Where Are The Centre Backs?

Comments

1. Craigie says:
   August 16, 2010 at 4:27 pm

   I agree with you it’s a massive issue and I thought it would’ve been sorted by now. We have players that can play there but we lack quality. Saying that though last season we had four centre backs, mainly Gallas, Verm, Sol and Silvestre and it seemed to work out number wise at least. We had bad injuries but only had to rely on Song a couple of times.

   If we assume Kos will replace Gallas, and Djourou is better than Silvestre then what we have is nobody to replace Campbell. Number wise Nordtveit makes up that spot, but quality wise we’re lacking.

   Halliche is just a player. You can go out and buy any 24 year old defender from any club in any league for £1-2million pounds. Just because we were linked with him doesn’t mean we should’ve got him. He was never going to get a game for Benfica, he barely got a game at Nacional. Honestly I don’t think he is any better a player than Nordtveit and he won’t get a game over Senderos when he’s fit.
2. Aziz, KL-Malaysia says:
   August 16, 2010 at 4:34 pm

   Let me partly disagree. With cover for CB’s ok, but the key is still the GK issue and I’m seriously worried by Arsene’s comments:
   AW: “I believe (Manuel) Almunia had a good game today.”
   A GK spinning around like a headless chicken flapping 3 times after thin air never reaching a crossed or passed ball – that is a good game ???
   Arsene, please don’t f**k up our season again, for the entire football world it is obvious that we nee a GK (topdraw) and 2 CB’s (recognized ones). We don’t need Aluminium, we need steel in the back.
   Send Alu and Flappy to the Championship.
3. davegooner says:
   August 16, 2010 at 4:35 pm

   Your points re. the need for a GK and CB are valid and well made but you behave like buying quality players to fill those positions is as easy as popping out to TESCO’s !!!!
4. admin says:
   August 16, 2010 at 4:37 pm

   davegooner, Wenger has had all summer to sort this out.
5. Aziz, KL-Malaysia says:
   August 16, 2010 at 4:39 pm

   … “We are not asking Wenger to go out and put the future of the club in danger by signing £20m players. But come on Wenger, this has been going on all summer and this needs to be sorted NOW!” …

   With that you probably hit the opinion of more than 80% of Gunners fans. At least of those hardcore supporters that know a bit about football and the EPL.
6. Razaq says:
   August 16, 2010 at 4:40 pm

   Why is Wenger Killing the believe and spirit of Arsenal fans all over the world am a die hard Arsenal fan and wenger is Killing our beloved club please Arsene buy quality Players to Area where it is needed this can not continue to go on we are tired of Hearing we are almost there when are we going to get there its been 5 barren years with nothing to show for it Chelsea are Knocking the door behind us please Wenger do something before its too late we have become an hunting ground for drogba this MUST STOPP buy quaility keeper add more to the defence pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeee
7. admin says:
   August 16, 2010 at 4:43 pm

   Cheers Aziz mate.. Sign up to the forum mate – http://arsenalaction.com/forum/
8. sydney uneanya says:
   August 16, 2010 at 4:44 pm

   well when i compare the arsenal of those days and today i become dump-founded. Arsenal is becoming an ordinary team that any bottom team can compete with, thanks to wenger. well i will just sit tight and hopes that something good comes out this seasons. But with the way things are going there is a very small chance of something good coming out this season. all what i know is that arsenal wont kill me.
9. Luke says:
   August 16, 2010 at 4:48 pm

   Most fans,and even players, share the same frustrations,especially statements were issued on recognitions of problems and solutions to draw the sting of criticisms end of the season,but uncannily gone into retreats or non-actions to preserve financial prudence,which should be the club’s motto if they dare to lower the season ticket prices,year after year. By saying if this season brings no silverware,the club may consider a change of direction,AW again already looks ahead to a gloomy May whist keep pulling more sting out by heaping on praises for the team and self-delusional targets. Leopard does not change its spots,and it should ring true again. Buy?Why,we have got youth on our side,do not want to offend or hinder them!
10. Randy Osae (Red London) says:
    August 16, 2010 at 4:51 pm

    I totally agree with this article.

    This is getting ridiculous! I’m tired talking about Wenger being negligent.

