Sentences with phrase «in the defensive midfield when»

The sale of Tom Carroll to Swansea leaves Spurs just a little short of options in the defensive midfield when it comes to rotation.

I don't think we need another centre back as Dier only plays with Wanyama in defensive midfield when we play a 4 -2-3-1.

Not exact matches

When we see Coquelin put in a shift in defensive midfield, it is really evident to see what Arsenal had been lacking when Arteta was deployed thWhen we see Coquelin put in a shift in defensive midfield, it is really evident to see what Arsenal had been lacking when Arteta was deployed thwhen Arteta was deployed there.

Coquelin, Flamini and Ramsey are not of that same mould, Victor Wanyama and Villiam Carvaho are good defensive midfielders but do not control the flow of a game, they are more likely to a rest or stays static when their team is in possession of the ball.

When it clicks and you have the likes of Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez in full flow but also functioning as parts of a well oiled machine, the Gunners have the ability to breach any defence and with a strong defensive line and midfield players who can control a game, there are the ingredients in north London to make a title winning team.

obviously I would prefer to have a much more suitable alternative in the defensive midfielder positions but if they focused more on defensive end and the occasional long - ball, this would allow Bellerin and Sead ample opportunities to bomb forward on their respective wings while still having enough cover to maintain their defensive shape... it would likewise allow for overlapping runs on both wings, thereby letting both Sanchez and Perez to cut inside and get shots away in and around the top of the box with their most dominant feet... if goals were needed I would sub Bellerin for OX and bring Ramsey in for Elneny then switch to a 3 -2-4-1 (more of a 3 -1-5-1 with Ramsey playing higher up the pitch) and I would only use Giroud as a sub when the game dictated it for tactical reasons... this would allow us to be a high energy team with incredible link - up play and a much more direct approach in the offensive end

Coutinho is the real problem for me in that Liverpool team.He can destroy midfield strategies.That's why I worry when I see us with no DMF.Years back (14/15) I remember Coquelin back pocketing Coutinho yet it's likely Wenger will bench him for no reason.That guy has so much potential if only he's used wisely.He has the abilityto mark players out of a game and intercept many passes.I know many of you will call me stupid and say he's average but imagine if Coquelin was used in a very defensive sense.Being brilliant tactically is all about producing the best system with the players you have and clearly that's not what's happening.I already lose hope when I see Kolasinac and Bellerin at WB whsn clearly it doesn't suit them.WB's are so important in a 3 back but clearly we've ignored that.

In an interview with the Hull Daily Mail, the 20 - year - old defensive midfielder explained how he jumped at the chance to join the Gunners as a teenager when he learned of their interest.

Arsenal have had a longstanding problem without a strong intelligent defensive midfielder for many many years, but a few years ago Wenger got lucky when Francis Coquelin was recalled from a loan at Charlton and immediately became our beast in that position.

It's difficult to blame Ozil for the difficulties he's faced at Arsenal without looking at the big picture... like the fans, he too was lied to by Wenger... there is no doubt in my mind that he was told by Wenger that he was trying desperately to recreate our earlier success by acquiring players that fit the system he ran when Henry was in his prime... as we know this hasn't happened... in order for Ozl to flourish he needs some speed up front, forwards that can make intelligent runs, a boss in the midfield to compensate for his obvious defensive liabilities and defenders who can transition from defence to offence quickly and efficiently... much like he had in Real and with the German National squad... unfortunately he ended up on a squad that has a striker who plays with his back to goal, very few intelligent runs into the box, minus Sanchez, no one to take pressure off him in the midfield, once Cazorla was injured, average defensive midfielders around him, which simply highlighted his lacking defensive qualities and defenders who lack the necessary cutting edge when it comes to transitional passing... instead of blaming Ozil, which is simply too easy, especially considering his mopey disposition, we should be asking ownership and / or Wenger why they brought him in if they didn't intend on doing what was necessary to get the best from him... can you imagine Ozil playing with the likes of Henry, Viera, Petit and Pires, it would be incredibly to watch and even more difficult to stop... so the only thing different between his experiences in Real and with the German team versus his time at Arsenal are the players around him and we all know who is in charge of making those decisions, the Grinch who stole soccer

Why buy another striker when the glaring weakness in the team is the lack of quality centre backs and defensive midfielder?

