Player Ratings - PL: Arsenal vs Sheffield United | 23/09/06

[RC8]

ok, im sure ljunberg had a ****house game, but come on, aren't we all forgetting what he's done for us over the years? i can remember all you guys singing his praises not too long ago after the UEFA final, and all the other times he's pulled through for us, he also provides much needed experience in the midfeild, something we're almost running short on a bit nowadays, ..., give freddie a go, he deserves it after all he's done here. that sort of comment is a little harsh.

Sports is all about what have you done for me lately. Loyalty is what you expect from a dog, not a team looking to accomplish great things.

When I lived in the states, I saw few Arsenal games. I always wrote off Ljunberg as, "well, maybe I just catching him a bad game. This year, I have seen everyone of Arsenal's games, except one. I am not at all impress with him. Especially since there are more talented players to choose from....

Also felt, that once the subs came on, the team seem to play with better cohesion and precision.

I agree with one point, Rosicky is a great addition. His ability to shoot from long range will help open things up.

Pike

I strongly disagree with that statement, that's what I would expect from a hockey or American Football team, not a football team, and DB10 testimonial showed how teams can remain loyal to players, and players to teams.

i disagree with your diasgreement.. loyalty is great, but loyalty to a player has to be repaid with performance.. DB was still contributing through his last year.. and when he wasnt, he wasnt playing as much.. same thing that should be done with Freddie... he shouldnt be first choice.. his best performances in the past year have been for Sweden, not Arsenal... yeah, he works hard, but so does Hleb... and Hleb seems to work better in our new style than Freddie does...


Polar, i see what you are saying about Freddie maybe needing a different challenge, but I disagree about Henry.. he hasnt looked great thus far this season, but he still has 2 goals and 1 (2 if you count Gallas' goal) assists in 4 matches and has (and will always have) more end product than Freddie....

Loyalty to a player has to be paid with performance, I agree, but the point of playing Ljumberg, I can assure you, is to rest Hleb or Rosicky, and I think that for the role he is playing (utility player) he is doing fine. He created various good chances both against Utd and against ShU, and scored against Zagreb at the Emirates.

Either way, it is very important for a club to show some loyalty towards certain players, even when they are not playing at their best. Would Man Utd be a better team with RvN? Sure they would, and, had they not dropped him inmediately when he did not perform, he would still be a ManU player. The point of mentioning the DB10 testimonial, is not just about Bergkamp, it's about all those Arsenal and ex-Arsenal players that played. If a similar event was to be done at Real Madrid or Man Utd, the amount of players attending, and the love they would receive would be much less. Why? because they are NEVER loyal to their players. I therefore conclude, that there is place for loyalty in football, and that in fact it can be very important, but only to a certain extent (i.e. when being loyal to a player is hurting the team's morale, or drastically affecting the team's performance)

 

[Christofaux]

ok, im sure ljunberg had a ****house game, but come on, aren't we all forgetting what he's done for us over the years? i can remember all you guys singing his praises not too long ago after the UEFA final, and all the other times he's pulled through for us, he also provides much needed experience in the midfeild, something we're almost running short on a bit nowadays, ..., give freddie a go, he deserves it after all he's done here. that sort of comment is a little harsh.

Sports is all about what have you done for me lately. Loyalty is what you expect from a dog, not a team looking to accomplish great things.

When I lived in the states, I saw few Arsenal games. I always wrote off Ljunberg as, "well, maybe I just catching him a bad game. This year, I have seen everyone of Arsenal's games, except one. I am not at all impress with him. Especially since there are more talented players to choose from....

Also felt, that once the subs came on, the team seem to play with better cohesion and precision.

I agree with one point, Rosicky is a great addition. His ability to shoot from long range will help open things up.

Pike

You sir are a hypocrite.

I have no doubt you are on the i hate ashely cole because he didnt show loyalty bandwagon... then Freddy shows 110% loyalty and you say its not good enough. What had Cole done for us compared to flamini, clichy last season apart form get payed to get a constant rub down from a physio? Cole was right to leave as he didnt feel at home, IMO he wont feel at home in Chelsea and he will be in italy or spain before you know it. Freddy is class, Freddy is a pure football player, he gets cut down... if he is getting cut down for beating his opponent then that shows that the opponent can't handle him, it up to the referees to spot this. We also need to be playing him more in an ACM role instead of winger, if he has lost pace which i believe he hasnt, the CB's are generally slower then the wing backs, and looking at Freddy highlight reels alot of his goals come from his well time runs through the middle and whenever hes playing a central role hes creating alot more opportunities.

