Gilberto

[Gmak]

Arsene Wenger should sub him for Flamini for a while. then when he proves to be capable of being sober again we can play him again. remember when Almunia subbed Lehmann?

when lehmann returned he has improved his game.

[yossarian]

Arsene Wenger should sub him for Flamini for a while. then when he proves to be capable of being sober again we can play him again. remember when Almunia subbed Lehmann?

when lehmann returned he has improved his game.

Perhaps. If Gilberto is going to be subbed though (and that's huge IF bordering on laughable right now) I would almost prefer to see what Muamba can do.

[bmoregnr]

I would like to think that was just a bad game; albeit a very bad one.

[yossarian]

I would like to think that was just a bad game; albeit a very bad one.

He's had several bad games this season already. For whatever reason, he seems not himself.

[GunnerOToole]

Not good in a world cup year. With lots of competition for places, you would think he is very motivated to play well.

[JCGooner]

Gilberto is a joke, when Vieira was sold it was Wenger's hope that Gilberto
would grow into a leadership position a la Vieira. The guy can't pass, tackle and hardly ever scores. Before anyone says " but he won a world cip medal..) so did Roque Junior (and remember Igor Biscan and Djim Traore won the champs League!!) We won't win anything this year with our central midfield. Cesc is doing an admirable job but he's only 18 and basically having
to do the work of 2 in midfield. Flamini is ok but not an Arsenal calibre player. Wenger is a great manager but his myopia in saying we don't need anyone in January is staggering. Regarding our Champs League aspirations, we don't have a chance, I've noticed people saying if Liverpool can do it, so can we, I don't buy it, they had a real soild spine to their central midfield/ back 4 last year (Gerrard, Alonso, Hamann, Carragher) that we just don't
have right now. We'll finish 4th in the league, quarter finals of the champs league and maybe win either the FA or Carling Cup. Unless we do some serious investing, I'm with the doomsayers who say we might be in decline - I truly hope I'm wrong ..

[Cannon]

Not good in a world cup year. With lots of competition for places, you would think he is very motivated to play well.
Is he even still in the picture for Brazil this summer? Haven't Emerson and Renato taken his role?

[newlone]

Gilberto is a joke, when Vieira was sold it was Wenger's hope that Gilberto
would grow into a leadership position a la Vieira. The guy can't pass, tackle and hardly ever scores. Before anyone says " but he won a world cip medal..) so did Roque Junior (and remember Igor Biscan and Djim Traore won the champs League!!) We won't win anything this year with our central midfield. Cesc is doing an admirable job but he's only 18 and basically having
to do the work of 2 in midfield. Flamini is ok but not an Arsenal calibre player. Wenger is a great manager but his myopia in saying we don't need anyone in January is staggering. Regarding our Champs League aspirations, we don't have a chance, I've noticed people saying if Liverpool can do it, so can we, I don't buy it, they had a real soild spine to their central midfield/ back 4 last year (Gerrard, Alonso, Hamann, Carragher) that we just don't
have right now. We'll finish 4th in the league, quarter finals of the champs league and maybe win either the FA or Carling Cup. Unless we do some serious investing, I'm with the doomsayers who say we might be in decline - I truly hope I'm wrong ..

What team do you support again? I'm all for people being critical, but this is just ridiculous...

[arsenalgirl30016]

Whatever the reason Gilberto is a shadow of himself this season. I don't think that Flamini is the answer either though. If Gilberto has made a pass this season that went to his intended target, please point it out to me.....also wasn't Hleb a CM? Why is Wenger insisting on playing him on the wing when he drifts to the middle to often? Why not a Hleb/Cesc CM pairing? Or am I completely off base?

[yossarian]

Whatever the reason Gilberto is a shadow of himself this season. I don't think that Flamini is the answer either though. If Gilberto has made a pass this season that went to his intended target, please point it out to me.....also wasn't Hleb a CM? Why is Wenger insisting on playing him on the wing when he drifts to the middle to often? Why not a Hleb/Cesc CM pairing? Or am I completely off base?

IMHO, I wouldn't want Hleb and Fabregas as CM pairing unless we went to a 5 man midfield. I just don't think there would be enough cover for the backline....but I could be wrong.

