Why is it when players get injured they get massively overrated by us? Suddenly Cazorla is Iniesta and was orchestrating games for 90 minutes week-in-week-out.
Let's not forget Cazorla figured in the 5-0 to Bayern, loss to Norwich, loss to WBA, produced the worst CM performance I've ever seen by an Arsenal player vs Spurs yet suddenly he's sorely missed?
@DezilDez
First 14 games of the season - 8 wins, 3 draws, 3 losses. Since Cazorla's injury we have played 13 games - 7 wins, 3 draws, 3 losses.
Almost mirrored results in 1 less game so let's cut out the Santi BS. Yes he's the most suitable partner for Coquelin (after Jack) but that doesn't make either (Coqzorla) the solution.
From all our current CM's besides Jack, Ramsey has produced the best all rounded MF season so on that basis you can consider him a greater priority and the best choice (again besides Jack) for the role.
Build to his strengths and then go from there. Ramsey clearly needs a partner with Arteta-Coquelin's strengths.
Coquelin & Cazorla were doing the job of 1 player (see Busquets/Motta) it was a solid short-term solution to finish last season with but for Wenger to stick with it shows how stupid he is.
The funny thing is we can debate players, positions, selections all we want but flaws will remain with AW in charge. Wenger could have Messi-Ronaldo on both flanks and fail, he's the real problem.
Cazorla, Ramsey, Coquelin are all useful players to any title chasing side but become liabilities when used falsely but Cazorla is hardly missed as far as results are concerned. Unless you're only concern is pretty (and at times unproductive tippy-tappy football) Cazorla is then missed but there's a deeper problem where both Coquelin & Cazorla shouldn't be starters
Life Without Iniesta.... I Mean Cazorla
posted on 1/3/16
In recent years it is very rare a player who suceeds in Italy does the same in England actually
posted on 1/3/16
comment by D'Jeezus Mackaroni (U1137)
posted 4 hours, 33 minutes ago
Thats why I so wanted Kondogbia or William Carvalho last summer.
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Both having bad seasons. Both poor passers. Neither particularly effective at shielding the back four.
Grass is always greener...
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Henry garbage in Italy. Bergkamp just as bad. Kondogbia was excellent in Spain and France. So you take your pick.
Would they have been worse than Coq? Don't think so in case of experience alone. That would have allowed Coq to be played selectively when we needed two holding players.
Wenger buying Elneny is an acknowledgement that Coq and Flamini was a mistake. It put too much pressure on Coq to be the man when just a year before he was almost not offered a contract. There was a reason for that.
posted on 1/3/16
Not really I always give a player a season beofre I start to moan. Pires took a season and he turned into one of the best wingers we had.
Gave Gervinho and many others a season before a said enough is enough.
posted on 1/3/16
Kondogbia excellent in La Liga? Really? In his one season in Spain he only started just over half the games, and barely lasted an hour most times he did.
Strange how the thing you seem to be most damming towards Coq is Kondogbia and Carvalho ' s biggest weaknesses - passing and getting moves going. Carvalho, especially, is a donkey.
Coq hasn't been great since his return - he clearly has been rushed back. But pre injury he was performing to a far higher standard than those you want him replaced with, and your only reason with any real truth is that he was close to being sold - hardly relevant once he got into the team and performed (see Spurs nearly selling Bale, among many others).
posted on 2/3/16
Lol you must have never watched Carvalho before DJ.
The lad can dictate games, not too convinced with Kondogbia's technical qualities but W. Carvalho is certainly a good footballer.
He's powerful but very immobile only thing that worries me, if he's isolated he could struggle to cover ground.
posted on 2/3/16
Comments regarding our football. The start of the season was amongst Wenger's strongest because he went back to his original philosophy - the counter.
06-14 was a failure as wonderful as the football was at times that was (as someone mentioned) Wenger imitating the Barca way which doesn't work in the PL (with lesser players anyway).
As Henry revealed Wenger got the idea once he saw Cesc's potential thus sold Vieira and built around him, little would he know it'd be the greatest mistake of his career.
It improved us in Europe a fair bit as we could cope technically but with the more realistic targets we failed miserably.
Ozil is very different to Cesc as a playmaker. Ozil at Madrid was very fluent in the counter he makes quick decisive decisions when the game's at speed.
That's why Mesut struggled in his 1st couple of years here and looked sluggish amongst our tippy-tappy style it's not his game.
Building around Özil requires movement around him hence his elite form at the start of the season.
He's actually improved as a player because he's adapting to a more stabilised flow and adjusting to Giroud taking responsibility and getting beyond but we need to go back to the old formula with Welbz instead of Theo.
posted on 2/3/16
Wenger has to gamble on Elneny now that Santi is out for the season. We need someone who can physically hold his own whilst being comfortable in possession.
As good as Coquelin has been he's been found out in certain games. Barcelona in particular showed how far he is from that level.
Elneny-Ramsey potentially could work very well. Ramsey should never be tasked with building play as that's not how he produced that spectacular season. He's a #8 box-to-box player and when confident he's one of the finest in the country.
I don't even like Ramsey tbh I've always maintained Wilshere is the best CM at the club but Ramsey at his best as CM >>>> Santi at his best as CM
Cazorla had a lot more movement ahead of him too. Giroud has been a massive hinderance to the dynamic we had at the start of the year.
posted on 2/3/16
comment by Inventor (U6157)
posted 2 hours, 31 minutes ago
Lol you must have never watched Carvalho before DJ.
The lad can dictate games, not too convinced with Kondogbia's technical qualities but W. Carvalho is certainly a good footballer.
He's powerful but very immobile only thing that worries me, if he's isolated he could struggle to cover ground.
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Bollox. He cannot even control games in the Portuguese league. In the Europa he was horrendous.
For someone who 'dictates games' it is shocking how many times he has been hauled off at half time this season
posted on 2/3/16
Kondogbia excellent in La Liga? Really? In his one season in Spain he only started just over half the games, and barely lasted an hour most times he did.
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Obviously you are so used to Wenger throwing in 18 year olds for 90 mins every game that you have no idea how youngsters are developed every where else.
posted on 2/3/16
And to be honest. I try not throw in names for just such useless argument.
I have always been a fan of Coq going back to his horror début. Before Wenger decided he was better out of the club! And Coquelin has performed very well since Wenger realised his mistake.
However you have to accept the good with the bad. Coq is best at covering against counter attacks and struggles if asked to initiate moves. His passing range and awareness are not good enough. Coq's lack of experience counts against him and he is poor when asked to do things outside his comfort zone. That is what Man Utd did on Sunday and he was found out. And he has been before.