Well done to Gallas on his first net for Arsenal, this guy plays with alot of heart!

We do need to rest freddy, however its AW's choice and last time i looked we just won 3-0.

 

[King_Henry]

ok, im sure ljunberg had a ****house game, but come on, aren't we all forgetting what he's done for us over the years? i can remember all you guys singing his praises not too long ago after the UEFA final, and all the other times he's pulled through for us, he also provides much needed experience in the midfeild, something we're almost running short on a bit nowadays, ..., give freddie a go, he deserves it after all he's done here. that sort of comment is a little harsh.

Sports is all about what have you done for me lately. Loyalty is what you expect from a dog, not a team looking to accomplish great things.

When I lived in the states, I saw few Arsenal games. I always wrote off Ljunberg as, "well, maybe I just catching him a bad game. This year, I have seen everyone of Arsenal's games, except one. I am not at all impress with him. Especially since there are more talented players to choose from....

Also felt, that once the subs came on, the team seem to play with better cohesion and precision.

I agree with one point, Rosicky is a great addition. His ability to shoot from long range will help open things up.

Pike

You sir are a hypocrite.

I have no doubt you are on the i hate ashely cole because he didnt show loyalty bandwagon... then Freddy shows 110% loyalty and you say its not good enough. What had Cole done for us compared to flamini, clichy last season apart form get payed to get a constant rub down from a physio? Cole was right to leave as he didnt feel at home, IMO he wont feel at home in Chelsea and he will be in italy or spain before you know it. Freddy is class, Freddy is a pure football player, he gets cut down... if he is getting cut down for beating his opponent then that shows that the opponent can't handle him, it up to the referees to spot this. We also need to be playing him more in an ACM role instead of winger, if he has lost pace which i believe he hasnt, the CB's are generally slower then the wing backs, and looking at Freddy highlight reels alot of his goals come from his well time runs through the middle and whenever hes playing a central role hes creating alot more opportunities.

Well done to Gallas on his first net for Arsenal, this guy plays with alot of heart!

We do need to rest freddy, however its AW's choice and last time i looked we just won 3-0.

damn right mate. bloody well said. so many of us hate ashley for showing no commitment and loyalty. but what are you guys doing to freddie right now?: showing no loyalty or commitment. thats what your doing. and i know sports are about what you've done latley, but players dont become **** overnight, IT DOSNT HAPPEN. freddie has played some fantastic games over his career, and played ok last season also. do i have to bring up Paris again? the biggest game any arsenal player will play for his club, and it wasn't henry who did the biggest stepping up, but freddie, who was totally composed in that game, and if you can play that good on the most important night of your career, youre not finished 2-3 months later, NO WAY.

so lets not go writing him off yet boys, players dont get **** overnight, i remember you blokes saying campbell was ****, wasn't good enough to play anymore, and whats he doing now for portsmouth, not to mention countless players in the league who have picked up their performance latley. for all we know, he could be in a slump, if he's still no good by the end of this year, then maybe its time to go, but for now, give him the benefit of the doubt

 

[RC8]

ok, im sure ljunberg had a ****house game, but come on, aren't we all forgetting what he's done for us over the years? i can remember all you guys singing his praises not too long ago after the UEFA final, and all the other times he's pulled through for us, he also provides much needed experience in the midfeild, something we're almost running short on a bit nowadays, ..., give freddie a go, he deserves it after all he's done here. that sort of comment is a little harsh.

Sports is all about what have you done for me lately. Loyalty is what you expect from a dog, not a team looking to accomplish great things.

When I lived in the states, I saw few Arsenal games. I always wrote off Ljunberg as, "well, maybe I just catching him a bad game. This year, I have seen everyone of Arsenal's games, except one. I am not at all impress with him. Especially since there are more talented players to choose from....

Also felt, that once the subs came on, the team seem to play with better cohesion and precision.

I agree with one point, Rosicky is a great addition. His ability to shoot from long range will help open things up.

Pike

You sir are a hypocrite.

I have no doubt you are on the i hate ashely cole because he didnt show loyalty bandwagon... then Freddy shows 110% loyalty and you say its not good enough. What had Cole done for us compared to flamini, clichy last season apart form get payed to get a constant rub down from a physio? Cole was right to leave as he didnt feel at home, IMO he wont feel at home in Chelsea and he will be in italy or spain before you know it. Freddy is class, Freddy is a pure football player, he gets cut down... if he is getting cut down for beating his opponent then that shows that the opponent can't handle him, it up to the referees to spot this. We also need to be playing him more in an ACM role instead of winger, if he has lost pace which i believe he hasnt, the CB's are generally slower then the wing backs, and looking at Freddy highlight reels alot of his goals come from his well time runs through the middle and whenever hes playing a central role hes creating alot more opportunities.

