Tag Archives: She Wore

Who could replace Hector Bellerin at Arsenal?

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The leaves have started to begin to drop, the cold winds come from the east, the rain and hail from the sky, the clocks have gone backwards and the nights have drawn in. The John Lewis advert has had its first showing, Santa Clause has endorsed Coca-cola, the burning smell of fireworks night has worn off, and the Halloween sweets have been eaten. As minds turn to Christmas, it can mean only one thing. Arsenal are in the usual November injury crisis.

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Of those injured, we have the long termers in Per Mertesacker and Danny Welbeck. We will not see them again this year. The Big German might never play in an Arsenal shirt again. Lukas Perez and Chuba Akpom were only bit-part players, so their injuries will not be massively missed, and Santi Cazorla is set to return soon – probably the PSG Champions League game.

It is this weeks two injuries that are most concerning.

Alexis Sanchez has been killed by Chile, and Hector Bellerin massacred by Spain taking the Arsenal November injury list up to 7. Of the two, early indications show that Bellerin could be out for the longest, reports of at least 4 weeks will soon turn into a 2017 return.

So what options does Arsenal have in replacing the best right back in world football?

Carl Jenkinson

Since returning from his own 8 month lay off having suffered a knee injury whilst on loan at West Ham, Jenkinson has played 180 minutes of football for Arsenal. 90 minutes in both the League Cup against Reading & Ludogorets in the Champions League. They were not exceptional performances.

What Jenkinson showed whilst on loan at West Ham is he is a competent mid-table Premier League full back. Not a world beater, but at the same time not awful. He would do a job for Arsenal at right back against 60% of Premier League sides.

Over the years, Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United were successful due to having the likes of Wes Brown, Nicky Butt and John O’Shea to call upon. None were world class players, but they were all decent Premier League players, able to perform when called upon. They gave United a bit of strength in depth, and they all loved the club.

Jenkinson falls into this category. He might not be good enough week in week out for the next 5 years to be Arsenal’s 1st choice right back, but he is certainly good enough to be our 2nd choice over that period.

What I find interesting with his situation is the boo boys who moan Arsene Wenger does not give English players enough of a chance, will today be moaning about Bellerin’s injury, and that we should not have to be relying on Carl Jenkinson.

With no game for Arsenal for 10 days, it will give Wenger and the fitness team time to get Jenkinson up to speed so he is ready for Manchester United.

Mathieu Debuchy

The alternative to Carl Jenkinson will be experienced French international Mathieu Debuchy.

He signed 2 years ago as Bacary Sagna’s replacement and, having replaced the ex-Arsenal player in the French national team, looked a good player. He then got hit by a terrible run of luck, and the break through of Hector Bellerin, which saw him marginalised at the club to the point where is was only injury that stopped him leaving this summer.

Fitness will be a worry for Debuchy. He has not played this season, appeared just 9 times for Bordeaux last season, and has appeared a total of 31 times in the last 2 and a bit seasons.

Now 31, how sharp will he be having missed so much 1st team football? Will he be able to come back and put in the solid performances he did for Newcastle in 2013? And more importantly, how is his attitude towards playing for Arsenal having spent a good part of the year trying to engineer a move away from the club?

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He was included in the Arsenal 1st team squad photo, so he has certainly not been put down yet, but it would be a big risk to play a player who has been so unhappy, so injured, in recent years.

Shkodran Mustafi

One of our stand out players this has been German international Shkodran Mustafi. The partnership alongside Laurent Koscielny is a key reason we are in the title race. Not only has Mustafi showed strength in defence, but he has also proved to be an asset bringing the ball out of defence.

Numerous times this season, when chasing the game, he has acted as an auxiliary right back, driving into the space left by Hector Bellerin allowing the Spaniard to push further up the pitch. With John Stones going for nearly £50m as a ball playing centre back, Mustafi looks like a steal.

When we signed him, there were reports that he could play right back, and had done so for Germany in their successful 2014 World Cup campaign. The truth is a little different.

He did play 3 times at right back for Germany in the 2014 World Cup. All from the bench, playing a grand total of 132 minutes.

Throughout his career, he has barely played at right back at all. Just 18 times in fact. And not since 2012/13 for Sampdoria has he done it on an even semi-regular basis.

