What is wrong with our defence?

[RioGooner]

I really don't like back threes, specially in a situation such as this, clearly by desperation, not plan.

And to think that Santos will be granted a start with that setup, considering Gibbs and fitness won't ever match, it just makes is worse.

Back four with Sagna as LB is the safer choice, if you ask me. But hey, I haven't worked in football for 30 years

[g88ner]

Wenger doesnt do defence and never will.

didn't our '99 defence do even better than in '91?

Seriously? your evidence that Wenger does defence is a season where we had Seaman, Dixon, Winterburn, Adams and Keown at the back?

Come on mate, you knew the flaw to that argument before you made it.

[I Hate Hleb]

I thought the exact same thing but didn't respond because I thought perhaps Highbury JD was laying a trap and would go onto mention the 2003-4 defence - probably not acknowledging of course that they had learnt most of what they knew about defending from those Graham-era men. Once the last of those disappeared, so did our resilience, defensive parsimony and - most disappointingly of all - our fighting spirit and true pride in the shirt.

[highburyJD]

'99 defence undeniably a George Graham construct in personnel and structure
but that construct obviously shipped plenty of goals in other seasons
where the players in front didn't defend well
Petit, Vieira and even Parlour where in there as Wenger picks.
Parlour wasn't a first team regular under any other manager.
The team of 99 was every bit as good as the 98 team, maybe better
and the way they destroyed the oppositions ability to play was a Wenger system

Wenger 'did' defensive organisation of a team then,
no point in suggesting he didn't

Doesn't make me any more confident in our ability to defend Saturday...

[I Hate Hleb]

It was Tony Adams that told Wenger to get the Midfield players to give more cover to the defence (after a home defeat to Blackburn, from memory) - not something the 'genius' manager came up with himself!! But I suspect you already knew that.

[CanadianGooner12]

We lack solidity and consistency ... I really do think it is as simple as that

[safcftm]

I think a big problem with your defence is your midfield tbh, there's not many defensive minded players in there and there's not much strength. It means the midfield are good technically and contributes to looking dangerous going forwards but there's very little in the way of cover for the defenders and, however good defenders are, they're in trouble and liable to make mistakes when exposed. Diaby is a massive player for you, need to get him on the pitch consistently because he helps keep the balance in midfield

[DB10GOONER]

It was Tony Adams that told Wenger to get the Midfield players to give more cover to the defence (after a home defeat to Blackburn, from memory) - not something the 'genius' manager came up with himself!! But I suspect you already knew that.

Hlebby!! You're not suggesting that JD (or ANY AKB) would fudge the facts to defend Arsene??!! Surely not!

[highburyJD]

Fudge facts?
All managers develop, they change how they want their teams to play
nobody forces them to play a different way
many things influence them, we had an awesome defence in '99
my opinion is we were best team in the league
Wenger became a more offensive minded manager as a reaction to that brilliant but trophyless season
HE takes responsibility
just like HE takes responsibility when he decides, whether with or without squad discussions, to make his midfield more defensive
a criticism I've heard of Wenger is he takes too much sole control
that he should accept more input
seems strange if he is also knocked when he chooses to accept and implement others opinions/ideas

[TeeCee]

haven't read the whole thread but in my opinion.....

Vermaelen has been awful for over a year now. He has been consistent....consistently bad. So many goals have been down to him. Left back is a real problem area. Gibbs is our best option and he's not great. The goalkeeper situation is a farce, we have 4 dodgy keepers. Chezza should be a number 2 behind an established top quality international keeper. Jenks shouldn't have been dropped for Sagna, he was playing very well and deserved to stay in. I won't even mention Santos beyond the fact that he is our worst defensive signing since Stepanovs.
It's no surprise our defensive record is shite. We have slightly above average players playing a poor system (zonal). The club still needs a complete overhaul and year after year we see our imperious dictator fail to do the right thing....resign. It won't change.

[DB10GOONER]

Thought Chesney was very poor for the scum's first goal and not exactly brilliant for the second either... If only his ability matched his self belief...

[highburyJD]

His timewasting really got on my nerves

[flash gunner]

His timewasting really got on my nerves

It was embarrassing to be timewasting at 4-2 up Just showed IMO that they know how fragile we are

[highburyJD]

I think timewasting makes you more fragile, looked like we were scared
and that transmits to fans and worse players
really dumb move

[flash gunner]

I think timewasting makes you more fragile, looked like we were scared
and that transmits to fans and worse players
really dumb move

agreed