AFCB’s 2010/2011 Season Review: The Forwards

This is the first part of AFCB’s 2010/2011 Season Review, focusing specifically on the players primarily used across the front three last season.

Each player has been giving a report card-style rating (ranging from A+ to E-) as well as the justification for their rating based on their progress and overall performance over the course of the season.

Robin van Persie (A)

The undoubted star of the second half of the season at a time when all else around him fell apart. Missed the opening half of the season through injury (no surprises there) but made up for it with a spectacular goalscoring record and unrivaled leadership. When the team lacked spark he was always on hand to pop up with a goal and his motivation and desire never wavered in the same way that others’ did in the final part of the season. He still appears awkward when leading the line in a 4-3-3 but the results are undeniable. Our most important forward and one that remains vital next season.

Marouane Chamakh (B-)

A strange season for the Moroccan: he adapted much quicker than expected before tailing off as the season progressed. Early-season injuries to van Persie and Nicklas Bendtner forced Chamakh into the side from the start, something that nobody expected, and he responded with sort of industrious, tireless performances that his reputation at Bordeaux was built on. But then, come the turn of the year, he did tire and the result was a remarkable downturn in form. He will expect to improve on a decent debut season and the hope is that our wide players, specifically our full-backs, exploit Chamakh’s primary attacking attribute — his remarkable aerial ability — more successfully next season.

Nasri's early-season form tailed off

Samir Nasri (B+)

If I did mid-season report cards Nasri’s score would have been an ‘A’. For the first half, perhaps two thirds of the season, he was remarkable. Playing in the front three, rather than in midfield, gave him a freedom to make the most of his brilliant dribbling skills and consistently move into dangerous areas. He finished with confidence, never lost the ball in possession and deservedly earned the reputation as the Premier League’s outstanding player. But just like the rest of his teammates (van Persie excluded, of course) the Frenchman faded into obscurity in the second half of the season, an awful miss at Bolton summing up his fall from grace. Nasri still remains a dangerous and effective player, particularly with Cesc Fabregas pulling the strings behind him, and rumours of an exit are troubling to say the least.

Andrey Arshavin (C-)

People who criticise Arshavin are quick to point out his apparent laziness and inconsistency to back up their arguments. Those who have a soft spot for him point to his rather impressive statistics and penchant for scoring goals at vital moments. We will always remember his game-winning goal against Barcelona but the truth is that for a player of his quality, Arshavin fell short of what is to be expected of him this season. After starting on the left wing he lost his place to a resurgent Theo Walcott and never showed enough to win it back. His directness and willingness to shoot is refreshing but much more should be expected if he stays on next season, even if he plays primarily from the bench.

Theo Walcott (B)

Had Walcott’s season not been peppered with injury we would be looking back on this as his breakout campaign. His low finishes across the goalkeeper have become as familiar as his searing pace and more often than not he was genuinely dangerous while moving forward in possession. He still appears to lack the “I’m better than you and I can prove it” attitude that a player like Nani had (long before it was true, too) but Walcott performed admirably when available this season, scoring far more regularly than he has been given credit for.

Bendtner endured a difficult season that looks set to end with his exit

Nicklas Bendtner (C)

Two statistics and some generally poor management from Arsene Wenger sum up what is likely to be Bendtner’s last season at Arsenal. The first stat is the number of games started: just 3 in the Premier League. That is 10 less than the season previous and although a troublesome groin injury did not help matters, it is simply far too few for a player who should have been given more of a chance this season. When he was called upon Bendtner was used horribly by Wenger, thrown out onto the wing instead of being played centrally, among one of the most confusing tactical decisions the manager has ever made. It didn’t work either, although Bendtner still managed to register 9 goals in 14 starts in all competitions, a rather impressive record. If Bendtner’s desire to leave Arsenal sees a move forced, it will be a disappointing end to a career of a player that was used so disappointingly last season.

Carlos Vela (D+)

Vela had another season of minimal progress at Arsenal. A loan to West Brom helped him a little, with the Mexican grabbing a couple of vital goals, but it is getting harder to see whether he remains one for the future or should be written off as a lost cause. An extended run in the side would probably help matters but with the likes of Nasri and Walcott standing in his way this looks unlikely.

Have your say on the first part of AFCB’s 2010/2011 Season Review by leaving a comment.

