Janusz Michallik has stated that Martin Odegaard and Oleksandr Zinchenko aren’t natural leaders for Arsenal.
The ESPN pundit added that Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal ‘miss a leader in the centre of the pitch’ because Martin Odegaard ‘isn’t the type’, whilst Oleksandr Zinchenko ‘is a bit of a wannabe’.
It’s the Norway international who dons the armband for the club, after being handed that role in the summer when Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was stripped of it last season.
In truth, whilst Granit Xhaka has turned things around at Arsenal, the last two captains of the club have both been stripped of their roles and it hasn’t ended well.
So, from that perspective, Odegaard has brought a sense of calmness and trust to the role, although, he isn’t that screamer or aggressive type like Xhaka is.
Either way, it’s an ingredient that Michallik feels that Arsenal are lacking ahead of their Premier League title showdown with Manchester City on Wednesday night, as he told ESPN.
“They miss a leader in the centre of the pitch,” said Michallik. “There isn’t one there, no matter what you say.
“Odegaard isn’t the type. Zinchenko is a bit of a wannabe. He was just one of the few at Manchester City. Here we saw, after conceding a goal, a huddle.
“I don’t think he (Zinchenko) carries himself in such a way that everybody will just say ‘wow’. He’s no Rodri. I think we will find out that out on Wednesday. He’s no Casemiro and a few others.”
XHAKA – ARSENAL CAPTAIN WITHOUT THE ARMBAND
The 30-year-old has been a marmite-like figure during his drama-filled years at Arsenal, but one thing that can’t be questioned is his leadership skills.
During Arsenal’s All or Nothing documentary, his leadership skills stood out like a sore thumb, and whilst his past relationship with the supporters has been sticky, it’s turned on its head now.
Xhaka is like the leader without the armband, so despite the above claims, they do have that quality in the middle of the pitch.
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