Experienced Campaigner
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It was a surprise when Sebastien Squillaci captained Arsenal against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge earlier in the season. Squillaci had not even played 10 games before he captained the team, which was an indication of how high the manager rated his compatriot. Squillaci joined Arsenal from Spanish club Sevilla, and has since then been a key defender for the Gunners.
In the absence of the impressive Vermaelen, Squillaci has been given the responsibility of commanding the defence. He has established himself as a regular and has been fairly consistent with his performances. He brings with him a lot of experience of playing for different clubs in different countries and can bring calm to the Gunners.
Squillaci might be named as permanent captain to allow the youngsters to improve their talents without having to shoulder the responsibility of captaincy. There is a decent chance that Wenger might bestow him with captaincy because of his experience.
Andrei Arshavin: The Conjurer
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Andrei Arshavin has often come under scrutiny in his time at Arsenal for "lazy" performances, but if statistics show anything, the diminutive Russian is one of the best in creating goals for the team. He has a decent goal-scoring record, and an even better record in assists. He has looked rather unimpressive for most of this season, yet he has scored six goals and has nine assists to his name, which is quite impressive.
Arshavin has the skills to conjure a goal out of nothing, and it is this ability that makes him a lethal weapon for the Gunners. He has the tendency to be anonymous for long periods, which is quite frustrating for supporters, but naming him captain might make him determined to be more involved with his team's plays.
Arsenal are looking to tie Arshavin down to a new contract and might tempt him with a chance to be the permanent captain for the Gunners. He is the current captain of Russia and is an experienced campaigner. He has the reputation of being a big-match player, and Wenger could appoint him as the captain on a regular basis.
Analysis of the Most Probable Candidates
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I have highlighted the most probable candidates for captaincy when Cesc Fabregas does leave the club. In this slide, I will analyse their probability of becoming the next Arsenal captain and rate their chances on a scale of one to 10.
Thomas Vermaelen
Vermaelen is a capable young defender who has led Ajax in the past. There is a good chance that he will be the next Arsenal captain, considering he is the club's best defender and has a long future at the club.
Probability: 8.5/10
Samir Nasri
The young midfielder has a bright future at the club but, at the moment, he does not have enough experience to lead the team. He might struggle to cope with the pressure and Wenger will want him to play with no burden.
Probability: 6/10
Robin van Persie
He is an amazing striker who has shown good loyalty to the club. However, he has a tendency to get injured far too often for anyone's liking, and this is the factor that Wenger might consider before giving him the captaincy.
Probability: 7/10
Bacary Sagna
He is a very consistent defender who has done a good job for the Gunners. His drawbacks are that he lacks the aura of captain and is not very inspirational on the pitch.
Probability: 5.5/10
Manuel Almunia
The Spanish goalkeeper has been rather inconsistent and criticised by supporters. Moreover, Fabianski has been assured and it is conceivable that Almunia will leave the club in the next couple of seasons in search of first-team football.
Probability: 2.5/10
Tomas Rosicky
The Czech captain has done a good job when he has captained the Gunners this season. However, with enough resources in midfield, he might not be a first-team regular in the future, which may count against him.
Probability: 5/10
Alex Song
The Cameroon International has been excellent for the Gunners in the last couple of seasons. However, he has a reputation for being rather quiet on the pitch, which is not a quality of a good captain. Besides, he is still young and Wenger will give him the freedom to develop his game without much responsibility.
Probability: 5.5/10
Sebastien Squillaci
The manager seems to have high faith in the French International, and he has captained the side after playing fewer than 10 games. He has a lot of experience at the top level, but he is not one for the future. He may be appointed as the captain for one or two seasons to steady the ship.
Probability: 6/10
Andrei Arshavin
Arshavin is one of the more experienced players on the team and is also the captain of Russia. He might be given more responsibility and more involved in the game to tie him down to a new contract with the Gunners.
Probability: 6.5/10
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