Well done to Gallas on his first net for Arsenal, this guy plays with alot of heart!

We do need to rest freddy, however its AW's choice and last time i looked we just won 3-0.

damn right mate. bloody well said. so many of us hate ashley for showing no commitment and loyalty. but what are you guys doing to freddie right now?: showing no loyalty or commitment. thats what your doing. and i know sports are about what you've done latley, but players dont become s**t overnight, IT DOSNT HAPPEN. freddie has played some fantastic games over his career, and played ok last season also. do i have to bring up Paris again? the biggest game any arsenal player will play for his club, and it wasn't henry who did the biggest stepping up, but freddie, who was totally composed in that game, and if you can play that good on the most important night of your career, youre not finished 2-3 months later, NO WAY.

so lets not go writing him off yet boys, players dont get s**t overnight, i remember you blokes saying campbell was s**t, wasn't good enough to play anymore, and whats he doing now for portsmouth, not to mention countless players in the league who have picked up their performance latley. for all we know, he could be in a slump, if he's still no good by the end of this year, then maybe its time to go, but for now, give him the benefit of the doubt

Well said, it's refreshing to hear some people who still believe football is more than a game, and who are capable of recognising the fact that footballers, just like us, have bad weeks, and even bad months. Also, it is nice to see some still appreciate the commitment a player puts into a team, even if he is not in such a good form, or has quality players who can play better than him to some extent competing for a spot.

I for one, would have a player that fights hard, rather than one with 'just' technical ability. Technical players are amazing, but the ones that fight with determination are the ones who give you the best moments.

Finally, I would like to, once again, tell you all that we are very fortunate to have a versatile player such as Freddie, who can fill in whenever he is called, in both flanks, and always giving his best.

 

[King_Henry]

thats right
its good to know a few people here are backing me up and have the same opinion, the tough players are the good ones to have eg. gattuso. now he is technically no good at all in my opnion, but his toughness makes him fantastic.

yes, it is good to have a player who can player different positions, its usefull to have someone who can cover injured players in more than one position.

and thats right, RC8, footballers have **** days and weeks like us, because they're human, give freddy some time, he'll come good

 

[phil15]

People still going on about Freddie, **** I recognize that he should certainly be in the squad, however his days as a week in week out performer for Arsenal is over. His work rate and desire is clearly evident and he can certainly give us a balance in certain situations out wide, in regards to our other wide players. However his limitations are even more prounced now his end product is ****, rarely beats his man, his darting runs have dried up, his finishing is piss poor and his touch resembles that of a leprcorn.

All in all he should be a substitute from now on, acting as cover for our first choice wingers, but I bet he will still be starting alot of games for us in a 4-4-2 formation

 

[RocktheCasbah]

haven't seen any of the match, gonna watch it on Football First but from these ratings looks like we were pretty average today.

pretty much. can't be arsed to rate the entire team, but it was a very poor performance, in spite of the result. we lacked movement off the ball and there wasn't enough pace on the ball. a very, very dull performance. we didn't create many chances and the whole team just looked lost at times out there.

Was at the game, and yes for once I agree with you. 3-0 was very flattering. Although we could have had more in the end, Henry didn't look interested. Ade worked hard but to no avail, Ljungberg was, well, Ljungberg. Not a compliment, by the way and Fabregas and Gilberto made little impact. Rosicky looked good, but produced little. It was the boys at the back who impressed really, Eboue finally managed to produce a final ball worth the name, Gallas continues to excel and Djourou and Toure were comfortable.

 

[asajoseph]

Was at the game again on Saturday, and have not really had much of a chance to review any highlights or anything, so might have missed a few things that the cameras picked up (I was convinced, for example, that it was Rosicky who knocked the ball down for Gallas' goal, until I read in the press that it was Cesc.)

Starting at a base of 6 as an average performance, I'd suggest the following ratings.

Jens - 7 - Barely had to do anything all game, but put in one excellent-looking save at the death to deny Sheffield Utd a consolation.

