Arsenal players inspire ambivalence…….love and dismay in one.
I’ll believe it when it’s on Arsenal.com
At this moment, Lacazette is supposedly coming. Though I’ll do as the cliché says and only “be happy once it’s on Arsenal.com”. We’ve been burnt by this speculation far too many times, it’s like the boy who cried ‘wolf’. But then I’ve been thinking about players who we currently have, and how they both make me marvel and curse simultaneously.
Whoopz. Welbz does it again.
Welbz
Yes, dat guy Welbz.
Danny Welbeck has pace, power, strength, and positional sense.
But he cannot finish for sh*t.
I rate him highly. But his “assist” for Bellerin vs. Everton in May was an example of bad finishing and how modern football is stats-mad. I don’t see how that was an assist, since he missed the ball, and did not consciously pass to Bellerin.
But then if he could finish, he’d be world class. He has everything else in his locker, bar that critical point any striker must have. Amidst the Lacazette buzz, he’d be our English Lacazette, or maybe at a stretch our English Henry, or a neo-Ian Wright.
Alexis
My favourite player in our team, and the player whom I label “mi chico” (my boy in Spanish) out of reverence.
But he did one thing that pissed me off last season.
I don’t think he can confuse his shoulder with his face, but then the antics vs. Leicester were….well pathetic. Yes, he scored thirty goals. Yes he helped us win the FA Cup. Yes, other great players in the past have done egregious things on the pitch. Vieira, Wright, and Bergkamp all did. But again, a shoulder and face are two different anatomical parts.
I feel he may go, but if he stays, he needs to cut out the dramatics, and focus on being a beast of a player.
Kos
I had never heard of Kos before he came, but he came as Koscielny, but now is BOSScielny.
Though the Everton challenge was idiocy, his giving away of a penalty vs. Spurs was even more so, since we could have won that game had Kane not scored at that given time.
Still – I love Kos. Up there in the top ten Arsenal centre-backs of all-time, maybe top five at a stretch.
Crushed by the weight of expectation. Feo ’06.
Theo
There are some who says“but he’s still young, let him develop”. 28 is NOT young for any player.
I actually like him. I think he has not fulfilled his potential that is all. Though 100 goals in 300 games for a winger is decent in any era.
And let’s be honest. Had he been an under the radar signing, and not comically included in the 2006 World Cup squad, and not hyped by both Wenger and the media whilst he was at Southampton, he would not have the ire some of us project. Comparing him to Giggs is superficially silly, given his longevity and success. But he was a winger like Theo, and his goal ratio for United was pretty similar. So on goals alone, Theo has done well. The hype of him being the next big thing, in my mind, has forever tarnished expectations.
Ozil
Ozil has the grace of the Invincibles era, and even Henry said that had he been in the dressing room, he would have been punched a few times by certain characters for his perceived laziness. Possibly by one of his compatriots, who may have played in goal at that time, I don’t know….
But then for his guile on the ball, he doesn’t give enough overall effort. If he did, like in the Cup Final, he’d be unstoppable. Ozil can be an Arsenal legend, if he plays like that 80% of the time.
Bellerin
Well one gripe I have is that many fans don’t pronounce his name properly, which is a bit disrespectful. This isn’t a Spanish lesson, but then it’s (phonetically) “bey-yuh-reen” not “bell-uh-rin”.
That said, I don’t care if he has long hair. But we know he has promise. In 15/16, he was right up there as a global young talent. I don’t want to see him waste it away, that’s all.
Ramsey
Yes, he won us two FA Cup finals. He came back from injury, against the football purists of Stoke. He did a Panenka at the birthplace of Panenkas. But then we don’t see this regularly enough.
His good 13/14 season has blighted him in a way, and a top player needs to do it consistently. I hope for his and our sakes he can, from 17/18 going forward.
Cech
One of the best keepers in Premier League history, and statistically without question the best. He holds the most clean sheets ever, and also holds the most Golden Glove awards.
However, has he ever saved a penalty with us? Did he somehow feel nostalgic at Stamford Bridge, and gift them a goal?
As a keeper up there with Schmeichel and our own Seaman, then he needs to cut that out from now on. That said, he is our best keeper since Lehmann, so I’m glad to have him around.
Tough love
Now, this is not a dig. Nor am I being rude or out of place.
I just believe we have a squad of talent, but the talent is glaringly and inconsistently applied.
Of the players I’ve mentioned, they all have played in World Cups, Copa Americas, and Euros. They’ve won cups and leagues, with us and other clubs. They must have between them about 600 international caps, and that’s being conservative.
So if we’re to get back into the top four next season, which I believe we can, then these players amongst others must perform at a top level all the time. A Lacazette, Lemar, or an Mbappe, would be great additions to this talented albeit inconsistent bunch.
MarbleHallsTV is an Arsenal social media account on Twitter, Facebook and Youtube. Been a Gooner since the 90s, inspired by Ian Wright, then Bergkamp, Vieira, Henry, Pires, Campbell, Rosicky, Koscielny, Ozil and Sanchez. A digital marketer/entrpreneur by profession, born in UK living in the Americas now.
Talented and experienced players Arsenal has , but why are they underperformers and by extension underachievers over the years?The underperformance persisted over the years even when new players with “winning mentality” were brought in by Arsenal FC .Players who left six ,seven years ago were criticized for lacking the so called “winning mentality” Critics have dropped that tag now since Arsenal has many winners of World, European and Copa America Cups,playing for the Club and that accusation will not wash.
The problem in Arsenal is that of management . The Board has no football person hence there is nobody to control Wenger. We have Wenger himself whose man -management , training method and tactical rigidity are archaic so that he is unable to get the best out of the players throughout each season for over a decade!
Yes, let good players continue coming to Arsenal but that alone is not a sufficient condition to achieve optimal performance of these players unless the causes of underperformance are removed.
Wenger’s man-management style and training methods are archaic…perhaps you should expand on your insider knowledge…are you a player perhaps ? A trainer ?
I would agree with you that AW has become stubbornly naive in his tactics over the last decade and as such has to shoulder his share of the responsibility for our lack of PL and EC titles….as does the team and the SUPPORTERS !
As long as that Old specialist in failure Arsenewenger .wenger remains there,its the same cycle of events happening worse still they might end up 10th next season. Wenger is the reason Sanchez might leave cos of his Man management, tactics and usage of players. Buying of average players. Wenger never bringing players that can make immediate impact. Fibre gas was there, he left him for Chelsea, A player that can give you 20assist at least ans.even 15goals in a season. In fact this season will be the worst for wenger if sanchez and Oil leaves. As good as laccazeth may be, he is average to me. Forget about MPpape,being in “Aubermeyang’, laccazeth, then a central midfielder like fabregas,or someone that can play there that will deputise santi.even other coaches and fans know this including the players but Wenger will never agree. I Hate that man. He makes me want to hate supporting this club Arsenal fc.