We at Arsenal pay the highest ticket prices in the country, and we have rarely seen all that excess profit spent on players when we need them, such as Arsene Wenger's refusal to sign a defensive midfielder until this January, despite lacking in the role since Vieira's departure in 2005.

You cant escape he fact that Podolski was played rarely and when he was he was played out of position much the same way that Wenger has assembled a squad of players most of which are a talented bunch, but, Wenger has failed to build a team who fit n with each other, we have a midfield that overtly populated with players who al excel in the same role BUT have no solid defensive midfield talent and no options in defence when players have crap periods or are long term injury problems.

Wenger does not usually act in the January transfer window, despite other rival Premier League managers taking full advantage of it, as shown last season when Mourinho brought in defensive midfielder Nemanja Matic from Benfica.

A long - term target for the Gunners this defensive midfielder could be the answer to their problems, but only when manager Arsene Wenger admits there is a problem in holding midfield.

modern football is all about a defensive midfielder who can be the one to cover the 2 CBs and not leave them hanging whenever a mistake is done in the midfield also if you can remember when we bought nacho monreal he was supposed to cover a position in the midfield and now is left back for 3 — 4 years and this is unacceptable if you see other clubs the build the teams over the DM so that the rest midfielders can create we bought this mess ozil which from day one he is not performing and not adjusting to BPL i don't know my friend i am speaking my mind from here in Athens so you who are in UK you now better than me and you can press for quality players

It literally takes pretty much all the strengths away from our world - class triangle of Mesut, Santi and Ozil to place a struggling for form Campbell in a more attacking role when the part of his role he's been doing best is providing extra defensive cover, while making us weaker in midfield when our strongest midfielder has been injured!!

