Hmm I still think we would be better off playing our best current 11. Ramsey in the middle next to Carzorla. We don't need a DM if they both sit deeper.
I hardly think a match against one of the worst sides we've faced this season is testament to him being suitable for the role while Coquelin is out. In fact, he barely had anything to do for the entire match because we were in the ascendancy throughout. We had complete control. Even if he did have the qualities for the role, he is not exactly a player who can be relied on week-in, week-out for the next three months as his injury history shows. I'm not trying to say he performed badly tonight. Not by any stretch. But I don't think that this match alone is sufficient enough to reinforce your view. I wouldn't be surprised if he gets injured within the next two weeks.
You need to watch the game again then, because part of the reason we were in control was because players like Flamini were pressing Zagreb everytime they had the ball and Flamini was also doing a lot of mopping up in the middle too. He also made some clever tactical fouls to stop Zagreb from breaking, so everything you'd want from a DM basically. There's some truth that Zagreb aren't the best team we've faced, but they were good enough to beat us in the first game, so you can't simply dismiss them. I'm not saying that Flamini is the answer to our problems, I'm saying that he's the best solution we have currently. For me, simply reverting to 'It's Wenger's fault !' whilst not disputed, just isn't a solution and comes across as moaning.
You can only play against the opposition that is in front of you and he did well against Dynamo. Hopefully he can maintain this and keep us ticking over until the winter transfer window.
Knowing AW, he will most likely not do anything saying he doesn't wanna "kill" Flamini's run of form and then a day after the window shuts we hear Flamini has a problem and is out for the season.
Flamini is a bit of an enigma. He can perform to the level of a good premiership player. He always seems to play well against Spurs (which I'm sure is down to his mentality when it comes to derbies due to his history at Arsenal) and seems a good professional player to have around. But at other times he plays so poorly I never want to see him pull on an Arsenal shirt again! He is capable of quality and capable of the ridiculous. It all depends which Flamini turns up. He did well yesterday and hopefully that gives him confidence to cover the role for a while longer until we have a more permanent solution.
I think I've actually read a post of yours where I probably agree with pretty much everything you've said. Savour this moment!
As I said, I wasn't suggesting that he performed poorly, he actually performed quite well albeit without being spectacular, but one match against a very poor outfit doesn't vindicate the decision to leave him in the team for the next three months when he is not consistent with his performance levels and not reliable with fitness. We will have to wait and see whether he will be good enough I guess, but I can't say I'm optimistic. I don't really see your point about Zagreb being good enough to beat us in the first game. So were Sheffield Wednesday and Olympiakos (who I also don't think are that great) and Flamini was awful in the match against the former. In fact, given how horrendous Zagreb were last night, and looking at the rest of their results in the group, it makes it all the more confusing that they did beat us. I'd actually say that West Brom and Norwich are better sides than Zagreb.
Then he will get abused big time. He made a mistake in the summer transfer window by not getting a DM. But to make two mistakes in a row would be unforgivable and incredibly stubborn.
Of course not, but it'll be detrimental to us if we don't. We need to pull out all the stops to get someone, even if it means spending a little more on the said person. This is the best chance we've had of winning the Premiership and we should do what we can to try and achieve that.
Buy/loan a player in January. By all means, use him until the window opens. Do I think this will happen? No. But Wenger has surprised me before and it's still an opportunity to bring someone in, even if it's a stop-gap. We could always look to using Chambers in DM, as Wenger has said in a press conference, or Bielik, who looks very mature for his age. If you're good enough, you're old enough. But I'm still not convinced by Flamini.
I've seen us linked to Carvalho, Bender and Martinez just this morning, so I'd imagine we are going to be linked with every DM under the sun regardless of how realistic the targets are.
This is something that our management and scouting network need to do. But it's all inconsequential if Wenger doesn't feel the need of buying one, which i fear the most. But history suggests that if Wenger wants someone, he will get that person. Also, getting a DM is a lot more easier than getting a top striker for instance. So for me, it should be more than possible for us to get someone.
I think using Chambers at DM is even more than a risk than Flamini, so I'm a bit surprised by your comment to be honest. I do agree that we should try and sign some cover in January though. But whoever that is, he needs to be of the right quality. There's no point adding a player simply to make up the numbers if he's not of the required standard.
Sacking Wenger, employing a manager who actually has some plans for the club, someone who can identify squad weaknesses and address them, someone's whose vague concept of tactics don't fall to pieces every few weeks and which rely almost exclusively on 'ze mental strength' which ours players don't really have anyway, someone who is fine working with an acceptance from the fans of a period of bedding in while ultimately looking at the benefits over the long term. Liverpool saw a weakness, culled it, saw a better solution and acted. United saw a weakness, culled it, saw a better solution and acted. Both clubs doing arguably better now than before they acted on the weakness. We spend years seeing a weakness, excuse that weakness out of misplaced loyalty, think the weakness can be fixed when it should have become apparent years ago it can't be, eventually sort of realise it can't be fixed (except for the myopics), win a few matches and suddenly most go back to excusing the next few years with more misplaced optimism that the problem can be fixed again, eventually sort of realise it still can't be fixed, win a few matches... ad infinitum. However - Flamini had one good game last night against one of the worst teams we've played this season so all is right in the world again and Wenger is the man to lead us to glory. Let's give him one* more season to prove his worth.
