Did he do enough to keep his place when Vermaelen returns? I realise Stoke weren't the most creative of opponents, but how did he look? Could he keep Verm out of the side for a period?
Don't think so, he was only playing because TV was injured, I suspect once TV's back, he will slot right back in beside Merte. We have a few games coming up and I think Wenger will rotate anyways, we face Sunderland next week and I think Merte and TV will start, the following week we have a cup game VS Blackburn right before we face Munich, I think for that game we will either go with Merte and Kosh, or Kosh and TV. For the Bayern home game after that, I'd go with Merte and Kosh in the centre, and TV at left back, no way in hell can we start Santos at LB for that game.
I was thinking of making a thread similar to this, but more of a statement saying that Koscielny and Mertesacker have once again proven that they should be our starting CB's. I have a feeling that Vermaelen will be sold in the summer any way to make room for a new CB.
The thing is statistics don't back up Zlatans assumption. So far this Season we've conceded more goals on average when he's in the team. He has some good qualities though. Personally I would like to see him played as a holding midfielder. I like him as a player just don't think he's suited to the CB role.
Just this once i would like Wenger to play with a strict DM. It would then be interesting to see whether this would impact on our defense or attack and bring more solidity.
It's not been easy for Kos this season. He has not got a run in the team so has not been able to build any sort of form. If Vermaelen was not captain he would have been dropped and Kos would have got that run of games he badly needed.
Your statistics last year were "backed up" by the 8 - 2 humiliation to Man Utd., and Kos playing with Mert in his clumsy few months where most people were already declaring him a failed signing. On actual performances Koscielny was miles ahead of both Vermaelen and Mertesacker according to any one able to just apply the slightest objectivity to their thinking. A few games ago we got two goals due to Szcz's and Mert's direct misstakes, with Kos playing a solid game and you were on again with your "we concede more when Kos plays" tune. That Wenger shot himself in the foot by making Vermaelen captain instead of Arteta is the real issue. Vermaelen looked like a leader in his first 6 months when we signed him. Now he's been made captain he plays worse and looks tamer as a leader (if he can be called that).
This season Koscielny has had more games in which he's made a massive **** up, than games where he hasn't. Even that match for France we were all face-palming about the ridiculous penalty he gave away for kicking another player. Against Stoke he looked good, but he didn't have much to do. I think he should stay in the team for one more game. If he hits some good form, he could be very useful against Bayern.
Been as ****e this season as he was good last season. May have found a bit of consistency recently but not great. TV and Mert anyday expect Bayern where TV has to play LB.
Despite the stats some have based there opinions on, i think Kosc has been our most consistent defender bar Sagna since he joined us. He had Djourou as a partner for a long time who made mistakes that lead to goals and had Mert off-form when he first joined us (as well as playing in a back 4 devestated by injuries). So i think the stats of conceeding more while he is in the team are skewed slightly by other factors. For me, his performance against Barca where he kept Messi in his pocket summed up how good of a defender he really is. Against a technical/skillfull player he is a brilliant defender. He is great at covering others mistakes as well. He may lack a slight physical presence but he is a quality defender.
We'd be better suited with a player who could play CB and DM - as our midfield is generally full of attacking players and out and out DM would take away some of that attack. I still think we have got a potential gap at CB and we could do with strengthening there. We were close to signing Capoue, who can apparently play both positions, which shows me that Wenger is looking at this option. But for now I share the view that Koscielny (or Vermaelen) could make a good DM/CB
These statistics are pretty meaningless, this season we have only conceded a few goals less that this time last season, so by your logic the current centre backs are just as bad, because the statistics of conceding goals that you are using as your evidence, support that our current CB are no better as kos has played considerably less this season compare to last season.
I think Wenger rates Koscielny very highly, and he made Vermalen the captaing planning to play Kos and TV as his No 1 choice. I think he likes the idea of two mobile defenders able to play high line etc. I think he sees Mert as a CB who could be used against certain teams. That is why he tried TV+Kos in big games twice. But it never worked. And now he has to stick with Mert + TV because TV is the captain, leaving Kos on the bench even though Kos is probably our best defender.
