Arsenal's First Team squad looks like this: GK - Szczesny, Almunia, Fabianski, Mannone Defenders - Sagna, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Squillaci, Gibbs, Jenkinson, Vermaelen, Santos, Djourou Midfielder - Song, Arteta, Benayoun, Wilshere, Ramsey, Diaby, Rosicky, Coquelin Forwards - RVP, Gervinho, Walcott, Arshavin, Chamakh, Park, OXO, Miyaichi. I look at this squad and on paper I think: Only 1 reliable keeper An ok defence, not strong but ok Poor midfield Weak attack I look at the midfield and I don't see a single exciting player, Wilshere is good .. but not exciting. I look at the forwards and think who will get us goals and who can replace who. The only name that stands out is RVP. Who can we turn to if we need a goal, who is reliable ? I look at the defence and some the benefits of some players are reduced by the kackness of others. This, to me, truly is a pathetically weak squad with no depth AT ALL If I am honest, I look at the squad and the whole thing just looks mediocre, so few names jump out at me when in list form. Has it come to this ? Have we now accepted a level of mediocrity ? Honestly .. how many of the squad above would you say could get a game for Man U, Chelsea, Liverpool, Man City or Spurs ?
I will start the ball rolling. Only Szczesny, Sagna, Koscielny and Vermaelen could get games elsewhere. Szczesny at any of the teams, Sagna at any team also, Koscielny and Vermaelen probably Spurs, probably not Man U, City or Liverpool, possibly Chelsea. Midfield - only Wilshere at any of the clubs. Forwards - only RVP at any of the clubs. Thats yer lot !
Wengers experiment will depend on whether the younger players reach a high enough level to compete with the best. The players are Chesney, Wilshere, Ramsey, OXO, Gibbs, Walcott, Joel Campbell and Frimpong. Will they be good enough? That is the biggest question.
A couple of years ago my joint Arsenal - Spurs selection would have had 8 Arsenal players. Currently I would have Szczesny (by a narrow margin) and RVP only. Sagna is just shaded out by Walker on current form and King and Kaboul are the best centre backs. Wilshere could come in if Modric was injured. As could Walcott for Bale.
Actually PowerSpurs .. you are right, Sagna wouldn't get into Spurs' team. Not sure you can say Kaboul is better than Koscielny or Vermaelen though .. thats stretching things.
Sorry but Sagna is one of the best right backs in the world, who the F is Walker when he's at home. Come back to me when he's done it week and week out domestically and internationally like Sagna has! Damn these delusional Spud supporters, you have half a decent season and start spouting nonesense!
On current form? You mean with Sagna having a broken leg? He's hardly had much of a season to be able to compare on current form. But, when fit Sagna is far better.
That's pushing it! He's a very good young keeper but so is Hart and you would struggle to find any Liverpool fans who would swap Reina for anyone in the PL.
Sagna hasn't been the same player for us the past season, last season he was nothing special in my view whereas Walker has been amazing for Spurs. I can't see Spurs swapping Sagna for Walker at all !!! Just telling it as I see it.
Andy, I agree, but what I mean is, I wouldn't expect fans of those other teams to be upset if Szczesny was picked for a game, you could say he performed better the season last than Reina who made a few mistakes and Hart this season has made a few himself. I am not saying Szczesny is better.
It's only a bit of fun ffs. I'm making my judgement on Walker's current form. If you want to take ancient history into account that's fine. It's not just half a season - we got the same number of points as you in 2011 from one fewer game. Our team is much improved this year partly because players like Walker, Kaboul and Sandro have delivered the goods - I'd have them over Sagna, Koscielny and Song any day. I note that Kaboul has more caps for France than Koscielny.
"I look at the midfield and I don't see a single exciting player" For me, another exciting player in the arsenal Squad is OXO. I would have prefered Gervinho subbed for a player like OXO in the Fulham game..OXO has so much to offer that team if wenger can only give him more chance in the firat team.
This would be a great 25 man squad mind GK - Szczesny, Friedel, Gomes Defenders - Walker, Sagna, Koscielny, King, Kaboul, Vermaelen, Gallas, Santos, Assou-Ekottu Midfielder - Sandro, Song, Arteta, Parker, Wilshere, Modric, Huddlestone Forwards - RVP, Gervinho, Walcott, VdV, Adebayor, Bale
I agree with Mr Head Our squad is bereft of outstanding players. Take out RvP and the scoring ability goes to pot. Minus Szcsezny and we would be leaking goals like nothing on earth. Our defence with all it's absentees is fighting a rearguard action. I rather like Mikey Arteta but we miss the presence of Jack Wilshire. For me, Aaron is certainly improving but for us as a whole, the sum is not enough. I think we have arrived at this because of the failure to replace key individuals over the years. Now nobody wants the people we should be replacing such as the likes of Denilson, Squillaci and Almunia. And Arshavin despite his pre-season promises has failed to deliver consistently. He too should be gone because the magic is gone. Some of our management and board too ought to be gone because it is because of them that we find ourselves here today. Actually despite all that I still believe we have a fighting chance of a top 4 place. Up until yesterday morning, all we needed was 3 points to build some daylight between us and the chasing pack for 4th place. We were also at the brink of 3rd place but as we all know, if nothing concrete is done, nothing we do will be built on concrete. Dear Arsene and the board, we need to get a Top 4 place so key decisions must be made on the makeup of our squad in the second half of this season. No ifs or buts, whatever it takes just has to be done.