In the midfield, (including RWB & LWB) we have a whole bunch of tweeners... none offer the full package, none make sense in our manager's current favourite formation, except for Sead on the left and Ox on the right, and all of them have never shown any consistency for more than a heartbeat... Sead, who I'm including in this category because of our present formation, looks like a positive addition, minus his occasional brain farts, but I would rather see what he could do in a back 4 before making my mind up... Ox, who has never played better, which isn't saying much considering his largely underwhelming play in previous seasons, seems to have found a home in this new formation; unfortunately, can we really expect this oft - injured player to handle the taxing duties that come with said position over the long haul, not to mention, it looks like he has no intention of staying... Ramsey has relied on the empathy that stems from his gruesome injury years ago and the excitement that was generated a few years back when he finally seemed to put in altogether, but on the whole he has been a big disappointment (neither he nor the Ox have scored enough to warrant a regular spot)... Wiltshire should be put on a weekly contract then played until he suffers his first injury, if and when that occurs he should be shipped - out and no one should very be allowed to say his name on club grounds ever again... Elnehy & Coq are average players who couldn't make any of the top 7 teams currently in the EPL... both have showed some great energy on the pitch, but neither are top quality and no good team can afford to have that many average players on their bench playing the same position, especially with Coq's injury history / discipline concerns and Elheny's headless chicken tendencies... as for Xhaka, his tenure here so far has been incredibly underwhelming... we know he has some skills to provide the long ball but his defensive work is piss poor and he gives the ball away too cheaply and far too often... finally, the enigma himself, Ozil, so much skill with his left foot but his presence has been more frustrating than uplifting... in many respects his failure has been directly related to the failure of this club to provide him with the necessary players up front, minus Sanchez of course, and unless something drastic happens very soon his legacy will be largely a negative one (much like Wenger'In the midfield, (including RWB & LWB) we have a whole bunch of tweeners... none offer the full package, none make sense in our manager's current favourite formation, except for Sead on the left and Ox on the right, and all of them have never shown any consistency for more than a heartbeat... Sead, who I'm including in this category because of our present formation, looks like a positive addition, minus his occasional brain farts, but I would rather see what he could do in a back 4 before making my mind up... Ox, who has never played better, which isn't saying much considering his largely underwhelming play in previous seasons, seems to have found a home in this new formation; unfortunately, can we really expect this oft - injured player to handle the taxing duties that come with said position over the long haul, not to mention, it looks like he has no intention of staying... Ramsey has relied on the empathy that stems from his gruesome injury years ago and the excitement that was generated a few years back when he finally seemed to put in altogether, but on the whole he has been a big disappointment (neither he nor the Ox have scored enough to warrant a regular spot)... Wiltshire should be put on a weekly contract then played until he suffers his first injury, if and when that occurs he should be shipped - out and no one should very be allowed to say his name on club grounds ever again... Elnehy & Coq are average players who couldn't make any of the top 7 teams currently in the EPL... both have showed some great energy on the pitch, but neither are top quality and no good team can afford to have that many average players on their bench playing the same position, especially with Coq's injury history / discipline concerns and Elheny's headless chicken tendencies... as for Xhaka, his tenure here so far has been incredibly underwhelming... we know he has some skills to provide the long ball but his defensive work is piss poor and he gives the ball away too cheaply and far too often... finally, the enigma himself, Ozil, so much skill with his left foot but his presence has been more frustrating than uplifting... in many respects his failure has been directly related to the failure of this club to provide him with the necessary players up front, minus Sanchez of course, and unless something drastic happens very soon his legacy will be largely a negative one (much like Wenger'in our manager's current favourite formation, except for Sead on the left and Ox on the right, and all of them have never shown any consistency for more than a heartbeat... Sead, who I'm including in this category because of our present formation, looks like a positive addition, minus his occasional brain farts, but I would rather see what he could do in a back 4 before making my mind up... Ox, who has never played better, which isn't saying much considering his largely underwhelming play in previous seasons, seems to have found a home in this new formation; unfortunately, can we really expect this oft - injured player to handle the taxing duties that come with said position over the long haul, not to mention, it looks like he has no intention of staying... Ramsey has relied on the empathy that stems from his gruesome injury years ago and the excitement that was generated a few years back when he finally seemed to put in altogether, but on the whole he has been a big disappointment (neither he nor the Ox have scored enough to warrant a regular spot)... Wiltshire should be put on a weekly contract then played until he suffers his first injury, if and when that occurs he should be shipped - out and no one should very be allowed to say his name on club grounds ever again... Elnehy & Coq are average players who couldn't make any of the top 7 teams currently in the EPL... both have showed some great energy on the pitch, but neither are top quality and no good team can afford to have that many average players on their bench playing the same position, especially with Coq's injury history / discipline concerns and Elheny's headless chicken tendencies... as for Xhaka, his tenure here so far has been incredibly underwhelming... we know he has some skills to provide the long ball but his defensive work is piss poor and he gives the ball away too cheaply and far too often... finally, the enigma himself, Ozil, so much skill with his left foot but his presence has been more frustrating than uplifting... in many respects his failure has been directly related to the failure of this club to provide him with the necessary players up front, minus Sanchez of course, and unless something drastic happens very soon his legacy will be largely a negative one (much like Wenger'in this category because of our present formation, looks like a positive addition, minus his occasional brain farts, but I would rather see what he could do in a back 4 before making my mind up... Ox, who has never played better, which isn't saying much considering his largely underwhelming play in previous seasons, seems to have found a home in this new formation; unfortunately, can we really expect this oft - injured player to handle the taxing duties that come with said position over the long haul, not to mention, it looks like he has no intention of staying... Ramsey has relied on the empathy that stems from his gruesome injury years ago and the excitement that was generated a few years back when he finally seemed to put in altogether, but on the whole he has been a big disappointment (neither he nor the Ox have scored enough to warrant a regular spot)... Wiltshire should be put on a weekly contract then played until he suffers his first injury, if and when that occurs he should be shipped - out and no one should very be allowed to say his name on club grounds ever again... Elnehy & Coq are average players who couldn't make any of the top 7 teams currently in the EPL... both have showed some great energy on the pitch, but neither are top quality and no good team can afford to have that many average players on their bench playing the same position, especially with Coq's injury history / discipline concerns and Elheny's headless chicken tendencies... as for Xhaka, his tenure here