Robbie Savage
WHETHER or not Granit Xhaka captains Arsenal again, a toxic atmosphere at the Emirates is by far the bigger picture.
Apart from Xhaka being jeered off by his own supporters last weekend, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was abused by idiots as he drove away from the 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace – even though he is probably the Gunners’ best player.
And gaffer Unai Emery was serenaded by fans calling for the return of playmaker Mesut Ozil.
If Arsenal are not careful they will be back in a cycle where unrest among fans could force out the manager, like Emery’s predecessor Arsene Wenger.
And they could end up going down the same path as Manchester United’s decline since Sir Alex Ferguson retired.
The situation with Xhaka is an unhappy scenario but you have to say Emery contributed to it.
Being captain of a massive club should not be decided by a popularity contest, holding a poll of players, because every dressing room has its cliques.
I captained four clubs in the Premier League. To wear the armband you have to be one of the best players and worth your place in the side every week.
If they had been popularity contests, maybe I wouldn’t have captained all four.
Is Xhaka the Gunners’ best player? Not in the eyes of most people. Is he worth a place in their starting XI every week? That’s highly debatable.
What is unacceptable is for trolls on social media to make death threats against his wife or wish his daughter gets cancer.
As the captain who sets an example, Xhaka was wrong to behave the way he did when he was hooked against Palace. But he is only human, and as he said in his statement on Thursday night, he reached “boiling point”.
Clearly he has the respect of his team-mates, if not the fans.
But his fate as skipper is not Emery’s only problem.
He has spent £205million in three transfer windows and appears no closer to establishing an identity for his team.
The fans pay good money and are entitled to their opinion – although booing one of your own can never be right in my book.
Aaron Ramsey, scorer of two FA Cup Final winners, went through a difficult period a few years ago and now he has gone to Juventus, suddenly the supporters wish he was still there.
But for Emery, the rumbles of thunder seem to be growing louder. Look, he deserves at least one more window and should be judged at the end of this season.
If he delivers an improvement on last term’s fifth and a trophy, he can justifiably claim the club has progressed on his watch.
Or do Arsenal want to go down the same road as United? They have spent £900m since Fergie stepped down in 2013 and are already on a fourth manager.
Arsenal should stick with Emery – a proven winner at Sevilla – and supporters should be careful what they wish for.