Ian Holloway has slammed Unai Emery for major Arsenal decision

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Ian Holloway has told Love Sport Radio that Arsenal manager Unai Emery should not have let his Gunners players pick the captain, which has resulted in seeing midfielder Granit Xhaka being given the armband on a permanent basis.

Xhaka, 27, has captained Arsenal six out of their last eight league and cup fixtures and is Switzerland’s captain, too. However, the reaction from Arsenal fans to the midfielder being announced as skipper has not been a good one.

Many do not believe Xhaka should be starting for the north London side, let alone being given the armband at the base of the Gunners midfield. However, Emery has let the Arsenal players vote, and their answer is Xhaka.

Former Premier League manager Holloway has stated that he would not have given the players the chance to vote for his captain, and instead picked a player to wear the armband based on the relationship between player and boss.

“I pick my own captain. I like to try and build a relationship with someone who I think can carry out my orders on the pitch, rather than leaving it to the rest of the squad. They might vote for their friends,” Holloway said.

“I’m not criticising Unai Emery when I say this, but I would never do that [allow the players to pick the captain]. I have a different way of choosing my captain. It’s crucial I have that relationship with him. Unai has decided to get his team working together – I can understand why he’s done that, but I wouldn’t have done it”.

TBR’s view – If not Xhaka, who else should have got Arsenal captaincy?

Arsenal fans are right, Xhaka may be captain material but he simply is not good enough to be starting for a side that are pushing for a place in the top four places of the Premier League.

So, who else? Well, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang continues to be Arsenal’s best player and at 30 years of age, he is experienced enough to have got the armband. He is also the captain of Gabon.

Rob Holding captained Arsenal to a 5-0 win over Nottingham Forest and he is another contender, while Hector Bellerin has been at the club since 2011. All three are more than viable contenders.