so far has been incredibly underwhelming... we know he has some skills to provide the long ball but his defensive work is piss poor and he gives the ball away too cheaply and far too often... finally, the enigma himself, Ozil, so much skill with his left foot but his presence has been more frustrating than uplifting... in many respects his failure has been directly related to the failure of this club to provide him with the necessary players up front, minus Sanchez of course, and unless something drastic happens very soon his legacy will be largely a negative one (much like Wenger'in a back 4 before making my mind up... Ox, who has never played better, which isn't saying much considering his largely underwhelming play in previous seasons, seems to have found a home in this new formation; unfortunately, can we really expect this oft - injured player to handle the taxing duties that come with said position over the long haul, not to mention, it looks like he has no intention of staying... Ramsey has relied on the empathy that stems from his gruesome injury years ago and the excitement that was generated a few years back when he finally seemed to put in altogether, but on the whole he has been a big disappointment (neither he nor the Ox have scored enough to warrant a regular spot)... Wiltshire should be put on a weekly contract then played until he suffers his first injury, if and when that occurs he should be shipped - out and no one should very be allowed to say his name on club grounds ever again... Elnehy & Coq are average players who couldn't make any of the top 7 teams currently in the EPL... both have showed some great energy on the pitch, but neither are top quality and no good team can afford to have that many average players on their bench playing the same position, especially with Coq's injury history / discipline concerns and Elheny's headless chicken tendencies... as for Xhaka, his tenure here so far has been incredibly underwhelming... we know he has some skills to provide the long ball but his defensive work is piss poor and he gives the ball away too cheaply and far too often... finally, the enigma himself, Ozil, so much skill with his left foot but his presence has been more frustrating than uplifting... in many respects his failure has been directly related to the failure of this club to provide him with the necessary players up front, minus Sanchez of course, and unless something drastic happens very soon his legacy will be largely a negative one (much like Wenger'in previous seasons, seems to have found a home in this new formation; unfortunately, can we really expect this oft - injured player to handle the taxing duties that come with said position over the long haul, not to mention, it looks like he has no intention of staying... Ramsey has relied on the empathy that stems from his gruesome injury years ago and the excitement that was generated a few years back when he finally seemed to put in altogether, but on the whole he has been a big disappointment (neither he nor the Ox have scored enough to warrant a regular spot)... Wiltshire should be put on a weekly contract then played until he suffers his first injury, if and when that occurs he should be shipped - out and no one should very be allowed to say his name on club grounds ever again... Elnehy & Coq are average players who couldn't make any of the top 7 teams currently in the EPL... both have showed some great energy on the pitch, but neither are top quality and no good team can afford to have that many average players on their bench playing the same position, especially with Coq's injury history / discipline concerns and Elheny's headless chicken tendencies... as for Xhaka, his tenure here so far has been incredibly underwhelming... we know he has some skills to provide the long ball but his defensive work is piss poor and he gives the ball away too cheaply and far too often... finally, the enigma himself, Ozil, so much skill with his left foot but his presence has been more frustrating than uplifting... in many respects his failure has been directly related to the failure of this club to provide him with the necessary players up front, minus Sanchez of course, and unless something drastic happens very soon his legacy will be largely a negative one (much like Wenger'in this new formation; unfortunately, can we really expect this oft - injured player to handle the taxing duties that come with said position over the long haul, not to mention, it looks like he has no intention of staying... Ramsey has relied on the empathy that stems from his gruesome injury years ago and the excitement that was generated a few years back when he finally seemed to put in altogether, but on the whole he has been a big disappointment (neither he nor the Ox have scored enough to warrant a regular spot)... Wiltshire should be put on a weekly contract then played until he suffers his first injury, if and when that occurs he should be shipped - out and no one should very be allowed to say his name on club grounds ever again... Elnehy & Coq are average players who couldn't make any of the top 7 teams currently in the EPL... both have showed some great energy on the pitch, but neither are top quality and no good team can afford to have that many average players on their bench playing the same position, especially with Coq's injury history / discipline concerns and Elheny's headless chicken tendencies... as for Xhaka, his tenure here so far has been incredibly underwhelming... we know he has some skills to provide the long ball but his defensive work is piss poor and he gives the ball away too cheaply and far too often... finally, the enigma himself, Ozil, so much skill with his left foot but his presence has been more frustrating than uplifting... in many respects his failure has been directly related to the failure of this club to provide him with the necessary players up front, minus Sanchez of course, and unless something drastic happens very soon his legacy will be largely a negative one (much like Wenger'in altogether, but on the whole he has been a big disappointment (neither he nor the Ox have scored enough to warrant a regular spot)... Wiltshire should be put on a weekly contract then played until he suffers his first injury, if and when that occurs he should be shipped - out and no one should very be allowed to say his name on club grounds ever again... Elnehy & Coq are average players who couldn't make any of the top 7 teams currently in the EPL... both have showed some great energy on the pitch, but neither are top quality and no good team can afford to have that many average players on their bench playing the same position, especially with Coq's injury history / discipline concerns and Elheny's headless chicken tendencies... as for Xhaka, his tenure here so far has been incredibly underwhelming... we know he has some skills to provide the long ball but his defensive work is piss poor and he gives the ball away too cheaply and far too often... finally, the enigma himself, Ozil, so much skill with his left foot but his presence has been more frustrating than uplifting... in many respects his failure has been directly related to the failure of this club to provide him with the necessary players up front, minus Sanchez of course, and unless something drastic happens very soon his legacy will be largely a negative one (much like Wenger'in the EPL... both have showed some great energy on the pitch, but neither are top quality and no good team can afford to have that many average players on their bench playing the same position, especially with Coq's injury history / discipline concerns and Elheny's headless chicken tendencies... as for Xhaka, his tenure here so far has been incredibly underwhelming... we know he has some skills to provide the long ball but his defensive work is piss poor and he gives the ball away too cheaply and far too often... finally, the enigma himself, Ozil, so much skill with his left foot but his presence has been more frustrating than uplifting... in many respects his failure has been directly related to the failure of this club to provide him with the necessary players up front, minus Sanchez of course, and unless something drastic happens very soon his legacy will be largely a negative one (much like Wenger'in many respects his failure has been directly related to the failure of this club to provide him with the necessary players up front, minus Sanchez of course, and unless something drastic happens very soon his legacy will be largely a negative one (much like Wenger's)

