As we're unlikely to see terraces again at football, this is the virtual equivalent where you can chat to your hearts content about all football matters and, obviously, Arsenal in particular. This forum encourages all Gooners to visit and contribute so please keep it respectful, clean and topical.
I think I read somewhere that Arsene had a chance to buy him in January but chose not to. If we don't end up signing him in the end we might look back at it as another one that we let slip away.
I Hate Hleb wrote:I think I read somewhere that Arsene had a chance to buy him in January but chose not to. If we don't end up signing him in the end we might look back at it as another one that we let slip away.
QuartzGooner wrote:Arshavin is a god player but is that a position we need?
We need Centre back
Wide midfield goalscorer
Central midfield tackler
He would be a perfect replacement for Hleb - good passing, close control and awareness of team mates, and looks like he can score. Especially if we continue to play with wide men who are encouraged to go inside so much.
So I think he fits wide midfield goalscorer as near as damn it.
QuartzGooner wrote:Arshavin is a god player but is that a position we need?
We need Centre back
Wide midfield goalscorer
Central midfield tackler
He would be a perfect replacement for Hleb - good passing, close control and awareness of team mates, and looks like he can score. Especially if we continue to play with wide men who are encouraged to go inside so much.
So I think he fits wide midfield goalscorer as near as damn it.
I do not doubt he could play wide in the way Hleb did (assuming Hleb leaves, which is not yet certain) but would he want to?
QuartzGooner wrote:Arshavin is a god player but is that a position we need?
We need Centre back
Wide midfield goalscorer
Central midfield tackler
He would be a perfect replacement for Hleb - good passing, close control and awareness of team mates, and looks like he can score. Especially if we continue to play with wide men who are encouraged to go inside so much.
So I think he fits wide midfield goalscorer as near as damn it.
I do not doubt he could play wide in the way Hleb did (assuming Hleb leaves, which is not yet certain) but would he want to?
QuartzGooner wrote:Arshavin is a god player but is that a position we need?
We need Centre back
Wide midfield goalscorer
Central midfield tackler
He would be a perfect replacement for Hleb - good passing, close control and awareness of team mates, and looks like he can score. Especially if we continue to play with wide men who are encouraged to go inside so much.
So I think he fits wide midfield goalscorer as near as damn it.
I do not doubt he could play wide in the way Hleb did (assuming Hleb leaves, which is not yet certain) but would he want to?
Don't know, but that wasn't the issue.
It is part of the issue.
Because if he does not want to play out wide as a Hleb replacement then Arshavin may not want to come to Arsenal (and we still do not know if Hleb will leave, but if he does then playing wide, instead of his favoured role behind the striker, may be part of the reason Hleb wants to leave) .
I think the club Arshavin leaves Zenit for will be one that can guarantee him a first choice striker place, and I am not sure Arsenal can do that.
That was a great win The great thing is that Russia actually played football, despite being outsiders. Not criticising Greece but they'd score one goal and defend. While Russia would still go for it. On the contrary Russia can't actually defend I think Holland peaked too fast as many said, they destroyed France and Italy and everyone praised them. Russia got thrashed by Spain, won against Greece by one goal, put a more confident performance against Sweden and outclassed Holland. But the main thing is that there is still room for improvement. Defensive-wise obviously. So Russia is gaining more and more momentum as the tournament goes.
Another factor in Holland's success was that Van Basten came up against managers that are same standard as him. In Hiddink, there was a superior manager to Van Basten. Interestingly all sides that rested their first 11 are out so Spain should watch out Momentum is key in these tournaments and resting your whole side might not have been such a clever thing after all.
Pre these last 2 games I'd only ever seen Arshavin in the UEFA Cup final but fcuk me he looks like an amazing player on last night's evidence. Pretty much everytime he got on the ball he made something happen.
Quartz Gooner has a point though about his position. Not just in the sense that he may not want to join a club where he will most likely be played out on the wing but also in the fact that if we actually do buy him will we see the best of him if Wenger does what he usually does and pushes him out wide. If we were to employ more of a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 formation and plays him in his natural position then maybe Gallas might have to relinquish his number 10 shirt!
Arsenal do not play 2 traditional 4-4-2 with Hleb and Rosciky rarely "hugging the touchline", swapping positions, playing behind the strikers. Arte we watching the same Arsenal??
And Arshavin might not want to come and play for us in a position in which he has played regularly throughout his short career, in a team known for its fluidity of movement and the ability of players to express themselves??...mmmm - just seems to me he might.
Perhaps a lorry load of cash, CL football and a style of football much akin to Russia and Zenit with a manager known for developing youth might just sway him?
God forbid Hleb might be more restricted playing for another club