Tony Adams hits out at Arsenal and Mikel Arteta: “Why do you need …Tony Adams has questioned Arsenal’s leadership ahead of their title crunch at Manchester City.Arsenal legend Adams claimed earlier this season that Declan Rice should be wearing the armband rather than club captain Martin Odegaard.Gunners boss Mikel Arteta gave a staunch defence of Odegaard’s captaincy and even revealed that he sounded out the players, took a straw poll and they all said they wanted the Norway midfielder to keep the job.But Adams mocked that by suggesting the players were just paying lip service and also asked why they need a manager if the players decide anyway.Former Arsenal and England captain Adams said: “After I made the comment about Odegaard, Arteta went to the players and said: ‘Who do you want as captain?’ And they all went…well, they’re not going to say it to him, are they? ‘We love Odegaard! Hooray!’READ MORE: Arsenal and England icon Tony Adams breaks down ‘insidious’ epidemic invading dressing roomsREAD MORE: Mikel Arteta and Arsenal need to make a statement vs Man City to avoid fresh heartbreak“Why do you need the manager then? You pick your captain, you get your rapport, you have got your vice-captains and stuff and you create a bond.“I think Declan is a leader. I think he’s a super leader and super player, and I’ve said, I feel that he should be Arsenal captain anyway. Gabriel, these kind of players for the Arsenal.”Odegaard has missed big chunks of this season through injury and Arsenal have never needed him as much as they do now to guide them through troubled waters.The title challenge could come down to Sunday’s showdown with rivals City and the wheels have come off for Arsenal ever since they lost the Carabao Cup final to Pep Guardiola ’s men.Declan Rice has taken the armband in the absence of Martin OdegaardView 5 ImagesDeclan Rice has taken the armband in the absence of Martin OdegaardAdams highlighted that match as the difference in leadership between the two teams. City had Rodri and Bernardo Silva taking Guardiola’s message on the pitch while Arsenal just did not respond.“I saw that game and you’re looking at Silva with his relationship with Pep,” said Adams. “You could see an instant chemistry there. And there was a leader there and he’s like, if there’s a problem.“I didn’t see the same with Arsenal. I didn’t see Arteta: ‘Going right, we’re ten minutes into the second half. We’re struggling. and we can’t get out, the left back’s out.’“Back in the day, we’re Leeds away, back in the day, and it was press, press, press, and we had their end behind us and they’re coming against us, and we’re trying to get the ball and playing out the back, and Arsene shouting: ‘Tony, get up!.’Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger and club captain Tony Adams hold the Premier League trophy after the match against Everton at Highbury in 1998View 5 ImagesArsenal manager Arsene Wenger and club captain Tony Adams hold the Premier League trophy in 1998(Image: Ben Radford /Allsport)“I got it, I said to goalie: “Push up.’ We pushed up to the halfway line and we started to turn them. I got it. But there was no relationship with anyone on the pitch that he could do that with, in my opinion.“I said Odegaard, you know, at the start of the season when I thought he just needed the freedom to go and play without the extra stuff added. So when you talk about leadership, it’s quite difficult, you know, and it has changed and I used to go in to the manager.“I was the first one in training every morning. Back then, we were all free to have opinions, we can all kind of talk around the table and uh, and then we do what George wants!”Adams played under George Graham in the famous back four which not only kept clean sheets but also had their own set-piece routine.Back in those days, Arsenal had a routine with Steve Bould flick-ons at the near post with Adams steaming in at the back. Now Adams says he does not recognise the art – or defending – with all the pushing and pulling at set-pieces. Gabriel of Arsenal is held by Lisandro Martinez of Manchester United for an oncoming corner during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Manchester United at Emirates Stadium on January 25, 2026 in London, England.View 5 ImagesAdams isn’t a fan of the latest tactics from set pieces(Image: Getty)Adams added; “I think the game is very different. I think the game’s very different. It’s quicker. There’s less physical contact. The levels of set-pieces – and the contacts and the blocks – it’s gone too far.“We used to use blocks. I was talking the other day about 93 and when the donkey won the derby. Andy Linighan runs inside, blocks Neil Ruddock, and I go around the back, free as a dog – bang, in you go. I don’t know if that’s a term, free as a dog. It is now.“I’ve scored the header and in the cup final for the FA Cup, I’ve blocked for Andy and he has got the winner against Sheffield Wednesday. So we used it. And Viv Anderson taught me how to do it, to be completely honest, when he came from Forest. He used to take people out.“We had a little competition during the ‘89 season. He got five. I think I got six. But we used to block for each other. But now, if you’re teaching defenders how to defend from corners…it used to be ball, player.“What’s that song? ‘Looking back over my shoulder?’ Who sung that? But we used to do that all the time. Ball and player, ball and player. Now it’s just, grab hold of you. How do you teach a defender to do that? What’s that about?”
