Whilst the Gunners are renowned for their free-flowing attacking spirit (maybe not so much this season), their defense seems to earn less respect.
This is often with good reason. Arsenal’s open style of play often leaves the back-four entirely exposed. The way Arsene Wenger has set-up his team, puts defenders in a position to fail.
Wingers fly forwards but don’t head back when necessary to provide cover for their full-back. Arsenal’s holding midfielder is Mikel Arteta. Mikel Arteta! Apparently Alex Song was too defensively minded (nope!) because he was shipped off to Barcelona last summer. Everyone’s too busy flying forward to think about defending.
What’s more, you get the feeling that practising set-pieces doesn’t rank very highly on Arsene’s list of training priorities.
If an Arsenal defender is to be successful then, they have to have pace, smarts and they have to be able to act well under pressure. This, I would argue, is the diving line between misfits like Sebastien Squillaci and old heroes like Kolo Toure.
Take a look at Thomas Vermaelen. On many occasions this season, he has looked like his marbles are running away from him. The pressure of being captain, of organizing a seemingly unorganizable defense has got to him. It’s been a startling fall from grace for a player who was once thought of as one of the most promising defenders in world football.
Which brings me to Laurent Koscielny, the man I think is Arsenal’s best defender. Yes, he started the season slowly, picking up red cards and giving away a couple of goals, but I’d argue that he was rusty due to a lack of game-time.
Whilst I’m not quite ready to call time on his Arsenal career, he certainly needs to earn his place in the first team and the captaincy should probably go elsewhere (but to who?).
The Frenchman is strong, quick and committed. When he’s on form, he’s a truly imperious figure. It’s no surprise that Arsenal have started stringing some results together following Koscielny’s run of games in the first team.
What is surprising, is The Express‘ claim that Bayern Munich are preparing to launch a £20m bid for him this summer. That may seem like a lot of money for a player who has been fairly inconsistent over the years, but Koscielny has earned his price-tag. Here’s hoping Wenger tells Bayern where to go!
What’s your take? Should Arsenal fight to keep hold of Laurent Koscielny?
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I think AW should kill the idea of selling his best players. He should rather consolidate in those areas he already has good players and bring in quality new players to complement the squad. He should have learnt that money is not everything in football: what counts for success for a manager, players, the club and the fans is winning laurels, and not the amount of money made by selling players. I would have thought that AW should make immediate statement to both discourage/ward off potential invaders of his players and build confidence in his players, just like Alex Ferguson does for his players. His silence or putting figures on the player is like saying to the suitor: if you want him, pay this much. Obviously, an ambitious manager and club, like Bayern Munich will not be deterred by any amount. Wenger is the only manager who quibbles over players’ costs. Fans have had enough of his lack of ambition or building a new team year in year out simply because he trades with his players.
AW should not sell his key players. Also, he should bring in quality players if he must aim to win trophies next season.
i wouldn’t even take 30mill for him, rarely ever do you get a defender that has everything, but if he is to go his replacement should be ogbonna from torino
Ko should remain for a better partinership wt PM. Arse needs more good defenders rather than selling.
Who sets price tags? I think it is the parent club, the one with player ownership rights, and in Koscielny’s case, it Arsenal. I don’t think Arsenal have spoken to anybody and set a price for a player they are clearly not thinking of selling. He doesn’t have a buy-out clause in his contract, which makes the whole thing a piece of rubbish!
I’ve also noted how unfair the article is to the Frenchman by branding him “inconsistent”! What constitutes an inconsistent player? For me an inconsistent player is one who regularly plays, but whose performances are good today and poor the next day. Koscielny was consistently denied playing time by his manager, preferring to play Vermaelen because he is captain, not because he is the better player, because last season the Frenchman was by far the best center-back at the club. The mixed performances he exhibited before he became a mainstay in the team this season were because he had become rusty due to lack of game time.For this reason, it is wrong to brand him inconsistent, terribly wrong!!!
He is a remarkable player with unbelievable power, speed and stamina and with a knack of scoring crucial goals. The reported interest from Bayern is testament to his superstar quality. If Andy Carroll was worth 30m, Koscielny is worth 10m more! He’s surely not for sale and it would be foolhardy and indeed absolute madness if Arsenal even dreamt of selling him!