McAvennie makes ‘massive’ Arsenal claim after ‘magnificent’ Granit Xhaka footage emerges
Frank McAvennie has praised the “magnificent camaraderie” Arsenal have show this season.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the former West Ham striker stressed the “massive” importance of “team spirit” in football.
As shown on Match of the Day (1 October), Granit Xhaka, 30, gathered the team together for a huddle after their first goal against Tottenham.
The Gunners went on to win the North London Derby 3-1.
Xhaka was stripped of the Arsenal captaincy in 2019 after appearing to swear at fans in a game against Crystal Palace.
Martin Odegaard is currently the captain for Mikel Arteta’s side.
McAvennie insisted it is important for every player to take on a leadership role.
“When I played, especially at West Ham, we were all captains,” he told Football Insider.
“I used to scream from up front. You are not shouting at somebody just for the sake of it, you do it to get them going and get them sharper. We had captains all over the pitch and it is good to see Xhaka, who is not the captain, doing captain things.
“There is nothing wrong with everyone becoming captains on the pitch. I think the captain is just the person who tosses the coin. It is as simple as that. After that, everyone is a captain.
“I think Arsenal has a great team spirit, you can see it. They are a young team, they have a magnificent camaraderie and I don’t care what anyone says that is a massive thing in football. When you see everyone enjoying it, and you can see Arsenal are enjoying themselves, it is a big thing and I have got nothing but praise for Arteta.“
In other news, Arsenal have been backed to seal deal for ‘devastating’ Gabriel Martinelli ally in January.