Sunday, 22nd January, 2012

Former Arsenal defender Pascal Cygan believes that Arsene Wenger’s current crop are suffering from a lack of leaders in the team.

Cygan turned out for the Gunners between 2002 and 2006 before quitting for Spanish outfit Villarreal.

He stayed with the Yellow Submarine until 2009 and then spent two years with Segunda Division side Cartagena before hanging up his boots.


The Frenchman however has continued to keep a close watch on the Gunners and reflects fondly on his time at the club, a spell in which he played with legends such as Patrick Vieira and Thierry Henry, while picking up one Premier League title and two FA Cups and regularly challenging at the top of the table.

But ahead of today’s game against Manchester United, Cygan is worried that Arsenal do not possess the leaders that he played alongside under Arsene Wenger.

"This youth approach that Arsene likes to take does have its disadvantages a little bit", said Cygan.

"In the matches that Arsenal are not able to handle, like last weekend (3-2 defeat to Swansea), it is there.

"There is a lack of true leaders compared with the generation of the 2000s.

"It sounds obvious. In each line there were two leaders of 28-29 years old who could boost the rest of the team.

"Today, the leaders are 22-23 years old. Five years less and a less high level, it’s a huge thing."

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