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Comments

  1. It’s been too long Andy. You’ve got to get back to blogging regularly. And I mostly agree, except Chamakh utter and complete incompetence in the latter half of the season must net him a lower score than a “B.” Perhaps a C would have been more satisfactory, or a C- if you are being slightly harsh.

  2. I agree with rating Chamck if not more. How many strikers I’m England that played his number of games and score like him? Coming for the first time and stillacking some confidence. Was he top striking where he is coming from or coming from side? Were our defenders feeding the front well? The player wemger wants to buy now did hescpre as Charmcl or bendmer amd walcpt. Please appreciate the chap

  3. Everyone talks about our problems at the back but our forward line is going to be pretty threadbare next season if Arsh, Vela and Bendtner all go (I daren’t mention the Nasri situation).

    I reckon your grades are pretty right although Walcott continues to frustrate me and I wonder if he is ever going to live up to the hype. I think Chamakh is an interesting one. Clearly a good header of the ball – unfortunatley crossing does not seem to be our fullbacks’ strong point, and also I wonder if he an RVP can mesh well together. he needs a bit more mongrel about him in my opinion.

  4. Good analysis. You call it as it is. I would give Arshavin a B- though, I still think he’s one of our more productive and dangerous players in spite of his languid style, and he has popped up with some crucial assists and goals this season. All these, despite being played out of position on the left

  5. Good to see that you’re not enjoying the Berlin sun too much Andy. I can’t fault, nor argue with any of the above grades. I can’t see how anyone could.

    RvP showed true leadership this season. The kind of ‘passion’ that many critics have said that the squad lacks. If/when the dreaded Cesc to Barcelona transfer does eventuate, we need not fear about the captaincy. Robin has proved that he is a ready-made captain in waiting.

  6. My Brutal Truth:

    Walcott should be given the same grade as Arshavin. The only reason why most think he’s done ok is most of the time he does not get involved. He actually disappears in most games. We don’t actually see him doing anything. Wheras Arshavin is always surrounded by three players whenever he gets the ball. If some supporters say Shava does not track back so does Walcott.

    Chamakh was okay in the first ten games. In the second season when he’s on, he was throwing tantarums ala Henry14 when decisions don’t go his way. Only problem is he’s not as talented as TH14. But its only his first season.

    I hope there is activity for us. Some good additions will strengthen Arsenal further.

  7. This is really silly Andy! Give us something more serious or I might cut you off my page. I am a very busy man and this is not worth my minute. What it all means to me is the same – we might not even qualify for CL and the PL will go to Man U …………. sadly, again!

    Emmanuel B. Ngala
    Kenya.

  8. Agreed. Would like to see a Chamakh/Arshavin combo up front. Also, are you going to do a report-card for AW? Now that I’m sure even Emmanuel would appreciate!

  9. What’s this?? A new post by Andrew Weber. That too one that promises (or hints at) at least 2 more in the coming days ahead. Well well well, our cup runneth over 🙂 Seriously though, you should be blogging more often. If not, I might have to cut you off my page too. You have been warned.

    Okay, Now seriously. I don’t really get the grading process actually, but Van Persie has been fantastic. Chamakh had a poor second half to the season and I’m not sure it can entirely be attributed to tiredness. And even then, why was he so tired for 4 months? He did have a brilliant start to the season though, and I’d be looking for him to progress next season and contribute even more. Hopefully he keeps up the effort we saw at the start of the season.
    I have a lot of time for Arshavin. He needs to improve at some things but towards the end he did show that he’s capable of tracking back and even tackling!! Should stay I think. Walcott has gone from being hyped, to being undervalued. He had a good season (better than Bale, though that hardly means anything) If injuries stay in check and he continues progressing he’ll be a very very good player, though maybe not world class.
    Poor Bendtner. He has some quality and I do think he’ll turn out to be a very good player. But the miss at Barcelona will probably define his Arsenal career. 3 starts isn’t enough and it’s understandable why he’s off. Vela I am unsure about. If he steps up he can be very useful. He’s a good finisher, and he has pace too. We could use him on the wing if his crosses are any good. But mostly it’s his attitude. If he applies himself, I think he can play a part. But I have my doubts about his desire to do so.
    Nasri.. Sign the bloody contract.

