19 Weeks: HALF SEASON SCORE CARD.

[Salieri]

The team is sitting top of the league after the first half, and that was accomplished with so many injuries and set backs. After we brought in Özil, i predicted we might in close to the top at this point of the season, but never did i think we would be leading the PL. So, taking the injuries into consideration, this team has over achieved thus far.

SirChesny: 8. Carried us on many occasions and maturing into the legend he can be. There will be some downs as there was in the past months, but i am very excited to see his future unfold before our eyes.

CB brothers Mert&Kosc: 9.5 What a superb calendar year for the best cb partnership in the PL. They continue this form and we have a pretty good chance of winning a trophy.

Bac & Gibbs: 8 While Sagna has improved his offensive contribution, Gibbs has regressed a bit in that department but improved defensively imo.

Arteta & Flams: 8 Flamini might turn out to be our most important signing because Mikel needed a quality back up and we got it for free. I am enjoying the competition between these two and the sense of purpose in their attitude.

Rambo: 10 What a half by my man Aaron. He lost some form lately but i am sure he only needs some rest. Gutted that he got injured on his BD, but might turn out to be a blessing in disguise.

Archie's Dad: 7 its understandable to see him struggle to regain form since he was injured for a long period. He only lacks consistency which will come with time. He is only 21 after all.

Cazorla: 6 and rising. He is getting to his best, more so when played in the middle. And i think he will be very instrumental to our final months.

Rozza: 8 Our best squad player. Has been delivering the goods for the past three seasons off the bench or as a starter. Always giving his all and i for one would like him to finish his career at AFC.

Giroud: 7.5 His output suffered by fatigue and the absence of Walcott who compliments him very well imo.

Walcott & Podolski: with only 21 appearances between them, they deserve more time to be evaluated.

Özil: 8.5 He is a conundrum in that he can kill off a game with a magical touch, yet he disappears(or does he hide?) in long periods of time. I watched him twice live vs Norwich & Dortmund at home, and i can see him walk or stroll in many instances. Zidane, he is not, because he does not dominate the game and impose his will on it(and he knows that about himself). But a world class talent non the less, who can come up with a pass or a final ball easily. Wenger always has complete faith in his players, and this might help him develop a stronger character, something close to AR's & Jack's. If that happens, WOW!


Over all, we are top of the league and had one of the best calendar years in ages. So i give the team a 9. That CL 2nd place finish deserved a one point deduction. :evil:

Forwards and Upwards Gunners. Because if the team perform close to what they achieved in the last 3 months of the last two seasons, we will be Champions.

 

[Enoch]

And to think we did it with important players out for majority of the time, fascinating stuff. Koscielny and Mertesacker might be a 10 rating for some, i know its a score card for only half this season, but they haven't lost a game together in 23 months, so that might play a role in the rating.

I agree with what you posted.

 

[CandysRoom]

Nice idea. Good ratings. Mertesacker and Koscielny 10's for me and I'd give Giroud an 8.

 

[Buhry]

Sczcesny: 8
Sagna: 8
Mertesacker: 9
Koscielny: 9
Gibbs: 6
Ramsey: 9 (form dipped in december)
Wilshere: 6 (very hot and cold)
Cazorla: 5 (dissapointing so far)
Flamini: 6.5
Arteta: 6.5
Özil: 7.5 - Brilliant at times but I think he has more in his locker.
Rosicky: 6
Giroud: 5

Central defenders and Ramsey are the standout performers for me so far, they've been fantastic. Sagna has also been a rock and Szczesny has stepped his game up a lot, allthough he's had a few mad moments but they haven't cost us yet.

The midfield has mostly been solid, Wilshere is still a bit inconsistent but has his moments. Cazorla has been probably the let down of the season so far after his great season, hope he can find some form soon.

Giroud was pretty good for the first 2 months, the last 2 he's been a liability.

Özil started great but has faded somewhat, hopefully his current layoff can help him recover a bit.

