Arsenal Banter Archive December 22 2014

22 Dec 2014 20:21:00
What do we do about Mertascker? He's had no real interest all season and the last two away games shown he has no intention of getting hurt in any way shape or form.
Over Christmas do we play Monreal and Debuchy and then buy as quickly as possible in January, it doesn't send out a very good message to the other players to allow him to continue to wear the shirt

Kos and debuchy in the middle for me mate then buy a worldie in the jan window

The way Mertasaker ducked out of the way of the ball and did not even attempt to challenge for the header is absolutely shameful. For a bloke his size he should relish the aerial battle at set pieces. For his height he actually to me appears to be quite physically weak and has no aggression and power to attack the ball and clear it. He almost looks scared to get stuck in at times.

More than anything we need defenders that actually enjoy and take pride in defending. The Likes of Keown and Adams would have had Mertasaker for breakfast. Those players never backed down from the physical challenge both in the air and on the desk, no attacker wanted it more then they wanted to clear it.

To them it was a personal insult to concede a goal especially from set pieces. Yes Wenger has an attacking philosophy but it would do a world of good if he and Bould starring installing some pride and will in defending and clearing our lines. At present every time we concede a close wide free kick or corner I get palpatations. I am never confident that we will clear it well, it is like 50/50 that we will conceed to me.

{Ed025's Note - for me ryan the fault was zonal marking mate, they had 10 men, it was the 97th minute and all the players are marking space...grab a shirt ffs!..

Sounds good to me, we can never be so desperate as to play someone who so obviously isn't up for it, no matter how many injuries we have.
Sanogo may not be good enough but he's worth 10 Mertasckers for me

Hes never been amazing. Anyone that slow can't be. You need to build a team to protect him. His Germany record is good but there an immense team and most games are against part timers and the odd lower nation.

He could tell though he will never be regular starter for them again that's why he called it a day

Per was not at fault for the goal but ducking out the way is nothing short of a disgrace. Would you ever see Kompany, Terry of Gerrard doing that?!

We need two CB's in January. One to start with Koscielny and a 3rd choice CB. Personally, break the bank for Hummels and look to bring in Schar as he only has 6 months left on his deal.

23 Dec 2014 02:48:52
Does anybody know exactly how many teams zonal mark in the Prem? And beyond that how many in the top 5 leagues in Europe what is the percentage?

Because is suspect its higher than any of us imagine (or want it) to be. Because IMO its thick but a lot of teams do it.

23 Dec 2014 03:01:02
Also lads I personally think its silly to be talking about Monreal and Debuchy (especially Nacho, Mat has been promising, but how many people said the same of Chambers) these are two players who have NEVER played that position in their careers but for the handful of games they've gotten this month or so.

Yes Mert has been poor form, and I'd like to have him replaced but he's a world cup winner, he's on poor form, but to replace him with amateurs of the position doesn't make sense to me. Even as a stop gap til January.

He's the most capable man for the job at our disposal right now, despite his poor form. On top of that our defence as a collective has been terrible this year because we've had maybe two games at full strength. As a full strength defence we'd see the best of him again.

Not that that would be enough for me not to find a replacement. But Nacho/debuchy silly in my mind because we'd be all be complaining at either having "useless" Monrel in the centre or not having a decent right back.

I think the point is Sheeny most of us would rather have a less capable but totally committed player wearing the shirt than one who so obviously isn't that fused either way.
Give me a championship player who's prepared to give 100% over a world cup winning player who's lost interest any day

22 Dec 2014 18:00:50
i know this isn't arsenal related, but wouldn't know where else to ask, hopefully klopp being a potential arsenal manager makes it kind of relevant :P I was wondering if anyone who follows the bundesliga can shed any insight into how come dortmund are doing so badly? thanks

22 Dec 2014 12:20:53
Gents out of curiosity, why do you think Arsene put chambers out on the right, Markovic had his number most of the game especially given the difference in pace, would Debuchy not have been better on the right? We clearly used that side against you through most of the 1st half it was so evident. Is Debuchy slower than Chambers, from what i've seen Debuchy at least postions himself better and reads the game better.

Watching the match as a Liverpool fan I found it puzzling

22 Dec 2014 14:02:52
Because Wenger is stubborn, set in his ways and NEVER learns.
If we were to play real madrid it wouldn't occur to him to put extra measures in place to deal with Ronaldo. He certainly won't to deal with markovic or any of the half decent wide players that have pissed all over our fullbacks this season.

