Santi Cazorla: My Friend, Is Adios, No?

[albakos]

Seems to be a favourite player of Wenger too. He often highlights Cazorla ability to get us out of troubles with his sublime close control skills.

But his pass to Alexis a minute before our third goal was magical. It split open the Hull defence by going past 4 players. Shame Alexis couldn't score it.

I also like his interviews and his comments mostly followed by No ?

We won the game and we will keep going, no?
I am happy to score a goal, no?

 

[Gunngstar]

The most underrated midfielder. He just keeps us ticking but hardly ever get the hype.

 

[Gunngstar]

https://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/blog...anti-cazorla-isn-t-good-enough-180835835.html
Shocking statement from Chaz. However, clearly shows the stats is in Özil's court. Sanchez comments of Cazorla really surprised me though, and really shows you how talented and admired Santi is by not only us but by his peers. Good stuff.

As far as Özil vs. Cazorla, Özil is clearly the better player for me but Santi is spectacular and we shouldn't even be having this debate in the first place as there are roles for everybody. Also anybody looking to replace Santi in the summer, as I have stated before go get checked up.

Clearly better at what? Let's not go by past reputation.

 

[bingobob]

Definitely not underrated.

Cazorla and Mata are very similar, both loved and adored by their fans, won player of the year, but Mourinho decided to free up a key playing space and cash in and use that money to address their weaknesses, knowing they still had Oscar and Hazard capable of providing what Mata did.

Cazorla is a player that is easiest for us to replace internally, he has played Lw Cam and now as part of a double pivot, we have Alexis, Welbeck or CAM Özil and for the double pivot Wilshere, Coquelin and Ramsey. But the position we are short in for me is defensively minded midfielders, someone to compete with or replace Coquelin we don't have an internal solution so we need to out source, but we need to be able to offer that play a decent prospect of playing. Getting rid of fringe players doesn't do that, we need a starter or someone who starts more often than not.

It's a big decision but are squad is seriously over bloated, removing fringe players won't provide room for key players, we will have to move someone we deem a key player to allow us to address our weak areas, our strongest area is midfield but it's our weakest defensively so someone has to move to really make progress.

 

[elber82]

Cazorlas a good player with a good unique technique. He's generally been quality this season, and pretty much ran the show last night but let's be realistic, Hull are garbage. I want to see him be as influential as he was last night in the big games against the good sides. He's gone missing in quite a few during his time at the club, most recently Monaco at home in CL.

 

[Big Poppa]

Cazorla from his last season at Villareal, his one season at Malaga (Isco was further ahead) and his first season at Arsenal was playing in the centre of midfield. He did so for the Spain national team. What are people talking about? Ramsey was subject to some serious criticism for his form since he returned from injury. When played in the middle he was getting slaughtered for chasing goals and abandoning his position - especially in the game at home to Anderlecht.

Cazorla's form and our results make some of the **** being spouted about moving him on all the more embarassing. Two footed and dictating the tempo of the game from deep. He brings the ball out from under his feet and pivots better than anyone, which makes him perfect for a role where you cannot afford slow turners under pressure. It wasn't just last night against Hull, in fact he was better against City away and Liverpool at home if you want to pull out the big game bollocks. He has more assists in the PL than anyone since 2012. That includes people like Silva and Mata. His period of **** form came when he was played on the wing. It's not a coincidence. He can't play there because he lacks athleticism and will never beat a full back.

Ramsey - its not his role either but he can do it better. He Cazorla are completely different players who excel at different things. Ramsey likes to roam, as we all know. Cazorla, because he is more experienced - is happy to stay put. We need that in front of the defence. You don't see us getting countered with ease like last season anymore and that's for a bloody good reason!

 

[bingobob]

@Big Poppa over the summer where do you think we need to strengthen? And how do you see us making room for the player(s)?

 

[tap-in]

Well there's no doubt his current position alongside Coq is working perfectly, perhaps its an age thing, midfield players often suit a deeper role when they hit 30, same happened with Arteta and many others. Cazorla has the ability, technique and experience to play this role, and he's doing it really well.

Re Ramsey on the RW, I am enjoying it, and he's scoring so not a lot to complain about really. Now we have Jack back, his cameo was great after such a break from playing at this level. You will never hold him back, that's just how he is, it's also why he is one of my favourite players!

 

[Gunngstar]

I have always maintained that we'd be a better team with Ramsey in the CM over Cazorla, however Cazorla's performances have made him undroppable.

Some of his passing yesterday was superb, no question, but let's not overlook that this was his first really good game in a while. Wenger tried benching him at the start of the season, but with injuries he got back in. I expect Wenger to either cash in or do the same next season.

Fantastic technician, but lacks something for me.

Remind me of a good game Sanchez has had for the second part if the season.

You lot forget that Cazorla, Sanchez etc have played virtually every game for us this season, so they are going to go off as the season progresses.

The likes if Ramsey, Özil, Giroud even The Coq look more fresher because 3 of those were off for 3 months each, came back in the new year and it's no rocket science that those 4 have been more influential. They are fresher compared to the likes of Sanchez and Cazorla..

 

[Gunngstar]

Cazorlas a good player with a good unique technique. He's generally been quality this season, and pretty much ran the show last night but let's be realistic, Hull are garbage. I want to see him be as influential as he was last night in the big games against the good sides. He's gone missing in quite a few during his time at the club, most recently Monaco at home in CL.

Let's apply that logic to Özil too. Has he ever done anything in a big game? That's the same Criticism that has been following him from Madrid..Henry highlighted it too which got fans so emotional and crying ever since.

You can say the same about our Sanchez, other club fans keep saying he is a flat track bully, that he does nothing in big games too..

