Tony Adams is hailed as a leader, but Simon Jordan comments that his views on Martin Odegaard are not necessarily correct.
Arsenal Legend Tony Adams Backs Declan Rice as Potential Captain to Drive Premier League Success
In a surprising turn of events, former Arsenal captain Tony Adams has expressed his support for West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice as a potential captain for the Gunners. Adams believes that Rice's leadership qualities could be instrumental in taking Arsenal to the next level and winning the Premier League title.
Adams, who is renowned for his leadership skills during his playing days, believes that Rice embodies the relentless winning mentality that Arsenal needs to compete with the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool. He stated that "You're not going to win the league with Odegaard as captain... Come on Arteta, make him captain" [1][4].
The ex-Arsenal manager believes that Rice's leadership on and off the pitch, standards, and principles make him the kind of captain who can firmly lay the foundations for a league title-winning team. Adams argues that appointing Rice as captain would reflect the club’s ambition and Arteta’s vision to step up as a "winning manager" [1].
Adams also suggests that making Rice captain might free Odegaard to play with more freedom, benefiting the team overall. While some commentators have questioned the current captaincy setup, Adams' view is that Rice's qualities align with leading Arsenal to major silverware, specifically the Premier League title [3].
Simon Jordan, the former Crystal Palace owner, has also expressed his opinion on Rice as a potential captain for Arsenal. While Jordan acknowledges Adams' leadership skills as a player, he questioned whether Rice would be the difference between winning and not winning the league for Arsenal. However, Jordan's opinion should not be dismissed as irrelevant, as he is open to the conversation about Rice as a potential captain but doesn't consider it a massive insight [2].
It is worth noting that Arsenal's current captain is Martin Odegaard, who took over the role after the departures of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette. Since Odegaard became captain, Arsenal have played second fiddle in the title race to Manchester City and Liverpool. Some critics have suggested that the lack of strikers and timely transfers could have affected Arsenal's performance in the 2022/23 season [5].
In conclusion, Tony Adams firmly supports Declan Rice as a potential Arsenal captain. He sees Rice as a proven winner and leader who can elevate Arsenal’s status to Premier League champions. Adams believes Arteta must make this decision to realize the club's title ambitions, making Rice not only a suitable captain choice in Adams' view but also a pivotal figure in Arsenal’s pursuit of Premier League glory [1][4].
- Tony Adams, a former Arsenal manager, thinks that appointing Declan Rice as captain could showcase Arsenal's ambition, aligning with Arteta's vision to be a "winning manager" in the Premier League.
- Adams believes that Rice's leadership on and off the pitch, standards, and principles make him an ideal candidate to lead a team aiming for the Premier League title.
- Should Arsenal decide to make Rice captain, it could potentially benefit the team by freeing Odegaard to play with more freedom, improving Arsenal's overall performance.
- Arsenal's current captain is Martin Odegaard, but Adams argues that Rice's demonstrated leadership qualities make him better suited to lead the team to major silverware in the Premier League.
