The state of defense

[kanonier]

Obviously our defense has been playing very well lately, on both halves of the field. Our back line has been mostly solid, Toure is making his trademark runs, Gallas is easily as good as Cole (if not better), and Eboue has learned how to cross.

But, anyone know what the state of our injured defenders are, or any timetable on their return? I haven't seen much mention of Clichy, Senderos or Lauren in the news lately.

Also, curious for thoughts on what we do with Lauren when Eboue returns -- do you think he automatically gets his job back? If Eboue continues his stellar play, then what do we do with Lauren? Think Wenger will try to move him, maybe to LB, or even DCM?

Just searching for thoughts.

[Dooglas]

lauren at LB is a no i think, senderos will be back in training shortly i think, lauren is still in wengers plans though, i think clichy still has a bit to go though. but toure and gallas in the center is ridiculous!

[TheImposter]

lauren at LB is a no i think, senderos will be back in training shortly i think, lauren is still in wengers plans though, i think clichy still has a bit to go though. but toure and gallas in the center is ridiculous!
I've been meaning to check up on this for awhile, but hasn't it been nearly a year since Clichy suffered supposedly the same injury that Coleski had gotten just a few weeks earlier? Why is it taking him so much longer to come back? Was there another injury that I didn't hear about?

[kanonier]

I think it was last November Clichy went down originally, then he played in the CL semi against Villareal at the end of April, and we haven't seen him since.

[Dooglas]

its three to five more weeks before he comes back. and it is the foot injury nothin else.

[jwaldman11]

its three to five more weeks before he comes back. and it is the foot injury nothin else.
If I remember right, Senderos is looking at roughly the same timeframe. I'm not sure how Wenger will handle it when they get back, but I would suspect Big Phil will pair with Kolo again right off the bat. I doubt Clichy will get back in the lineup.

[Stag133]

I think Senderos has NO CHANCE of interrupting Kolo/Gallas pairing in the center. That is a fantastic duo in the middle. You don't change or f**K with that... you build around it. He might spell either of them and play in some Cup matches, but I hope Kolo / Gallas are in EVERY big game together in the middle.

Clichy, when healthy WILL be the left back. No body else in the team is as good right now. He will walk back into the position, when fit.

Lauren... will share playing time with Eboue. He was one of our BEST players before being injured, something totally forgotten by many people. He will get back into the line-up regularly.

[HENRYYY]

Johan and Big Phil have NO chance of interrupting the CB combo of Toure/Gallas..

This could be the fastest/best duo of centerbacks in Europe at the moment??

Can anyone else think of a better Combo? Toure/Gallas is much more solid than Terry/Calvalho IMO. Calvalho is nowhere near the quality of either Toure/Gallas but im sure some Chelsea fans would argue..

[Kerry Dixon's Boots]

Johan and Big Phil have NO chance of interrupting the CB combo of Toure/Gallas..

This could be the fastest/best duo of centerbacks in Europe at the moment??

Can anyone else think of a better Combo? Toure/Gallas is much more solid than Terry/Calvalho IMO. Calvalho is nowhere near the quality of either Toure/Gallas but im sure some Chelsea fans would argue..

Not this Chelsea fan - Carvalho is quite shaky at the back and prone to stupid challenges (including the shirt tug last week which wasn't called). I think Terry may be as complete as anyone but with Gallas he had the perfect complement - a dominant partnership. I haven't watched Toure week in week out but when I've seen him (which is still plenty) I've been impressed.

[RealMadGunner]

Not this Chelsea fan - Carvalho is quite shaky at the back and prone to stupid challenges (including the shirt tug last week which wasn't called). I think Terry may be as complete as anyone but with Gallas he had the perfect complement - a dominant partnership. I haven't watched Toure week in week out but when I've seen him (which is still plenty) I've been impressed.
No wonder Moruniho was was pi$$ed of when Gallas was sold .. Thats past anyway ..
And like all the reports said, when Gallas joined us, that we would have the fastest and possibly the complete defense, i never doubted them ..

but i really keep thinking about Lauren .. We were more or less hoping for Clichy to return soon just to see the back of Hyote .. But never thought about Lauren, and thats really no surprise. Eboue is really determined to keep his place and Lauren really has to battle it out with him ..

[deaner1971]

I am glad we have such depth (finally). I was looking at our schedule and after the first of the year, if still in all competitions, we will basically need two full squads.

I think you can win a double with a good squad but for a treble (or even a run at one), you have to have substantial depth and we finally have it.

[Naushad78]

I am glad we have such depth (finally). I was looking at our schedule and after the first of the year, if still in all competitions, we will basically need two full squads.

I think you can win a double with a good squad but for a treble (or even a run at one), you have to have substantial depth and we finally have it.

I'm convinced that we will put in a strong challenge in all 3 fronts. Don't know what the end result will be, but we will be threatening for all trophies.

