Hleb at Arsenal [Archive]

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loden

23 Jul 2007, 12:37 PM

Catfish

23 Jul 2007, 01:20 PM

Could somebody tell me how well Hleb is doing at Arsenal? I don't watch that many Arsenal games, but I'm always interested in how well the players from the former Soviet bloc do in ultra-competitive leagues. How good has Hleb been for you? Does have the potential of being a regular starter for big fixtures?
Well, honestly, I think he is a fine passer with great vision and instincts to move without the ball into space. But our midfield is getting crowded and
quite competitive. He might have to bag a few goals this season to keep his spot.

DougG_ATL

23 Jul 2007, 01:25 PM

Hleb has excellent pace, control and awareness of his teammates' positioning. He's sometimes overpowered by the Premiership's big defenders and often misses out on opportunities to create scoring chances, either for himself or others. I think he's capable of scoring 8-10 goals in a season for Arsenal, rather than the 3 he's put in the past two respective campaigns.

THEO_THEO_WALCOTT

23 Jul 2007, 01:26 PM

He has the potential to be a starter for big fixtures simply because we have no one else to play out wide. He is a mediocre player, thats about it.

thebigman

23 Jul 2007, 05:00 PM

very mixed season

sometimes great

for alot of the season not very noticable

on a good day hes excellent, has all the skills u need except delivery from the flanks

but on a bad day he gives the ball away too much and takes too long on the ball in attacking areas and loses possession

i hope he gets more consistant and better

Skizz

23 Jul 2007, 05:01 PM

He's been about as useful as an ashtray on the back of a motorbike.

Kidding :p

Highbury

23 Jul 2007, 05:02 PM

You're gonna get 3 opinions here.

Awful
Has good potential
Quality player

Does anyone really know how Hleb plays for us?!

Skizz

23 Jul 2007, 05:05 PM

By using his legs in a left-right-left-right motion, hopefully keeping the ball close to the feet, and by putting extra effort into particular movements so as to pass the ball to an opponent.

astar24

23 Jul 2007, 05:06 PM

Hleb is a quality player, I think out wide is nto his natural position at his former club he seemed as if he was an attacking midfielder, but in no way am I suggesting he replace Fabregas, but I can see him being much more influential in a central role than on the wing.

Regardless of this fact he has to improve out on the wing or he will be replaced.

Val1

23 Jul 2007, 05:38 PM

Hleb is key to Cesc's performance. We're transitioning away from the Vieira-Pires-Henry quick flow play and into Cesc's more Iberian multiple touch possessions. And Hleb is the one guy we have on the team who can play that way right now. I charted three games last year and discovered that almost 38% of Cesc's possessions came from balls directly from Hleb. Hleb is very comfortable on the ball, and despite what many here would tell you, he doesn't turn the ball over as frequently as Cesc does.

The downside is that Hleb was especially ragged after he returned from injury last year and his first touch was poor. Plus he really is a poor shooter, kind of like Shaquille O'Neal from the free throw line.

I, and I am in the minority here, believe that Cesc's ability to dominate in the future will rest on his partnership with Hleb.

impalemeplz

23 Jul 2007, 06:38 PM

Hleb is key to Cesc's performance. We're transitioning away from the Vieira-Bergkamp--->Pires/Ljungberg/Henry quick flow play and into Cesc's more Iberian multiple touch possessions. And Hleb is the one guy we have on the team who can play that way right now. I charted three games last year and discovered that almost 38% of Cesc's possessions came from balls directly from Hleb. Hleb is very comfortable on the ball, and despite what many here would tell you, he doesn't turn the ball over as frequently as Cesc does.

The downside is that Hleb was especially ragged after he returned from injury last year and his first touch was poor. Plus he really is a poor shooter, kind of like Shaquille O'Neal from the free throw line.

I, and I am in the minority here, believe that Cesc's ability to dominate in the future will rest on his partnership with Hleb.

;)

some points are touched on in this thread that we should deviate to a diamond.

Arsenal15

23 Jul 2007, 06:53 PM

Really inconsistent.