When he came he said he would restore the Barca way and give it his own touch (which in my opinion is defensive stability and adapting reasonably to opponents style, I.e he won't compromise the style but he would improve on its limitations relative to the opponent's) lately ev has over adapted to our opponents, hence the ugly football this in my opinion is largely down to the midfield which we all know can do very little of what it actually should.

Also, we are all hoping that Wenger signs a quality centre back and defensive midfielder at the very least when the transfer window opens in January.

till when will wenger still being given the 100 % support from the board, this summer is not as good as many could think, we have added only sanchez and havnt replaced our captain, our needed positions havnt been covered yet, cf and first choice defensive midfielder and wenger still believing in sanogo, this shows how much ambitous he is.

Not so long ago, when Wilshere was snubbed by England because Southgate wanted Jack to be getting regular first team football in the Defensive Midfielder role, Wenger admitted that he wanted Jack to play further forward, and he even specified where he saw him playing in future.

Lahm, when he plays as the midfield pivot, is pivotal to the Bavarians maintaining a good defensive shape but, even he, with his lack of pace, cost Bayern in the first leg at the Bernabeu.

How are we one of the elite midfields in europe when we don't have enough cover in defensive midfield?and if its so elite how come we never get far in Europe?If Wengers corrected his mistakes why are Giroud and Per still in the team and why is Arteta still hangin around

Furthermore, when Wenger identified him as being a man who could add to our struggling midfield in the tackle and strengthen our poor defensive record, why on earth was # 35 million spent on a player with a reckless tackling ability?

This season we have seen a lot of injuries to our defensive area, which i consider to be a warning of whats to come later on in the season, we should have added an experience center half and a Defensive midfielder, now all arsenal game will lie and a knife edge especial when we see a defensive player defensive area, which i consider to be a warning of whats to come later on in the season, we should have added an experience center half and a Defensive midfielder, now all arsenal game will lie and a knife edge especial when we see a defensive player Defensive midfielder, now all arsenal game will lie and a knife edge especial when we see a defensive player defensive player go down,.