Eboue - 6.5 - Pretty good going forwards, but still really lacks that final ball - although his cross for Henry's header was perfect. Ironically, had just turned to my mate seconds before and asked him why Eboue blasts every cross much, much too hard, and within about 30 seconds he plonks a perfect one right onto Thierry's head. Not convinced defensively either, but Sheff Utd didn't have nearly enough going forwards to make anything count.

Toure - 7 - Solid, and generally unworried by a weak Sheff Utd attack. Some nice bursts through the middle, which were probably allowed by a weak Blades side, and never really looked troubled at the back.

Djourou - 7 - Like Toure, looked like he was interested in pushing forwards through the middle, and was involved in one of our best passing moves of the match down the left hand side (can't remember who else was involved, other than that it all revolved around Djourou). At times though perhaps would have been better advised to hang back and pass to the midfield, but with experience that sort of thing will come - this time last year, we'd have had Cygan in this role, and the emergence of Djourou speaks volumes of our improvement as a side.

Gallas - 7.5 - Like the rest of the defence, never really looked like he was put in much bother by the Blades attackers, and his best contributions were attacking this time around. Broke nicely down the left several times, should perhaps have made a little more of his snatched shot past the post, and took his goal very nicely.

Ljungberg - 6 - All industry, little end product - his passing, shooting and dribbling are all weak at the moment, but he's like a terrier on the right flank, tackled very well, never gave up and involved himself nicely. Looks like he's getting somewhat left behind in this Arsenal side though.

Gilberto - 6 - Same old story with Gilberto - did a nice job blocking the Sheffield midfielders, made some nice tackles, but gave the ball away too often, telegraphed some of his passes, and tried to do things a little beyond him at times.

Cesc - 6.5 - Beautiful control to set Gallas up for the first, and his passing in and around the central third was decent. However he's holding onto the ball too long at times at the moment, something that’s never really been a common flaw in his game in the past. Especially when breaking out of defence, he sometimes tried to do too much - yet on the whole, as the game went on, he'd probably improved, and became a little more efficient. Completely stopped running once the game was won though - I'd have been very tempted to take him off for Hleb or Baptista (instead of the players who actually left the field).

Rosicky - 7 - An exciting player to watch at the moment, and always someone who looks like he's going to make things happen. Created one or two chances, but today the actual end product seemed a little looser than it had been in the past - still, looked good again, and you have to assume that it was tiredness, not ineffectiveness that meant he had to leave the field.

Adebayor - 6 - Ran well, looked difficult for defenders control, and always made himself available for the pass. But not once did he ever look like scoring, or creating anything that remotely resembled a chance. Would be more valuable in a team that scores maybe 25-30 a season from midfield, but his performance today, whilst solid, did little to dispel my doubts.

Henry - 6 - Can he play this badly every week please? His first touch was awful (getting used to the new boots, one of my colleagues reckons!), his movement was poor, and what little I remember of his passing was second rate. Yet he scored one nice goal, had a direct hand in both of the others (although he owes a lot to Cesc's control for the first, and Jagielka's lack thereof for the second). Whilst it's great that he can do this whilst playing badly, from a personal point of view he should take little comfort from these efforts

Substitutes
RVP - 6 - Some nice running, a nice cross, and a good cross-field pass down the right flank in the dying moments. Snatched at a shot he might have done better with, although he was sold a bit short by the supplier (Henry, I believe), and should have been given the ball much earlier. Otherwise had very little impact when he came on.
Hleb - 6.5 - Really looked like making things happen when he came on, although perhaps made the wrong pass from time to time, and delayed some of his balls a little too long. Definitely looks like the better player for Porto midweek, and I have no doubt that he'll get his starting place back.
Baptista - 7 - Looked dangerous appearing as a sub again, though not too much action in and around the box. Very nice pass for Eboue's cross to Henry, some good strength in the middle, and one or two other nice passes. It should not be too long before his first start.



Wenger - 6 - Probably expected a little more, to be honest, considering he'd had so long to work with the squad. We weren't as sharp as I'd hoped we'd be, and in the first half we looked positively boring. Things picked up though in the second, and we walked away with three points and three goals, both of which were probably about par for the course. Good to see he brought on attacking substitutions as well, and resisted any temptation to bring in Flamini.

