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.
Magic Hat wrote:Our second best tackler this season in fairness to him and done ok this season
Felt he was fairly poor against Spurs, once or twice wish he hadn't pulled out wide when defending but pushed into centre of box. I'm a little surprised by the Song praise, he seemed to forget he is a dm and kept pushing forward, kept losing the ball and failing to get back till we were 3-0 up. Superb tackle but 60 or so minutes of dreadful
Yeah, Song had a good game but not quite the amazing one it’s being made out to be. I’m pretty sure he’s played better than that several times & been slaughtered on here. And for me I still feel the biggest improvement in his game has been on the ball, whereas in his position it’s as much about what you do off it that determines how good you are.
He is improving in that area too - e.g. tracking Keane back & timing that challenge to perfection - but he’s still got some way to go, & in truth the Totts didn’t really offer much in the way of a challenge for him. Their game plan pretty much bypassed our midfield (& their own) by lumping the ball forward to Crouch with no-one getting forward in support & once TV5/Gallas dealt with that easily enough a lot of Song’s defensive work was more about mopping up (for want of a better phrase) & starting the ball rolling again for us.
He did that well & couldn’t really ask any more of him on the day but it’s when teams are putting us under genuine pressure & attacking us in numbers that we get to see if Song’s up to it. And a few times this season when that test has arisen - Utd/City/W.Ham - he’s been found wanting a bit.
He’d be one of the 1st names on the team-sheet for me & he's shown himself willing & able to learn & improve (take note Abou) so there's plenty of hope but ideally he’d have someone like Gilberto in the squad helping him to read the game a bit better and anticipate rather than react.
i actually rate diaby despite him having a below par game on sat - he is still far too inconsistent and his final ball lacks at time, but i see what wenger sees in him. he works hard and had tremondous power and strength and is good at getting the ball out from def to att. once he irons out his flaws he will be a good player, he is still learning and developing which he himself has acknowledged. i understand the frustration with him though, but at the same time hope he can prove his doubters wrong.
but i see what wenger sees in him. he works hard and had tremondous power and strength and is good at getting the ball out from def to att.
That's the bit that confuses me. I re-watched the game on T.V sunday morning and spent the game counting good things against bad. It confirmed what I thought in the ground. The play often passes him by, quite often he is overtaken by either Song or Fabregas to shut down players when he is nearest and when he is covering back he seems to get so far and then stop. He has got power but on a straight count of good things to bad he finished minus 4.
Diaby is *****, end of story. To the poster that argued "We're 2-0 up and you're still complaining" (it may not have been this thread), a positive 50-second period doesn't eliminate the prior 42 minutes of football.
Yes, on this occasion, we happened to knock in two to effectively kill the game, but that's not going to happen every single week. Sooner or later, Diaby's ineptitude will cost us goals and points (even moreso than already).
It's possible for an individual to perform poorly in the midst of a good team performance, and this is a prime example. Being in a good mood through winning 3-0 doesn't change his unacceptable performance.
REBEL GOONER wrote:maybe its wrong to single out one player after we have just hammered our neighbours but while im not so blinkered to want any arsenal player i dislike to play bad and i felt song was our motm against the heebs which is something i thought i would never say and am delighted to be wrong, im sorry but diaby is just an awful player, good one week and then pants for the next 6
was he kept on by wenger on sat because he is tall and
how do the likes of ramsey feel when they are watching this clown and they are stuck on the bench.
Damn marvellous quote. I dame well hope he is not playing tomorrow night.
By the way, I am down from the Frozen North for the gane tomorrow night. WoodBine any good on BlackStock Rd.
I think it may be time to let Diaby go...i don't see what else we can do with him... he's been through all the different phases.. the young player showing a bit of promise given the odd game in the first team to give him some experience... then on to the playing him in any position they could fit him in just to give him a regular game and now the regular starting place in his preferred position in the centre of midfield and at every step of the way he has failed to take full advantage of his opportunities..
I can't see any point in putting him back a step to being a bench or squad player.. if he hasn't shown by now that he is a valuable member of the team i don't see what taking him back a step would achieve.
I say unload him in January.. should get at least 8m for him and maybe that will stop Wenger selling someone we actually need to help bump up our year end profits..
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