Should Gibbs now be considered second choice left-back for Arsenal?
When Ashley Cole controversially left the Gunners to join Chelsea in 2006, substitute left-back Gael Clichy was given the chance to prove his capabilities on a permanent basis and didn’t let Wenger down. Now the Frenchman has himself left the club – in this case to Manchester City – one would have assumed that his deputy Kieran Gibbs would take over but a certain Andre Santos could be between him and his left-back spot.
Gibbs’ performance against Spurs was one without any major flaws, as was his display against Sunderland before his injury troubles – that look to be being overcome by the end of the international break – forced him to be replaced in the second half. Andre Santos, on the other hand, has been praised for his attacking prowess, already scoring as many goals in two months as Clichy did in seven years. However, Santos’ laidback approach to defending has led to Arsenal’s backline having to deal with unnecessary threat that the Brazilian really should be coping with.
Repeatedly tipped as a future first-choice England left-back once Ashley Cole retires, Kieran Gibbs shares similar attacking instincts to Santos. While neither are world class defenders, though, performances from the pair do suggest that Gibbs is the most efficient in defence and is capable of offering the occasional decent ball into the box.
It is unclear whether Santos would have been given his chances ahead of Gibbs had the Englishman’s injury woes not blighted his progress, and it would be interesting to know if Wenger would have signed Santos had Armand Traoré not left for QPR. Either way, neither Santos nor Gibbs are the perfect left-back for an ever-improving backline.
Should Santos now be considered first-team material or should Gibbs be given his second chance?
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Santos.
Top Gooner!. Agree or not?:
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Your just saying Santos because he scores goals and likes to attack which makes him many fans favourates.
He does not defend well and his fitness levels are poor. He bombs forward and cannot get back when the opposition counter attack.
Gibbs is more sensible so its got to be Gibbs.
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Santos
Gibbs has had 3 years. You can’t judge Santos defensively
til next year and that’s not even considering Gibbs’ fragility.
Traore always looked poor.
Top Gooner!. Agree or not?:
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I think Santos has a slight edge over Gibbs simply becuase of his ability to get goals.
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rubbish article. Santos is a world class left back but he need to adapt to the epl. Even wenger said that the way brazilian full backs play is different to that in europe hence santos has to adapt to the new way. If you are in doubt ask the brazilia national team coach why he prefer him to marcelo.
Top Gooner!. Agree or not?:
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I don’t know many players that play like Santos. His unpredictable style and is both a joy and a hinder. However Both are amazing players and I would be happy with whatever Wenger chooses. Of course now if I were to pick I would say Santos but only because I haven’t seen Gibbs play in a while and therefore my vote is rubbish.
Top Gooner!. Agree or not?:
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all the big clubs dont have a first 11 and neither should we if we are serious about winning things, we need to be able to rotate reguarly with players all as good as eachother, if you stick to the same 11 you cant cope or adapt to injuries and the players that have to come in our outa form and outa touch with the first team.
a perfect example is rosicky who has been outstanding when given a chance this season, and yet got only a brief run out at chelsea, didnt get on the pitch against marseille and then got a few minutes against west brom! now can somebody please tell me why he didnt start against west brom? several players like ramsey and arteta even walcott need a rest and the result was always in the bag so why the hell is wenger not making more of an effort to keep the squad rotating?
bottom line is when injury strikes players that come in need to be upto speed and have gametime under there belt, wenger really needs to give the whole squad game time and gibbs is just another that when fit should be rotated with santos as there should be no first and second choice in any position, just 25 solid players all capeble of doing a good job
why is frimpong not being used to give song a rest? why is arsharvin not getting a chance through the middle? why is djourou not getting to play cb when he will be needed if injuries hit? why is park or chamakh not getting any game time as when vp gets injured or suspended we will have to turn to them as are only other strikers? why is fabianski not getting a start, surely he will have to play if sheza picks up an injury or suspension for a red card we all no is coming sooner or later.
wenger needs to be one step ahead and have the whole sqaud on its toes and ready to play, come on wenger dont make the same mistakes again sort it out before your hand is forced, oh and oxo and ryo are two more that should also get a chance otherwise send em out on loan and get in solid established players who are ready if thats your argument.