 

[RocktheCasbah]

damn right mate. bloody well said. so many of us hate ashley for showing no commitment and loyalty. but what are you guys doing to freddie right now?: showing no loyalty or commitment. thats what your doing. and i know sports are about what you've done latley, but players dont become s**t overnight, IT DOSNT HAPPEN. freddie has played some fantastic games over his career, and played ok last season also. do i have to bring up Paris again? the biggest game any arsenal player will play for his club, and it wasn't henry who did the biggest stepping up, but freddie, who was totally composed in that game, and if you can play that good on the most important night of your career, youre not finished 2-3 months later, NO WAY.

so lets not go writing him off yet boys, players dont get s**t overnight, i remember you blokes saying campbell was s**t, wasn't good enough to play anymore, and whats he doing now for portsmouth, not to mention countless players in the league who have picked up their performance latley. for all we know, he could be in a slump, if he's still no good by the end of this year, then maybe its time to go, but for now, give him the benefit of the doubt

Freddie's been poor for a couple of years now, one performance in Paris which, and let's call a spade a spade, relied more on heart and guts than any technical merit, doesn't change that. So to say good players don't become sh't overnight is a touch disingenous. No they don't, but Freddie hasn't declined overnight, it's been a lengthy, painful process.

 

[jester]

its weird, the news of the world gave freddie an 8 as MotM, and put him in their team of the week with the quote: tireless little pitbull, showed arsenal the way forward (or something like that).

 

[asajoseph]

He did work very hard, it has to be said. He ran hard, worked for his team-mates, and moved well. The amount of tackling he did too looked excellent for a midfielder. His all-round game though is weak at the moment - he used to mask that with his style of play, making sure he played to his strengths. These days he plays with more of an orthodox style, and he doesn't really have the technique to back that up.

 

[RocktheCasbah]

All I saw Freddie do was fall over. One time he hit the deck, it didn't even look like he'd been touched! It's getting really tedious now and of NotW thinks he was really better than Gallas, Rosicky or Djourou then that's their look out. but they're wrong.

 

[jester]

oh i wasnt saying you guys were wrong, since all i saw was the MotD highlights later on. It was just that i've seen alot of people saying freddie was quite poor, and it struck me as weird that the paper didnt just say he was good, they said he was the best player.

 

[Pike]

You sir are a hypocrite.

I have no doubt you are on the i hate ashely cole because he didnt show loyalty bandwagon... then Freddy shows 110% loyalty and you say its not good enough.....

I can I be a hypocrite if I never said anything about Cole. Can you quote one of my post where I even discuss Cole? I thought so,...so before you throw insults I suggest you get a clue.

Freddy is class, Freddy is a pure football player, he gets cut down... if he is getting cut down for beating his opponent then that shows that the opponent can't handle him, it up to the referees to spot this. We also need to be playing him more in an ACM role instead of winger, if he has lost pace which i believe he hasnt, the CB's are generally slower then the wing backs, and looking at Freddy highlight reels alot of his goals come from his well time runs through the middle and whenever hes playing a central role hes creating alot more opportunities.....

There are a lot of classy players. What's a pure football player depends on your own definition or definitions of a pure player. We could debate the merits of any criteria forever if we would like. It won't change these facts.

1.) Freddy is in decline of his career. Sure, we may move on and experience a rebirth. This does happen, but it doesn't mean it could occur here.
2.) There are better players in his position and the position you suggested.

Lastly, you contradicted yourself,... in one breath you still hold that Freddy is still a great player and in another breath you claimed he is not currently performing because he is playing in the wrong position. You can't have it both ways. Now, if you want to argue that he is declining and a change may be in order to ensure he continues to be productive, and there are currently no better options at this proposed position, then by all means argue.

PIKE

 

[RC8]

You sir are a hypocrite.

I have no doubt you are on the i hate ashely cole because he didnt show loyalty bandwagon... then Freddy shows 110% loyalty and you say its not good enough.....

I can I be a hypocrite if I never said anything about Cole. Can you quote one of my post where I even discuss Cole? I thought so,...so before you throw insults I suggest you get a clue.

Freddy is class, Freddy is a pure football player, he gets cut down... if he is getting cut down for beating his opponent then that shows that the opponent can't handle him, it up to the referees to spot this. We also need to be playing him more in an ACM role instead of winger, if he has lost pace which i believe he hasnt, the CB's are generally slower then the wing backs, and looking at Freddy highlight reels alot of his goals come from his well time runs through the middle and whenever hes playing a central role hes creating alot more opportunities.....

There are a lot of classy players. What's a pure football player depends on your own definition or definitions of a pure player. We could debate the merits of any criteria forever if we would like. It won't change these facts.

1.) Freddy is in decline of his career. Sure, we may move on and experience a rebirth. This does happen, but it doesn't mean it could occur here.
2.) There are better players in his position and the position you suggested.