Overall it's been a good first half of the season in the league, dissapointed with how we screwed up the last CL game though.

We have been very consistent against the teams we are supposed to beat, if we can keep that up and also pick some points off the top teams we'll be up there come may.

Having podolski and walcott back is a big boost.

 

[VAVAVOOM 14]

I'd drop Özil down to an 8 and give Rosicky an 8.5. He's been brilliant.

Think Sagna also warrants an 8.5.

 

[blaze_of_glory]

Giroud: 5

Giroud was pretty good for the first 2 months, the last 2 he's been a liability.

Giving Giroud a 5 is crazy, sorry. He's been leading the line for us all year game in game out and we are in first place and got through the group of death in the CL. He is a big part of reason for that. Despite not being very clinical in front of net he still has 11(?) goals and numerous assists. He bullies oppostion defenders and wears them down, allowing our skilled midfielders to get more space. He consistently knocks on goal kicks to one of our mids allowing us instant possession in the oppostion half.

Just yesterday the guy mangled his leg and then kept playing and scored the winning goal in one of our most important wins so far. He works very hard for the team, just beasts through knocks he takes and helps us get the job done every game.

He is far from perfect and does things ever game that make me shake my head. We could definitely use another striker with a different skill set and who is more clinical, but to give him 50% on the season is an insult. We'd be absolutely screwed without his contribution so far.

Sorry to rant but I think lately everyone has mostly focussed on what he lacks, and I think he deserves a bit more respect for what it is he has and has done for us.

I'd give him a 7.75 - 8.23.

 

[blaze_of_glory]

Actually, I pretty much agree with Salieri's ratings for the most part. I'd just drop Ramsey down to 9.5 along with Kos and Merte. Just because there's always room to get even better

I'd also raise Cazorla to a 7. I think he's playing pretty well overall and his MVP performance last year is making his current form look a bit worse than it really is.

Fact is the entire team is playing well, which is why we are top of the league.

 

[SiMamu]

Sczcesny: 8 - great season with some big saves, but has still made some mistakes.
Sagna: 7.5 - can cross again and has become solid defensively again.
Mertesacker: 9 - our most consistent player again.
Koscielny: 8 - a few mistakes with penalties given away, but formed a class CB partnership with Per.
Gibbs: 7 - solid season, still not amazing going forward but is good defensivly.
Ramsey: 9.5 - not a 10 due to slight dip in December.
Wilshere: 6.5 - had some good games and some bad games, but has been shifted around a lot, in terms of position.
Cazorla: 6 - not been amazing, hasn't been great on the left but has shown glimpses.
Flamini: 6.5 - provided some much needed steel we haven't had, well, since his own departure.
Arteta: 6.5 - some good games like v Dortmund, but has been sent off twice this season.
Özil: 8 - Top assister in the league, as expected, but has faded in and out of games, perhaps due to lacking the movement he thrives on pre-Theo return. Somewhat lazy defensively, which can be a problem in big games.
Rosicky: 7 - solid and consistent, hope he gets a contract renewal. Has more energy than many 25 year olds *cough* Özil *cough*.
Giroud: 6.5 - had a good start season, but has definitely become fatigued due to a lack of depth. His limitations have also become obvious.
Theo & Poldi: 7 - absence has shown value, while both have done well when fit.

 

[fabo]

Szczesny............7.5

Sagna........8
Per.......8.5
Koscielny........8
Gibbs.......7

Ramsey..........9
Özil..........7.5
Arteta........7
Flamini.........6.5
Wilshere.........6
Cazorla.........6

Giroud.........7

 

[La Sagna]

Szczesny............7.5 Much improved from last season

Sagna........8 Warrior. Passionate and fights for every ball
Per.......8.5 One of the best central defenders this season in Europe
Koscielny........8 Excellent, when he is on form he is one of the worlds best
Gibbs.......7 Much improved, though still room for improvement

