Emirates Cup: Arsenal vs Galatasray | 04/08/13 | 16:20

[fabo]

I think Gibbs' attacking game is overrated, safe. But he is constantly bombing up, not denying that. There seems to be this theory that Gibbs is a quality offensive full-back while Sagna gets a nosebleed crossing the halfway line.

Now Sagna has his flaws, actually it can be painful watching the combinations between himself and Per, and then Theo higher up the pitch but does Gibbs really do much more? Sagna tends to make some attacking contributions in a season, bar last year when he was brutal. Doesn't seem to be a gulf as some suggest.

Maybe Orbinho or one of those nerds has some stats on it.

Anyway, possibly an even bigger problem is the inability of our wide options to do much in deeper areas. See Ox and Theo yesterday, that was awful to watch. Constantly running into players etc. Theo kinda gets a free pass on some things now as he's a double figure goalscorer but some areas of his game are still fairly disappointing.

 

[fabo]

And Poldi is cut from a similar cloth. Both can rack up assists in and around the box but they're not creative in the slightest, if that makes sense.

 

[eye4goal]

I fear even if we sign Suarez he will get lost at CF. A more balanced attack would be

----Suarez-Giroud-Walcott/OX

----------Cazorla

------Ramsey---Arteta

We are really struggling on the flanks more than anything

Suarez likes to come wide, even if he starts at CF so he'd be like Henry coming wide all the time linking up with Cazorla. We'll be very dependent on Suarez if he comes, maybe just as much as Liverpool are really. The difference between us and Liverpool last season was in the ability to grind-out results although we keep looking down on them.

 

[Bigbludfire]

Let's not go nuts, Gibbs isn't quality but he's good and compared to most fullbacks which basically qualify's as a pretty good one.

Have to agree with the qualities lacking in wide areas, we're awful. We practically have as much technical ability in our forwards as some **** team like Everton

 

[MaestroCesc]

What about Gibbs, Outie? If he's as good as everyone thinks, surely we have a solid balance at full-back.

I personally don't think Gibbs is as good as people suggest. He's a constant attacking outlet but I rarely expect much from him in those areas. No more than I would from Sagna for example.

Then that's just stupid Fabo, no offence. Gibbs is like another winger and is only let down by his crosses in the air. Ironically a important aspect for a fullback, but other than that he can dribble, he has pace, and most importantly can beat a man. The same really can't be said for Sagna, seeing Sagna overlap is more of a myth than the Megalladon

Dont understand why people continue to state this, Sagna overlaps all the time and actually does get forward quite alot he just cant do much with the ball, although I still think he is a better crosser than Gibbs or Jenkinson.

 

[akhil]

And Poldi is cut from a similar cloth. Both can rack up assists in and around the box but they're not creative in the slightest, if that makes sense.

Yep, both are like old school strikers shoved out wide. Limited skill sets.

Ox needs a run of games consistently in one position. He's probably going to start being more productive then.

Gibbs isn't bad but he's very inconsistent in the final third.

 

[Uncle Mike]

Okay, I've calmed down. Mostly.

We are The Arsenal: The officials hate us so much, they'll screw us over even in our own preseason tournament.

And Didier Drogba is the David Ortiz of soccer. He's a goddamned cheating bastard, and he STILL gets away with it, especially against Arsenal. But that's not the worst of it. The worst of it is that Arsenal still let him beat them.

 

[MDGoonah41]

8)) 8))

 

[DJ_Markstar]

He dives when he waaaaaaaaaaaaants, he dives when he waaaaaaaaaaaants, even in a friendly, Drog dives when he waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaants.

 

[DJ_Markstar]

Dont understand why people continue to state this, Sagna overlaps all the time and actually does get forward quite alot he just cant do much with the ball, although I still think he is a better crosser than Gibbs or Jenkinson.

 

[jones]

Think fabo is spot on here, Gibbs gets rave reviews here because he bombs forward every other minute, but he usually fumbles the ball into the opponent's feet trying to dribble past him. His crossing is ****ing horrible, he's useful when he actually makes it into the box and can pass it to someone on the ground, but with high balls he's probably the worst in the squad bar Szczesny.

Think he's really not that much better than Sagna offensively. Jenkinson showed promise about a year ago when he had a run of games and showed that he had a good cross on him, has been our worst attacking full back since then for some reason. Hope to see much more of Monreal this season, showed a few defensive weaknesses (not worse than Gibbs, mind) which is understandable given the problems in communication, but already came up with crucial goals and assists like at Swansea or vs Aston Villa. I'm dead certain that none of Gibbs, Bac or Carl would have seen the pass to Cazorla for the 2-1 in the latter game.

