OneBardGooner wrote:clockender1 wrote:g88ner wrote:
Of course, you may not think Arteta does that role well enough, but if you expect him to play a Flamini/Vieira role then you're on a hiding to nothing because it won't happen in million years.
but thats what we need - a true enforcer, a workhorse. bearing in mind
how small and lightweight the current midfield is.
Yes, good point. And Flamster does put himself about considering his size - reminds me of how gatusso was - he was a small nasty animal who liked to up-end the opposition.
yup. he encourages that panic and get rid of it mentality that the likes of Vieira, Keane, Parlour, Essien, thin Davids, savage, bowyer put on their opposition. they just play a high tempo, leave their foot in, harrass and can pick a pass when they need to.
without that 'bite' in midfield, the opposition feel they have time and space to pass through us rather than a quick hoof forward that we can close down and cut out.
both Vieira and Petit had bite, as did Giberto and Edu, and then Gilberto and Cesc - and we had Parlour and Freddy alongside them too working their arses off.
which walcott, cazorla, rosicky don't do. Jack is box to box and Ramsey is 50/50 holding player and forward right now, so we need a player to make up the gap - flamini, perhaps one of the young players like Jenkinson, or preferably a specialist signed in the gap that can rotate with flam and jack.