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Super Sunday: Let's take a quick look at the squad strength… [updated on Monday]

Posted by :devday On : September 14, 2008
13

Category: Arsenal

It was important for us to get our first away win on the board, and now we're travelling to Kiev midweek in a crucial Champions League game. For those of you haven't read the match report from yesterday, you can read it here.

Arsene has spoken about the game, I won’t go into detail on everything he said, but I’ll pick out one quote.

“I assessed every individual and was thinking to leave Theo out, but for the balance I kept him in. I wanted to rest Niklas Bendtner and I thought having Theo away from home could give us the penetration. I think he can play left and right and he is happy on the left because he knows he can score with his right foot; he tried a couple of times today. Theo has been educated that way, where he can play on either side., but he also prefers to play in the middle. The problem with scoring three times for the national team is that everyone expects you to score again. Football isn’t like that. What is most important is that he has a good team attitude, tries to work hard and the rest will come with time.”

What is clear about this is that Arsene has options. He classifys Bendtner as a real option and of course knows that he can play Walcott on the left, right or up front. So that got me thinking, and I grabbed a peice of paper and listed every player who “can” play in any position. I’m not saying they should but they can and this is what I ended up with:

Goalkeepers

Almunia, Fabianksi, Mannone

Left Back

Clichy, Gallas, Silvestre, Djourou, Toure, Gibbs

Centre Back

Gallas, Silvestre, Toure, Djourou, Sagna, Song

Right Back

Sagna, Eboue, Gallas, Toure, Djourou

Left Wing

Nasri, Walcott, Eboue, Rosicky, Vela, Van Persie, Eduardo, Diaby, Wilshere, Gibbs

Central Midfield

Cesc, Denilson, Diaby, Song, Rosicky, Ramsey, Bischoff, Nasri, Toure, Eboue, Djourou

Right Wing

Walcott, Eboue, Nasri, Wilshere, Rosicky, Vela, Denilson, Eduardo, Van Persie, Cesc, Bischoff

Up Front

Van Persie, Adebayor, Vela, Bendtner, Walcott, Simpson, Eduardo, Nasri

Okay, I think that’s it, do let me know if I have left someone out, I really think I have left someone or two players out but I can’t remember…

And after doing this exercise, it was obvious that we do have the strength in depth to compete this season. We don’t have established players in every position but we do have potential in every area…

Anyway, I’ll leave that at that, speak soon…]]>

devday

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  • Conrad

    you forgot eduardo… also, nasri can play in van persie’s position, as can rosicky and cesc. also, cesc can also play right mid, as he did in the dying minutes of the game at blackburn. on offense he went to the middle, but on defense he dropped to the right and gave sagna support. also, on offense, van persie went to the right, where he plays for holland

  • Ali Martin

    You missed out no 9. EDUARDO as a striker!!

  • Amerigooner

    You left out Eboue in CM. He’s played two games there already this season!

  • Dan

    Er, well you have Eduardo on the LM but not as a striker. :)

  • Dan

    Oh and on your CM diagram a few weeks back you had Wilshere as a potential CM. Not sure about that one i’ve not seen him play there personally, but anyways… your shout.

  • Dan

    < ![CDATA[Its interesting that perhaps our two most valued and consistent players (arguably) are Cesc and Clichy, and they are 2 of the only players that you've listed to play in one position. Maby you'd put Adebeyour in that bracket too, but i think he is easier to cover.

    Do you think the two could be linked? Maby Wenger using so many players as possibly utility players blocks their development in their favoured position?]]>

  • zohaib

    < ![CDATA[you've left out Keiran Gibbs at left back and left mid.

    also, djourou and toure don't play at left back. and you've missed djourou from right back.

    bischoff can play at right mid as well.

    eduardo up front.]]>

  • http://kierandelaney.net/blog kierandelaney.net/blog

    Kieran Gibbs is shit. I’ve seen him play five or six times now and he hasn’t held his position once, his first touch is consistently poor and he has no tackling ability what so ever.

  • devday

    < ![CDATA[Well, guys, there were quite a few players I missed out. - although I don't rate Gibbs, he is backup and can play left back and left wing. Djourou and Toure can both play at left back. Toure played there (and scored an own goal) against PSV away a few years ago and Djourou has played there as recently as 2006. Of course, Djourou can play right back and central midfield... and so can Eboue now!

    Personally, I can't believe I left out Eduardo from the striker position... but you're right, he & VP can play on the right in an attacking way as well as Cesc and Bischoff... the post has been updated....

    Now I swear I have missed someone out still...]]>

  • Fabrez!

    Clichy can play left wing! :)

  • JDD

    you forgot Ramsey right and left wing and Vela can also play out wide

  • Fo

    What about Ramsey – I think he used to play on the left and right midfield for Cardiff

  • http://kierandelaney.net/blog kierandelaney.net/blog

    Just watching the Kiev match – now I know why Arsene wasn’t bothered about Defensive Midfield, Song is having a great match.