Lastly, you contradicted yourself,... in one breath you still hold that Freddy is still a great player and in another breath you claimed he is not currently performing because he is playing in the wrong position. You can't have it both ways. Now, if you want to argue that he is declining and a change may be in order to ensure he continues to be productive, and there are currently no better options at this proposed position, then by all means argue.

PIKE

Really? As far as I'm concerned he was played there on Saturday because Wenger wanted Hleb and Rosicky to rest for 45 minutes. Who is a better utility player in the wings than Freddie right now? Flamini?

You are missing the point of most of the posts defending Ljunberg.

 

[USArsenal]

as it stands right now, Freddie is cover.. plain and simple... maybe it's that he plays against these "weaker" teams so that Hleb & Rosicky get a breather from time to time... but at the end of the day, you play your best players when it counts (assuming they are healthy), and Freddie, in this team, is just not one of them... i dont think we should get rid of Freddie, but i do think he should realize he isnt (and shouldnt be) first choice in the midfield anymore... and if he can accept that, then by all means, use him as "jack of all trades" in terms of cover, but no more (much like Parlour was for his years here)...

 

[Christofaux]

Lastly, you contradicted yourself,... in one breath you still hold that Freddy is still a great player and in another breath you claimed he is not currently performing because he is playing in the wrong position. You can't have it both ways. Now, if you want to argue that he is declining and a change may be in order to ensure he continues to be productive, and there are currently no better options at this proposed position, then by all means argue.

PIKE

Theirry Henry is a great player but for the first few games he was not performing.

I never said he is out of position, i said he could play better in another position because watching highlights (you know real hard evidence, like for instance him getting rated 8 by an unbiased view) alot of his goals come from clever runs through the middle to a good ball. Now He had alot better service from DB10 and Pires then what he is currently getting.

 

[King_Henry]

You sir are a hypocrite.

I have no doubt you are on the i hate ashely cole because he didnt show loyalty bandwagon... then Freddy shows 110% loyalty and you say its not good enough.....

I can I be a hypocrite if I never said anything about Cole. Can you quote one of my post where I even discuss Cole? I thought so,...so before you throw insults I suggest you get a clue.

Freddy is class, Freddy is a pure football player, he gets cut down... if he is getting cut down for beating his opponent then that shows that the opponent can't handle him, it up to the referees to spot this. We also need to be playing him more in an ACM role instead of winger, if he has lost pace which i believe he hasnt, the CB's are generally slower then the wing backs, and looking at Freddy highlight reels alot of his goals come from his well time runs through the middle and whenever hes playing a central role hes creating alot more opportunities.....

There are a lot of classy players. What's a pure football player depends on your own definition or definitions of a pure player. We could debate the merits of any criteria forever if we would like. It won't change these facts.

1.) Freddy is in decline of his career. Sure, we may move on and experience a rebirth. This does happen, but it doesn't mean it could occur here.
2.) There are better players in his position and the position you suggested.

Lastly, you contradicted yourself,... in one breath you still hold that Freddy is still a great player and in another breath you claimed he is not currently performing because he is playing in the wrong position. You can't have it both ways. Now, if you want to argue that he is declining and a change may be in order to ensure he continues to be productive, and there are currently no better options at this proposed position, then by all means argue.

PIKE

Really? As far as I'm concerned he was played there on Saturday because Wenger wanted Hleb and Rosicky to rest for 45 minutes. Who is a better utility player in the wings than Freddie right now? Flamini?

You are missing the point of most of the posts defending Ljunberg.

exactly im not saying Ljunberg is the greatest winger on the planet or anything, im just saying there's still a place for him in this squad, especially as a utility player, and yes, we're not saying he's better than rosicky, because he's not, in fact, i rate rosicky higher than almost anyone in our squad at the moment, but ljunberg is probably the best utility player we have

 

[Pike]

There are better players in his position and the position you suggested.
PIKE

Really? As far as I'm concerned he was played there on Saturday because Wenger wanted Hleb and Rosicky to rest for 45 minutes. Who is a better utility player in the wings than Freddie right now? Flamini?

You are missing the point of most of the posts defending Ljunberg.

I am not debating Ljunberg isn't a utility player at all. I am flat saying he is declining.

You are also not correct. People are claiming that Freddie is only in a slump and that he is still quality. Also, if he was somehow placed in the middle, he would blossom as an impact player that he once was.

I supposed if Freddy would somehow manage a great game, this flash in a pan performance would rekindle even the most passive believers into a frenzy,..oh how I look forward to that occasion.

Pike