  10. Hey everyone.

    I have enjoyed my break, I must say. The weather (and the never-ending party options in Berlin) has been so good that the thought of sitting to down to run through the season just past, one we’d all like to forget in a hurry, seemed more daunting than usual. However it had to be done and there will be more in the coming days now I’m back in the groove.

    I’ll reply to a few of the comments above personally:

    @ Charlie – Someone made the point that if Chamakh’s season happened in reverse (ie. he started slowly but produced his early-season form in the second half of the season) we would all have been a little fairer on him. I’ve rated him based his overall campaign and the fact that, in my eyes, he exceeded reasonable expectations.

    @ realistic_gooner – Arshavin certainly has the numbers this season but at the end of the day, he was dropped from the starting XI, clearly indicating that all was not well. I just expect more from him, to be honest, and a C- rather than a B- reflects that standing of just below his expected standard.

    @ gruggy – I am enjoying the Berlin summer. Too much. I can’t get any work done!

    @ laninja – Interesting perspective on Walcott. I thought he was actually very consistent over the course of the season and had injury not interrupted him we would all be looking on his season more fondly. His finishing has been refreshingly sharp.

    @ Emmanuel – Your comments have to be the most consistently bizarre I receive on the blog. I just don’t understand them. Something more serious? Would you like a bunch of transfer rumour stories? Something else? If it’s not worth your time to read then simply don’t read it. But remember that I am not being paid to do this, I do it out of my own spare time and comments like yours only make me think twice about writing anything at all, let alone an article to suit one reader.

    @ Antek – Yep, Wenger will get a report card. He’ll get a whole article dedicated to him, actually. Stay tuned.

    @ Shard – Good to hear from you again. You give me a good impetus to explain the grading process, so that others understand it going forward. In short, it is halfway between an objective rating across the team and a subjective rating based on my expectations of a particular player. For example, my expectations of Arshavin were far higher than Chamakh’s this season and where I believe Chamakh exceeded his, Arshavin fell short. The same with Nasri: people will perhaps be surprised that he didn’t receive an A of some description but after his excellent start I expected him to kick on, get much more involved in the leadership of the team and have even more impact in the latter half of the season. Does this make sense? To clarify again: it is somewhat based on the expectations I have of a player and how well they have developed, as well as an objective rating across the team.

  11. @ Andy,

    A few classmates from my German class are heading over to Berlin for a ‘Summer School’. “Envy” isn’t a strong enough word to summarise exactly how I feel about it.I’ll tell them to bring an extra liver or drei

    More rumours have emerged today, with the Mirror reporting that Blackburn had accepted a 16m offer from Arsene for Jones – merely for Jones to opt for Fergies terms. Maybe he was offered extra cushioning on the bench that he’ll be warming next season? I have no doubt that Jones would have been our starting CB, along with Vermaelen.

  12. Howdy Drew, howdy all,
    Fair enough posting maybe a bit generous grading but perhaps I’m feeling pinched by our 4th place finish.
    I’m starting to think that Nasri will stay if Cesc goes and he play in his role. Otherwise he will play there for some other team. There is so much chaos around the squad I think we will be lucky to finish fourth next season but I’m often wrong ( I picked us to win the Carling Cup for instance) so hopefully that’s the case here. Any word on Samba or a left back?
    What is the 30% Russian going on about,is he putting up money for players?
    Foggy cold summer here. Maine weather in Nor-Cal.

  13. Overall Andy a fairly succinct and accurate assessment. I generally find myself arguing the point with you but not this time. I don’t know if you saw the forum with the AST and Gazidis? After the boards and Arsene’s statements this season I feel it was just platitudes to keep a lot of really hacked off fans happy. I have to say Usmanov made a lot of sense with his interview in the press at the week end. I’ve said before this season that the board are running Arsenal as a business, but they are missing the point that football should be the main business, if you are successful and win trophies you make more money. Speculate to accumulate as they say in business circles outside Arsenal. I just don’t see Arsene and the board changing their spots overnight, however a splurge in the transfer market would gladly have me eating humble-pie.

  14. Gervinho is no no for the club!playing for cup of nation and returning after that will only leave him weak, not 100% able to perform especially if we got also another striker from africa chamakh.

