When Arsenal began the season with a few 0-0’s and a clean sheet in a victory over Liverpool, there was a good aura about the club. Many pundits trumpeted the role of Steve Bould in turning around the defensive fortunes of the club. Arsenal’s backline looks solid, smart and dependable.
A couple of months later and things have fallen apart. The Gunners are a damp squib moving forward, offer little in midfield and are prone to mistakes at the back.
The current system that Arsene Wenger insists on using seems to be stretching the team to breaking point. Defenders always seem to be caught on the back-foot, midfielders don’t track their runners and weak goals are being conceded. As a result, Arsenal have capitulated and run the risk of engineering a quick transformation into a mid-table side.
They need help – and quick.
With that in mind, I was rather glad to see The Metro claim that Arsenal have revived their interest in Montpellier captain and all-round ace defender, Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa. Montpellier have just been roughly ejected from the Champions League and don’t look like beating PSG to the pip in Ligue 1. Mapou may well feel that he’s achieved everything he can at Montpellier and may fancy an opportunity to ply his trade elsewhere.
Heck he may even fancy lining-up with his ex-team mate Olivier Giroud.
One thing’s for sure, the Gunners could use a player of his talent and ability bolstering their backfour. He looks impenetrable in Arsenal’s two games against Montpellier in this season’s Champions League. He’s tough, physical and loves to dive right into a battle. He seemed to thrive on the opportunity to deny Olivier Giroud time and space and did everything he could to deny him a goal against his old side.
He was successful. He’s a player with real character and spirit. He’s 23-years-old now and he’s about to enter the peak stages of his career. The time’s right for Arsenal to swoop in and snap him up. The Metro note that he has refused to commit to Montpellier and would be available at ‘a bargain price’. That’s something that must surely appeal to Arsene Wenger.
Competition for the likes of Thomas Vermaelen (supremely inconsistent), Per Mertesacker (fantastic, but slow) and Laurent Koscielny (inconsistent) can only benefit this Arsenal side. He’d certainly be a big step up from the likes of Johan Djourou and Sebastien Squillaci.
What’s your take? Would Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa be a smart addition for Arsenal?
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Koscielny isn’t inconsistent, he’s by far our best CB and was one of our most important players last season. I wouldn’t even call Vermaelen particularly inconsistent, he’s just not THAT great a central defender. He’s good, and he’s a useful attacking threat, but he’s not world class or anything.
Anyway, Mbiwa clearly stood out in our games against Montpellier, even as a central midfielder. He is a top class defender with pace and some excellent skill on the ball and seems to play to a high level regardless of the position he’s playing. We should do everything we possibly can to get him.
I don’t know that Mbiwa would be a bargain, though. Montpellier are well aware of his ability, and will probably want a decent fee for him.
“The current system that Arsene Wenger insists on using seems to be stretching the team to breaking point. Defenders always seem to be caught on the back-foot, midfielders don’t track their runners and weak goals are being conceded. As a result, Arsenal have capitulated and run the risk of engineering a quick transformation into a mid-table side.”
This is correct, but the joke of it all is that the system we were playing at the start of the season (basically a deeper backline) was working great. Attack-wise we were finding our feet a bit, naturally, but the midfield and defence were in harmony and it allowed us to have much great control over our games. As a result the defenders had an easier time of it, and we looked a more solid side – this is how it should be! The problems then started against Norwich following an international break and it is highlighted by the goal they scored; no one closed down the initial shot despite having ample time to do so. Players simply were not getting free shots at goal earlier in the season, and as the defence was better protected. The fatigue in the midfield may be the reason for our defence pushing higher up the pitch because they naturally want to contribute and help the side to score, when the midfield, despite their efforts, have really been passengers in recent games and the attack has looked useless. Of course as the defenders push higher up, we are much more open to counter attacks…