    FUCK IT.
11. Aziz, KL-Malaysia says:
    August 16, 2010 at 4:52 pm

    @ davegooner:
    Agree you can’t buy like at tesco whatever. But don’t you think AW is abit overly stingy ?
    Flamini to stay was a question of 5K squid a week, that alone would have helped the following season with Flamsky staying. Now with Schwarzer we are bickering about 2M or less, and lose out on 20M with 3 games lost due to blunders of Alu and Flappy in the CL.
    Does that make sensse ?
    Wondering if AW’s family has any Scottish background
12. paup says:
    August 16, 2010 at 5:14 pm

    wenger is only a yes man to what ever the board says ihe has aklways bein that way he says give the kids a chance but how fn long more is he going to keep calling them kids . i cant under stand wenger he lets go 4 centre halfs and brings in one and then he says the squad is as strong as last season .for a big club like arsenal not going out and buying what they need this year makes me thinks that wenger has lost his passion for the club why wud he want to go out and buy a 37 yr old goal keeper who in my mind is past it they were plenty of good goal keepers out there we need 4 good top players and if we dont sign them its another season with out silver ware and i for one is getting sick of this
13. admin says:
    August 16, 2010 at 5:18 pm

    Paup… Wenger said that one of the reasons he stayed and signed a new deal was because the board gave him freedom to work
14. Mug says:
    August 16, 2010 at 5:20 pm

    This site never fails to fail. Always negative, never anything positive to say, never supporting the team, players or club.

    Way overdue to hide this sad inept amatuerish load of wank off the newsnow feeds.
15. Diaminedave says:
    August 16, 2010 at 5:21 pm

    Our world famous back four also had a couple of seasons under George graham when they allowed more goals in than last years line up.
    In fact under Wenger the average goals let in is around 35 per season – under GG it was 36.
    One year under GG the defence let in 18 the next year I believe it was 46!!
    Get your facts right before you start comparing eras and stirring shit
16. Sinbad says:
    August 16, 2010 at 5:27 pm

    PMSL!!! Diaminedave…. Typical stats to blind you from what your eyes can see. When we lost to Man Utd in the Champ league a few seasons ago at home wenger came out and said.. ” The stats show we were the better team because we had more passes “….. Stats mean nothing pal. And not stirring shit. Most Arsenal fans can all see that we are 2 CBs short.. So take you head out of your koolo ; )
17. Another hacked off fan says:
    August 16, 2010 at 5:28 pm

    Wenger must be a scot in disguise. The man is just a plain tight ass accountant. These Wenger apologists just make me want to puke. Are they capable of independent thought? Its clear to every blind man and his dog that we need a capable keeper who can organise his defence and shout ‘ITS MINE!’ now and again. The lack of full back cover is just plain embarassing for a club of our size.
18. michael says:
    August 16, 2010 at 5:46 pm

    arsenal need 2 centre backs and a world class (or atleast average) goalkeeper and a cover for song in DM
19. anon says:
    August 16, 2010 at 5:49 pm

    we are all pissing in the wind if we think wenger is going to buy anybody before the window closes.

    like i said before many times: wenger is delusional, he has lost touch with reality years ago…

    more proof of his delusions came yesterday when (as the other guy already pointed out) he claimed almunia had a good game with his 3 flaps and a soft near post goal.

    we must now accept that for the next 4 years we will continue to win nothing with wenger…

    we must also accept that our team believes (because of wenger) that the fa cup and league cup is beneath us and we will not dirty our hands trying to win it as long as wenger is in charge.

    we are also runs now. this is our place. this is the wenger reality….
20. Allen says:
    August 16, 2010 at 6:16 pm

    it was today i know that Arsene wenger is a very useless coach now he has sign a long trwm contract i don’nt see Arsenal wining anything as far as wenger is stil there, for me is better they sack the fool or suit himself from Arsenal club and i have no other adjective to classify him than a fool and useless man he shold get out of every way in the world idiot.
21. Diaminedave says:
    August 16, 2010 at 7:50 pm

    The facts are that
    1. Under George Graham the defensive line up in the first division gave away 46 goals in the 91/92 season.