 

Moving Mustafi out wide, to be replaced with either Rob Holding or Gabriel in the middle would be a big risk. It would basically be weakening two areas of the park. It would be a big risk.

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Another option for Arsenal could be to play Rob Holding at right back, and then Mustafi in the middle, but this would not be as strong as Jenkinson.

In my opinion, the best option will be Jenkinson right back, and leave the rest of the defence the same.

That way, you have a natural right back playing at right back, and inside him you have a strong centre back who is capable of pushing a bit further out to the right to protect his less experienced (but older) full back.

It would also not surprise me if, whilst Bellerin is out, we see Aaron Ramsey play on the right wing, just to give us a bit of extra defensive strength.

This could be Carl Jenkinson’s chance to shine.

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

 

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Keenos

What has happened to the heirs of Wenger’s throne? Part III

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We have already seen where 10 potential Arsenal manager’s are now, what they are up to, and whether Arsenal have missed out (or dodged a bullet) by sticking with Arsene Wenger. From Jurgen Klopp to Owen Coyle and Jose Mourinho to Roberto Martinez have already been discussed. Today we look at the final 5…

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Pep Guardiola

Like Jurgen Klopp, another long term Arsenal favourite, and he has every right to be.

We missed out on him when he left Barcelona, and as his journey at Bayern Munich started to end, the stars seemed to be aligned.

There was talk that out of all the English club, Arsenal were the one’s he wanted. Chelsea, Man City and Man U would all be in for him, but Arsenal were his dream. They were the ones who could match up to his principles.

But there was a spanner in the works. Man City had been on a boardroom recruitment drive over the last 4 years, and it became clear that drive was with the eventual goal of getting Guardiola in.

First came in Txiki Begiristain. He was Barcelona’s Director of Football during Guardiola’s period at the club. He also played with Guardiola for 5 years at Barcelona. Man City’s CEO is Ferran Soriano, former vice-president of Barcelona.

It was easy surroundings for Guardiola to come in and become manager. He bought into the project that the Man City owners are undertaking.

Man City were recently on a bit of a poor run. 6 games without a win before their 4-0 demolishing of WBA. But Guardiola is changing the club. Changing the team. It might take him a year or so to get right, and he will have to adapt himself and his tactics to the Premier League, but one thing is clear, he is a class manager and Arsenal missed out on him.

Unai Emery

For me, Unai Emery is one of the best young managers in European football. He is just 45 but already seems to have been around for a lifetime – having taken his 1st managerial job at 32.

He did a brilliant job at Valencia, and followed this up 3 UEFA Cup triumphs in a row with Sevilla.

He joined PSG this summer, which might mean replacing Arsene Wenger next summer might be too soon. But he is certainly one to keep an eye on.

Joachim Löw

I am still sceptical about Joachim Löw’s club management ability. At international management, his credentials are unquestionable.

In his 4 international tournaments, Germany have made the semi final each time, winning a World Cup and runners up in the 2008 Euro Championships.

This might be all to do with having the best squad in Europe, the most talented Group of Germany players in decades, but his leadership of those players is important.

He recently extended his contract with Germany until 2020, by which time he would have been out of club management since 2004, 16 years. It would be a big risk to take

Marco van Basten

Like Frank de Boer linked earlier, one reason people wanted him in was due to his relationship with Dennis Bergkamp.

In 2012, I said “Struggled with egos at Holland (who hasn’t), spent a lot at Ajax, only to finish 3rd, before walking away, In his first season at Heerenveen where he has only won 3 from 15 games. Probably not a good manager.”

In the time since, then, I have been proved right.

Brendan Rodgers

David Moyes Mark II.

Got his chance at a top English club with Liverpool. Messed it up. Now a Sunday league manager at Celtic. No thanks.

 

The latest list of favourites to take over from Wenger includes the likes of Eddie Howe, Thomas Tuchel, Martin Schmidt, Laurent Blanc, Carlo Ancelotti & Ronald Koeman. It will be interesting to see how they get on.

We have all heard of the Curse of Aaron Ramsey, maybe there is also the Curse of Wenger’s Repalcement?

