Arsenal legend Ray Parlour expressed his disbelief that Unai Emery allowed his players to select the club’s captain and thinks he should have signed Gary Cahill this summer to fill the leadership void at the Emirates.
Granit Xhaka was handed the role by his team-mates but that decision has been thrust into the spotlight after a remarkable outburst from the Swiss during Arsenal’s 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace.
Arsenal fans turned on the midfielder as he left the pitch slowly with time still on the clock left for Emery’s side to snatch a late winner and he reacted angrily, cupping his hand to his ear and telling a section of the support to ‘f*** off’.
Xhaka’s selection as captain is now in the spotlight and Emery – who advised the 27-year-old to apologise to the fans, which he has yet to do – has drawn criticism from Parlour for not choosing the team’s leader himself.
But Parlour also believes the lack of leaders in the dressing room left Emery with a tough decision to make, and thinks the signing of Cahill – who left Chelsea on a free transfer to join Crystal Palace – would have been an ideal fix.
‘It’s unbelievable really [letting the players choose who should be captain],’ Parlour told The Debate.
‘When I look back at it, it’s so important having a good leader. Look, you need six or seven captains in a game but, you know, you need that figure.
‘We had Tony Adams and then obviously were lucky because we had Patrick Vieira.
‘They’re the sort of figures you want. At the moment, Arsenal haven’t got that, have they? That’s what they’re lacking.
‘I’m looking at Crystal Palace at the weekend, Gary Cahill might have been perfect.
‘Free transfer, centre-backs we’re really struggling, conceding lots of goals. Gary could have been straight in there as captain maybe.’
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