How long do you think Wenger had it in his head that he was going to Sell Vieira? Do you think it was a fast decision that happened recently or did he know all season? And unless we find a suitable replacement, (ie. someone established, not some 18 year old unknown.) I dont think we will be successful next year. Our biggest problem last season was lack of depth in the center of midfield. I really dont want to face Manyoo this season with Flamini and Cesc trying to dominate the midfield.
1. Dunno, only Wenger does. 2. That's your opinion, but we'll just have to wait and see what wenger does with the money he has and what the players he's bought will bring to the team. 3. We have Gilberto and Hleb, well that's my preferred midfield partnership. But to answer your question, no one knows what will happen but if both players i've mentioned are fit, I'm pretty sure they'll start ahead of the youngsters.
as soon as he realised how bril fabrgeas and flamini are... thats when... il tell you something, arsenal vs chelsea las season at highbury, it was flamini and cesc, they were the best players on the pitch and we do have gilberto and hleb in the centre too
Yeah, what's your point? Why are people trying to replace Vieira with another Vieira? There's only one Vieira, damnit! But Gilberto/Hleb is personally my favourite partnership, meh...
Why play someone in a defensive postition that cant defend? LOL I dont care if its another vieira or not. But another Defensive Midfielder would be nice. Why ruin his game by playing him a defensive position? Hleb is not a defenisve midfielder or all around midfielder, hees a playmaker like Kaka, or Pablo Aimar. His best postion on the wing, or right behind the strikers.
so what? OH NO!! AN ATTACKING PLAYER IN MIDFIELD!!!!!! i prefer hleb/gilberto above anyone else we have currently.
is Cesc a defensive player? remember gilberto/cesc partnership that averaged 4 goals a game for the first 8 or so games last season?? who set these rules you are talking about?
"Oh no" is correct. I dont about you but I think you need atleast two defensive players in midfield. What the hell are we supposed to do if we dont have the ball. Is Gilberto (who just came back from injury) supposed to run around the whole pitch? But If I didnt know anything Hleb I would probibly agree with you.
I consider Cesc a Defensive player. Not an all out defensive player like Gilberto but he can tackle and had good one on one skills (when it comes to defending).,
well, it's your opinion. but i'm sure hleb will help out tracking back too. you're judging him on the video on the other forum, where it only shows his attacking capabilities.
I think if your going to play with two wingers in Pires and Ljungberg, yes you need two defensive players in midfield. Not even all out defensive players, but someone with some defensive quality. ie. Guti, Essien, Baraha, Alonzo, De Rossi ect.
Cesc is a typical Barca midfielder, he can defend and attack that's why he's a box to box player. Just like Vieira except he's better going forward and weaker defending than Vieira.
Im basically judging him from the german league highlight show that comes on every week. And by the analysis of professional football writers. Remember when Wenger wanted to sign Kaka? That didnt happen but I think Hleb is the closest player to him right now.
Well I dont think you should give that kind of Responcibility to an 18 year old. I think Cesc will play a big part in Arsenals future, but I think we need a more experienced player to play in that position.
He handled himself pretty well last season, and surely he's gained some valuable experience. Neo you gotta understand you kno when a player is special when he performs at any level from an early age.
I just would like to say the following: 1) Hleb is multi-purpose and can play in the centre midfield, in the wings and behind the main striker. He is compared more to Paul Nedved than he is to Bergkamp or Kaka. He spent most of his career playing as a central midfielder, an ATTACKING one. I do not for one moment see what your problem is with playing Hleb in the center. 2) Have you ever seen Hleb in a full match? Have you even seen how well he can tackle? Have you heard someone say before his defensive abilities are crap and he cannot tackle to save his life? What makes you so sure he cannot tackle? That he is not a defensive player in your mind? I think until we all see how he performs we should not make a judgement on his defensive abilities. 3) About Wenger wanting Vieira gone, he has said before that he wanted him gone the moment I personally wanted him gone: last season, when his love affair with Real Madrid was the strongest. He has said before that eventually he got sick and tired of Vieira's adulteries, and after the Madrid deal fell through he was waiting for someone to pick Vieira up, which Juve eventually did.
as MT said why try to replace Vieira w/ Vieira. Who's to say wenger is not altering his tactics around a new type of midfielder - Hleb. Further, IMO, Hleb seems like the player that is the type to give 110% every game, top to bottom of the table,and doesn't seem like he would shy away from making a tackle or track back for the good of the team. He does seem quick enough to make it back up the pitch on the counter too.
I keep reading quotes from Hleb in peoples sigs. Every one i read makes him sound more and more like a future captain. I hope he can walk the walk the way he talks the talk, if he does... we'll be fine.
If he gave 110% he would die . -Sorry, I just hate sports cliches like that one . Seriously, IMO the season will probably start with Gilberto and Flamini in the middle. Strong defender coupled with a good transition player (and a little more physically mature than Cesc). Cesc will play a lot too. Vieira cannot be replaced. He was too versatile and did too many things in the center. Our style has to change to adapt to the loss In the last few years in domestic play we have defended down the middle and used our wing play from both the fullback and midfield lines to spread the field and give the offense space to work. Flamini just fits into this role better than Hleb. It looks to me that Hleb will be in line after Freddie, but will see a lot of playing time in that role. It's more suited to his skills. If, as some of you have argued in the past, speed ONLY matters on the wings in the EPL, wopuldn't it be a waste to have Hleb in the middle?
I will remember that for next time. So it probably would irritate you if I said Vieira didn't give his all last season? Hleb seems to have the desire to transcend pain, poor team morale, bad weather to raise the level of the entire team.
if you've played sports on a relatively serious and competitive level you'd know that such a thing as giving 110% does in fact exist. you can give your all without half-@ssing it at all and it would be 100% - but sometimes there comes a time and a situation where a player puts his body on the line, when thought about fatigue and conventional wisdom say to stop, dont chase that ball, dont go in to another 40-60 tackle, but some players - they do all of that and while other players would never get cricitized or faulted for not going above and beyond the call - they just won't be revered the same way as the guy who gives his all... case in point... Alan Smith, not as talented as most other United players but in 1 season he's made himself a fan favorite... same thing for Heinze - for you lot, that guy was Vieira. Don't taint his memory, the guy played half a season on a bad ankle.