Derek Purcell - I could kiss you. I read a fantastic amount of rott, your article was excellent, and I could not agree with you more. How the fans are managing to tar Diaby with the same brush as Denilson and Song is a scandal.
When will Diaby ever, EVER be given a go in the middle, it's a joke. If he was in an identity parade with 50 others, you'd say yep, he's the one, he's the central midfielder.
It's perhaps not as simple as saying he has all the right attributes to play that role, because as you've suggested, and as we all know, Diaby's game doesn't quite fit that role yet. He's been too cavalier in his forward play, but for christ sake, coach the guy, and let him learn the role. It would be a step in the right direction, if it takes him a season to perfect the role, so be it, it took Flamini 3 seasons to show any promise in that role. However, as you said, it is possible that Diaby can be a world beater in that position, highly possible, given time. It is impossible, that Denilson become a world beater in that role. Around the forums there are fans saying give him time, let him learn, but you cannot learn pace, you cannot learn strength and you cannot learn talent. As you have stated, all of his attributes are average at best, and we have also seen no improvement in any of those attributes since the first day he started with us, in fact I'm convinced of the contrary, I don't think he is as good as he was.
Diaby has been treated appallingly, in exactly the same manner as Djourou. For some reason, those two guys have never earned Wenger's world-famous loyalty. He's never given them a break. Even after these wasted seasons for these two guys, I still believe they have the potential to become star's if given time in the correct position, and proper coaching. If we could give Djourou and Toure to Keown for the rest of the season, we'd have a decent CB pairing by the end of it I'm sure.
In Defence Of Diaby
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QuartzGooner
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- Location: London
Original article can be read here, was posted on 16 December 2008:
http://www.onlinegooner.com/exclusive/index.php?id=915
I have to say I disagree with the article.
I do remember Diaby as my man of the match in the Carling Cup Final, and am alarmed at how far he has regressed since then.
Sure he had a terrible injury, plus another one this summer.
Sure, he is played out of position on the left, and sometimes as a number 10 which does nto quite work for me.
Yet he just does not look sharp enough for our style of football.
I think his stock has fallen alarmingly since he joined us.
He loses the ball too often, misses too many shots, and is a shocking tackler.
I would not sell him in January, but if his poor form continues, with Ramsey and Wilshere emerging, would regretfully sell Daiby in the summer.
http://www.onlinegooner.com/exclusive/index.php?id=915
I have to say I disagree with the article.
I do remember Diaby as my man of the match in the Carling Cup Final, and am alarmed at how far he has regressed since then.
Sure he had a terrible injury, plus another one this summer.
Sure, he is played out of position on the left, and sometimes as a number 10 which does nto quite work for me.
Yet he just does not look sharp enough for our style of football.
I think his stock has fallen alarmingly since he joined us.
He loses the ball too often, misses too many shots, and is a shocking tackler.
I would not sell him in January, but if his poor form continues, with Ramsey and Wilshere emerging, would regretfully sell Daiby in the summer.
Can't agree with the article at all.
If you're good enough, you can play 'out of position' and still put in decent performances the majority of the time.
Diaby ball hogs throughout every match he plays and subsequently loses it an incredible amount of times - you would have to assume that someone has already spoken with him about it (if they haven't, Wenger and his coaches may as well go now)! But he still does it game after game.
He couldn't tackle a heavy dinner. He is another one of our powder puff midfielders who, despite his size, is as menacing as a fluffy kitten.
Just another player who is nowhere near good enough for Arsenal. Would probably do ok at a lower table Premiership club.....Fulham, Wigan or Spurs for example.
If you're good enough, you can play 'out of position' and still put in decent performances the majority of the time.
Diaby ball hogs throughout every match he plays and subsequently loses it an incredible amount of times - you would have to assume that someone has already spoken with him about it (if they haven't, Wenger and his coaches may as well go now)! But he still does it game after game.
He couldn't tackle a heavy dinner. He is another one of our powder puff midfielders who, despite his size, is as menacing as a fluffy kitten.
Just another player who is nowhere near good enough for Arsenal. Would probably do ok at a lower table Premiership club.....Fulham, Wigan or Spurs for example.
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proudtosaythatname
- Posts: 678
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I agree with the article, in that Denilson has not improved - his passing is mostly atrocious and he has little physical presence - hardly a Flamini replacement. I think Song has potential but seemingly little enthusiasm. I would rather see Eboue in the line up than either of those two - and that is saying something.
As for Diaby, I don't think his tackling is strong enough, but at least he looks up for it. He's a big guy and with a bit of coaching and being played in midfield he might just 'step up to the plate'. Remember, not so long ago a lot of fans thought Flamini was a waste of space - and look what happened with him?
As for Diaby, I don't think his tackling is strong enough, but at least he looks up for it. He's a big guy and with a bit of coaching and being played in midfield he might just 'step up to the plate'. Remember, not so long ago a lot of fans thought Flamini was a waste of space - and look what happened with him?
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Redexpress
- Posts: 103
- Joined: Fri Mar 09, 2007 2:09 pm
I think we all had high hopes for Diaby, I spent last summer consoling myself that the departure of Flamini would be offset by the emergence of Diaby in that position.
I know he hasn't had a good run, but if he is that good then why doesn't the boss put him straight into the middle. He is no more of a wide player than denilson and if we are really stuck on the left of midfield then why not throw in young Gibbs, or get Traore back (he is only on loan isn't he?).
as someone else has mentioned, we are "persisting" with players who are not up to the high stanards we have set for ourselves. how long to they get to prove themselves beore we look elsewhere?
I know he hasn't had a good run, but if he is that good then why doesn't the boss put him straight into the middle. He is no more of a wide player than denilson and if we are really stuck on the left of midfield then why not throw in young Gibbs, or get Traore back (he is only on loan isn't he?).
as someone else has mentioned, we are "persisting" with players who are not up to the high stanards we have set for ourselves. how long to they get to prove themselves beore we look elsewhere?
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gus ceasar is a legend
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- Joined: Sun Jun 24, 2007 12:42 pm
For a long time I liked Diaby, as mentioned in the article, his injury in the Carling Cup final 2 years ago probably cost us as he was running rings round the likes of fat frank.
However, he, like so many others, seems to struggle with the basics like concentration. The most blatant example of this was when we won in Milan. We had just gone 1-0 up and won a free kick. Cesc passed it to him but he seemed to looking in the crowd at something and suddenly Milan were back on the attack.
He does have a lot of natural attributes but comes across as pretty dozy on the pitch and not making anything like as much as he should with his talent. The number of times he gets caught in possession is criminal.
I don’t think he is suited to the Flamini role either. Much better he and Cesc play in front of a good defensive midfielder with a fluid three up top.
He would not be one of the first I would get rid of but he needs to improve to have a long term future.
However, he, like so many others, seems to struggle with the basics like concentration. The most blatant example of this was when we won in Milan. We had just gone 1-0 up and won a free kick. Cesc passed it to him but he seemed to looking in the crowd at something and suddenly Milan were back on the attack.
He does have a lot of natural attributes but comes across as pretty dozy on the pitch and not making anything like as much as he should with his talent. The number of times he gets caught in possession is criminal.
I don’t think he is suited to the Flamini role either. Much better he and Cesc play in front of a good defensive midfielder with a fluid three up top.
He would not be one of the first I would get rid of but he needs to improve to have a long term future.
