Stephen Warnock has praised Mikel Arteta for making ‘big decisions’ as Arsenal manager, as he told the Football Show on Sky Sports.
The former England defender thinks Arteta has made ‘standout’ calls, beyond axing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, such as bringing back Granit Xhaka after the ‘crowd were against him’.
Both Xhaka and Aubameyang have worn the captain’s armband and they have also been stripped of it.
Unai Emery was the one who axed Xhaka after that infamous moment against Crystal Palace, whilst Aubameyang’s career in north London is seemingly over after another discipline breach didn’t impress Arteta this month.
Either way, it has been Arteta’s way or the highway with these players and he has laid down the marker on several occasions.
Warnock praised the man in Arsenal’s dugout for acting in such a manner and what he has done with a player like Xhaka.
“Yes, equal praise to Mikel Arteta,” said Warnock. “And make big decisions. Really big decisions, at times.
“The one that standouts out to me, it’s not the Aubameyang one. It’s the Xhaka.
“I mean, he was gone. The crowd against him. The way he reacted to the situation. He took him out at certain points, just to bed him back him.
“He allowed him to come back into the team. And he has been really good for Arsenal. He is a good character to have in the centre of the pitch. I think that shows the quality of the manager because it shows what he needs on a football pitch.”
Some Arsenal fans may not like to hear it, but there have been calls for Xhaka to be handed back the captaincy.
In truth, it’s probably something Arteta should avoid because it would just cause added drama for no reason.
There’s no reason why Xhaka can’t be a captain without the armband and the role should be handed to a younger player.
The likes of Ben White or Gabriel are candidates, as well as someone like Aaron Ramsdale, who has become a bit of a fan favourite with the supporters.
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