When we lost to Monaco in CL, I was hoping Wenger could get Kondogbia When we lost the PL to Leicester, I was hoping Wenger would get Kante In summer I was hoping for Krychowiak, Schneiderlin, Carvalho But we just got Xhaka (which is good) but Wenger still ignores Defensive midfieldein CL, I was hoping Wenger could get Kondogbia When we lost the PL to Leicester, I was hoping Wenger would get Kante In summer I was hoping for Krychowiak, Schneiderlin, Carvalho But we just got Xhaka (which is good) but Wenger still ignores Defensive midfieldeIn summer I was hoping for Krychowiak, Schneiderlin, Carvalho But we just got Xhaka (which is good) but Wenger still ignores Defensive midfielders

yes we are a team to deploy 2 dm's in tough matches, it just hasn't worked because in recent times we've had sub par defensive midfielders like Arteta an Flamini.An tell me something what happens when / if Coquelin gets injured?

Golovin plays in midfield for CSKA and is very defensive, when required.

So wait a minute.Are Arsenal looking for a defensive midfielder or a box to box player.I'm really disappointed in Xhaka's defending.He's very good with his long passing but I don't think he's the best option when it comes to box to box.In Arsenal he's normally used as the defensive midfielder particular deep lying playmaker and this actually means that we need someone who is fantastic at attacking and can also do very well defensively so as to compliment for Xhaka's defensive short comings.Ludo Goretzka is very good defensively from the little I've seen but I don't really know much about his attacking qualities.But I also hope Arsenal does not forget about Mario Lemina.He's a complete midfielder and to me has the capabilities to be one of Europe's best if given the chance.He can defend very well and attack very well.He's a player Juventus would regret selling.As for Goretzka I know he's very good defensively but have» t seen much of him in terms of attack.If he's as good as in attack I'd sign him.

kondogbia for me all the way he has all the skills we need for d / m he schooled our midfield when we played them this season on his own, hopefully this would have had wenger rubbing his hands together with glee to watch such a class act who could run our midfield, so i think go straight in with # 30million for him straight off the bat, and test monaco's resolve and his to stay, or make him a star in our midfield he would have helped us drive the midfield forward from deep midfield and smash defensive teams like swansea.

For all us Arsenal fans know, Arsene Wenger might not even be thinking about signing a player to strengthen the Gunners in the defensive midfield area when the January transfer window opens.

He pointed out that we had too many defensive midfielders wanting to bomb forward and leaving space behind for potential counter attack, and if you read between the lines and use it as a source of info for analysis, you can clearly see he is implying we need to be stronger in the midfield by not losing ball possession, pressing more when we don't have the ball and not let ourselves exposed.

