Sol Campbell (Out)

[fuma75]

how about this?

-----henry-----baptista
------------hleb
reyes-----------------freddie
----------gilberto

 

[Army of Me]

ah summers finally arrived...

http://skysports.planetfootball.com/lis ... remiership

 

[nidza7]

ah summers finally arrived...

http://skysports.planetfootball.com/lis ... remiership

here we go again

but i`m 8) this time.

 

[yonatan]

Heh, you know that summer's here when the annual Vieira saga begins.

 

[asajoseph]

Despite the fact that Hleb is a midfielder, he's got more in common with Henry and Bergkamp than he does with Vieira. A midfield of only Hleb, Fabregas, Flamini and Gilberto is short on options, depth and strength, and will not be our midfield going into the next season, whether Vieira leaves or not.

Indeed, if Hleb were to play in the middle with Gilberto, it would mean an entirely different midfield style to one we've ever played before, and I just don't see that happening. We'll lack the box to box midfielder that Vieira was, and we'll lack the ability to stop attacks in midfield, unless Gilberto has one of the best seasons ever had by a DM. Furthermore, if he gets injured, there's nobody to replace him, or cover the defence. Reyes would be our second most defensive midfielder, and that, frankly, would be terrifying. Considering our defence too is short on depth, I don't think this is particularly a good idea.

 

[teitzo]

sorry if this has already been posted (i having been readin this much as i doubt viera will go) but wasn't viera one of the 3 players that AW singled out as not going anywhere this summer?

 

[asajoseph]

I'm getting totally pissed off at the way that clubs are just trying to peddle their rejects to us in return for our top players. Although I'd take Owen before Appiah or Zebina any day...

Anyhow, this article also reckons that Real even held secret talks with Dein in Spain before Juve even bid. Sounds like bollocks to me though...

http://www.worldfootballers.com/news.php?id=7233

 

[Sol man]

Asa I think you are forgetting about Flamini. Flamini can play the Vieira role, amybe not as well but I am sure he is capable. Reyes will be even behind Cesc when it comes to that responsibility.

 

[asajoseph]

I'm not forgetting Flamini - if he wants to step up and play the Vieira role, he's got to do a hell of a lot better than he did last season. We won't stay a top team for very long if we replace our key players with stop gaps, and Vieira is streets ahead of Flamini in every department. His tacklings stronger, he's more composed on the ball, and he can pass the ball more than 5 foot without giving it away.

Flamini's got a lot to learn, and he won't be in the centre of our midfield next year.

 

[Sol man]

Yeah but you will put Reyes ahead of Flamini in that role :?

 

[asajoseph]

Pardon? I don't follow...

 

[Sol man]

Despite the fact that Hleb is a midfielder, he's got more in common with Henry and Bergkamp than he does with Vieira. A midfield of only Hleb, Fabregas, Flamini and Gilberto is short on options, depth and strength, and will not be our midfield going into the next season, whether Vieira leaves or not.

Indeed, if Hleb were to play in the middle with Gilberto, it would mean an entirely different midfield style to one we've ever played before, and I just don't see that happening. We'll lack the box to box midfielder that Vieira was, and we'll lack the ability to stop attacks in midfield, unless Gilberto has one of the best seasons ever had by a DM. Furthermore, if he gets injured, there's nobody to replace him, or cover the defence. Reyes would be our second most defensive midfielder, and that, frankly, would be terrifying. Considering our defence too is short on depth, I don't think this is particularly a good idea.

 

[asajoseph]

Ah, yeah... Sorry about that, I was referring rather to an assumed first team midfield of Reyes, Gilberto, Hleb and Ljungberg, as opposed to in the entire squad. Not particularly clear, was I...

Yeah, Flamini would be the second most defensive midfielder we'd have, but frankly, if he partnered Gilberto, we'd have the worst passing CM pairing in the top half of the premiership.

 

[siddharth]

Yeah but you will put Reyes ahead of Flamini in that role :?

You misunderstood solman. Asa was trying to say that with hleb in the vieira role we would be exposed a lot and rightly so. Regarding reyes he was talking about the defensive workrate and not playing him as a defensive mid ops:.

