Wenger dealt fresh Vermaelen blow

[Joss]

You name 5 defenders united have who can play there, and still miss off Jonny Evans( who whilst hasnt had the best season, was very good last season and is still only 22) So you have named 4 expereince defenders in Brown, O'shea, Rio and Vidic. whilst we still have 2 very talented players coming through in Evans and Smalling( both better then Arsenals up and coming Centre Backs). So we have 6 to yours 4. So yes, you do need another one.

I don't think I did leave out Evans. I thought I had mentioned him in the context of not being very good this season, together with Brown and O'Shea but if I did miss him out, it wasn't on purpose. I agree he was impressive last season, but as you said to me re: Fabianski, one season doesn't make him a good player (In another thread)

Let's be brutally honest here: O'Shea and Brown aren't the best defenders in the world. OK, they have experience, but their legs are going, and Brown was awful against Marseille, and against Liverpool.

I really don't think we do need another CB tbh - Koscielny and Djourou have looked very good together this season, Vermaelen is a brilliant player and we have Squillaci as back-up, who, just like Brown and O'Shea, isn't the best and is too old IMO. Squillaci is probably worse than them both at CB (although difficult to tell since his main weakness is pace which is more exploited at Arsenal than it would be at Utd with our high line and is actually decent in the air when he wants to be). Then we have Bartley and Miquel coming through, one was playing first team, out of position, in Europe and impressed greatly for Rangers, while Miquel is unproven but looks promising.

All I'm saying is that we have at least 5 CBs from the start of next season who I feel will be ready, then either Squillaci or Miquel depending on which one you'd include in that 5. They may or may not be better overall than your CBs. Either way, there's no room for 6/7 CBs at the club - half of them will never play.

Yes, we should have tried to loan a CB in Jan, or maybe sign short-term experience as cover. But No, we shouldn't go out and buy another CB in the Summer - what's the point in developing players like Bartley and Miquel if every time a chance opens up, you go and spend £20m on another player?

I don't think there's much point in saying "Well, we might get 4 serious injuries, and will need cover, so let's go out and sign a CB who can rot away on the bench" - You have 6 CBs because two are young players, and two are older ones who Utd use as emergency cover and who aren't that good!

I feel I'm going round in circles but personally, I'd rather give Bartley and Miquel a chance to push Squillaci for the 4th spot. If you read this article, it explains why players like Silvestre, Campbell and Squillaci have been brought in.

I trust MIquel and Bartley to step up next season, by which time Koscielny will have had a full season in the PL, TV5 will hopefully have recovered, Djourou will have recovered and hopefully put his injury worries behind him permanently (as much as possible), an experienced (if inconsistent) CB to help younger players, and 2 "very talented players coming through" in MIquel and Bartley.

---------- Post added at 06:27 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:23 PM ----------

There was pretty strong links between us and him in January as his contract was up next season and while he wanted to extend it, PSG were saying they couldn't afford the wages he wanted. Needless to say, he has now signed an extension.

Question to Arsenal fans (Joss) what do you reckon the chances are of Song playing at CB are? I figure with how he has played in the midfield, Wenger would want to keep him there, but I spose it's always a possibility.

1. Re: Sakho - big speculation. PSG want to sell, but I get the feeling if AW was going to sign him, he would've tried in Jan.

2. Not very likely tbh. He's decent cover at CB, but he's vital to the triple-pivot in midfield and has a superb understanding with Wilshere.

Order: Vermaelen - Djourou - Koscielny - Squillaci (probably Bartley next season, if he doesn't extend his loan) - one of Bartley or Squillaci - Miquel - Song. May depend on importance of game etc. though.

 

[Billy]

Djourou is a better player than Vermaelen.

 

[Average Joe]

Not exactly relevant to much, and don't know if its been brought up in the thread already. But I've just read the thread title in a whole new way...go on...read it again...

 

[Scott]

I don't think I did leave out Evans. I thought I had mentioned him in the context of not being very good this season, together with Brown and O'Shea but if I did miss him out, it wasn't on purpose. I agree he was impressive last season, but as you said to me re: Fabianski, one season doesn't make him a good player (In another thread)

Let's be brutally honest here: O'Shea and Brown aren't the best defenders in the world. OK, they have experience, but their legs are going, and Brown was awful against Marseille, and against Liverpool.