Opinions divided. What do you think?
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@wentworth – I agree completely that Europe is entirely different and the subsequent need for him to adapt was obvious but nobody can be fully convinced quite yet. He has scored goals and has been a great attacking threat but the amount of spaces that he’s left at the back is a concern. Yeah, he will surely stop that soon enough but why would Wenger have given Gibbs so many chances last season if he didn’t think he was good enough to have a full first team place? We shouldn’t just overlook Gibbsy. I do take the view that Santos is more effective overall – he isn’t a terrible defender at all – but I just think people shouldn’t suddenly dismiss Gibbs all of a sudden.
Top Gooner!. Agree or not?:
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Left back spot has one name written all over it santos santos santos.he just has to adapt to the pace of the premiership and i tink he would well be above gibbs in the pecking order of the left back spot.
Rate me please
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ps, santos is a quality player but am i the only one to notice most his problems stem from carrying a stone to much in weight? hes not fit enough yet thats why he cant get back and cover, not coz he cant defend!
Top Gooner!. Agree or not?:
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Gibbs will have a hard time fighting for his spot although santos is a worthy contender you cant really pick between the pair for fast pacey games go with gibbs for attacking ball possesive games go with santos.
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If only Gibbs can play consecutively for one month,if only is body is not made up of but,if only he is not injury prone,if only he can keep opponet attackers offside instead of onside then he wil be the firs choice
Top Gooner!. Agree or not?:
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Diarby and Gibbs, A couple of softees. Have they ever played 4 games in a row?
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@ toby agree completley , his tackling is great , just runs out of puff getting back , Santos over gibbs , hope he hits a threadmill over the two week break , really feel he could become the best left back in the country , ive seen enough promise .
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Gibbs is a good young footballer but has NOT been taught how to defend. He is an auxiliary winger (and so is Santos). Wenger doesn’t do full backs who first and foremost … DEFEND !!
Opinions divided. What do you think?
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Santos, he is still getting used to the pace of the EPL and despite his defensive lapses I think he is still better defensively than gibbs.
Opinions divided. What do you think?
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I think Wenger is going to use Santos for European and home games. But i don’t think Santos can handle a mid-week away match in a cold wheather in Bolton, Stoke, Everton, etc. Gibbs will have the edge in these games. So, both should play.
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@Toby : Agree with you on Santos
However, I disagree with you about rotating idea. Right now we are not in a position that you can rotate team as much as you want. Right now we need key players understand each other. And we need some more win to be confident.
But in the next coming months, when we are in a better position, rotating idea will make sense.
Top Gooner!. Agree or not?:
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touch choice
gibbs has never had a run in the first team though due to injury
id be tempted to play santos a either for home games or against weaker teams due to his attacking prowess and maybe play gibbs against the stronger teams as he can defend better?
either way the future looks good – santos will slowly adapt to the EPL and Gibbs will dramatically improve if he can start getting some consistency to his fitness
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Gibbs has no positional sense – you might have thought that by now he would have learned – but he keeps being caught out of position and is prone to giving away needless free-kicks arround our box…
and just like Djourou is an accident waiting to happen
i like what i have seen from Santos so far – and once he has adjusted to the pace of the EPL and has tightened up on his first touch he will make a vast improvement to that position that has been ‘loose’ to say the least since the departure of Ashley Cole
Top Gooner!. Agree or not?:
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We’re an attacking team, we need an attacking fullback: Santos!!!
Top Gooner!. Agree or not?:
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I have read interesting comments, i think that Gibbs has a lot of room to improve, he definitly has more pace than Santos, but we jave seen that pace alone cant make a good left back, an example was Clichy he had lots of pace, but does not know how to cross the ball or score goals or take on defenders, plus his defending was average.
