Arsenal-Mania

Sagna: We have improved / was difficult playing out of position

By Jonathan Chong on Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Full-back Bacary Sagna believes that the Gunners have improved from last season, with three midfielders being replaced by manager Arsčne Wenger.

Alexander Hleb left to join Barcelona but the arrival of Samir Nasri from Marseilles seems to have softened the Belarus international's departure.

Gilberto Silva left to join Greek-side Olympiakos and Mathieu Flamini left to join AC Milan, but both have been replaced by the arrivals of Aaron Ramsey and Amaury Bischoff.

Youngster Jack Wilshere has also been promoted to the first-team and can play in midfield.

Speaking to the official website, Sagna said: "I am very happy because I have not been playing for five months, so it is great to be back here with all my mates.

"We have been getting better and better. We are playing quite well at the moment, and won on Sunday against a good team [in Real Madrid].

"We showed everyone that we can still play well, even if we have lost some players.

"I think Nasri can do it and will show everyone he can play very well. Samir is a very good player and we are lucky to have signed him.

"I have played alongside him in the French national team. I believe he will show everyone he can play very well and will find his place in the Arsenal team."

When asked about Arsenal's end-of-season collapse last season, Sagna says that the losses hit him and his team mates hard. He also admitted that it was difficult to maintain the side's momentum when injuries forced some key players to be played out of position.

The former Auxerre defended added: "Everything changed, some players were playing not in their positions, and it is always difficult when you change everything.

"But it was difficult personally to see my team-mates losing games.

"This season, we will try to be wiser. We will show everyone we are still the Gunners and that we can win the title.

"We play to win everything and we will try to do it."

User Comments

8

craigg

Posted on 6 Aug, 2008 at 04:03 PM - Reply

no doubt arsenal needs a good defensive mid-fielder and one who can hold balls from leaking with dat arsenal will be gunning anyhw.So ,wenger pls get VELOSO FAST we need him.

7

david

Posted on 6 Aug, 2008 at 02:53 PM - Reply

we should get cb that good in the air

6

positivity for feck sake

Posted on 6 Aug, 2008 at 01:38 PM - Reply

arsenal WILL win the league

you heard it here first ...

5

william chibambo

Posted on 6 Aug, 2008 at 01:07 PM - Reply

The best difence is G.clichy,Galas,C.Toure and Sagna.It seems E.Ebue is trying to be a winger.The combination of Sagna and Ebue is perphect.Now Wenger needs to bring in two more experienced players, centre back and midfielder.This will realy take Arsenal top of the Premier League and to the finals of UEFA Champions League this season .

4

1gunnerDave

Posted on 6 Aug, 2008 at 12:20 PM - Reply

what Arsenal really needs is decisiveness in attack.even Gilberto in his prime would not have bben able to conceal the uncordinated nature of the Arsenal defence. i am convinced that if the 30 or so glaring goalscoring chances that were fluffed were converted Arsenal would have won up to two trophies and conceded less goals. may sound odd, but its true; the more golas you score, the less you concede.

3

S Ross

Posted on 6 Aug, 2008 at 12:02 PM - Reply

I agree we need a more experienced holding player though denilson could be a surprise package in that role. I really believe we need a solid centre back, we have had no decent cover in this position for past 2 seasons, if first choice pair are unavailable. Think with present squad we will have similar season to last year, close but no cigar!

2

Iain Stephenson

Posted on 6 Aug, 2008 at 11:06 AM - Reply

Sorry to be pessimistic, but I can't see us challenging this season. Not unless we sign an experienced holding midfielder. We may start strong, but we seem to have an even younger team than last year, and pinning our hopes on Ramsey, Wilshere and Nasri who are all new to the squad shows how short we are. And who honestly thinks Adebayor is going to score 30 goals again? If Van Persie gets injured where are our goals going to come from? Could this be the year Spurs finish above us? Please no.

1

Mat S

Posted on 6 Aug, 2008 at 10:54 AM - Reply

I think to say that the void left by Flamini and Gilberto has been filled by Ramsay and Bischoff is a bit strong. Bischoff is unlikely to play for months as he has just had surgery and Wenger himself has admitted his signing is 'a gamble', as for Ramsay, well, time will tell if he is good enough for the first team. Remember how long it has taken for Walcott to gain a regular starting berth. I think that we will definitely challenge this season, Sagna staying fit will be a big bonus, but I still think we need stregthening in other areas before we can be taken seriously as title contenders.