22 Dec 2014 14:50:37
Because otherwise we'd have Nacho in the center with Mert. Kos was injured. Chambers unable for the centre. Simple as that

Before the great ducking incident - I was beginning to worry about the BFG getting hurt as it would leave us with Debuchy and Monreal as CB's. Now not so much.

Let's face it Chambers is in over his head at the moment and should be substitute and spot starter as he learns the game, don't blame him as he gives his all but still just a kid.

We need a back for of Debuchy, Hummels, Kos and Gibbs with subs of Chambers, BGF and Monreal…IMO

22 Dec 2014 15:44:22
To be honest Chambers at RB is probably one of our lesser problems, I would have stuck with Bellerin at RB and kept Debuchy at CB.

Our problem as I said a few weeks ago is a spine of Szczesny, Mertesacker, Arteta and Giroud, we are extremely unlikely to win anything with those in the team.

Whilst Mertesacker is simply terrible Arteta, Giroud and Szczesny whilst decent players are not going to take us to the next level. I won't even bother giving my opinion of Welbeck.

I've lost count of how many times Szczesny has thrown us into trouble, attacking mids have waltzed passed Arteta or Giroud has taken a swing and a miss or failed to connect with a headed chance.

Add Wenger into the mix who for me now is pretty much done, a transfer window of epic proportions about the only thing that will save him now.

To allow Chambers to get a weekly toasting, to play Ozil out of position, to take 1 point out of 9 against a woeful United is shameful.

We have become last seasons United, an awful start from which they never recovered and we look no where near to recovering from a abject start.

This is when managers earn their corn and Wenger looks for all the world like he is going to be going hungry.

Cheers for getting back to me guys. Seems you're entire squad has its own problems. I only brought it up as a lot of our first half play came from that wing, and seemingly anything meanginful that happened in the game came from your left hand side when Gibbs was able to get forward. I just wasn't sure if it's a weekly occurrence with chambers on the right. Seemed an odd move to buy debuchy to stick him in the middle. Is chambers no good in the centreback pairing?

In regard to chambers, I feel he's too inexpierienced, not his fault he's only 19 and had only played 20 odd PL games previously. now with our injuries he's been expected to play pretty much every game with no real leader next to him guiding him and keeping him in check. as a liverpool fan I would be interested to know your opinions on carrol and downing obviously when you had them they looked pretty poor, now they look better than most of what youve got, do you think its down to rodgers not showing them enough love and belief or do you think they couldn't handle the pressure that came with the price tag and bigger expectations?

I would have left Debuchy at RB, with Chambers moved to CB, where I believe he will end up. In reality we need two additional defenders in this window. In the summer I would replace Mertesacker & Monreal who lack the pace necessary at the top level.

Gibbs bombs forward and is caught up field Mertesacker is a donkey and Chambers is young the midfield needs a Macherano to let the forward players florish and arsenal need a clinical striker If Mascherano and Howedes or Hummels werre brought in Arsenal would be very competitive again

22 Dec 2014 10:27:25
Dissapointing performance, demi-tragic ending (who can honestly say we look like seeing out those sort of games?).

Poor showing but when you look at Arteta/Ramsey/Wilshire/Ozil/Koscielny/ Walcott i'd say that is half the first team out currently injured. That's a big miss. Surprises me how things change - Skrtel hammered at half time for being outjumped by Debuchy, with 1 extra time header he's suddenly dream team star man.i don't get it. We can all pick holes in every player, and yes it was poor yesterday, but I still believe that the neucleas is there, Wenger can produc e the sort of football required, he just needs to open the wallet again in Jan and get def cover and a Flamini replacement.

Gooner, you say wengers got what is required if he spends some money. Requirements for what, he ain't taking us to the top and i'm not happy with fourth and that's the most I can see him doing. The blokes clueless as far as top line tactics are concerned, he gets undone by everyone.

22 Dec 2014 08:07:12
Early predictions.

Arsenal 9
QPR 0.

WHU 1
Arsenal 8.

What? Lol

Arsenal 5 QPR 1
West ham 4 Arsenal 0
One way by day another way by night, we ate princesses Fiona.
Can't wait to see Andy Carol v Mertascker, I'm sure Sam won't be nasty enough to exploit this will he?

22 Dec 2014 00:18:47
The Arsenal players to star in the Wizard of Oz
Obviously Mertascker will play the Lion

22 Dec 2014 08:03:39
Its nearly Xmas G62.
Be nice lol.