We don't have a captain

The more observant amongst you might have noticed that there was no post yesterday, which is unusual for me as Monday is probably the one day I'm unlikely to miss, what with a game at the weekend and all. I was just still a bit too angry to post anything other than bile, directed at our manager, our players, the referee, the West Ham faithful, Jonathan Spector, and that horrible c**t Alan Pardew.

I'm not going to go into the game at length today, because that's not really what I want to talk about, but in short we didn't play well, we looked knackered from chasing a game for 90 minutes on Wednesday night, Wenger got it wrong with both the starting line up (should have rested players) and the bench (far too defensive, not enough attacking options), West Ham didn't deserve the win, Spector should've seen red, either straight red for his appalling studs up over the ball tackle on RvP or for a scond yellow for the stonewall penalty that should have been given against him, the twat who hit Robin with a coin should be found and beaten to within an inch of his life with a bag full of shrapnel, and Alan Pardew is a massive, massive c**t who, if I were the manager and he started jumping up and down in front of my face after scoring, I would shove a hammer so far up his arse that he would quite simply be dead.

No. What I want to talk about today is the fact that we don't have a captain.

This problem has been going round the fansites for a little while now, and really rose in prominence following Sunday's game. I've been saying it ever since Thierry Henry was made captain, which is a bit of a contradiction in terms.

Thierry Henry is a proud man, he's a winner and when he's at his electrifying best, he inspires all around him. But this is the problem, he is a captain who leads by example, he is not a leader, he's just a nice guy. When he does not play well, as has been seen for the majority of the season so far he goes missing. He sulks in his little corner of the field, fires scowls at everyone else on the team and does nothing to lift the other 10 players on the pitch. He is an empty shirt.

But of course he's the captain, and no one can give him a bollocking. Arsene obviously feels he can't sub him or drop him, no matter how badly he plays. On Sunday van Persie was looking much brighter than Thierry, looking like he could make something happen, and he was subbed for the laughably ineffective Adebayor with half an hour to play. He looked really pissed off, and I don't blame him. If anyone should have come off, it should have been Thierry, or maybe Hleb who was back to his "pandering to play in centre mid when he's supposed to be playing wide right" worst.

Before the whole "turning into a money grabbing twat" bit, I'd always hoped that Ashley Cole would eventually be made captain of Arsenal. He was the player who seemed to want to win more than anyone, who made every tackle count, who was a local boy who was an Arsenal fan from when he was a kid and who could fire the team up. In five years I can see Cesc making a fabulous captain. His fiery reaction at the end of the West Ham match was great to see and was in stark contrast to Thierry who went off smiling and hugging Teddy Sheringham, but right now he's too young, and still a little emotionally immature.

Right now the choice would be Kolo. Big Phil has obvious Tony Adams-like leadership qualities but he's young and with Gallas and Toure about he's not guaranteed a start. Kolo is our most consistent player in my opinion, and would be first on the team sheet at the moment, along with Jens. He works his bollocks off every match, throws himself infront of every shot, has words when words are needed.

Of course all this is irrelevant. As said above, Thierry is a proud man. I can't even imagine what taking the captaincy away from him would do. Would demand a transfer? Would he refuse to play? Would he just continue in his current ineffectual vein of form? Who knows, but we're not going to find out because it's not going to happen. Other players like Kolo are going to have to be willing to captain in all but name. Arsene needs to take Kolo and Jens aside and tell them to give Henry a tongue lashing when he needs it, because he needs to be told.

In all fairness the 4-5-1 system doesn't suit him. He's not a big hulking battering ram like Drogba, he doesn't like having to win headers and hold up the ball, and in turn we don't see the best of Thierry when he's playing up on his own. It means that if he does drift wide or come deep to pick up the ball, which is what his game is all about, there's no one left to knock the ball through to. I don't believe that Robin can play to his potential in this system either. He may play wide right for Holland but that is very much in a 4-3-3, and we play very much a 4-5-1. RvP is a striker, not a winger, let him play up front. Let's bring back the 4-4-2 for the Premiership and leave the continental 4-5-1 for the continental games.

Right, rant over for now. Everton preview tomorrow.