 

[Bigbludfire]

What about Gibbs, Outie? If he's as good as everyone thinks, surely we have a solid balance at full-back.

I personally don't think Gibbs is as good as people suggest. He's a constant attacking outlet but I rarely expect much from him in those areas. No more than I would from Sagna for example.

Then that's just stupid Fabo, no offence. Gibbs is like another winger and is only let down by his crosses in the air. Ironically a important aspect for a fullback, but other than that he can dribble, he has pace, and most importantly can beat a man. The same really can't be said for Sagna, seeing Sagna overlap is more of a myth than the Megalladon

Dont understand why people continue to state this, Sagna overlaps all the time and actually does get forward quite alot he just cant do much with the ball, although I still think he is a better crosser than Gibbs or Jenkinson.

He really doesn't, he'll overlap like 3 times out of 10. The crossing bit is obscene to Jenkinson, Gibbs... The less said the better. He's absolutely **** when the ball leaves the ground

 

[Anzac]

Our FBs should be taking the ball to the byline and then either cutting it back BEHIND the defenders facing their own goal, OR
driving it low and hard to the near post/across the 6 yard box.
I can recall Sagna doing the latter a number of times across the seasons and seeing the likes of RVP, Walcott, Greedy & Eduardo all score as a result.
Floating a cross into the area is the LAST thing we should be doing regardless of Giroud.

 

[Anzac]

Agreed re the earlier posts about our play - been saying it for years that my objection to AW is that IMO since 2008 his revised 4231 style is a crock that NEEDS proven & consistent top class players to execute it in order for it to work. Without them it becomes a millstone/albatross.

 

[DJ_Markstar]

@Jones

Sagna's crossing has been an abomination for years, Jenkinson has at least shown potential in that regard, as has Gibbs. I'm not saying either are good or even good enough yet, I just found it hilarious that anyone would suggest Sagna is a better crosser than anyone given how glaringly weak he is in this specific area.

 

[TheLoneFalcon]

Never really rated Gibbs as a good first choice left back and still don't, although he has the potential to get better. Wenger would never buy someone to play ahead of him though.

@DJ, I've always felt more comfortable when Sagna is crossing! I think you're dong a disservice to him saying Gibbs is a better crosser of the ball. I can remember a few raking balls from Sagna resulting in headed goals.

 

[Cruisio]

I'd 100% say Sagna's crossing was better than Gibbs'

Sagna's problem isn't that he can't cross a ball, he clearly can (the 07/08 season comes to mind) it's just that he inevitably ends up having to cross the ball as a last resort attack and there's never anybody in there

Gibbs on the other hand actually gets a lot of opportunities to put in a cross and EVERY time i've seen him do it he puts in one of those pointless floaters. He never ends up drilling it across or whipping it in, he always stands it up and never at the right moment

Neither are particularly good at it but i'd say Sagna was slightly less s**t

 

[CurryFlavoured]

Yeh Cruisio is spot on, Sagna has never been a great crosser but he isn't as **** as people make out. The problem is he can't link play to save his life (which isn't helped by playing on the same flank as Walcott) so a lot of the time he has no other option but to cross, sometimes I even think Wenger tries to get him out wide crossing with the amount of ball he ends up with up the right wing in games.

I'd say most of Sagna's crosses are pretty poor generally, but he comes up with the odd one that is very good, but I can't remember seeing a Gibbs cross that didn't float into the box/roll along the ground at 2 km/h. He just gets less flack because he doesn't cross as much, and doesn't really have to cross as much.

 

[mavelous]

sanogo seems very much ade-esque doesn't he? you know there was so much hoola pooz over zaha, but i don't think yaya is that far behind, because, well, zaha isn't a world beater either, but there isn't a 10m gulf. plus it wasn't like zaha was going to light it up overnight either, so in hindsight, the correct decision i'd say.

he started off brightly, and his style seems already mature and polished for his age. his shooting seems to be horrendous tho, did he even start as a striker? at least he's not afraid to run with the ball, on top of that he the attributes that chamakh, on his best, can offer. couldn't tell if he was pacy or quick, would help if he wasn't another reptile like olivier or chams.

 

[outlaw_member]

I think Sagna's biggest shortcoming by far is that he can't dribble.