  15. Andy, iv been checking the blog everyday waiting for this analysis, finally ur back….i would agree with you on most of your grading apart from Arshavin, thee little Russian has some really good statistics to be given the grading you gave, its normal to have players who are more forward minded than defensive minded, Arshavin is one such player. i was glad that towards the end of thee season he was tracking back, maybe thats an area of his game that he needs to improve in..

  16. The grading is a good idea gets people thinking. I think Chamakh was playing well and was then dropped in favor of RVP which I believe contributed to his loss of form.

    Nice to see this blog back in action makes a nice change from the other blogs.

    In fact I am going to add this too my page and not cut u off my page.

  17. The grading is fair, especially under the context of how you thought/ hoped the players would develop/perform, i guess.
    But I just cant understand how Chamakh, who I had high hopes for, could be given such grace….he was signed to replace Eduardo, but moreso to add the aerial threat that we’d forsaken when Adebayour was sold a season previous.
    Andy, does this mean that you set such a low standard for all new recruits or just the ones from a lower or lesser league?
    Im intrigued because the idea being sold by the manager is that we have been bridging the gap, but if intelligent fans such as yourself set such a low bar for players replacing proven quality the calibre of Eduardo and Adebayour, then when do we see the fruits of our labour, when do we ask more of him? When he himself is forcing a move away (bendtner) or when we admit failure ourselves (denilson).
    I just find it strange, at a time when footballers are been bought for millions and millions, and paid just as much, that we cant expect them to deliver more than Chamakh has on this occasion.
    As usual Im veering off sideways but I guess what Im saying is, if you sell Eduardo or Ade, you expect to sign someone who can bring better than what they can, that or you dont sell them at all.
    If, as you say, Chamakh did tire at the halfway stage, then is it inconceivable to imagine that he couldnt be re-vitalised by the end of January, or is it normal to have jan to may off after doing a bit from sept to dec?
    Im not trying to be cynical all the time, but dont you all think we need players at this stage to come in and be expected to be at least as good as if not BETTER than the outgoing personel?
    I want Chamakh to be better next season, I hope he is but right now I cant see how, hes had ample time to show us his wares and he seems to pass the buck all to often instead of taking responsibility in front of goal.
    By the way he and Nasri are at the mgm in Vegas as we speak, hopefully Nasris only flight thereafter will be back for pre-season training…..who knows maybe he’ll win the balance of the wage hes looking for at the tables and just sign his contract.

  18. Spanish fry-You can tell I have not been on here for ages. I think you’ve been a bit harsh on Arshavin the guy comes up with crackers that make you forget when he is bad. People say he is lazy. He is not. He simply does not have the stamina for the premier league he tries to preserve his energy most of the times. I remember when he was still in Russia Wenger suggest that he would struggle in the premiership, at the time I thought Wenger was saying that so no one bids for him but now I can see what he meant, the question is why did he buy him? the answer is simple. someone of his quality is worth taking a chance o . Unfortunetely he is not young to up his fitness and can’t get any better but class is permanent. it is very useful to have him in the team he can change games.

  19. @Andy

    I have to agree with Shambo here (Shock, horror!!!) Having read your explanation of the ratings, if Nasri was expected to continue his contribution of the first 6 months, then I would expect Chamakh to have also maintained a certain level of contribution in the second half of the season. I know he’s a new signing and unaccustomed to England. But he took to his task extremely well. I expected more to follow this season itself. As I said, I hope his output improves next season, and that his effort stays up there. And yes, he absolutely needs to shoot more.

  20. Ha HA ha HAAAAAAAAAAAAA, (sinister laugh).
    I knew Id bend you to my way of thinking Shard!!!!!!!!!!!
    Only joking mate, but I wasnt just aiming that at Andy moreso all of us, we need to be asking more, theres a different between asking and demanding. Fans ask for commitment, attitude and consistancy, any player worth his salt should be DEMANDING this of himself on a dailly basis.
    Shard, when Chamakh signed I questioned whether Wenger would have been interested if he hadnt been a free transfer, but I was still excited by the player and his general profile, he looked like an Arsenal player, but after an impressive start, hassling defenders and running everywhere, he just seemed to shirk the challenge a bit and allow his level to drop resulting in the normally forgiving Wenger (see Diaby performances) to go as far as dropping him and underusing him in March and April.
    It now looks like we are signing the less than prolific Gervinho who looks to be a powerful ball carrier, but really is he the guy to net 20 goals on his first season in the PL? Cos Chamakh and RvP wont do that and thats what we need…..I know Im going to be told to wait until the tranfer window has closed but I have serious reservations about the names being banded about at the moment, Gary Cahill aside there is no-one else going to come in and make the impact needed, and he may be the one target we dont actually sign.
    When we sign Gervinho, and be truthful, will you be excited or just say ‘another risk that will need time to adjust’, will we be sitting here agin next year giving Gervinho the same grade as Chamakh for the same reasons, just a question.

