Vermaelen hadn't shown his top form for us in a long time and was never going to be happy as a backup and wasn't playing well enough to displace either mert or Kosc. I think chambers has come in and replaced him in the squad. Verm could play cb and LB, chambers plays cb and rb. We have the same number of defenders that we had last year plus Hayden as backup. If we don't have multiple injuries/suspensions at the same time then we have players able to fill in along the back line to a decent quality. It's just when we have a few players out at once that we appear to have a depth issue. We could of done with an experienced cb who didn't mind being a backup option on a season long loan, but hopefully chambers is adequate cover.
I understand what your saying, and I agree that Verm wasn't/wouldn't be happy sitting on the bench. But IMO we had depth issues last season and needed another CB, even is it was only Djourou or someone of similar standard, it would have relieved the pressure on Kos and Merts. Last year we were unable to rest both of Merts and Kos, even in cup games with no one out injured, Merts played a ridiculous amount of games because Kos and Verm never worked. I find it no coincidence that we were really poor in the spring/end of winter last season, when merts/kos would have been really tired. If we'd used Verm more often in the smaller games/cup games (even though his form was poor), merts/kos would have been fresher and maybe wouldn't have lost form, and Verm may have been happy to stay, and may have found form.
This season is even worse, as behind Merts/Kos is a green teenager, who also happens to be our back up RB (at least with Verm he was our 3rd choice LB) - so we're even more stretched - whereas if we'd replaced Verm, then realistically we could have rested one of Kos/Merts, and both in cup games, while still having cover at RB/LB if everyone was fully fit, and in our current situation we'd still have cover at CB, with Chambers playing RB. Instead we're relying on Monreal, and one injury away from calling up Bellerin/Hayden
I think wenger wants to give bellerin game time, I don't think it's a case of being forced to. I think he's brought him into the squad to replace jenkinson for this season, it's just that chambers has done so well at rb and cb that when either needs cover he is the first choice. I agree we are a little light on numbers though. Same last season though it didn't make as much of an impact.
Just so you have some more facts... Injuries since 2002: Arsenal 891 Manchester United 794 Tottenham 788 Newcastle 777 Everton 666 Chelsea 622 Manchester City 596 Aston Villa 578 Liverpool 553
What we really need to look at is injuries to key personnel and for how long. We've had some major injuries to key players and for a VERY LONG TIME off. From the top of my head, we've had RVP, Rosicky, Eduardo, Diaby and more recently Wilshere, Gibbs, Walcott and TV injured for significant periods. Our chances of winning silverware would have greatly increased if we kept our injures down to key personnel. Just having RVP, Rosicky and Diaby would have increased our quality significantly. WE've never had the best of Rosicky and RVP, and Diaby/Eduardo never got the chance but were quality.
facts facts facts . will you stop with it already . You can use facts to prove anything . Its just luck . Its always just damned bad luck .
I think if you take out the few players who have had multiple injuries like diaby, rosicky, rvp we are probably far closer to the other teams. Diaby has had over 40 injuries in that time on his own! But there is obviously something that is causing us to get more injuries than other teams. Whether it's the pitch surface, the training methods, the fitness/medical methods, the style of football we play etc... There is obviously a problem that needs addressing. I think the club have clearly noticed this and have hired in a new fitness guy to try and deal with it. But it may take time for him to assess the problems or implement his methods. If by the end of this season we still haven't managed to reduce how much injuries effect our squad then we really need to look at bringing in some specialists to analyse everything at the club to find the cause of our problems. Those who just blame wenger for our injuries are idiots tbh and taking the lazy route of blame. It's obviously more complicated than that.
You don't know it's more obvious than that... you just think it is. Those who theorise the blame lies with Wenger are just as likely to be right as those who theorise the blame lies elsewhere... simply because no-one has a clue right now of the real reason.
Not blaming Wenger but the buck ultimately stops with him. He is our manager and is complete control of things. If the Arsenal staff are told to jump, Wenger says how high. HE IS THE MAN.
Him being in charge and him being at fault for everything aren't the same thing. He has to take overall responsibility but he is part of a club that employs a lot of people and each of them have different areas of responsibility. If it's an issue with the medical staff wenger can't be to blame for the injuries, you may say he should get rid of the medical staff, but that assumes he has total control of all areas of the club including the hiring and firing of all employees and that he doesn't delegate any responsibility to any heads of departments, board members, or individuals. Likewise if it's an issue with the pitch causing injuries you might say he could say how he wants the pitch differently, but if the people around him and the people who's job sit is to do that are telling him it's fine how is he expected to have this information? Again if it's down to training methods you'd have to ask why none of the other coaching staff have spoken out and expressed this concern to wenger. My point being, there is a lot more to the club than just wenger and it's lazy to just point the finger at him as the man in charge. There are any number of possible reasons for our injury issues and I don't see how any of them can result in the blame being put on just wengers shoulders.
No, it's obviously more complicated than that. For it to be all wengers fault would require him to directly be the cause of the injuries. Whatever the cause is there are a lot of staff at the club who have an input on any particular area where you try and attribute the blame.
No it's not obviously more complicated than that. Nothing about the injury situation is obvious or someone would have fixed it. It's not obvious because no-one knows the reason. So the reason isn't obvious. So it could be Wenger. And anyway... Wenger is directly in charge of all those staff. If, for example, the cause is determined to be a particular fitness coach... would the responsibility for the injuries be that particular coach's? Or Wenger's for being the direct manager of that coach? Wenger is after all the one who ultimately has the final say on training.
Wenger has spoken publically about his dislike of resistance training methods. They aren't used a great deal, if at all, at the club. RvP has spoken publically about how after he went to Man Utd he put on several kilos muscle but became stronger & faster as a result. As Bear will tell you, resistance training is a key component of the modern athletes routine. It doesn't happen at Arsenal to the same degree as at other clubs and I personally believe that it contributes a lot toward the amount of muscular injuries suffered. Based on statements from Wenger, other players and ex players, I feel it justified to say that Arsene is largely culpable for the lack of resistance training at the club and that this is one of the principal causes of the high level of muscle injuries suffered.
I think what Afcftw is getting at is that it's more than likely a very complicated situation, and there isn't any one blame - ie it could be the way Wenger tells the team to play, or it could be the way the physios are treating them or doctors are diagnosing them, it could be the fitness coaches, it could be the players standing still to receive the ball more than other clubs ect (I'm just hypothesising possible reasons)
I think one of the biggest concerns is the amount of broken legs/bones we've had at Arsenal - Ramsey, Eduardo, RVP, Diaby, Sagna (twice), Giroud, probably a few more as well that I've forgotten!