    2. In 90/91 the back line of Arsenal gave away only 18 goals – essentially the same defensive unit as the 91/92 season

    This seems to show that ‘the well drilled’ back four could be just as flaky (if not more so) as our back four from the previous season

    The facts do not seem to back up your article that playing together for a long time brings defensive soundness

    There you go no statistics such as averages for you
22. Gary says:
    August 16, 2010 at 8:02 pm

    This is not FIFA on playstation. You cant just put a miximum amount up and hope to sign a player, Wenger is a genius and has explained that one cant just snap ones fingers and woosh all of a sudden we have new players.He said it was exceptionally difficult to sign Koscielny now can you imagine if he is trying to sign a big name where the club does not want to sell??? Be patient, thanks to man city clubs are pumping up their prices where Wenger will never pay more than 15 mil I think. So hopefully we get quality but don’t say that Wenger is not trying, the work he does behind the scenes is astronomical. Arsenal fans stop moaning and have faith, the right transfers will come out in the end.
23. Barry says:
    August 16, 2010 at 8:04 pm

    anon wenger says that almunia had a good game to inspire some confidence in him, he is still arsenal’s player and as a manager you have to manage your players as well. He is not a fool and that is why he is after Schawrzer and Given. Try use your brain and think logically.
24. realist says:
    August 16, 2010 at 11:23 pm

    why to fuck are players like almunia fabianski denilson etc still at arsenal. wenger needs to stop fucking around. one season was enough time to figure out that almunia would not cut it. no harm to fabianski he seems like a nice guy but he is far to much of a nervous wreck to ever be a keeper for any club let alone one of the top teams in europe a few games watching his antics was enough to figure that out. wenger just got rid of senderos another player that was glaringly obvious would not cut it. and dont get me started on how a player deemed not good enough to even sit on the bench at utd wound up at arsenal and stayed there for 3 yrs.i can not understand for the life of me why he is so ruthless when letting our better players go, and then go and persist with these clowns. this team once again like the past 5 yrs has the potential to go on and win things but wenger is letting himself ,the club, the fans ,and the rest of the team down by keeping these inept players at the club. wenger who is apparently an intelligent man ,when asked why he never tried to sign shay given a player who has proved he is one of the top keepers in the world for yrs and has also expressed his desire to move to a top club , wengers answer was that given is too small, now that is a joke , wenger would rather persist with a 6ft 3 clown that acts like a football is a slippery eel and not sign a 6 ft player that is reknowned around the world as being one of the best in his position. how long does it take wenger to realiser a player is not working out if we the fans can see it in one or 2 seasons then surely a percieved football genuis such as wenger should figure it out in one season. and another thing if he is so worried about money and balancing the books then why is he the top paid manager in england he banks a nice 6 million every yr from those arsenal books he is so preoccupied with balancing.
25. Zap says:
    August 17, 2010 at 1:13 am

    realist, you are the perfect example of a complaining, whinging s.o.b who doesnt even appreaciate one thing about his team, people like you are just embarrasing our club and letting everyone down.

    And one more thing, ticket prices should be cheaper, or anything MUST be done to stop all the rich c*nts buying up all the tickets! We need a better home support, why are we only well supported away ffs!! Because the people who go to home games are pricks who like to ponder on the game, probably complain a lot and dont make any noise! We need an atmosphere ffs!! And the worst thing is these ppl wont just say ” oh i guess it would be better for the team so i’ll give up the ticket for a true fan” Its infuriating, if u just see the carling cup atmosphere its better then home games against most teams.

    Why do fans only show up for big games. We have to turn out in numbers and raise the volume against the likes of wigan and balckburn at home.. What do u guys think could be done about this problem??!!
26. realist says:
    August 17, 2010 at 3:44 am

    zap listen here you havnt a clue you are the perfect example of a so called fan taking the high and mighty that just because you never criticise your team you are some how a true supporter. tell me this do you appauld the likes of denilson after he has put in another half hearted performance , . and do you appauld the fact that these same players are collecting super over inflated wages that you and i have contributed to.. if you were to show up to work and laze about for the day and not do your best im sure your boss is hardly going to praise you and give you a pay rise, no he quite rightly is going to sack you and football is no different. there is a difference between supporting your club and burying your head in the sand. how many yrs is it now that wenger has not had even a half decent keeper and how many yrs has he had no cover for the defence if someone picks up an injury. and that is not what i would call whinging that is just pointing out the blindly obvious. i support the fuck out of arsenal and i am a life long fan i take no greater pleasure from seeing arsenal do well. see people like you are annoying twats just because we voice an opinion on here a forum set up for supporters to express their views on what is right and wrong with the team. you then presume that we just go to matches to abuse and disrespect our own team, you could not be further from the truth when i go to a game i get right behind the team and i do everything bar go the pitch and play myself, and if those 11 players tried their hearts out to win the game win lose or draw i will be on my feet appaulding them and the manager.
27. manuel says:
    August 17, 2010 at 5:31 am

