I think it is clear now that we need another CM who can carry the ball and bring it forward because Cazorla will have reduced play time from now on.

I don't care about what people say but Ramsey is not that man. He should have bossed the midfield yesterday and be head and shoulder above anyone else but his performance was very dissapointing.

Need Xhaka to really step up now. He has had long enough to settle now.
Us sitting back a bit deeper with Coq and Xhaka but the more pacy front 4 could work.

Achilles injuries are horrible

"set to keep the midfielder out of action until 2017"

So he could be back in a month then?

comment by D'Jeezus Mackaroni (U1137)
posted 14 minutes ago
Need Xhaka to really step up now. He has had long enough to settle now.
Us sitting back a bit deeper with Coq and Xhaka but the more pacy front 4 could work.
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I don't know if he could be that man tbh. The closest thing we have is Wilshere. But would Wilshere - Xhaka work though?

Injured in a meaningless game against Ludogorets where he didn’t even need to play.

comment by Busby (U19985)
posted 7 minutes ago
Achilles injuries are horrible
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Just ask Achilles himself!

Xhaka is a very clever passer, the way he cuts opposition out of the game is great. He's not a great dribbler though.

Wilshere is the best replacement for cazorla we have. But he'll break down as soon as he comes back to us in all likelihood

The problem isn't cazorlas absence though.

Well, it is one of the problem though...

Wenger isn't going to replace Cazorla with someone similar. He didn't even find a like for like replacement for Vieira. He'll use the options we already have until try we find an internal solution

I did say Cazorla was inevitably going to require surgery.

Could really have done with Wilshere here considering how pony the rest of our Mf is

comment by Ramböue (U12551)
posted 13 minutes ago
Wenger isn't going to replace Cazorla with someone similar. He didn't even find a like for like replacement for Vieira. He'll use the options we already have until try we find an internal solution
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Vieira left us in 2005. Since then, how many players like him have you seen in the world of football?
I think Cazorla will be easier to replace tbh.

Cazorla is special player! The guy was better than Ozil at No. 10 yet pushed out oft hat position...guess what? He looked as happy as ever and became one for the best at this new adapted position instantly.

Having Cazorla in the team gives us so much more fluidity in MF it's unreal

Everyone said he couldnt play CM due to his size and he has been as good as anyone in the league in that position.

He was also deployed out wide during his time with us and he did a solid job there also

He was also deployed out wide during his time with us and he did a solid job there also

========

Because that's where he played most of his pre Arsenal career

It is now official. Won't see Cazorla until after the February at the earliest.

http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/20161201/santi-cazorla-to-undergo-surgery

The February?!

comment by Castor Troy (U8700)
posted 43 minutes ago

Everyone said he couldnt play CM due to his size and he has been as good as anyone in the league in that position.

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Don't know if that was everybody, but whoever did was a total fackin' imbecile or had been on another planet while Xavi bossed one of the best midfields in living memory.

Wilshere might feel like a feckin idiot now for not staying and fighting for his place.
Would have started plenty of games this season.

comment by Mourinho delenda est (U6426)
posted 14 minutes ago
comment by Castor Troy (U8700)
posted 43 minutes ago

Everyone said he couldnt play CM due to his size and he has been as good as anyone in the league in that position.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Don't know if that was everybody, but whoever did was a total fackin' imbecile or had been on another planet while Xavi bossed one of the best midfields in living memory.
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Nobody said he couldn't, they just preferred him in a more attacking role. Some posters on here just like saying "I told you so", unfortunately.

comment by Ramsey playing with a broken toe since 2008! (U10012)
posted 7 minutes ago
Wilshere might feel like a feckin idiot now for not staying and fighting for his place.
Would have started plenty of games this season.
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Wilshere would have broken down with us by now. Be interesting to see if he stays fit this season, and how he gets on when he comes back.

lol

I joked a few weeks back that we will see this exact headline on Arsenal.com.

Whenever wengers gives flaky answers with relation to injured players coming back it always means surgery is on the cards

That's his season over and even when he does come back there is no guarantee that he will be able to play at the top level again.