The Arsenal CB Situation

Mal wrote:Kyro that vid is literally where I was standing.

I thought you'd say something because you was there but I didn't expect that.

(polskaGOLA) wrote:Djourou and Vermaelen are two of the better CBs in the Premiership. We can use another guy to cover CB and Song at DM (Vermaelen or Capoue as we have been recently interested in).

But I wouldn't say it is the position we need most. I say if we had a world class striker, we'd outscore any opposition.

As for the GK, we are fine. Maybe we will buy a crap third choice keeper if Almunia leaves, but Fabianski and Szczesny are more than good enough.

Djourou is not top class. He's pretty solid I suppose, but him and Vermaelen seem pretty crocked tbh and your cover is bollocks. Kolscielny and Squillaci aren't good enough. I would say 90% of football fans reckon Arsenal need a better CB pairing than Squillaci and Kolscielny.

As for the GK situation, Arsenal have conceded so many points over the past few years due to poor goalkeeping its not even funny. Again, 90% of people would say you need a better keeper.

90% of fans must mean everyone except for Arsenal fans.

Your thinking about the past. This year we have rarely conceded to due keeper error with Fabianski and Szczesny playing.

Djourou is more than good enough. Koscielny is very good too, and paired with a player like Djourou or Vermaelen, he will be successful. Koscielny has the potential to become one of the leagues best centerbacks IMO.

Squillaci is a massive improvement on Silvestre, so I am happy to have him.

Vermaelen is coming back this January, and Koscielny is more settled now and Djourou has proved himself. Like I said, Squillaci is adequate back up. If we buy anyone in the defense, it will probably be as cover. (Or someone like Vertonghen/Coupoe who are equally adapted to DM)

If we are to spend money, I'd like a striker who can finish chances off, and play his heart out for Arsenal. Someone like Luis Suarez. I think our biggest problem this season has been not taking our chances. If we had, we'd outscore easily most opposition and be leading the table by a fair bit. Should we buy such a striker, and Chelsea and United remain as shit, we can run away with the league I think.

Chamakh is great and all, but he cannot finish chances to save his life. He is great at holding the ball upfront, but we need someone to finish them. RVP is there I know, but he is injury prone as fuck, and can be utilized in a supporting role with a proper striker.

(polskaGOLA) wrote:We don't need a CB or GK.

Fabianski is fine and still has alot of potential to reach, and Szczesny will likely be our Cech/Casillas.

Djourou, Vermaelen and Koscielny are fine, and we have Squillacci as backup whom isn't horrible. We could use a player who can cover both CB and DM like Vertonghen, but it is not necessary.

We need a world class striker (no, not RVP) I say Bendtner + 5-7M for Luis Suarez and we win the league no problem.

We DO need another central defender. Too many of you are thinking Johan is the answer when he is not. Wait until he starts fucking up and believe me he will or get hurt like he does do and then many of you will turn on him. Arsene needs to pull out the check book and sign Chiellini and while he is at it snatch up van der Weil as cover.

We need a top class central defender and we will need another GK because even though Lukasz is playing well, Almunia has been hurt and will more than likely leave after this season and Woj albeit good is still too young to be counted out as a week after week back up.

There is NO WAY in hell I would give Bendtner and £5-7M for Luis Suarez, you can't be serious. We don't need a world class forward. We don't have problems scoring goals. To many people think he lets bring a striker in and that will solve our problem. Our issue is keeping goals out, not scoring them.

We do need a cover for CB, that'd be nice. We are interested in Capoue, Vertonghen and Sakho, which are all very good.

I think this January we will sign a third choice goalkeeper, but we won't be looking for a replacement for Fabianski.

We have loads of problems finishing chances. Chamakh is good in the air and at holding the ball, but he is not a goalscorer. We can't depend on Van Persie either. Bendtner and Vela aren't good enough as well.

We won't have a problem keeping goals out if we dominate them and outscore them. When it comes to Arsenal I strongly believe the best defense is a good offense. As long as we control the midfield, play tiki-taka around the middle the pitch, put pressure on them and close them down, like against Chelsea, we will have little problems defensively.

I'm not saying we should ignore our defense, quite the opposite, I believe we should sign someone this January as extra cover, since as you say it, Djourou is still not 100% a starter. (Although he should definitely continue starting, and should play against Man City with Koscielny partnering him)

Also, Almunia being hurt is more likely a cover up story for Fabianski to continue starting.

I don't think our defense is good enough because we consistently let teams score weak goals on us and in cases where our offense is shutdown (i.e. Manchester United) we struggle to keep the other team out and lose close games.

I would love to see Sahko play for us because he is young but talented enough to be a full time starter right out the gate. I am not sold on Vertonghen because he hasn't impressed me in the games that I have seen him play. I feel that if he isn't dominating the Eredivisie then he won't be excellent in the EPL.

I don't think we will look for someone to replace Lukasz because he is basically living up to the billing that Arsene thought of him, but I do think we need a 2nd choice because I can't see Manuel coming back to us to be 2nd choice and with Woj right on his heels he would be down to third if he keeps getting better.

AriseForLife wrote:I don't think our defense is good enough because we consistently let teams score weak goals on us and in cases where our offense is shutdown (i.e. Manchester United) we struggle to keep the other team out and lose close games.

I would love to see Sahko play for us because he is young but talented enough to be a full time starter right out the gate. I am not sold on Vertonghen because he hasn't impressed me in the games that I have seen him play. I feel that if he isn't dominating the Eredivisie then he won't be excellent in the EPL.