Ramsey..........9 Sensational transformation. Best midfielder in the league for 8-12 weeks
Özil..........8 Played virtually every game, adds another dimension with his passing and off the ball running. Criminally underrated by some on here
Arteta........7 Injured for a lot of it, though looks his usual self against most opposition. Lack of pace and strength does show against better opposition
Flamini.........7 His energy and enthusiasm has certainly pushed us to 3 points in scrappy wins. Every title winning team needs a Flamini
Wilshere.........6 Has shown he has the special quality Wenger looks for. But few and far between. Can still be relied upon to carve out a good chance in any match. Big liability defensively. He'll get there, like Ramsey has
Cazorla.........6 Key moment was the opener against Liverpool. Concerning that he is missing so many easy passes. Not overly worried

Giroud.........7 Big improvement from last year. We expect too much of him, due to Wenger's failure to have an adequate equal / backup. Set piece defending has been crucial in our success so far. However some of his misses (on his LEFT FOOT) have been criminal.

Its unbelievable to think it but our "weakest" player has probably been Cazorla, who was in the top 3 performers last year. Shows how important a comprehensive pre season is

 

[Johnny_Blaze]

Szczesny: 8 -- Has only made one big mistake this season, which is fantastic, but his brain still goes wondering on occasions. Far, far more assured on set pieces which is a huge reason for our defensive solidity.


Sagna: 8.5 -- Best right-back in the league and his crossing has improved immensely.

Mertesacker: 8.5 -- Adams-esque this season, only poor performance coming against City.

Koscielny: 8.5 -- Pretty much a faultless season so far.

Gibbs: 7 -- Better going forward this season but he can't contest for headers at all and has little awareness of what's around him, which has got us into trouble.

Monreal: 7 -- I feel safer when he's playing in front of Gibbs in midfield than when he starts.

Vermaelen: 7 -- Has been solid enough when called upon. Hasn't committed his characteristic calamities that have marred his game for the last couple of years.


Ramsey: 9 -- Genuinely has become one of the best young midfielders in the world. Has also had a some iffy moments in a few matches which proved he still has learning to do, but he's invaluable to Arsenal. He was like a second £42m signing at the start of the season.

Özil: 8 -- Has Godly amounts of natural talent and is a delight to watch. He'll be even better next season, but his stats don't lie. He'd be well ahead of every other player in the league for assists if Giroud's finishing was better. His movement and precision of passing are out of this world.

Arteta: 7.5 -- Very solid as usual. His lack of pace is exposed at times, but he's a vital member of the first team.

Flamini: 7 -- Has done much better than I thought he would. Really love the aggression he exudes. He was our worst player against City and did our defence no favours, but that's been his only bad game and getting him back was a master stroke.

Cazorla: 6.5 -- His quality is still apparent, but he's making more basic errors this season. He's still hugely important to this team regardless and I'm expecting him to step it up in the second half of the season.

Wilshere: 6 -- Some of the criticism levelled at him has been OTT, but majority of his performances have been pretty average given his talent. I think we'll see a much better player after next summer.

Rosicky: 7.5 -- Playing the best football he's played since 07/08.


Giroud: 7 -- Has tried his heart out and had a number of very good performances. Ultimately his goals return hasn't been good enough and he's fluffed several clear chances, but he's still a very good footballer and crucial to the starting line-up until we can strengthen this position.

Walcott: 7.5 -- Our ability to keep possession when Theo's in the team suffers, but we look far deadlier on the counter-attack. His off the ball runs are brilliant and he guarantees you goals and assists. I'm still a big fan, and I prefer him to some of the names football hipsters want to replace him with. His importance can't be stated enough while our two most creative players (Ramsey and Özil) are out injured.

 

[Big Poppa]

Mertesacker has been an absolutely animal this season. Koscielny didn't surprise me too much but I think the big man has shown just how good he is 1-on-1 when the defence gets proper protection from midfield.

