Initially when song left in the summer i thought that we would be able to cope without him, but despite everyone's calls for a striker in january (which i am all for) a issue just as pressing for me is bringing in a defensive midfielder. Arteta has been asked to fill that gap and frankly he just isn't a holding player. Last season he did drop deep but he had song beside him so he could focus more on the attacking side of his game. But this season although he did well for the first few games he is too slight for that role and we need someone in there with a bit of drive and a commanding presence. Whether wenger feels that frimpong or coquelin can step up to the plate in that position is yet to be seen (although i have been impressed with coquelin in every game i have seen him play). Maybe when diaby comes back we will have that drive again as he has the legs to change the pace of the game but i feel we need that rock solid presence in front of the defense and we dont have it at the moment. In terms of our play it is clear that we lack creativity, we rely far too much on cazorla and apart from when wilshere is playing too many of our players let the game pass them by without really forcing anything. It comes from the intensity (or lack of it) when we play. We sit back and let the opposition dictate the game, same when we have possession, we are too slow when moving it and are far too easy too work out. Before it was a case of us being vulnerable at set pieces and long balls, but now teams are playing the ball on the ground with ease and getting into our final third. I noticed it a bit last season but this season it's a hell of alot worse. And it's not even the top teams, fulham did it to us at the emirates and then villa did it last night and they aren't even on a good run of form, and in all honesty i think it comes from the from players closing the opposition defenders down. We play a high line so therefore surely the whole tea should be pressing the opposition as a unit and our wingers and giroud and our midfielders should be really pressing the opposition in a similar way to what barcelona do. We don't have the best defence in the world so why do we invite teams onto us. Thats why i think we need someone in there to get about the pitch and pressurise the opposition forcing them to make mistakes. Wilshere does it when he plays but he seems to be the only one. Opposing teams now know that if they mark cazorla out the game then we will struggle to break them down and we are becoming too one dimensional. It is difficult to find that defensive midfielder though, we were linked with tiote and m'villa in the summer.
Agree with this. I think we really need a terrier in MF who can break up play, win us the ball back and put pressure on the opposition when they have the ball. I think Frimpong could be this player, he's got the raw ability, but he needs to prove himself at the top level. Diaby is probably the player who would fit the mould, but his dire injury record means we can't rely on him. So I think we need to by a proper DM as a priority over any other position at the moment.
I think alot of people thought that diaby would be the next "viera" but he is far more attacking and i think putting him in that holding role would take away from his natural attacking qualities, and in that position he would have to make tackles and i'm not sure he could physically do that week in week out. Frimpong does seem to have the physique but his touch lets him down far too often for me whereas coquelin is always on the move and is better on the ball but not as strong as frimpong. Its a difficult one but one that has to be resolved sooner rather than later imo.
Even Vieira said that Diaby could be better than him and I don't think Diaby's skills are limited to attacking. He's a good all round midfielder and he may yet get over his injury problems as RVP did. The trouble is we can't wait and hope, we need somebody in there now. I like Frimpong, he is more of an out and out DM though and he still needs to prove that he can make it at the top level with a club like Arsenal.
Very true, although i do think that diaby looked at his best this season when he had arteta also sitting in front of the back four therefore not isolating diaby as the out and out DFM. Also a tad concerned about oxo, his play in recent weeks has been well below par and simple things like controlling the ball seem to have evaded him recently. I think he would also really like to play down the middle but i don't think that will happen for a few years.
Vincent Kompany doesn't agree with you. He said Arsenal were the best team they had played this season last week. He added that Arsenal made things very difficult for them. I will take his opinion over yours.
Yes that was also our best performance of the season, and diaby was fit. And in the first half city tried to attack us and got played off the park and then in the second half they closed the game off and it became more difficult. Vincent Kompany is talking about one game not the season so far. And cazorla was on top form and teams hadn't worked out how to play against him. So what is your point????
I agree that we could do with a more physical midfielder but I think when we have Diaby back and a fully fit Wilshere this will be less of a problem. Who knows - Frimpong may be this player, he certainly has all the right athletic attributes. My main concern though is that we lack genuine sharpness upfront.
I am in absolute despair. It really is only Arsenal fans that can take a 5 game unbeaten run and turn it into a slump. We are 10 points off the top of the table and still in every competition. MY point is that you don't know what you are talking about.
tbh UTD didn't have one since Keane .. yet we are still doing well.. I think is great to buy one .. but if the mid and strikers are willing to come back and defend .. you can get away with it .. I think with more organisation and training sessions to learn how to defend as a team when losing the ball you can get away with it having said so, Sir Alex seem to be searching one, and last weekend Anderson physical presence & energy changed the game , so sure it is a great card to have, but i think is not priority if you can go around it with more discipline .. I think you need a left back (who can defend) and a striker as priority no.1
Look at our results in those games we only won two out of the five and then drew with schalke fulham and aston villa. In the schalke game we went 2 goals up and then blew it and in the fulham game we missed a last minute penalty but our performances have not been good enough and if you are an arsenal fan and you think thats acceptable then we really are not an ambitious club and should make do with top 4 all the time or europa league. So no mate you don't know what you're talking about.
