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.
QuartzGooner wrote:Got a feeling Vermaelen may be sold this summer.
Anyone agree?
Well, he's the captain, so of course
Honestly, I think that he is a good defender who needs to be coached properly. In fact, I still maintain that the squad is better than 5th place if they were coached properly and knew what to do.
I had a gent next to me at the Bayern game who said that if we swapped entire teams and we had all of the German players and they had all of the Arsenal players that we'd still lose. Funnily enough, I'd agree with that.
Tv5 has been cack this season but lets face it, who hasnt ? Somewhere along the way we need to stop this cycle of continual selling and that has to be sooner rather than later. If we sell as much as one more of our better players without replacing them with a top level player then they might as well shut the doors and wind down the club
he could be a good defender, and has been for spells, but dont see him as a 1st choice for a club with title aspirations (not that that is us though)
he makes so many errors and relies on his pace (as did kolo) to get out of them, and has done since he signed for us. maybe alongside a sol type he would pass muster as kolo did, but i dont see it myself.
Daily Mail now question whether Vermaelen will be sold this summer.
A newspaper with a questionable track record in all matters, but shows that the subject is being discussed outside of this Forum.
So, Vermaelen's been dropped and if Wenger had any sense he wouldn't break up the Mert/Kos partnership by choice so that leaves Vermaelen out of the team. Arteta surely can't start every game next season and in my opinion I'd move him to the bench in place of a new signing.
That leaves the armband free, who would ou have take it on?
I'm inclined to say Jack but I see him more of a captain without the armband to be honest. Maybe later on down the line he will don it, who's to say.
I'd be happy for either Kos or Mert to take it on to be honest.
I don't really think Wenger cares who the captain is - he seems to assign little importance to the role and it's been years since we last had a captain with the requisite "mental strength" and steel to pull the team together.
donaldo wrote:Getting the armband means you are sold the following season.Its an Arsenal tradition.Lets hope next season's captain is either Giroud or Gervinho
He won't take it off Vermaelen unless he goes. I can't remember the last time we had real leadership on the pitch (and I don't include van Judas banging in hat-tricks as leadership in that sense), for the past few years we've been generally spineless and on the rare occasions when we've dug in it's been more a case of everybody mucking in rather than somebody rallying the troops. Too often we've shipped in goals at important times and instead of anybody shouting and motivating we've let our heads drop and trotted back to kick-off again, whilst the opposition are buoyant.
Looking at Wenger's past comments and decisions he clearly doesn't attach much importance to the role. In a way I actually agree with him (shock) - how many big personalities and leaders you have on the pitch is bigger than which individual wears the armband. United have been doing just fine the past half a decade or so and they've had a couple of 'club captains' who've missed months on end with injury. Unfortunately we don't really have any leaders in any case.
Arteta is a fine professional and a decent choice if, as ATID said, he was likely to play week-in week-out next season, which I doubt he is. I wouldn't even think about giving Wilshere the captaincy - don't see how it will benefit him or us. Just get him fit, and keep him fit by being sensible with injuries. Our two other centre-halves are terrified of their own shadows and barely anyone else is guaranteed a start. Other than Giroud
Agree with NB123, making Jack captain would be a bad move. I'd go so far as to say a really bad move. Maybe in a few years ti - oh, hang on, he'll be at Manure by then. Silly me.
A sad state of affairs when we can't think of anybody suitable to be captain. Any decent team should have three or four contenders.
Mind you, when they've all got such mental strength, maybe they don't need a captain.
Rohan wrote:Surprise Wenger gave up quickly on TV without trying him for DM or something.
I think his problems tend to stem from the fact that he can be rash and error-prone - not really what you want in a DM.
True, but I have been wondering if Vermaelen could be a defensive midfielder?
Not a Gilberto type holding player, but a Flamini type who runs to the player in possession and tackles and who pushes forward to make something happen.
An oft criticism of Wenger on here is that he plays players out of position, but surely this is worth a try in training and pre-season if Vermalen is not scheduled to be sold?
Somewhere along the way we need to stop this cycle of continual selling and that has to be sooner rather than later. If we sell as much as one more of our better players without replacing them with a top level player then they might as well shut the doors and wind down the club