Not only Cazorla..

 

[Big Poppa]

@Big Poppa over the summer where do you think we need to strengthen? And how do you see us making room for the player(s)?

A fair question. If you look at it from a positional perspective I definitely think we are most vulnerable when Coquelin gets injured. Nobody else in the squad can step in and perform that defensive role quite as well. I also think we need to upgrade on Giroud and Welbeck. No disrespect to either of them but they are strikers to get you in the top 4 - I feel that this team with a striker like Benzema would walk the league.

 

[Hunta]

GDeep is bang on here, we go into next season with Cazorla as first choice then the title is over before the race begins. I want two solid CM's in front of our defence, in Ramsey we have one of the best mids in the prem pushed out wide all because Wenger is scared to drop either Cazorla or Özil.

 

[Big Poppa]

@THunter you keep saying Wenger is scared to drop Cazorla or Özil but I'm yet to see you construct any sort of argument as to why the hell he should? "Ramsey one of the best mids in the prem" is a bit wooly for me mate.

 

[bingobob]

A fair question. If you look at it from a positional perspective I definitely think we are most vulnerable when Coquelin gets injured. Nobody else in the squad can step in and perform that defensive role quite as well. I also think we need to upgrade on Giroud and Welbeck. No disrespect to either of them but they are strikers to get you in the top 4 - I feel that this team with a striker like Benzema would walk the league.

I'd agree with that assessment, the remaining question is how do you make room for them? To me we need to sell and not just the fringe players either

We have 12 midfielders according to Arsenal.com including Belik, Zealem and Diaby, we can rightly exclude those three as one will be moved on the others are too young. So where do we cut to make room for an extra midfielder and the same headache probably applies to another striker especially if we cannot get rid of the players on loan.

 

[Big Poppa]

I'd agree with that assessment, the remaining question is how do you make room for them? To me we need to sell and not just the fringe players either

We have 12 midfielders according to Arsenal.com including Belik, Zealem and Diaby, we can rightly exclude those three as one will be moved on the others are too young. So where do we cut to make room for an extra midfielder and the same headache probably applies to another striker especially if we cannot get rid of the players on loan.

Do we though? Arteta, Flamini, Diaby can go. Zelalem and Bielik are very young players and can play in the League Cup then go on loan. Akpom, Hayden and Gnabry can go on loan. That's 8 places freed up from the current first team squad.

I honestly don't think it's a problem nor do we need to get anywhere near selling our best players - its completely illogical and unnecessary. We could play up to 60 games next season so even if we do bring someone in there is no guarantee that they will play every week (far from it). By selling a guy like Cazorla we could end up strengthening our first XI but weakening our squad.

 

[juice man]

@THunter you keep saying Wenger is scared to drop Cazorla or Özil but I'm yet to see you construct any sort of argument as to why the hell he should? "Ramsey one of the best mids in the prem" is a bit wooly for me mate.

Agreed. Özil and Cazorla have outperformed Ramsey this year IMO. They're getting minutes at CM and AM on merit.

 

[Iceman10]

Ramsey's had some on/off injury issues this season which apparently the club has got to the bottom of in understanding/managing, and I don't think there is much doubt that Santi has been the better player this season. Ramsey is showing promising signs, but as we saw with Jack yesterday competition is good so when a player gets a chance they are hungry and they don't feel too safe with their spots in the starting XI, as perhaps happened with Szczesny.

tbf to THunter he talked about Santi being first choice next season ahead of Ramsey but the way it should be managed is on merit at that moment in time, not on promise, but based on real squad competition. Injuries, rotation, etc. have to be covered also, although I'm out of line with Wenger in terms of those things. He does things his own way for his own reasons (for which I do not know at times).

Think of it this way: earlier in the season many were not happy with attack/defence balance of Ramsey. Even Wenger said Ramsey was focusing on goals/attack too much at expense of other things. It's much easier for a manager to get his message across to a player if he can say to that player sort it out otherwise you will find yourself on the bench for a while.

 

[Hunta]

@THunter you keep saying Wenger is scared to drop Cazorla or Özil but I'm yet to see you construct any sort of argument as to why the hell he should? "Ramsey one of the best mids in the prem" is a bit wooly for me mate.

I think it's obvious why he should, we're wasting our best player, the player who carried us last season and won us the cup. Ramsey is a better CM than Cazorla who has become our very own Coutinho in regards to the hype he's getting from Arsenal fans or pundits. People go on about Hazard being a penalty merchant yet if you take away Cazorla's six you get a ****ing shoddy return from a player who's played near enough every game for us.

I'm not convinced of him defensively, once he's beaten that's it. Just have a look at the Chelsea game recently, how many times did Willian and co just simply drift past him in midfield leaving Coq on his own? If we have to sell Cazorla to get Ramsey back in his best position then I'm all for it, the Ramsey/Özil/Giroud connection last season was the key to us being top of the league for so long.

 

[goonerwarsh]

A fair question. If you look at it from a positional perspective I definitely think we are most vulnerable when Coquelin gets injured. Nobody else in the squad can step in and perform that defensive role quite as well. I also think we need to upgrade on Giroud and Welbeck. No disrespect to either of them but they are strikers to get you in the top 4 - I feel that this team with a striker like Benzema would walk the league.

I completely agree with you Poppa, I also think that Mertesacker is a weak link for us. He's good enough for the most part and against most teams but he has too many weaknesses to exploit for me, and the best teams will do that.

 

[Lilwizzle]

Too many people are rating Ramsey off of last season I feel, I remember us being exposed in midfield for a good 4-5 games due to his senseless runs forward not too long ago.

Santi's form has been better than Ramsey's at CM this year, so until any noticeable changes, that's that.