I don't think we will look for someone to replace Lukasz because he is basically living up to the billing that Arsene thought of him, but I do think we need a 2nd choice because I can't see Manuel coming back to us to be 2nd choice and with Woj right on his heels he would be down to third if he keeps getting better.

That's a different story altogether. We have a shit mentality especially at the end of games. (something Luis Suarez would change about us IMO ) Plus Koscielny and Squillaci should not be paired together. One of them together with Djourou for now on.

Vertonghen was much more promising than Vermaelen when he was at Ajax, and dutch fans usually say we signed the wrong centerback.

I think Vertonghen will be more than good enough. He is good in the air, is much stronger than how he appears, has good positioning and tackling, is consistent and well composed and can play as a DM.

Sakho would be a great signing for any club in the world atm. He pretty much is the next top defender. If he came to us, he'll be our Terry/Ferdinand.

If we played against United as we played against Chelsea, I doubt that we'd have been dominated in the midfield. The two games are quite similar for the victors actually, Arsenal closed down and pressed Chelsea, while United closed down and pressed Arsenal, both were key in each match.

The problem we have in the defending department is that Arsene will say we have too many now
Kos is ok not great but ok, he has time on his hands
Djou is a valuable asset with his height, not great but good

that's already two backup defenders who have the capability to be extremely good and we only need 1 (realistically 2+ for injurys) and an extremely good starter. If we can keep both? fantastic, but if one grows out of his place he'll leave for a rubbish fee and that's valuable game time we've wasted developing him for a horrible fee, we all know its coming if one does become extremely good.

I just want squiggy out of the club and an actual great defender, waste of space, waste of money, waste of age... simple as. He's not bad but he's not Arsenal quality and i've been saying that when were linked, i thought it was a joke when we were

(polskaGOLA) wrote:

AriseForLife wrote:I don't think our defense is good enough because we consistently let teams score weak goals on us and in cases where our offense is shutdown (i.e. Manchester United) we struggle to keep the other team out and lose close games.

I would love to see Sahko play for us because he is young but talented enough to be a full time starter right out the gate. I am not sold on Vertonghen because he hasn't impressed me in the games that I have seen him play. I feel that if he isn't dominating the Eredivisie then he won't be excellent in the EPL.

I don't think we will look for someone to replace Lukasz because he is basically living up to the billing that Arsene thought of him, but I do think we need a 2nd choice because I can't see Manuel coming back to us to be 2nd choice and with Woj right on his heels he would be down to third if he keeps getting better.

That's a different story altogether. We have a shit mentality especially at the end of games. (something Luis Suarez would change about us IMO ) Plus Koscielny and Squillaci should not be paired together. One of them together with Djourou for now on.

Vertonghen was much more promising than Vermaelen when he was at Ajax, and dutch fans usually say we signed the wrong centerback.

I think Vertonghen will be more than good enough. He is good in the air, is much stronger than how he appears, has good positioning and tackling, is consistent and well composed and can play as a DM.

Sakho would be a great signing for any club in the world atm. He pretty much is the next top defender. If he came to us, he'll be our Terry/Ferdinand.

If we played against United as we played against Chelsea, I doubt that we'd have been dominated in the midfield. The two games are quite similar for the victors actually, Arsenal closed down and pressed Chelsea, while United closed down and pressed Arsenal, both were key in each match.

Not copying me are you? ha it's pretty obvious anyway.

AriseForLife wrote:I don't think our defense is good enough because we consistently let teams score weak goals on us and in cases where our offense is shutdown (i.e. Manchester United) we struggle to keep the other team out and lose close games.

I would love to see Sahko play for us because he is young but talented enough to be a full time starter right out the gate. I am not sold on Vertonghen because he hasn't impressed me in the games that I have seen him play. I feel that if he isn't dominating the Eredivisie then he won't be excellent in the EPL.

I don't think we will look for someone to replace Lukasz because he is basically living up to the billing that Arsene thought of him, but I do think we need a 2nd choice because I can't see Manuel coming back to us to be 2nd choice and with Woj right on his heels he would be down to third if he keeps getting better.

Vertonghen does dominate the Eredivisie, he's ready for the step up. I guess you watched the wrong games. Outstanding defender, I'd say, definitely in the Eredivisie.

You'll probably have to choke up around 8-12m to get him though. He's very important for Ajax.

[quote="AriseForLife"]

(polskaGOLA) wrote:We don't need a world class forward. We don't have problems scoring goals. To many people think he lets bring a striker in and that will solve our problem. Our issue is keeping goals out, not scoring them.

With a World Class forward, I am positive we would have more points than we would now. We had chances away to Sunderland, didn't take em. We were all over Chelsea in the second half, Chamakh vs Spurs was . However.. Now Wenger has maybe realised that V.Persie and Walcott are good enough to start, that problem maybe solved.. Walcott looks quality this season.

Why do we need a new keeper? Fabianski firrst choice, Woj second and Mannone (has returned from loan) third choice ???

We have missed our main man Vermaelen for a large chunk of the season and have been playing 2 centrebacks new to the league quite often.

Hopefully when Thomas is back things should get sorted.

Anyone who saids we need a new keeper should be shot, Fabianski isn't in form he's just playing the same way he used to

Tom wrote:Anyone who saids we need a new keeper should be shot, Fabianski isn't in form he's just playing the same way he used to

Nah, he still hasn't looked as good as he did with Legia Warszawa IMO.

Fabianski can get much better than his current level.