Just Arsenal News

Sorry, Ashley. You’re not Arsenal’s best ever left back

Generally, I don’t find too much to disagree with when I read another “All-Time Greatest Arsenal Team” list. I mean, it’s hard to dispute the inclusion of talents like Henry, Bergkamp, Vieira and Fabregas. Sometimes my age means I get a little peeved when stars from bygone eras are constantly omitted, but then I’m fortunate to have seen players like Brady and Jennings actually playing for us.

However there’s one player who seems to be an automatic selection at left back in virtually every list, and I’m not so sure he merits that – not because of the circumstances surrounding his departure, but because I think there’s a more deserving candidate. .......Read the full article here

Kieran Gibbs has been a bit of an enigma for Arsenal fans over the last few seasons, as every time he looked set for a long run in the First XI he has immediately been injured and put back into the treatment room. The same thing happened again this season, but Arsene Wenger thinks that the left-back has improved out of all recognition this season.

Wenger said: “I think this season has been, despite the fact that he was in doubt for a while, a step-up season for him.

“He has improved a lot, has put his personality into the games, which was sometimes a bit of a problem for him. .......Read the full article here

The Problem With Two Left Feet, er, Backs A Guest Post from Jon Shay from Woolwich1886

At the risk of knocking a good thing, I still find myself questioning the signing of Nacho Monreal. Back when it first happened, I questioned the move as a panicked signing forced on Arsenal by Gibbs’s injury and Santos’s poor form. Now that Monreal has proven that he does bring quality and with Gibbs back, my earlier objection is harder to sustain. However, I still maintain that, despite Monreal’s quality, it was a dubious signing, especially considering other options and needs. .......Read the full article here

Arsene Wenger has realised that he is wasting his time with Andre Santos. He is just not good enough to be an Arsenal player, and his shirt swapping farce with Robin van Persie showed how little he thinks about Arsenal fans and that his attitude is all wrong for the English game. His only merit seems to be that he is happy and likeable, so he will be great at the Arsenal christmas party, just nowhere near a football pitch. .......Read the full article here

Why Arsenal need a left back this January by KJ

Arsenal are in a spot of bother at the moment in regards to the left back position. Our main left back who was playing brilliantly is once again injured and is potentially proving the point that he’ll need someone of equal or better quality to fill in/compete with him in the future.

Our current second choice conventional left back Santos is hapless in that position. He has no defensive understanding with the current back four and is completely incompatible with our current left winger, Lukas Podolski. This has forced us to push Vermaelen (primarily a centre back) into the left back spot to make sure we aren’t getting so heavily exploited. It is certainly better than our previous combination on the left flank of Santos and Podolski but our left side is far from being that of a title contending team with Vermaelan there. .......Read the full article here

The Brazilian left-back Andre Santos only arrived at Arsenal just over a year ago, but other than a couple of interesting attacking performances last season, he has been decidedly unimpressive for the Gunners.

Since Kieran Gibbs got injured, Santos was given some chances to replace him, but he was so bad that Wenger has now decided to move Vermaelen out to the left rather than keep persevering with the error-prone Santos, and despite the 29 year-old pledging to stay and fight for his place there are rumours that he could be leaving in January. .......Read the full article here

Kieran Gibbs is still not ready to play for Arsenal after picking up a thigh problem against West Ham at the start of October. It is a real worry for Arsene Wenger and the Gunners because his stand in, Andre Santos, has been simply dreadful. Gibbs has missed large chunks of his young career, and Wenger may now be considering a move for another left back when the transfer window opens in January.

Arsenal could probably sell Santos back to his former club Fenerbahce or another Turkish club because he was well thought of there. He did play as more of a left midfielder than a winger, which perhaps explains his defensive frailty this season. He was nowhere near as bad last season, and maybe his driving ban is getting to him but Arsenal fans have seen enough. .......Read the full article here

As usual Arsene Wenger is preparing to surprise everyone in the transfer market by lining up a relatively unknown defender playing in France. Cheikh M’Bengue is the first-choice left-back at Toulouse in Ligue 1 and came through the ranks at the Southern French team after joining them when he was just seven years of age.

He has always been rated highly in France and after making 21 appearances for the French U21 side, he opted to play for his parents country Senegal as a full international and made his debut last year.

M’Bengue made it quite clear that Arsenal were talking to Toulouse and admitted that it cames as a surprise to him. He said: “I do not expect it. .......Read the full article here

Arsenal still need more to be title contenders! by KJ

After the last couple of days, we’ve experienced the highs of signing a world class player in Cazorla to the lows of knowing that Man Utd are close to signing our star striker and captain, Robin Van Persie.

I’ve said it before that we need to forget about Van Persie and plan for a future without him. However, we’ve definitely got a chance at glory with a couple more vital signings that will return this beautiful club to greatness. .......Read the full article here

The Brazilian left-back Andre Santos believes that Arsenal should kick on this season and certainly aim for the Premiership title and the Champions League trophy, and nothing less!

“Arsenal is definitely a great club, one of the best in the world,” Santos told theelastico.com. “We have got to think about winning titles: English champions, European champions.

“Those are certainly the objectives for next season. Arsenal must think big… I have had a few targets in my mind: to be English champions and win titles. To make the supporters, who steer us forward and always fill the stadium, happy. Ensure that Arsenal get back to where they belong: at the top.” .......Read the full article here

The Left-back debate. by KJ

It is common knowledge that left back is the weak link in our defence at the moment. However, it’s not as bad as it sound when you have one of the world’s best at RB and the some of the Premier league’s best as CBs. However, we have the choice between two left backs to use as part of our defence next season; the lovable Brazilian, Andre Santos and the young boisterous Kieran Gibbs. .......Read the full article here

Who do we want? by KJ

Arsenal were injury stricken, particularly in the full-back position, during the December/January period. Sagna has returned and has secured his first team place, no qualms there. However, the LB situation is a bit more complex than that. Fortunately, Gibbs seems over his injury problems and has been able to pull a string of games together and has looked decent in the games he has played. Santos has finally returned after his untimely injury against Olympiakos. In most sportsbook reviews Santos would be favourite, but Gibbs is one of Wenger’s young prodigys. However, which one do we choose? .......Read the full article here