Today I continue rating the entire Arsenal squad as it stands, after giving my honest opinions on the goalkeeping situation and the defensive one. I haven’t included players like Oxlade-Chamberlain and Alex Iwobi in this list for I feel they’re better classified as wingers, or forwards.
For obvious reasons, I have included one Granit Xhaka as part of this midfield contingent. If this jinxes it and he ends up going to Liverpool instead, I think it’ll be safe for me to flee to the Amazons before an angry mob trample me over.
Anyway, let’s get rolling.
Francis Coquelin: Probably the only outright defensive midfielder at the club, there’s no doubt in my mind we have to keep him. He’s 25, he’s going places and he acts as a very efficient wall in front of the back four. He wasn’t as effective as he was at the back-end of 2014/15, but is a unique property at Arsenal and can’t be let go of soon.
Having said that, I do wonder if Arsene Wenger considers him expendable to an extent. He clearly didn’t rate him by sending him out on loan to Charlton, essentially a death sentence. An injury crisis meant that he was hurried into the team, and by some happy accident it turned out he was the answer to our problems, which meant that Wenger had to keep him.
And after Mohammed Elneny’s arrival, Coquelin mostly found himself on the bench, which felt a bit undeserved. It may be another sign that Wenger is not as sold on the Frenchman as we all are, and the arrival of Xhaka may scupper his playing time even more, which I think would be a shame.
Mohammed Elneny: Signed from Basel in January, he’s been quietly going around his business well. He’s been ticking a lot of boxes, but I won’t go as far as to label him a ‘great find’ just yet. Most newbies tend to perform well in their initial few months on the big scene because they’re an unknown quantity. Gabriel Paulista and Calum Chambers – heck, even Flamini in his second spell – had a vastly positive impact on the team before fizzing out quickly, and it’s not unreasonable to suggest the same could happen with Elneny.
I’m not saying he was a bad purchase. He’s certainly been a very useful player this season, a great find by our scouters, and for now I’d want him to stay. But to jump to conclusions that he’s the solution to our midfield problems is extremely premature. I’d rather wait and watch on him before calling him the next Gilberto Silva.
Granit Xhaka: Here’s the thing – buying Xhaka was absolutely the right thing to do, and perhaps the last step in solving the midfield conundrum. But after watching three videos of him and asking the opinion of a Bundesliga follower, I’m convinced Xhaka won’t be the midfield destroyer some may want him to be. He’s been playing in the Aaron Ramsey role for Borussia Monchengladbach for a long time, and while I’m not saying he won’t be able to adapt into a more defensive role, I think he prefers the box-to-box responsibility more.
For people wanting an alternative to Coquelin – I’m sorry, but it looks like we’ve found one to Cazorla. Xhaka likes straying forward, switching play and scoring long-rangers. To be perfectly honest, I feel we’ve found a more well-rounded Aaron Ramsey in him.
His imminent transfer should shut up our shop in terms of midfield purchases, but is it enough? Do we need to buy a DM? I think not. Pure breed defensive midfielders are, well, a dying breed. Every DM who goes through academy ranks is expected to be more than just a shield for the back four. Xhaka seems like a player who can attack as well as defend, and he’s certainly not the only one. Elneny, Wilshere, Ramsey and Cazorla are all capable of doing what he does, which makes the idea of a ‘double pivot’ in midfield all the more enticing. One which I feel we should test.
Aaron Ramsey: I’ll be honest when I say he worries me a lot. He’s a talented boy with the stamina of a machine, but the manner in which he operates seems to be a bit all over the place. He doesn’t seem anywhere near interested in the tactical disciplines of the game, and wastes possession trying to play Zidane passes when he hasn’t even mastered the Arteta passes yet.
He tries to be too flashy, too Hollywood, and while I appreciate the ambition, it’s concerning that it’s not tempered by an ounce of realism. The current Ramsey might perform better as an attacking midfielder, but seeing that Mesut Ozil is in majestic form, I don’t see him getting a lot of game time there.
When I look at someone like James Milner, I wonder if that is someone Ramsey should look up to. Milner is strong, versatile and does his job well, and the frustrating thing about Ramsey is that he can outmatch Milner if he had an ounce of composure in him. A tactically astute manager would have honed Ramsey’s skills better than Wenger did. Wenger doesn’t seem like the kind of manager who points out the mistakes his players make. It’s why Alexis Sanchez keeps buffering in front of goal, defensive mistakes don’t stop and Ramsey’s progress is so disjointed.
Jack Wilshere: Lovely ball-player, never doubted his talent and attitude, but I do doubt his fitness. Like Ramsey, Wilshere has developed an unappreciated habit of not being reliable. One can’t predict how many games he’ll be able to play before succumbing to injury, or how much his body is able to take on the pitch. He’s had close to four long-term injuries and he’s only 24, which makes it hard not to think his injury woes may well be permanent.
It strikes me that it may be for the best if either one of Ramsey or Wilshere are offloaded this summer, given the chance. Both of them have the talent but offer more liabilities than assets to the club, and instead of hoping for them to develop into superstars, we could call a spade for a spade and let go of one of them.
If push came to shove, I’d sell Wilshere. Talent-wise I feel Jack is superior to Ramsey, but talent can be replaceable. Wilshere’s ankle issues have been bringing back Abou Diaby memories, and it’s hard to see him recover fully from it. His nationality means that he’d have a greater market value, and we all know that if he were for sale, Manchester City would come traipsing with a £30m bid.
Santi Cazorla: Excellent all round footballer, but his age has meant injuries have increased and pace has lessened. I’d still keep him and I hope he retires at the club instead of selling his soul to the MLS. We may be preparing for life after him in buying Xhaka, but for now there’s no huge reason to look at suitors. Even if both his legs were amputated in a horrific traumatic accident that messes his psychology permanently.
Mesut Ozil: Great player, great season, and even though some feel he faded in the second half of the season, he was our best player by some distance. Criticisms of his lazy and languid nature feel somewhat exaggerated to me. There were plenty of examples where he tracked back and stopped crosses entering the box, and his commitment to Arsenal back then was obvious when he significantly beefed up following a long-term injury.
He won’t ever be the most defensively switched on player, but that’s fine with me. The guy carried our creative burden and proved he’s more than just a ‘big name’ at this club. There’s no doubt in my mind we need him to stay, and we need to win something major to prove to him and Alexis Sanchez that we’re worth sticking with.
Conclusion:
Wenger has always opted for a defensive minded midfielder and a box-to-box one in the centre of the park, but Xhaka’s arrival changes that. Xhaka has added to a long list of central midfielders at the club that makes Coquelin the only player of his kind. The quantity of CM’s we have, paired with the general unreliability of Ramsey and Wilshere could mean that if the price were right, selling one of them may be the right choice.
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Right, that’s that from me. I’m sure some of you might disagree, so feel free to debate my ideas in the comments (I have a feeling my thoughts on Wilshere won’t go well with the public).
Till then.
-Santi [Follow me on Twitter @ArsenalBlogz ]
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