    GALLAS IS FREE,WENGER.He may be nuts in behaviour but is a quality CB.Arsenal cant make it(win a trophy)with 2 CBs only.Djorou is crap get rid of him quick.WE NEED 2 MORE CENTRE BACKS TO BOOST OUR TITLE QUEST!!
28. Frankly says:
    August 17, 2010 at 9:26 am

    I can’t stand holier than thou fans who have a go at other Arsenal fans because they have the temerity to criticise an aspect of their club’s management. It seems to me these Wenger apologists are the ones who embarrass our club and start all the infighting. I have no problem if someone wants to lick Wenger from head to toe. Its a free country after all. But I won’t stand anyone telling me I’m not a true fan or should go and support Spurs instead. I would head butt the knob who told me that to my face. Any fan has the right to complain as long as it isn’t abusive. Our club, in my opinion, is the best in the world with a proud history and run in the way that is the envy of many. But there are some glaring weaknesses which have not been addressed for over 2 seasons now (namely an international class goalkeeper and a defence that communicates). Get these right and trophies will follow. I’m certain of it. But in the meantime I join the chorus of those telling Wenger “Good, but could be better.”
29. JOEL says:
    August 17, 2010 at 10:14 am

    Wenger MUST go out and get a decent Centre Back.He can’t possibly expect Vermaelen and Koscielny to start every game this year.For a start Kos will be banned for the Blackpool game.Djourou is always injured and when he’s fit he’s frankly not good enough.All of our rivals have back-up in depth!It’s unbelievable that our only back-ups are a Central Midfielder who is far and away better than anyone else at the club in his natural position;A Youngster who spent last season in the German League playing as back-up in CENTRAL MIDFIELD;and Djourou-enough said!
    The current management of this Club is nothing short of a joke!I don’t care what happened in the past as I don’t spend my free time watching games from previous Seasons I spend it watching the 2010/1 Season!
30. Zap says:
    August 17, 2010 at 1:44 pm

    realist, i understand ppl get fustrated with the team, i do, everyone does. But at the end of the day, arsene wenger doesn’t read arsenal action, only people like you who have a lot to complain about, so there isnt much point in making long rants which are to no avail they wont get you anywhere its not gonna change anything either. And what you are saying is just the same as usual fabiianski denilson almunia. What about song everyone used to boo him now look, weve only got one song is what we say at the grove, if people like you have a little patience it might make life easier for everyone. We’re a team that finishes in the top 4 regularly, goes into the champions league, of course there are many problems at the moment, but what if we lived in bolton? we would be discussing wether we would be finishing 14th or 15th. Not top 4. We should be grateful that we are from london, and support arsenal. A grown man who has nothing to do other then complain about everything just makes himself look like a stupid little boy!
31. Mabs says:
    August 17, 2010 at 8:28 pm

    I have been saying this for the last 2 years but Aresne Wenger needs to be demoted to youth development or something because that is where he will shine. He is a great naturer of football players and his philosphy of the beautiful game is great as well. But when you no nothing about defending you will not will anything. He obviously doesn’t know how make the team practice defending in training seeing as how many set players will are vulnerbale too. If you have a great defence you do not lose matchs, if you just have a great attack you win matches but are also likely to lose and thats what the PL comes down to every season, us losing 2 vitals that lose it for us. I don’t think Gallas was ever the answer, he is a really overrated defender but we do need 2 or 3 CB and then our keeper won’t look so crap! I mean he is crap all 3 of them (vito) but it wouldnt be that much of a worry. When we had toure and gallas and them lot in defence our keepers didnt look that bad its only when we a bare with no CB or defence we look like crap and blame the keepers. I don’t think anyone on this blog would ever say they are not grateful as aresnal fans for what wenger has done for us, but winning is the most important thing not developing into a team. He seems to be trying to build a foundation from scrath and then start building a tower. He needs to leave for the sake of this club.
32. realist says:
    August 18, 2010 at 9:56 pm

    zap look up a dictionary there is a big difference between complaining and constructive criticism you seem to think you know what is going on inside my head. but you are very easy to read you are argumentive and you like to stir things. or if not that then you havnt got a clue. you mention patience how much more patience do you expect the fans to have with the likes of almunia and fabianski. as for song he showed from the start he had potential and what is more important he showed he had heart and desire, as for denilson he is the complete opposite he is lazy weak and has no desire. he will never succeed as a player in england if he does not change his attitude.

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