In my opinion i would go with Santos, make him loose a couple of KG an he his fitness will pick up, he is an average defender but an excellent attacker plus he can score goal and make decisions when he gets the ball in the box, of he can score 8 goals for arsenal this season it would be a major advantage, since we lost Ashly Cole all our left back do is run up and down the pitch. Look at RVP he does not have pace nor physical presence but he has talent and dribbling as well as excellent decision making when he has the ball. Thats what we need in alll out players at the moment !!!!
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Gibbs is 22, Santos is 28, theres your answer, its Wenger we know how this works!
Top Gooner!
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Santos is a much better player than gibbs fullstop.
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I think santos is much better than Gibs now coz Gibbs has prone injury
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We shud stop talking of rotating our team! We have not gathered points yet to rotate. We need to play all our best players for now before talking of rotation.pls we shud nt be disputing d fact Santos is better dan Gibbs! Santos is a mature player. Is it bcuz Gibbs is a British player dat we saying is better dan santos? Pls I dnt want to hear dis kind of comparison again. Gibbs is not an early developer, he has a small football brain.
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vertonghen is the better :p
szc
sagna/jenkinson -mert/kos-tv5- vertonghen/santos
song/vertonghen- arteta/wilshere
ramsey/goetze
hazard/chambo- -gervinho/walcott
rvp/podolski/park
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develop gibbs two to three years more..than he cn b scond option bhind vertonghen when santos hv it time enough already..two years he wil reach 30,arshavin n rosicky wil go the same..up to wenger..santos r gibbs arsenal will always b awesome!!
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Hard to determine a players size from watching matches on TV but I tend to agree Santos looks a bit over weight. Maybe with a few kilos off he would be very suited to an attacking midfield role leaving Wenger to find a back up for Gibbs. With the defence begining to settle and rotation accepted it`s possible Koscieny could cover for Gibbs when not pairing with Vermaelen or Mertesacker. Should Vertongen arrive and Sagna regain fitness we would have endless combinations at the back. In the absense of van Persie I can see Parks and Gervinho becomming the `terrible twins`. I can imagine Jack Wilshere hobbling around the house with one boot on in his eagerness to get back on the paddock.
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i do remember times when sagna and eboue will both be on the pitch. Could this happen for gibbs and santos sometimes to solidify the left flank more?
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As to my own point of view, santos has everything than gibs infact if we considered his way of attacking it’s so perfect than that of gibs because he can attack, defend and stop ball without comitting foul through his perfect slide and ability to stay with the opponent and collect the ball. Surely santos prefer at the left back than gibs but as to what many people says on gibs, he may be substitute to replace santos in some easy match and not big games like premier league and champions league but like some match in carling and FA cup and in case of injuries to come. I remain Arsenal fans till eternity and i says Gunners for life. Up Gunners.
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why not use both of them, and rotate. theres alot of games in a season.
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They are both great, we should use both of them strategically, this is what wenger should do, choose one of them cleverly for a particular game
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Well for now santos is trying in arsenal we need quality not quantity both gibss n santos are quality but santos should kip doing d rough defence for now and the great attacking till santos come ova if is matured strong but nid to work on is pace i like him his gud n great
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@ tobi….
you really should check before saying some things. Words are just flying outta your mouth without much brain behind it. You want everybody to play and everybody rotated when we complained the team didn’t have a pre- season together. The team is just starting to gel together and you are asking for people to get playing time. We are just building from the rubricks and you should know better. We all know that Scezar is a great goalie but we are just begining to keep clean sheets and suddenly you want fabianski to play important matches.
For your information, we are only 7th on the log and need loads of result to get in CL places talk less of winning the league. I sympathize with people who rely on you to be intelligent in your analysis…
@ admin: didn’t I tell you last year this dude should never be allowed to share opinions on this site? I insist he shares his opinion only with his dog.
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this discussion seems to be coming up just bcos gibbs is british,even a blind man knows that santos is better by a wide margin.qed.
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I think the comment of develop gibbs for a further two-three years and he could become second choice behind Vertonghen or Santos – Can you please remind me when we signed Vertonghen because as far as I can recall he hasn’t signed for Arsenal and these are only RUMOURS. Why not concentrate on the players ARSENAL ACTUALLY HAVE!
