Shape Up or Ship Out, Part 2: Defenders
668 comments May 31st, 2011
Last week I had a look at the future of our Goalkeepers, with one of three possible verdicts:
As You Were: The player didn’t have a bad season, and just needs to continue progressing
Shape Up: More is expected if they’re to retain their place in the squad
Ship Out: Time’s up
Under the microscope this week: Defenders.
ps. While I’ve got your attention, might I urge you to head on over to Arseblog to check out the End of Season Arsecast, featuring myself and a host of other, more eloquent bloggers.
–
GAEL CLICHY
Gael Clichy has always enjoyed a positive relationship with the Arsenal fans. His incredible work-rate and enthusiasm have endeared him to supporters, whilst anyone who replaced the despised Ashley Cole was always going to met with affection.
However, as we enter the summer, Gael has just one year remaining on his Arsenal contract. Talks with the club were postponed, by Clichy, until the end of the season. We can only assume those talks are ongoing. Unless a resolution is reached soon, Clichy will have to be sold.
Of the two players in that delicate contractual situation, I feel Clichy is more likely to leave than Nasri. Partly because, although he’s clearly an excellent footballer, he can be prone to the odd inexplicable error. If whispers are to be believed, talks with a number of suitors are already underway.
With Jens Lehmann likely to return to the relative comfort of retirement, Arsenal could find themselves entering next season without a single Invincible.
Verdict: Ship Out
KIERAN GIBBS
I’d venture this wasn’t a great season for Gibbs. He made just four league starts, despite Clichy’s variable form. This was in part due to another string of injuries. Nevertheless, the last twelve months have seen Gibbs drop out of the England squad and somewhat off the radar.
The big problem is that he needs games. Yet, even if Clichy were to go, there is a pervading suspicion that he is not yet ready to play those games at the highest level. I, for one, would have concerns about entering next season with him as our starting left-back. Still a huge prospect, but careful management will be required to ensure we get the maximum out of him.
Verdict: Shape Up
ARMAND TRAORE
It’s easy to forget that the Frenchman is still part of the first-team squad. He spent last season playing his part in Juventus’ disastrous campaign, and seems unlikely to earn a permanent move.
Clubs have been alerted to his availability, but the problem may be finding a club willing to match his not insignificant wage demands.
He didn’t make the grade at Portsmouth. He didn’t make the grade at Juve. Arsenal is almost certainly beyond him.
Verdict: Ship out
BACARY SAGNA
In my opinion, the country’s best right-back by a distance. His place in the PFA Team of the Year was richly deserved. His athleticism and commitment in the challenge cannot be questioned. A real unsung hero of the team, and one of Arsene Wenger’s better defensive signings.
Verdict: As You Were
EMMANUEL EBOUE
Many fans want Eboue out of the club because they see him as a microcosmic avatar of all that is currently wrong with the club. However, on reflection I’m not sure his season was all that bad.
Fortunately, Arsene seems to have finally given up on Eboue as a midfield “pass masterâ€, and has allowed him to return to his more appropriate role of reserve right-back.
Granted, his most telling contribution to the season was the monstrously idiotic foul that allowed Liverpool to get a 98th minute equaliser, but the fact that stands out as a sole major error suggests there has been some improvement.
I don’t have as much affection or bile for Eboue as some fans – I’m fairly indifferent – but I do recognise his value as a squad player. Unless a better replacement becomes available – and by that I don’t mean a teenage League One defender who is either Finnish or English depending on who you believe – then he ought to stay.
Verdict: As You Were
THOMAS VERMAELEN
Remember him? A few cameos at the end of the season can’t disguise the fact that the year was essentially a write-off for Thomas, with a total of just five appearances. After such a promising first year, his achilles problem came as a big blow to both the team and the player.
By now he should be embedded in the side and a captain in waiting. Instead, next season will feel somewhat like starting all over again. Nevertheless, if he can recapture his earlier form he’ll undoubtedly make a massive difference in 2011/12.
Verdict: Shape Up
LAURENT KOSCIELNY
If you had told Arsene Wenger back in August that the two players who would make most stats this season would be Jack Wilshere and Laurent Koscielny, he wouldn’t have believed you. Wilshere started the season behind the likes of Diaby and Denilson in the pecking order, whilst the plan was always for Koscielny to be bedded in over time, with more experienced alternatives like Vermaelen and Squillaci able to bear most of the defensive load.
Instead, Koscielny has started 43 games this season, and been the constant at the heart of the back four. There have been high profile mistakes – he seems to be something of an ‘unlucky’ defender – but his performances against Chelsea and Barcelona showed his true class. If he continues to improve at the rate he has done this year, we could have a very good defender on our hands.
Verdict: As You Were
JOHAN DJOUROU
It’s odd that in a season in which we were so defensively poor, the individuals who started most regularly at centre-back, Koscielny and Djourou, both played rather well. There was one particular spell in late winter where they struck up a fantastic partnership.
Djourou still has areas of his game he needs to improve – for a man of his size, his is occasionally a little reticent to attack the ball in the air – but he’s certainly going in the right direction. Considering how long he was absent with injury, this season marked significant progress for the big Swiss. More of the same, please.
Verdict: As You Were
SEBASTIEN SQUILLACI
The signing of Squillaci always seemed like something of an afterthought on Arsene’s parts. He talked about needing a defender for the sake of numbers rather than about the qualities he might want that defender to possess.
Nevertheless, at first glance Squillaci seemed a decent bet: rugged, experienced, and pretty cheap too. And his early appearances were promising: he was solid, if not spectacular. However, a poor run of form across the winter months saw him become a bit of a liability. Some strong performances at the end of the campaign, at home to Stoke among others, will have gone some way towards redeeming him, but there are still many doubters.
I think it’s unlikely that he’ll be moved on after just one year, but if a new centre-back does arrive, he’s most likely to get shunted down the pecking order.
Verdict: Shape Up
–
Next up, midfielders. Of course. And don’t forget to check out the arsecast.