If I were to come up with a new list of who I want to replace, it would probably contain:

Diego Simeone
Jurgen Klopp
Unai Emery
Thomas Tuchel
Martin Schmidt
Carlo Ancelotti
Ronald Koeman
Laurent Blanc
Dennis Bergkamp
Eddie Howe

I wonder if in 4 years, if Arsene Wenger is still at the helm (I hope not) I will be revisiting my list of 8 to see how they are getting on.

Keenos

What has happened to the heirs of Wenger’s throne? Part II

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So yesterday, we looked at 5 men who were once on most Arsenal fans target list to replace Arsene Wenger. Frank de Boer, Jurgen Klopp, David Moyes, Owen Coyle and Gary Monk. Another day, and it’s still the international break, we look at the next 6, starting with Jose Mourinho.

Jose Mourinho

Even as recently as this summer, Jose Mourinho was wanted by many Arsenal fans. The scenario was simple, are you willing to trade a bit of the clubs class, and ‘The Arsenal Way’ to get in perennial winner Mourinho?

The split was 50/50. Some happy to trade their dignity for a league title, others remaining strong to their principles.

Then this season happened with Man U.

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He did it at Real Madrid, he did it at Chelsea, and now he is doing it at Manchester United. Not winning trophies but upsetting players, senior players. Model professionals like Bastian Schweinsteiger. His own singing in Henrikh Mkhitaryan.

He is failing to get the best out of Paul Pogba, signed an over the hill Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and is seeing the demise of club captain Wayne Rooney.

Mourinho has lost his touch. After United he will find himself with no where to turn. Big clubs won’t be on the phone to him or his management. All he has proved is he spends big, and makes favoured agents very rich in the process.

Diego Simeone

When I wrote my blog in 2012, Diego Simeone was 2nd on the list. He had only been at Atletico Madrid for 10 months, and had not even completed a full season. But his stock was high.

Back then, I highlighted a “lack of experience managing in Europe & never having managed a club for any length of time means he has not really shown the European world ‘his’ style of management “. Since then he has done remarkable things at Atletico

Breaking the Barcelona / Real Madrid dominance in La Liga and twice making the Champions League Final.

He has reportedly cut his Atletico Madrid contract short by two years. It now reportedly ends at the end of the 2017/18 season.

Despite his un-Arsenal like persona, I would not be too upset for Arsene Wenger to stay on for one more year, with Simeone coming in to replace him.

Guus Hiddink

Now 69, he is no longer the short-term option that he was back in 2012.

Roberto Martinez

I am going to nail my colours onto the wall early on with this one. I have always found Roberto Martinez to be one of the most overrated managers in the Premier League.

For some reason, he was rated highly for continually keeping Wigan up against all odds. Yet he was also the manger who, year after year, sailed the Wigan ship into the relegation zone.

It is a bit like congratulating a man for saving another’s life after he has deliberately shot him.

He won the FA Cup with Wigan, and took them down, then he got the Everton job.

Evertonian’s hated him. They could not wait to be rid. He could not coach defenders, taught players to pass when they should clear, and he oversaw a gradual deceline in the Premier League positions.

Sacked when Everton finished 11th, despite having the talents of John Stones, Seamus Coleman, James McCarthy, Ross Barkley & Romelu Lukaku at his disposal. He just showed himself up as not being a very good manager.

Now manager of Belgium, it will be interesting to see how he does with their ultra-talented squad, and with Thierry Henry as his number 2, there will be some calls for him to become next Arsenal manager is the pair do well. But none of those calls will be from me.

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Michael Laudrup

What is it about Arsenal fans wanting Swansea City managers? Brendan Rodgers, Roberto Martinez and Gary Monk have all appeared (or will appear) in this series of blogs. Michael Laudrup makes 4.

Another one added to the list after his Swansea side beat Arsenal. He won the League Cup with the Swans, then got sacked. He is now managing his 2nd club in the Middle East. It might be Dubai or Qatar, I’m not sure. But we have not missed out on him.

Martin O’Neill

Another long term favourite of Arsenal fans. His chance has probably gone. He is now 64 and managing the Republic of Ireland.

The biggest mistake the FA did was not making him manager. It is too late for Arsenal, is it also too late for England? Perhaps

 

Up tomorrow: Pep Guardiola, Joachim Löw, Unai Emery and more

Keenos