Our start to the season looks decidedly average 1 week after waxing lyrical about outplaying the Champions on their own patch Truth is it's only 6 games and being 3 points off Utd and City isn't that bad considering we've made several changes The only issue is there's pressure to get a settle side and pick up the points before we fall too far behind the top four again with Everton and Spurs having a run of decent results 1. Defence Who'd have thought Jenkinson and Mertersaker would have performed as well as they have done this year! Metersaker being out of the side against Chelsea was a clear weakening of the team with his organizational strength sorely missed. Many have questioned the ability for TV and Kos to play together and although I like both of them individually for some reason they've never quite clicked as a unit. Kos is a great player but if TV is captain that means he'll have to be sacrificed for Per 2. Goalkeeper Mannone has over achieved, lets be fair the guy is 3rd choice so we can't expect too much more...but Szczesny has dipped in form for months now...maybe due to his injury as he obviously has quality...the issue I have is with Wenger not having brought in a quality No.2 for competition/to fill in. Spurs have Lloris, Man Utd Lindergard and we have Fabianski ?!?! 3. Diaby As a 3 Diaby, Arteta and Cazorla were fantastic but who could have thought Diaby's brittle bones would hold up. 6th game and his 2nd injury. So until Jack#10 comes back who do we rely on. Ramsey is still not good enough IMO, OX isn't quite ready for a central role, so I'd go for Coquelin. Not sure if he will make it but I think he has HUGE potential and is a great athlete. 4. Strikers He who shall not be named was always going to leave a gap in the side which has been partially filled with several players...Podolski although clinical can fade out of games quite badly, Gervinhio is hit and Miss (more Miss), Giroud for whatever reason just isn't clinical yet....good hold play, decent runs don't make up for the volume of misses he's made. It's too soon to be impatient with the guy but how long do we wait (genuine question). Regardless i think we MUST sign someone else in January and with Llorente in the final 6 months of his contract I'd go for him SPECIAL MENTION - Arteta has been outstanding this season, he's taken the responsibility to be our (quasi) defensive midfielder and his passing accuracy has been outstanding. Think he was unlucky not to be picked as captain...heard it was extremely close, I guess TV being there longer might have swayed it
The team is looking promising. Should probably consider its been an extremely hard start to the Season in terms of fixtures. 1. Goalkeeper- I'm still not convinced by Mannone (although I think he's better than 'Fab'). Even though Sczezney has suffered a poor run of form he's still far and away our best option. 2. Defence RB- Jenkisnons has been a revelation and we are soon to have Sagna back. We are looking very strong in this position. CB- Mertesacker has been our best defender. Who cares if he's slow when the rest of the team has soo much pace. His height and reading of the game is invauable. Kos is overrated IMO we concede more goals hen he is in the team. CB- Vermaelen is the captain he's vocal,aggressive and although prone to crazy rampages forward - The guy is top class. LB-Im impressed with Gibbs he is improving all the time. Santos is a pretty damn good back up also. I dont think this position is as weak as some say it is. Midfield - Been our strongest area so far this Season. DM- Arteta has been fantastic in this position. Coquelin seems to be more of a CM now but we have Frimpong returning as a backup. CM- Diaby was fantastic in this position. He gives us size and power and pace. Who know just how much of the Season he will actually play though. Wilshere is soon to return and will be a HUGE boost for the team. The guy is TOP class and I'm excited to see him link up with Cazorla. Rosicky will also be another big bonus. He's hardworking and versatile. AM- Carzorla has arguably been the signing of the Summer. Sheer class! Forwards CF - Giroud. I'm still unsure about him, shows some great touches but seems to want an eternity on the ball. Missed a few sitters already. Would love to see us go in for Llorente as I think this is the area we may struggle. As it is the 'CF' position is up for grabs. LWF - Podolski - Mainly be played on the left but I would like to see him down the middle. Ice cold in front of goal. Been a very good signing. RWF -Gervinho - Soo much ability. Can do everything except finish. There are very few players how can beat defenders with the ease Gervinho shows. Walcott- Still a great squad member. Unbelievably quick and a very good finisher. Would like to see him get some games down the middle. OXO - Inconsistant but a great talent can play in the middle or out wide. Give him a few years and he'll be 'World Class'. Personally I think this would be our strongest line up.. -------------------Sczezney------------------- Sagna---Mertesacker---Vermaelen----Gibbs ---------------------Arteta-------------------- ------Wilshere-------------------Diaby------- -------------------Carzorla-------------------- ------------Giroud-----------Podolski---------
Your team has no width whatsoever. The only game that team would win is one played in a corridor. In my opinion you are letting your own predisposition for central players affect your selection. It is a classic mistake and one England managers make all the time. They pick 7 attacking central midfielders like Steven Gerrard and then wonder why they cant play together. You may think they are the "best", but you can't put them in the same team.
Defence - Need Mertersaker back in the starting line up. He gives a calm authority that both Vermaelen and Kos fail to give. Mannone as spoken about is not the sort of figure that can take charge of a defence and I think he could have prevented two of the three goals we have let in the previous two league games. Jenkinson and Gibbs have surprised me and many others. Hope they keep it up. Midfield - Impressed with Arteta and Cazorla but I feel that some of Diaby's performances have been overrated. He was outstanding against Liverpool, but apart from that has he been performing at the same level as Arteta and Cazorla? When Wilshere is back, he goes straight into the team for me. Attack - Podolski has been ice cool in front of goal but against City and Chelsea, he went missing too much, against Chelsea, I was not sure if he was playing in the first half. Giroud looks like a man under pressure and I think he needs one outstanding game to really get him going
In Mertesackers defence, I never doubted him, even last season, I thought he had a very good season for us.
He's having a great season, but no need to revise history. He was absolutely shocking in the first part of last season.
Nope, I disagree, he wasn't that shocking, I can mainly recall his mistake against Norwich, but he sure as hell was no disaster.
I've been saying for ages that Mert and one of Kos or TV is the best option as they both seem to perform well when paired with him but are too similar to play well together. Mert is our most important defender and whether he is the best or not is to a large extent irrelevent, its about the pairing and his style reading the game and positioning himself is the perfect foil to Kos or TV's pacy attacking the ball style.
Neither were Montolivo and De Rossi for Italy in Euro 2012. The Diamond does'nt have as much width as a traditional 442 but it allows more bodies in the middle of the park which facilitates a better passing game. The concept of traditional wingers is pretty outdated. (Most teams that play 'wide' men these days use WF's anyway). If you play a passing fluid game its not a problem.