[RealMadGunner]

Solid defence lays foundation for strong attack on crown (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2006/09/27/sfnars27.xml)

Eboue loves getting forward and, even better, is learning what to do once he gets there.
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If the defence can steer clear of injury (a hamstring strain late on led to Gallas going off) and Gael Clichy comes back to offer some assurance at left-back, who knows how far last year's losing finalists can go?

[i404]

Unless Clichy performs like a dog on steroids, I'd love to see Gallas say "I love playing LB for Wenger" :p

[michaec]

I think Lauren gets the right-back slot when he's fit as Eboue still has a bit to learn about defending. He's great going forward, but that should be a bonus, not the reason he's in the team. Toure and Gallas will be the first choice centre-backs, no question in my mind. With Djourou and Senderos backing them up we are as strong as any squad in the league in that position. Clichy should be first choice left-back. While Gallas has done a great job for us there, his right-footedness means he keeps having to come inside and provides us with little or no width on that side. I'm sure Wenger sees Clichy as a marauding full-back in the Cole mould, hopefully he can put his fitness problems behind him and fulfill that ambition.

So, first choice: Lauren, Toure, Gallas, Clichy.
Backups: Eboue, Djourou, Senderos, Hoyte.

All I have to say to that is :)

[TheImposter]

I think it was last November Clichy went down originally, then he played in the CL semi against Villareal at the end of April, and we haven't seen him since.
I'd forgotten that he ever came back to play at all. Must have reinjured it. It sounds like the kind of thing that could hang on forever if you don't treat it right.

I haven't watched Toure week in week out but when I've seen him (which is still plenty) I've been impressed.
He needs to dump his cvnt of an agent, though.

[Miles Brasher]

So what's going to happen on saturday then ?

Eboue at RB, Toure at CB, then..... ??

Is djourou going to be fit? Do we play Connelly there or Hoyte in the centre (who incidentally looked very good last night) and Flamini wide ?

[Val1]

Wenger is a loyal coach, and while I haven't heard him state so specifically, I don't think you lose a place in the lineup due to injury. Lauren's going to be given time to work himself into match fitness, and then the job will be his. This was the same scenario as with Sol last year, except that he was unwilling to share whilst getting himself into shape (which he never did) and then he played poorly, sulked, and walked off versus West Ham. So, Lauren will have to earn his playing time, but he'll approach it from the position that it's his to lose.

I think genuinely loves Big Phil, so I think he's going to give Phil the same time to get himself fit and then work a Kolo and Phil/Gallas rotation, given that Gallas will continue to get some time at LB.

Clichy, through no real fault of his own, has a glass jaw, and has not made the LB position his. He may be the best LB on the team, but he's not necessarily the starter. If Lauren does not come back in the best of attitude/shape and thereby does not dislodge Eboue from the RB position, the width and pace Eboue provides may be enough in Wenger's mind to offset Gallas' lack of width, and Gallas becomes our LB for the remainder of the season.

Now that we've seen Gallas for a while, is there anyone still upset with "only" getting 5million and Gallas for Cole?

[arsenalgirl30016]

Wenger is a loyal coach, and while I haven't heard him state so specifically, I don't think you lose a place in the lineup due to injury. Lauren's going to be given time to work himself into match fitness, and then the job will be his. This was the same scenario as with Sol last year, except that he was unwilling to share whilst getting himself into shape (which he never did) and then he played poorly, sulked, and walked off versus West Ham. So, Lauren will have to earn his playing time, but he'll approach it from the position that it's his to lose.

I think genuinely loves Big Phil, so I think he's going to give Phil the same time to get himself fit and then work a Kolo and Phil/Gallas rotation, given that Gallas will continue to get some time at LB.

Clichy, through no real fault of his own, has a glass jaw, and has not made the LB position his. He may be the best LB on the team, but he's not necessarily the starter. If Lauren does not come back in the best of attitude/shape and thereby does not dislodge Eboue from the RB position, the width and pace Eboue provides may be enough in Wenger's mind to offset Gallas' lack of width, and Gallas becomes our LB for the remainder of the season.

Now that we've seen Gallas for a while, is there anyone still upset with "only" getting 5million and Gallas for Cole?
Nope, especially when you see that Cashley is not able to do what he does best for Chelski which is overlap and provide options for the offense! :D

[Cannon]

I've always been a big fan of Lauren but he never offered as much going forward as Eboue does and with a Toure-Gallas CB pairing I don't think Eboue's few mistakes in defense will hurt us especially with Hleb tracking back when Eboue goes on one of his runs. Why break up our increasingly dangerous right flank attack? I also think Clichy starts at LB as soon as he's fit and shows with a few reserve games that he's ready to return. Gallas might be fine playing at LB for a month or two (and stepping in when Clichy gets injured again...which he will) but we're asking for trouble if Wenger sticks with him as a LB after Clichy returns. Do we really need another upset player so soon after getting rid of JAR and Cole? No thanks.

I'd hope to see this as our back four if everyone is healthy (Left to right):
Clichy-Gallas-Toure-Eboue
with Lauren, Senderos, and Djourou as backups. Hoyte should probably be sold in January. I'd love to see Wenger try 3cbs given the strength of that position but that will never happen.