Dynamo and ArsenalFC

23 Jul 2007, 07:50 PM

scared to shoot

phishy

23 Jul 2007, 08:12 PM

ball-on-a-string dribbling.

Bucks Gunner

23 Jul 2007, 08:27 PM

;)

some points are touched on in this thread that we should deviate to a diamond.

That's been my thought ever since Vieira left. I think it's just a matter of time until Cesc ends up playing in a Riquelme-like role.

Arsenal_pwns_all

23 Jul 2007, 09:42 PM

I think you have 2 groups of Arsenal fans; those who say that Hleb provides to the club what no other player can, and those who want him out of the club. Or at least replaced by the super awesome world class Ribery/Quaresma/Malouda/Babel/etc. He holds the ball well, that's the good thing about him. However, he is very fustrating to watch as he is not a natural winger and can't do what a winger should do; break down defenses and score goals now and then. At times he does make some good assists, but overall people are tired of his horizontal passing. Yeah, so unless he learns to be a winger he could find himself being behind even Walcott.

loden

23 Jul 2007, 11:29 PM

Smalls123

24 Jul 2007, 12:14 AM

Wenger is playing him on the wing? I thought that Frenchman was smart...
At Stuttgart he was a very good attacking central mid. He's not the type to cross the ball, rather slid in ground passes are his forte.

We as a team don't cross the ball all that often, even if we are in a good position to do so. He does well out there on the wing dribbling around people and playing a nice one-two passing game with the LB CM and strikers

His problem is that he sometimes gives the ball away needlessly and in bad positions. Also he doesn't have much of a shot on him and is unwilling to shot at times even if he is in a good position to do so.

He has great skills, he just needs to work on these problems.

RealMadGunner

24 Jul 2007, 12:41 AM

Wenger is playing him on the wing? I thought that Frenchman was smart...
At Stuttgart he was a very good attacking central mid. He's not the type to cross the ball, rather slid in ground passes are his forte.

Well, for starters, the Frenchman IS smart ..

And secondly, we don't cross the ball ever from the wings ..

We play with 3 playmakers, with the main one in Cesc and Rosicky & Hleb are the secondary ones .. Generally people think its stupid to play a central mid on the wings becase then not mnay crosses would come in and stuff .. But since we don't play that kind of game, it hurts to have a player who crosses the ball often but there'd be no one to head the ball in ..

But Cesc, Hleb & Rosicky, who are technically excellent, haev a super first touch and good passing skills, link up very well with each other .. THe final assist might neevr come from Hleb or ROsicky but they'd be very important in the link up with Cesc ..

Hleb attracts defenders to him like flies to sugar .. Generally when he has the ball, 2-3 defenders surround him .. That would leave players like Cesc or Rosicky or RvP who are more effective in front of goal .. All he needs to do is get that pass right .. I'm a Hleb believer and i hope this is the season he has to make a mark .. He's been good but nowhere near teh excellence he displayed at the start of the season or during our CL run ..

Smalls123

24 Jul 2007, 12:53 AM

Well, for starters, the Frenchman IS smart ..

And secondly, we don't cross the ball ever from the wings ..

We play with 3 playmakers, with the main one in Cesc and Rosicky & Hleb are the secondary ones .. Generally people think its stupid to play a central mid on the wings becase then not mnay crosses would come in and stuff .. But since we don't play that kind of game, it hurts to have a player who crosses the ball often but there'd be no one to head the ball in ..

But Cesc, Hleb & Rosicky, who are technically excellent, haev a super first touch and good passing skills, link up very well with each other .. THe final assist might neevr come from Hleb or ROsicky but they'd be very important in the link up with Cesc ..

Hleb attracts defenders to him like flies to sugar .. Generally when he has the ball, 2-3 defenders surround him .. That would leave players like Cesc or Soicky or RvP who are more effective in front of goal .. All he needs to do is get that pass right .. I'm a Hleb believer and i hope this is the season he has to make a mark .. He's been good but nowhere near teh excellence he displayed at the start of the season or during our CL run ..

Agreed. If he plays as well this season as he did during the first half of last season, we will all be glad Wenger stuck with him