Arsenal have concerns that Unai Emery has ‘misjudged the importance of the captaincy’ since his arrival in London.
According to Sami Mokbel of the Daily Mail, as cited on social media, the club have raised concerns about the current captaincy situation.
During his first season at the club, Emery named ‘five captains’, three of which are no longer at the Emirates.
He did the same this season, with Xhaka named as the overall club captain, but the decision has not gone down well.
Read Arsenal verdict
Emery’s decision to offer up the captaincy to a vote within the squad doesn’t look good on Emery.
On one hand, you could say that by offering up the vote to the squad, he is giving them a chance to take ownership and express their own leadership qualities. A sign of good man-management some might argue.
But on a very basic level, it shows how the Spaniard is lacking authority among the squad.
Concerns were first raised among supporters when Xhaka was named as the club captain. As an unpopular figure among the squad, it felt as if Emery was going out of his way to anger supporters.
He is hardly a player that boasts plenty of leadership qualities, something that became increasingly evident as he clashed with supporters during the 2-2 draw against Crystal Palace.
Emery’s stance on his ‘five captains’ and espically the decision to decide it via a vote could be something that defines his time at Arsenal.
The inability to stamp his own authority on the squad has clearly left supporters and those behind the scenes second-guessing his decisions.
Can they really be totally convinced by him, if Emery himself is not convinced by his squad?
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