Gibbs is poor at best – Santos shows glimmers of class attacking and leaves gaping holes along the flank, In my opinion we should play Vermaelen in this position to ‘fill the void’ until the transfer window.
I’d say a left back is a priority in the transfer window (even as cover to Santos).
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Experience is key!!!
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Szczesny-sagna(jenkinson)-kos-TV5-santos-song-wilshere(arteta)-ramsey-walcot-gervinho-rvp.
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not only is santos better offendively n defensively but he also doesn’t pull his hami every 2nd game like gibbs oh n when has he ever challenged one of cashley ahole or leighton baines 4 their spot on the national team, where as santos is first choice over real madrid STAR marcelo n some up n rising guy called adrian
Santos loose some weight n teach gibbs how 2 play LB PLEASE!!! oh n jenkinson PLZ teach walcott how 2 cross
ARSENAL TIL I’M DECEASED
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Santos with his experience and his body strength swings it for me. I would like Gibbs to stay fit and establish himself as a first choice player for Arsenal and my Country, but he’s just way too weak.
Personally I would deploy Gibbs as a left winger – this is basically what he plays as, a very deep positioned left sided winger.
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@northbankhighbury!
hahahaha.. vertonghen vertonghen!!haha..
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Everyone saying santos isn’t fit yet he last 90mins which is more than can be said of the very weak Gibbs..we can’t rely on Gibbs so santos has to start..let him get fit and settled and he will b excellent..he is good in the tackle and has great technique,he’s physically stronger than Gibbs he has all the attributes to be better IMO
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At this point i have read everyone’s post, here is mine, Santos is by far a better player than Gibbs at left back, he has a high rate of successful one on one tackles, he makes many clean tackles, he can score and he can cross no wonder he is in d starting 11 of Brazil, about his faults, this player is new to d Arsenal team unlike Gibbs that has been with us ever since his teens, i hate to disappoint some of my fellow Arsenal fan that i even doubt that Gibbs is really good enough, i have seen him been turned in and out too many times, am so nervous each time he is at left back.
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…can someone just imagine what will happen if Gibbs has to face up to C. Ronaldo if we ever meet Real Madrid in Europe (and this is possible if we are aiming to go far), quiet true there are few defenders that can stand up to him, a right back that really did well against him even on one on one was AC Millan’s Zambrota, though i think he was at Barca that time, but our own Gibbs? and how about Santos, how will he fair?
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I THINK GIBBS WILL COME GOOD,INJURIES ARE HIS PROBLEM THO.
WITH SANTOS AND HIS WEIGHT FITNESS ETC,LETS GIVE HIM A CHANCE HOPEFULLY WITH MR WENGER ABOUT HE WILL SORT HIM SELF OUT.
GOOD THING IS WE GOT COVER FOR AL POSITIONS.
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Santos santos ….
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Santos is a potential threat to our opponents. He attacks with confidence. If there is a thing I am grateful to Man City is to buy Clitchy who seemed a burden to the team and Gibbs lacks confidence in the pitch.
Santos is my first choice. Our worries will fade away with time, as he is adopting very quickly to English football
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Don’t be bias against Santos. Santos tracks back and defend well. He is from my observation a tough tackler but wins the ball back by intercepting the passes well. I must admit that Gibbs contribution in attact is much better than Clichy but when Santos go forward you can see the quality in difference as well the goal scoring rate.
We have to apply SWOT as a team. Defensive duty is a team effort. There were complaints for example that Mertesacker has no speed. The team, players, should use the strenght of their team mates for the benefit of the team. So they should also know the weakness of their team mates and cover their weaknesses equally. I have observed that Cosielny is one of our best tackling defender, while Mertesacker is the best organizational and aerial wise, while TV5 is a general, an allrounder but we need them all. It is good that we have both Gibbs and Santos there are some games one would excell in than the other but both off them are good additions to the team. The coach knows better.
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Santos seems to have adapted well to the EPL and doesn’t get injured so often.
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