 

[say yes]

Szczesny - 8

Sagna - 8
Per - 9
Koscielny - 8
Gibbs - 7

Ramsey - 9
Özil - 7
Arteta - 7
Flamini - 7
Wilshere - 5
Cazorla - 5
Rosicky - 7

Giroud - 6

 

[Chappers]

You're not top of the league with some of those ratings. Overall, the team is 8 across the board with Szczesny, Sagna, Mert, Kos and Ramsey a 9-9.5. We've dig in with numerous injuries out wide and central midfielders and teenagers playing out of position and still we managed to finish the calendar year in first place.

The only player that is below 8 IMO, excluding players who were out injured at length at one point in time, is Giroud who started the season as one of our best players but has since went off the boil scoring wise. He's still important structurally and great defensively on set pieces and as an outlet.

A fantastic year allround and hopefully we can continue being the most consistent team for the rest of the season and finish top.

 

[yuvken]

Sort of agree with J Blaze and fabo - a tad higher for all defenders maybe: 9 for both CBs, 8.5 for Bac, and Gibbs is 7.5, maybe even better (under rated by almost everyone, but what else is new?)

Rosicky been super good, But 8 (or more) is a tad exaggerated.
Caz doen't merit more than a 6, Jack 6.5 so far.

Team score - (8.5) to (9-) so far. Need to see us winning top 4 clashes, and cut the sloppy things altogether (Villa, Utd games). I'm also still mad at the lunacy, and utterly wrong approach (by all, from manager to bottom) to the Napoli game.
Otherwise I'd give the team 9 or more - they have really been brilliant.

Boss gets a 9: been impressed with his ambition, with his flexibility when needed (not sure it's easy for him), and got things tactically right enough times to win us games (on more than one occasion I was very surprised by his subs, only to later admit he was spot on). And Özil. He'll go up one if he signs a striker (and frankly down one if he doesn't :x ).

 

[Rain Dance]

My grade is the same with SiMamu

 

[FinnGooner]

CZ - 8

Merts - 9.5 - Nobody's perfect but BFG is very close!
Kos - 9
Gibbo - 8
Sagna - 8.5

Özil - 7.5 - By his standards only OK. He'll up his game though, I'm sure
Ramsey - 9.5 - Half point off for losing bit of form before the injury
Arteta - 8
Flamini - 8
Cazorla - 6.5 - He has been getting better. Important goal against 'pool
Rosicky - 7.5 - Always gives his everything
Wilshere - 7 - Up and down. Hopefully finds some consistency

Giroud - 8 - Too many sitters missed but we'd be screwed without him. Still not good enough to be our no. 1 ST in long run imo but important piece of the puzzle nevertheless

Walcott - 9 - small sample size but for all his shortcomings, he delivers goals and assists which is what you expect from him.

Jenkinson - 6 - I'm not comfortable with this guy being our second choice RB

 

[SA Gunner]

Report card

Szczesny - 7

Gibbs - 6
Mertesacker - 8
Koscielny - 8
Sagna - 7
Monreal - 6
Jenkinson - 6

Arteta - 6.5
Rosicky - 7
Wilshere - 7
Ramsey - 8.5
Özil - 7.5
Cazorla - 6.5
Flamini - 6.5

Walcott - 6
Giroud - 6
Bendtner - 5
Podolski - N/A
Chamberlain - N/A

 

[yuvken]

Cazorla as good as Art? and Wilshere actually better than art? Thought Art did very well (though he did have 2 or 3 off games).
and why Theo so low?

 

[SA Gunner]

Cazorla as good as Art? and Wilshere actually better than art? Thought Art did very well (though he did have 2 or 3 off games).
and why Theo so low?

Over the balance yes, I think Arteta and Cazorla had both had lulls so far this half season, combined with good solid performances. The focus on the team has been mostly around Ramsey, Giroud, Özil, Mertesacker, Ches, with the players in question just below the eye.

As for Walcott, he has just come back whereas made a tremendous impact I believe that his score has been adjusted in relation to his impact so far this year.