Bye Bye Big Phil

USMartin · Post by **USMartin** » Tue Jun 08, 2010 4:36 pm

Wish him the very best of luck - seemed a really good sort and likable lad who just wasn't up to the task unfortunately at a time when we simply couldn't afford not to be. Hope he does well.

BournemouthRED · Post by **BournemouthRED** » Tue Jun 08, 2010 4:37 pm

see ya later phil. had a few decent spells for us but was never good enough to hold down a 1st team place imo.

euphoricone · Post by **euphoricone** » Tue Jun 08, 2010 4:37 pm

Good player, but just seemed low in confidence really. Cant have a CENTRAL DEFENDER low in confidence at any point of the season so he just had to leave. Great header of the ball, no doubt. This means senderos silvestre and gallas three of our cbs gone, sol to follow?

Hope senderos does well with fulham.

Post by **HashKads** » Tue Jun 08, 2010 4:58 pm

What will I do with my shirt that Big Phil signed for me in Sainsburys? Even there he seemed to lack confidence.

Post by **brazilianGOONER** » Tue Jun 08, 2010 5:08 pm

always gave 100% everytime. i can't understand how wenger keeps giving chances to the likes of fabianski and quickly sent senderos away when we all know that centrebacks only reach their peak close to their 30s. even still, i guess he would've done a better job than silvestre at the club.

i liked phil, and i'm sorry he leaves. he's this kind of player:

good luck, big phil.

Exiled-Gooner · Post by **Exiled-Gooner** » Tue Jun 08, 2010 5:58 pm

Best of luck Phil.It is amazing how many chances he gives some of the wankers we got but Phil he has let go and weakened the C/B even more,so what's wenger formation next season??
GK-LB-CB-RB.....LM-CM-DM-CM-RM.....FW-FW 3-5-2?sort of.

So no need for anymore C/B's then?

augie · Post by **augie** » Tue Jun 08, 2010 6:07 pm

Best wishes phil and I hope you do really well for them even if that includes games against us.

Have to say that he has, to some degree, been made a scapegoat for our defensive frailties in recent seasons. He was a very promising defender pre the arrival of gallas and then for some reason (be it confidence, an inability to forge a partnership with anybody when he was out of the team for so long or whatever) he lost his way. I def agree that the likes of kolo and gallas have been allowed far more leeway for their fcuk ups from wenger and the fans and I do wonder how much gallas's personna contributed to his lacking in confidence cos there is a feeling that gallas doesnt have much patience with young players

Pistols · Post by **Pistols** » Tue Jun 08, 2010 6:11 pm

My first post. Hey. Just like to give respect to Big Phil and agree totally with the last couple of posts in that I don't think he was given a fair chance. Sure he made mistakes but unlike all the usual suspects he was unceremoniiously dumped. Plus I liked the fact that he always gave 100%, was not a dirty player and seemed a decent lad. Would have liked him at the tail end of the season.

Hope he's a success at Fulham and hope he works under Hodgson who I think is an excellent manager.

USMartin · Post by **USMartin** » Tue Jun 08, 2010 6:18 pm

augie wrote:Best wishes phil and I hope you do really well for them even if that includes games against us.

Have to say that he has, to some degree, been made a scapegoat for our defensive frailties in recent seasons. He was a very promising defender pre the arrival of gallas and then for some reason (be it confidence, an inability to forge a partnership with anybody when he was out of the team for so long or whatever) he lost his way. I def agree that the likes of kolo and gallas have been allowed far more leeway for their fcuk ups from wenger and the fans and I do wonder how much gallas's personna contributed to his lacking in confidence cos there is a feeling that gallas doesnt have much patience with young players

Nicely said - but I don't think he's been a scapegoat so much as a poster boy for our frailties. I think he simply wasn't as good as thought or hoped and that expectation maybe was the unfair thing here because it only made his shortcomings more obvious and his errors more glaring. Phil was never truly as good as thought. He was an honest decent player who would still be welcome as cover at the back for me and even first-choice against the lower-end Premiership sides with little or no pace or creativity.

The problem is against the better sides his lack of pace and athleticism doomed him, and I think that affected his confidence which is why even against poorer sides he would commit an absolute howler any time he had a run of matches eventually., and indeed did almost every match but getting away with many of them just about.

I would almost say he was the back four's Bendtner in that the less he played the more effective he tended to be, but as much as Bendtner frustrates me that is a bit harsh I reckon.

But I sahre you hope for his success because he is it seems from a distance a really decent kid.

Magic Hat · Post by **Magic Hat** » Tue Jun 08, 2010 6:24 pm

I think he was a scapegoat with the fans augie, not sure he was with Wenger till late on when Wenger does seem to have treated him rather harshly.

In terms of talent, Senderos did have it to make it at this club in my opinion. Once he got a run of games going (was never someone you could throw in for a game or two), it didn't matter that we played a high line and he lacked pace, he looked a very good defender. Strong, fairly good in the air, his positioning was often right and so on. It is no coincidence that Arsenal and Switzerland have gone on strong defensive runs when he was a regular.

The issue was his confidence and his mental strength. He was young and human, making an error every now and again was going to happen but instead of shrugging it off, he would promptly collapse in form. This kept happening and with the club struggling, sometimes got harshly done by the fans

If Hodgson can get Senderos's head right, he has a very good defender on his hands. Best of luck to Senderos, I wish him nothing but success

Captain Fabregas · Post by **Captain Fabregas** » Tue Jun 08, 2010 6:38 pm

another one of fabregas's friends gone....

Post by **brazilianGOONER** » Tue Jun 08, 2010 6:41 pm

Pistols wrote:My first post.

welcome, mate

sheepshagger · Post by **sheepshagger** » Tue Jun 08, 2010 6:44 pm

He seemed to be one of the few in the squad who actually cared and would run throguh brick walls for us.

Unfortunately, i think the Champs League Quater Final at Anfailed a couple of years ago seemed to destroy his confidence when Torres exposed his lack of pace, he was apparently devasted after that game and never really got over it.

It's a shame, we could do with more characters like him.

Perryashburtongroves · Tue Jun 08, 2010 6:52 pm

Apparently, He wanted a step-up in class and signed for a club that has actually seen what a final looks like recently.

OnlyGotOneSong · Post by **OnlyGotOneSong** » Tue Jun 08, 2010 7:00 pm

CF is right, Senderos is another of Cesc's good friends too leave. Also, the lad was intelligent. I think im right in saying that he had the highest IQ in the squad and I remember them all doing a quiz on Arsenal history and Phil topped the league, so to speak.

Fairly irrelevant to football but nice to know he's got a decent head on his shoulders.