Ok so apart from the obvious reason that they are already "proven" in the PL, why are a lot of you calling for Wenger to sign Cahill and/or Samba? I put proven in quotations because, I don't see how they are proven. Sure they've played in the PL for a few years, but they haven't shown that they are world class defenders. Isn't that what Arsenal need? World Class defenders, afterall we are probably one of the top 8 teams in Europe, surely we should be signing the best the world (or atleast Europe) has to offer in that position, if we need to sign someone? Not only do I think they aren't good enough to be Arsenal quality defenders. They've had no better seasons than Kos or Djourou, and have played borderline Squillaci standard. The reason people think they have is because they play in lower end teams, and have occasionally done better than their teams position suggest, and there is less focus on those lower teams conceding goals, because they should be, since they are in a lower position. When an Arsenal defender or any defender from a top team makes a mistake that leads to a goal, it gets heavily criticised, because these teams shouldn't be conceding sloppy goals. I think no defender gets more criticised for making an error more so than Arsenal defenders (atleast from the PL), so this over criticism from the media, slightly alters our views. I also think that because these are current PL defenders, potentially going to a top PL team, they are going to be stupidly overpriced (16 million for Phil Jones???), even moreso if they are English. Ive seen both Cahill and Samba make comical mistakes this season, on more than one occasion, that have outshone some of the Arsenal CBs mishaps. I honestly think we can find better, cheaper central defenders who can realistically compete with Vermaelan, Kos and Djourou, from mainland Europe (in particular Germany). Players I think Wenger should be more seriously looking to sign at CB are: Per Mertesacker: 6ft 6in would make him the tallest CB Arsenal have. At 26 he is of a decent age to come in. Part of a very strong German national defence, that consistently perform well. Soon to be out of contract, and has suggested he might like to come to England. He doesn't like to adventure forward that much, so would be pretty good paired up with Vermaelen who does. Champions league experience. Valued at 10 million. Christoph Metzelder: 6ft 4.5 in would make him taller than our current tallest CB. At 30, can offer his experience to develop our current crop of CBs for the future. Reliable performer at a high level. Is used to stepping in as and when and performing well (due to facial injuries), would make him a great squad asset, and can deal with the long ball teams better than our current CBs. Champions League experience. Valued at 8 million. Looking to sign Samba for 9 million, when I firmly believe both of these players are better than him, for around the same price. Who both have European experience. Cahill is looking like he would potentially cost 17 million, which is ludicrous. So just why are we looking to the PL for mediocre overpriced defenders? Especially if they offer nothing different and would only be the number 4 defender anyway?
There is potential that someone like Cahill could take his game to the next level at Arsenal and become one of the best. But I would definitely want to see Per Mertesacker at Arsenal, I think he would fit straight in. I think we'll only sign one CB, and between the two I think we would have a much better chance with the latter.
Samba was a joke against Sunderland earlier in the season.. Him and Vermaelen don't suit Arsenal's high line defense. Just play Bartley in the pre season and cup games and look for one in the January imo.
Good article but the players you have mentioned have had pretty shoddy seasons at their respective clubs.
I think Vermaelen does quite well with Arsenals high line. He certainly has the pace for it. I think if Arsenal played a deeper defence you'd see us conceding more goals from the long ball, since Djourou is the only CB we have that is especially tall, that can deal with it, and even he is not especially ruthless at making sure he gets to it first. However a big problem has been the communication between GK, CBs and the DM, and it all comes down to the coaching, and I think that is where it isn't up to par. Arsenal need a dictatorship in that area, so there can be no miscommunication, however I don't see Song, or any of our CBs able to adequately do that. Maybe Szczesny, but he is still very young, and its sometimes hard to accept the commands of someone who's much younger than you. If Arsenal can operate with a deeper defensive line against the teams that set out to defend for 90 mins against us. It may lead to better goal scoring opportunities, since it spreads the play over the pitch more. Just because Arsenal can play well with a compact midfield, doesn't mean its as beneficial against certain teams, but that is a different conversation. I think Mertesacker could give the defence a new dimension, and able to work with different tactics, and for relatively the same price id rather have a sometimes shoddy Champions League defender, than a sometimes shoddy mid table PL defender. I do think that to really see an improvement in the defence though, regardless of personnel something in the backroom has to change, a lack of tactical variance, and I just think the coaching is not where it needs to be, if the same mistakes keep happening defensively for the past few seasons.
I honestly think we are more in need of some cliche's in midfield than in defence, i find myself more perturbed by the generosity of the midfield than i am by the defence. We currently have the midfield of a decent spanish league team, when we need a tough bastard premier league midfield, like we used to have. Alex Song should fit that criteria but he just doesn't seem aggressive or smart enough. I rate Nasri highly but my ideal is for him to be sold to a foreign side and a robust and pacier replacement brought in. I want us to steamroller the midfield like we used to. We need steel in midfield more than we do in defence, too often our defenders aren't backed up by a midfield that wants to get forward too much
Firstly people think that if a deffender plays in the premier league "the best league in the world" they must be better than any other deffenders in the world. And people want arsenal to buy cahil, cause cahil is english, and tbh every english player gets overrated nowadays. oh and i mertersacker will cost you at least 15m. and arsenal are in no way the 8th best club in the world. in order. Barcalona Real Madrid Man united Chelsea Bayern munich Inter milan Man city Ac milan Lyon liverpool you can laugh or say what you will but i believe everyone of those teams will be better than arsenal next year. i think liverpool will overtake arsenal for top 4. unless of course arsenal spend over 80m.
last season we were better than at least 5 or 6 of those teams. Really? Lyon, AC Milan and Liverpool? Just go away. And never come back.
I dont see why we shouldnt go for Roger Johnson, at least with him we wont be stuck in the conundrum of having to pay loads for him
Yeah I am warming to him now that he will be cheap. Question is is he good enough? I know him and Dann formed a great partnership but after Dann got injured it all fell apart.
robin_van_ fiberglass given the way birmingham play, he'll have alot less to deal with. Being a relegation team he would have had to put up with wave after wave of attacks from the opposition. Whereas if he came to us, he wouldnt have as much work to do in terms of actual defending due to our possession play. He can then hopefully add some height, strength and hopefully organisation to the back 4
On your point of height, you have seen samba? 6ft 6 and clearly made of muscle. He'd be perfect for arsenal at the moment because teams don't fear you enough having players like samba will give your team an extra physical edge, although I agree you need a few more combative and big midfielders!
Perhaps that is right but it may be that he is best at that type of defending whereas he may not suit us. I know he is good in the air but how about on the ground, is his positioning good, does he make lots of interceptions etc. But he is also slow and so would be terrible in our high line. Besides he would just hoof it if he got the ball.
If we want to move up a level we need to buy players that are at least a level aove what we already have. Samba and Cahill are not the answer. IMO, Phil Jones is a great signing for Man Utd but would have been a poor signing for us. At United he will learn from Vidic and Ferdinand, and be slowly integrated into the team, as Smalling was last season. At Arsenal he would have had to go straight into the back 4, a massive step up for someone who was not first choice at Blackburn. We need a CB or two who will go straight into the first XI and improve the team significantly. We have not got the luxury of bringing in a player for the first team and developing him, or letting him grow, like someone suggested about Cahill. We cannot wait for players to reach the next level, we need to get players already at the next level.