This is an incredibly difficult question to answer for a variety of reasons, most importantly because over the years our once vaunted «beautiful» style of play has become a shadow of it's former self, only to be replaced by a less than stellar «plug and play» mentality where players play out of position and adjustments / substitutions are rarely forthcoming before the 75th minute... if you look at our current players, very few would make sense in the traditional Wengerian system... at present, we don't have the personnel to move the ball quickly from deep - lying position, efficient one touch midfielders that can make the necessary through balls or the disciplined and pacey forwards to stretch defences into wide positions, without the aid of the backs coming up into the final 3rd, so that we can attack the defensive lanes in the same clinical fashion we did years ago... on this current squad, we have only 1 central defender on staf, Mustafi, who seems to have any prowess in the offensive zone or who can even pass two zones through so that we can advance play quickly out of our own end (I have seen some inklings that suggest Holding might have some offensive qualities but too early to tell)... unfortunately Mustafi has a tendency to get himself in trouble when he gets overly aggressive on the ball... from our backs out wide, we've seen pace from the likes of Bellerin and Gibbs and the spirited albeit offensively stunted play of Monreal, but none of these players possess the skill - set required in the offensive zone for the new Wenger scheme which requires deft touches, timely runs to the baseline and consistent crossing, especially when Giroud was playing and his ratio of scored goals per clear chances was relatively low (better last year though)... obviously I like Bellerin's future prospects, as you can't teach pace, but I do worry that he regressed last season, which was obvious to Wenger because there was no way he would have used Ox as the right side wing - back so often knowing that Barcelona could come calling in the off - season, if he thought otherwise... as for our midfielders, not a single one, minus the more confident Xhaka I watched played for the Swiss national team a couple years ago, who truly makes sense under the traditional Wenger model... Ramsey holds onto the ball too long, gives the ball away cheaply far too often and abandons his defensive responsibilities on a regular basis (doesn't score enough recently to justify): that being said, I've always thought he does possess a little something special, unfortunately he thinks so too... Xhaka is a little too slow to ever boss the midfield and he tends to telegraph his one true strength, his long ball play: although I must admit he did get a bit better during some points in the latter part of last season... it always made me wonder why whenever he played with Coq Wenger always seemed to play Francis in a more advanced role on the pitch... as for Coq, he is way too reckless at the wrong times and has exhibited little offensive prowess yet finds himself in and around the box far too often... let's face it Wenger was ready to throw him in the trash heap when injuries forced him to use Francis and then he had the nerve to act like this was all part of a bigger Wenger constructed plan... he like Ramsey, Xhaka and Elneny don't offer the skills necessary to satisfy the quick transitory nature of our old offensive scheme or the stout defensive mindset needed to protect the defensive zone so that our offensive players can remain aggressive in the final third... on the front end, we have Ozil, a player of immense skill but stunted by his physical demeanor that tends to offend, the fact that he's been played out of position far too many times since arriving and that the players in front of him, minus Sanchez, make little to no sense considering what he has to offer (especially Giroud); just think about the quick counter-attack offence in Real or the space and protection he receives in the German National team's midfield, where teams couldn't afford to focus too heavily on one individual... this player was a passing «specialist» long before he arrived in North London, so only an arrogant or ignorant individual would try to reinvent the wheel and / or not surround such a talent with the necessary components... in regards to Ox, Walcott and Welbeck, although they all possess serious talents I see them in large part as headless chickens who are on the injury table too much, lack the necessary first - touch and / or lack the finishing flair to warrant their inclusion in a regular starting eleven; I would say that, of the 3, Ox showed the most upside once we went to a back 3, but even he became a bit too consumed by his pending contract talks before the season ended and that concerned me a bit... if I had to choose one of those 3 players to stay on it would be Ox due to his potential as a plausible alternative to Bellerin in that wing - back position should we continue to use that formation... in Sanchez, we get one of the most committed skill players we've seen on this squad for some years but that could all change soon, if it hasn't already of course... strangely enough, even he doesn't make sense given the constructs of the original Wenger offensive model because he holds onto the ball too long and he will give the ball up a little too often in the offensive zone... a fact that is largely forgotten due to his infectious energy and the fact that the numbers he has achieved seem to justify the means... finally, and in many ways most crucially, Giroud, there is nothing about this team or the offensive system that Wenger has traditionally employed that would even suggest such a player would make sense as a starter... too slow, too inefficient and way too easily dispossessed... once again, I think he has some special skills and, at times, has showed some world - class qualities but he's lack of mobility is an albatross around the necks of our offence... so when you ask who would be our best starting 11, I don't have a clue because of the 5 or 6 players that truly deserve a place in this side, 1 just arrived, 3 aren't under contract beyond 2018 and the other was just sold to Juve... man, this is theraputic because following this team is like an addiction to heroin without the benefits

When I play in defensive midfield I don't really have to run as much to mark players, so marking a striker at centre back is a lot more physical and has been a new experience for me.

How can you play ramsey on the wing and carzola in a defensive midfield position and not sub ozil when not playing well.

As far as i am concern i think the goal keeper and midfield position are the most populated position in the arsenal squad and paid the most attention to, when ideally i would rather the the defensive position in front the keeper and the attacking position in front the midfield get the most attention.

Elneny coquelin Ramsey xhaka will not get a football club top 4 bcoz the balance ain't ready right it was so obvious bs L City that we need another's midfielder that's holds the ball and can pass forward directly with defensive positioning even nzonzi would cost more than 20mil it's getting real boring being just short every season when ur in the hardest league on the planet

Flamini does nt have the ability to bring d ball out from defense to attack, he cant dictate the play nor launch attack from his position which is bad especially when you compare him to the way modern defensive midfielders plays this days... Things has evolved, good and modern coaches now prefers to have ball playing and technical defenders, we have that in koscieny and Gabriel, also our full backs are excellent with the ball, but Flamini is not, you can see all see how we kept on loosing possession against Liverpool.

Alex Oxldae Chamberlain is a very good player.Whenever he plays he is world class and yes that is what i see in him whenever he plays.He has destroyed world class full backs and centre backs to earn the world class tag.To me he really is a world class player.It is only injury that has stopped him from carrying on.By the way have you guys seen YASSIN FORTUNE just when i thought Adelaide was the real deal then he shows up.He even look much more promising to me to be honest.Now all, Wenger has to do is to sign a cf and a defensive midfielder although to me i still see some weakness in the team.

