I don't want him on the bench, he's still a useful player, I'd like him to be converted to a left back.
you got good money for your captain and Arteta deserves respect and is the type to rise to the occasion.
He was good at LB last season, people seem to point to the Manchester United home game where he got violated by Valencia and use it as the reason for their judgement of him being 'crap', he was good in the other games. It still bewilders me how it can be accepted that Vermaelen isn't a problem, when he constantly cost us goals last season through awful positioning.
Our Cb's get no cover from midfield, so either can be blamed for our issues. For me, the problems are Song and Gibbs. Song doesn't provide the cover, and Gibbs gets caught out of position too much, making vermaelen drift left to cover the gap, leaving the centre exposed.
I agree with the first part of your post. That's why I don't care if Song leaves. But the second part where you mention that Vermaelen drifts out to the left to cover, I don't really agree with, all though it's standard procedure for a CB to cover their nearest flank for an attacking fullback, which Vermaelen did from time to time, he himself was often caught out of position and half way up the field.
The real problem is the system, not the personnel (except Song). if you watch Verm for Belgium, he doesn't venture forward as often, and shows his ability in defence alongside whoever's playing at CB this week. If you watched Koscielny for France in the euro's, he played one game and was leagues ahead of Rami and Mexes. The Personnel are more than adequate, but the defensive ignorance of Song, and Naievity of Gibbs doesn't help them.
I'm sure I've read something similar to that before... Knowing that the system won't be changed with such drastic measures as to play 3 defensive minded midfielders, the problem will always be there.
I'm tempted to give Arteta the armband. He's got the experience and the maturity and with his ability can lead by example.
So you'd put him at left back and put mertersacker in? Surely his positional play is worse? The man can't run and if we are losing he doesn't even bother going back to defend for the last 20 minutes. And oh yeah, he never scored for us. Verm would be my captain, it wouldn't surprise me if AW did something a little unconventional like make Fiaby vice
I suppose you should give it to someone you wouldn't mind leaving. Seriously though... Arteta seems the only option - experienced and will play all season.
You do know you can edit your own comments after they are posted? By the way F is next to D, that is not auto-correct, it is fat fingers and small keys.
No, ideally, we would sing a new CB, Yanga-Mbwia would be exceptional. But if we didn't, I'd have no problem with Mertesacker making a partnership with Koscielny again, as last season, they were starting to build a very good partnership until Mertesacker got injured. Who cares if he doesn't score? It's not his job, he'll have his opportunities to score at set pieces.