Go Dawgs.....:D

[phishy]

I just don't think there would be enough cover for the backline....but I could be wrong.


there is no cover now anyway, so why not? ;)

[Gooner_for_Life]

Originally posted by JCGooner
Wenger is a great manager but his myopia in saying we don't need anyone in January is staggering.

This is the one thing that has me the most worried other than anything else wrong with our team. I fear that if Wenger doesn't splash some cash on a more experienced well known person (for anywhere on the field, mainly in the center of the pitch) then i think Henry will leave. If he leaves then Pires is gone and so is Cole. Maybe even Sol would leave too. If this happens we can kiss many a season goodbye until well into the future. This would also dishearten our younger players and who would they have to learn from and follow? Serious things to consider people.

[red & wite army]

Yes, I'm not quite sure what has happened to Gilberto. Watching him play in his first season at Highbury, he doesn't even seem the shadow of himself. He had a spring in his step,

Now, he seems sluggish and basically just bad. We all said how great he was when he was injured, but perhaps he now thinks he can just stand there, and he will play well and do his job.

It is not as if the Bolton match was his only bad match, this is almost the appitimy of his sesason, it just so happens that he got caught out badly this match. :o

I think we don't need another up and coming potentially good player....we need a proven dominent midfielder.....but where from?

And i'm sorry, but it seems as if Wenger has just gotten into the habit of saying that we don't need any more players! We do need new GOOD players! :mad:

[JCGooner]

What team do you support again? I'm all for people being critical, but this is just ridiculous...

What's ridiculous ???? If you disagree with what I've said post a lucid intelligent response not a lazy one sentence post.. as for what team I support, given how long and loyalty I've supported the Arsenal that's not a road you want to go down - don't confuse a genuine critique with a lack of loyalty ....

[red & wite army]

Guys, to cheer you up, and get your mind off Gilberto's horrific season, look at this pathetic clown :p

http://editorial.gettyimages.com/source/search/details_pop.aspx?iid=51555758&cdi=0

[newlone]

What's ridiculous ???? If you disagree with what I've said post a lucid intelligent response not a lazy one sentence post.. as for what team I support, given how long and loyalty I've supported the Arsenal that's not a road you want to go down - don't confuse a genuine critique with a lack of loyalty ....

I think that stating that we will finish fourth in the league when we are four points off second (with a game in hand over the team in third) is ridiculous. That doesn't sound like much of a Arsenal fan-atic. Also, stating that we won't get past the quarters in the Champions League without knowing who we will play is ridiculous. I assume you are saying this because of the Bolton game. If these were your feelings when we were on our winning streak and just wrapped up our place in the next round in CL then fine. But I would be extremely surprised. You may be right, but stating it as if it were the Gospel at this point in time is ridiculous...especially coming from a long time, loyal fan.

[wgoose]

Getting back to Gilberto...

I was never the biggest fan, but noted that his positioning - especially defensively - was spot on, and while he almost never made the great play, he seldom made the bad play either.

With Viera charging around and stamping his authority on the game, Gilberto was the perfect foil: backing up when needed, staying home when required, and providing an outlet whilst the wide players surged.

But when PV14 was off his game, Gilberto could never really pick up the slack. It seems that, without someone really taking charge beside him, his reactionary positional game was not such a team asset.

In the off-season I was worried that he could not step it up in PV14's absence, but i was encouraged by what i saw in the Charity Shield. Remember that game? Gilberto was dynamic: making runs, going into challenges, even trying a few party moves. Now, of course not all of this came off, but I thought that the dynamism Gilberto displayed that day put him in good stead to pick up the baton for the upcoming season.

Unfortunately, once the league started, it was the same old Gilberto. Not that that is awful, but while Cesc is a great player, he needs a partner who is a bit more adept and forceful than Gilberto has been. GB continued to play as if a strong Viera was his partner, and it was just not working. Now, it seems that GB is trying to force it more and more, with bad results.

I'm not sure what the answer is, but unless we splurge big-time on an energetic, forceful middleman to play with Gilberto, i think his value to the club is diminishing fast.

~glenn