I really don't think we do need another CB tbh - Koscielny and Djourou have looked very good together this season, Vermaelen is a brilliant player and we have Squillaci as back-up, who, just like Brown and O'Shea, isn't the best and is too old IMO. Squillaci is probably worse than them both at CB (although difficult to tell since his main weakness is pace which is more exploited at Arsenal than it would be at Utd with our high line and is actually decent in the air when he wants to be). Then we have Bartley and Miquel coming through, one was playing first team, out of position, in Europe and impressed greatly for Rangers, while Miquel is unproven but looks promising.

All I'm saying is that we have at least 5 CBs from the start of next season who I feel will be ready, then either Squillaci or Miquel depending on which one you'd include in that 5. They may or may not be better overall than your CBs. Either way, there's no room for 6/7 CBs at the club - half of them will never play.

Yes, we should have tried to loan a CB in Jan, or maybe sign short-term experience as cover. But No, we shouldn't go out and buy another CB in the Summer - what's the point in developing players like Bartley and Miquel if every time a chance opens up, you go and spend £20m on another player?

I don't think there's much point in saying "Well, we might get 4 serious injuries, and will need cover, so let's go out and sign a CB who can rot away on the bench" - You have 6 CBs because two are young players, and two are older ones who Utd use as emergency cover and who aren't that good!

I feel I'm going round in circles but personally, I'd rather give Bartley and Miquel a chance to push Squillaci for the 4th spot. If you read this article, it explains why players like Silvestre, Campbell and Squillaci have been brought in.

I trust MIquel and Bartley to step up next season, by which time Koscielny will have had a full season in the PL, TV5 will hopefully have recovered, Djourou will have recovered and hopefully put his injury worries behind him permanently (as much as possible), an experienced (if inconsistent) CB to help younger players, and 2 "very talented players coming through" in MIquel and Bartley.

We have 6 centre backs. 2 are world class. 2 are young( and very promising) and 2 are squad players.

O'shea is terribly under rated defensively he is 6 football plus, Very good in the air, and strong.

Brown is very poor against quality players, he has one level and that is the lower end prem forwards.

Evans, with him this season has been his only poor season( as i said to you, one good seaso doesnt make you a good player, neither does one bad player)

Whilst you have 4 specialist Centre back, and no-one of any experience/ calibre to cover. Maybe a signing like O'shea or Brown is in order for you guys, someone who plays mainly as full back, but is very confortable in the centre.

 

[Joss]

We have 6 centre backs. 2 are world class. 2 are young( and very promising) and 2 are squad players.

O'shea is terribly under rated defensively he is 6 football plus, Very good in the air, and strong.

Brown is very poor against quality players, he has one level and that is the lower end prem forwards.

Evans, with him this season has been his only poor season( as i said to you, one good seaso doesnt make you a good player, neither does one bad player)

Whilst you have 4 specialist Centre back, and no-one of any experience/ calibre to cover. Maybe a signing like O'shea or Brown is in order for you guys, someone who plays mainly as full back, but is very confortable in the centre.

Wow.

I'm actually going to agree with you for once!

I agree about your 6 defenders, though I do feel that holding onto players like Brown and O'Shea is more just a unwillingness to let two long term players go, rather than a specific plan, while Smalling's emergence has been fortunate - he obviously wasn't signed to jump into the first team, but to his credit he's done very well for the most part.

O'Shea's good in the air, strong, 6 foot(ball lol) + etc. and probably is slated a little too much, but he is primarily a RB and is only a squad player.

Agree with Brown, except that's not a particularly useful attribute haha

How many seasons has Evans played though? This is is 2nd full season isn't it? He went on loan, then appeared as a genuinely good player when Rio got injured. Obviously one season doesn't make a player either good, or bad though Evans' drop in form shows an element of inconsistency.

I think where I agree with you on your last point is that Squillaci was a poor signing. He's the right player (experienced, meant to be no nonsense), but unfortunately, he's struggled to adapt to the English league so unlike Sol Campbell, he's struggled.

I don't think he will sign a new player though, he'll give Squillaci a chance, though he is only a cover player and shouldn't really have played as much as he has (though that's not very much!). I'd welcome an experienced CB to help out younger players, preferably English (solely because he can understand the EPL better: A foreigner with PL exp. is just as welcomed but not really existent) and to provide cover when needed...

..What I don't agree with, is the suggestion from a lot of people that we need to go out and spend £20m on Cahill or Jagielka, because it would mean dropping one of Vermaelen, Koscielny or Djourou to 4th choice (probably) which would be a waste of good defenders.