My suggestion is that if Sanchez can learn that, he has the potential to do it much better than giroud does because he is faster off the mark and can dribble.he's too honest in his running so I disagree with those that think it's the set up of the team that failed him.his movement is still a little naive for the premier league Secondly on the left wide argument.Wenger is jamming attacking midfielder out there so as to provide cover for the defensive midfielder using two box to box battlers.it only makes sense because we have lots of them and it can be effective if well mastered.the catch is sacrificing a winger for the the attacking midfielder.if your memory serves you well you'll remember that artetas downward spiral began when teams noticed he was the hub for our possession and started deploying their number 10 to press him.it's been working for ages and can be used on any defensive midfielder regardless of the size so You'll end up with your much cried for cavarlho, kedihra, bender, schneiderline, and every other one passing sideways and backward because of the pressure so I personally appreciate the innovative move but Again appeal to Ramsey and Wilshire to take their job more serious.

Gabriel over Mert when you play against a counter team Flamini because with a stronger defensive midfield we would have been less vulnerable against their counter attacks Cazorla in off midfied.

442 is bad not just cos Giroud brace shouldn't make us forget who he is and how he kills the tempo of game but also cos for a 442 u need a complete midfielder to partner ur DM which cazorla isn't, he is a deeplying playmaker and ll struggle in a standard 442 cos he lacks the workrate and defensive qualities n also Ozil always struggle when he starts from the wing.

Liverpool's strikers were able to challenge our CB's one on one on several occasions... when that happens it means there is a lack of defensive duty in the midfield.

He failed to make an impression at Bournemouth and on the back of one full 90 minutes against a lower division side there is a clamour for him to replace the likes of Ramsay, Xhaka and Elneny who is in my opinion the best defensive midfielder at Arsenal.Wenger is absolutely correct on this occasion when he points that it is up to Wiltshire to stake a claim to a regular midfield berth by stringing together a number of consistently good performances.I sincerely hope he can but please, no more of this hype after a 90 minute shift.

Wenger has done a wonderful job and should be praised at times, but also should be cuss out when he tampers with his own team, for years this team have suffered due to his negligence of not buying or using a proper defensive midfielder, if it was not for the accidental emergence of Coquelin we would be further down in the table

When they play the players any way, they get fired in months, like Robbie got fired for playing whatever was given to him, Mata, Oscar and Hazard without any solid defensive midfield and a slowing defence.

1 new offensive coach to make us incisive when attacking 1 new defensive coach to stop the ridiculous defensive errors 1 new goalkeeper who is not as error prone 3 new defenders who can actually defend 1 defensive midfield who can track attacking midfield ad plug holes in the back 1 attacking midfield who is consistant 1 wide attacking player who has the ability to beat a player with skill Also can we please have: 1 new CEO who can do decent commercial deals 1 new owner who cares about the club and what us to challenge in the league

Are you really naive enough to believe that Wenger would bring anyone into this current locker room that is going to be given a strong voice... have you not been watching, listening or reading about our club for years... Lehman is a blind Wenger follower, which is the only reason he was even considered... just for a second think of all the strong personalities that have played for this club that have never been seriously considered even though they have expressed legitimate interest in participating in the coaching process... even worse, think of all the former greats who aren't even allowed on the same pitch as Wenger because they have offered their advice and / or criticism to the infallible one... I dare you to find a manager that has distanced himself from his former players as much as this man... it's the very reason why only one player I can think of has ever returned to play for Wenger and that was Flamini, which was hilarious considering we were desperately looking for a top quality defensive midfielder but Wenger could somehow find no one better than Flamini in the whole wide world... let's face it this club was simply trying to appease it's disgruntled fans by declaring that Wenger would no longer be given Ca rte Blanche when it came to the backroom staff so they probably asked him to give them a list of those who he would allow in the locker room... on that list he wrote Lehman, Pires and Bergkamp, likely because the first two are the only former players who haven't publicly questioned his horrible decision - making and the last one because he won't get in an airplane

Francis is a defensive midfielder so you expect defence related statistics to be more relevant when evaluating him in relation to players playing the same position.