Arsenal legend Martin Keown has slammed coach Unai Emery for naming Granit Xhaka as captain, this comes in the wake of a storm where the midfielder is accused of insulting fans after being taken off during the Gunners’ two-all draw with Crystal Palace on Sunday, October 27.
The Switzerland midfielder is accused of using the F word after he was jeered by fans while going off for Bukayo Saka at the Emirates as the Gunners threw away a two-goal lead to settle for a point at home.
It was not the first time the midfielder was at the receiving end of jeers. He was booed during Arsenal’s league match against Aston Villa in September a few days before he was named a permanent team captain.
Keown believes Emery made a mistake by handing the midfielder a leadership role in the team owing to the jeers that he has previously received from the Gunners’ faithful.
“Sunday was not the first time Granit Xhaka has been jeered by his own fans. It happened on September 22 too, when Aston Villa visited. Villa were leading 2-1 at the time, then Xhaka was substituted and serenaded by boos. Arsenal, despite being down to 10 men, went on to win 3-2 without the midfielder. Then five days later, Unai Emery names Xhaka as captain anyway,” he stated.
According to the footballer turned pundit, Gabonese forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang would have made a better skipper for the Gunners
“Emery is as much to blame as anyone. If you let the players pick their skipper, then it becomes a popularity contest and that is not what leadership is about. I’ve never had a manager who decided the captaincy that way and, for me, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is still the safer bet,” he added.