If wenger did sell vieira and put hleb in his place then we must have wingers who can put in a lot of defensive workrate and gilberto would need to do a lot better too.

 

[KingReyes]

****ing hell I don't want to go through this again! Vieira should be given a few days and no more to make up his mind. Of course last year he stayed because he was feeling "in love" with the club so hopefully his "love" hasn't changes over a year. :wink:

Anyways I won't be following the Vieira saga this summer like I did last years, it was too much at the end and it took too ****ing long. Vieira needs to clarify his future ASAP so we can move on with or without him.

 

[kel varnsen]

Despite the fact that Hleb is a midfielder, he's got more in common with Henry and Bergkamp than he does with Vieira. A midfield of only Hleb, Fabregas, Flamini and Gilberto is short on options, depth and strength, and will not be our midfield going into the next season, whether Vieira leaves or not.

Indeed, if Hleb were to play in the middle with Gilberto, it would mean an entirely different midfield style to one we've ever played before, and I just don't see that happening. We'll lack the box to box midfielder that Vieira was, and we'll lack the ability to stop attacks in midfield, unless Gilberto has one of the best seasons ever had by a DM.

1st of all, more creativity in central midfield is excactly what we need. 2nd, hleb is a box to box player. he is extremely good off the ball and tracks back. his stamina is superb. even though he does not have the same physical presence as vieira, he is not useless defending...

 

[asajoseph]

Sure creativity is something we can look for. And Hleb will provide it in abundance. But he won't offer anything like the defensive cover that Vieira can - he's nowhere near as tough in the tackle, or as commanding of those around him, and spends a lot more time playing in a more advanced role than Vieira does. Of course he'll track back - as a CM in our midfield, he'll have no choice. But defensively, he won't be a patch on what we've had in the past.

 

[Sol man]

Yeah but you will put Reyes ahead of Flamini in that role :?

You misunderstood solman. Asa was trying to say that with hleb in the vieira role we would be exposed a lot and rightly so. Regarding reyes he was talking about the defensive workrate and not playing him as a defensive mid ops:.

If wenger did sell vieira and put hleb in his place then we must have wingers who can put in a lot of defensive workrate and gilberto would need to do a lot better too.

I wasn't talking about that post. I was talking about this post.

Originally posted by asajoseph:
Despite the fact that Hleb is a midfielder, he's got more in common with Henry and Bergkamp than he does with Vieira. A midfield of only Hleb, Fabregas, Flamini and Gilberto is short on options, depth and strength, and will not be our midfield going into the next season, whether Vieira leaves or not.

Indeed, if Hleb were to play in the middle with Gilberto, it would mean an entirely different midfield style to one we've ever played before, and I just don't see that happening. We'll lack the box to box midfielder that Vieira was, and we'll lack the ability to stop attacks in midfield, unless Gilberto has one of the best seasons ever had by a DM. Furthermore, if he gets injured, there's nobody to replace him, or cover the defence. Reyes would be our second most defensive midfielder, and that, frankly, would be terrifying. Considering our defence too is short on depth, I don't think this is particularly a good idea.

 

[kel varnsen]

Sure creativity is something we can look for. And Hleb will provide it in abundance. But he won't offer anything like the defensive cover that Vieira can - he's nowhere near as tough in the tackle, or as commanding of those around him, and spends a lot more time playing in a more advanced role than Vieira does. Of course he'll track back - as a CM in our midfield, he'll have no choice. But defensively, he won't be a patch on what we've had in the past.

i still feel two defensive midfielders is overkill. is our defense really that bad? do we really need two central midfielders to protect the back four? you might say yes, because our wingers are very offensive, but that is not entirely true. both pires and ljungberg is very good tracking back and even though they might not know how to tackle, they cover space and help out our full backs extremely well. it is not often cole and lauren are left isolated(fa cup final was a mishap)...

 

[Robno.7]

what i find funny is Arsenal representatives have to go to Madrid to negotiate a deal, when its them who want OUR player