  21. To be honest i think Cesc is staying so we will still be building the team around him.

    And I was looking at that interview with Sagna earlier today. Basically, in my research, I’ve found 3 different categories of “interview” that appear in the English media, in terms of sourcing:

    1) Unsourced (substantial majority of interviews fall into this category);

    2) Sourced, but the source can’t actually be used to verify the accuracy of the quotes (nearly all of the interviews that ARE sourced fall into this category); and

    3) Sourced, and the source CAN be used to verify the accuracy of the quotes (the grand total of interviews in this category is somewhere around 5. I’m not even joking).

    The Sagna comments fall into the 2nd category, and are a pretty typical example of what you find there. A lot of these comments are sourced to interviews with foreign radio stations, and a lot of them are sourced to live interviews at public appearances as well.

    This is probably the trickiest category in terms of assessing accuracy and validity, because you can’t attack the article for inadequate sourcing, but at the same time, you don’t have any way of confirming that the comments are accurate. With these articles, I think it’s best to just use your common sense.

    And in this case, I don’t think Sagna actually made these statements. First, it’s worth noting that Arsene Wenger came out just the other day, and stated categorically that Cesc was NOT going to Barca this summer. I think it’s the 3rd time this summer that Wenger has said that, so it’s clearly Arsenal’s position to attempt to quash the transfer rumors rather than keep them going.

    Now, I’m not familiar with the PRECISE terms of Sagna’s contract w/ Arsenal, but I’m guessing that making statements in the press that contradict the club’s official position is generally frowned upon. In fact, given everything that’s happened in the past, I would be absolutely shocked if all of Arsenal’s players weren’t strictly forbidden from even mentioning the word “Barcelona” in the press.

    Also, it’s not as if all this transfer speculation is something that Cesc particularly enjoys. Sagna’s his teammate, and I don’t know why he would be fanning the flames and antagonizing Cesc like that. Certainly, I don’t see why Sagna would be interested in “tapping him up” for Barcelona I could go on, but you get the idea…

    My verdict: Sagna didn’t say it. And if you believe that he did, I have some lovely ocean front property in Oklahoma that I’d like to sell you for a very reasonable price

  22. In my opinion the press is trying to do another Adebayor on Arsenal.
    It was clear to see that Adebayor with all his stupid talk after his one wonder season and talking about all those big clubs that wanted him to come to them was losing the love of the Arsenal supporters.

    I was in the Emirates when Adebayor came back after that summer full of rumours. And I heard the booing. Adebayor had made life difficult for himself with all those stupid things he said and now he felt he wasn’t loved like before by the supporters. And he had a bad season and then left.

    The media have noticed this and since then try to do the same with Cesc and now with Nasri also if I may add him. The only reason apart from selling more newspapers or getting more hits is… to weaken Arsenal.

    If not by forcing the player out during the transfer period they hope that the player is having a bad season because they feel unhappy about the support they get (or don’t get).

    I think that all the players should have their name sung from the first game in the Emirates from the first to the last minute of the game. To make sure they will feel at home.

  23. taken from sky sport:

    Cesc Fabregas has admitted he is frustrated at Arsenal’s lack of recent success but maintains he is happy at Emirates Stadium.

    The Spain international continues to be linked with a return to Barcelona, where he started his career before moving to North London as a teenager.

    The 24-year-old insists that no decision has been reached over his future and admitted that the Gunners and manager Arsene Wenger would have a major say over where he is playing his football next season.

    Fabregas, who missed the closing weeks of the season through injury, revealed he had not spoken to Wenger since early May when he was interviewed at a promotional event in Spain.

    The gifted midfielder remains confident that the Gunners can end their six-year silverware drought, but would not be drawn over the latest Camp Nou reports when the question was inevitably raised.

    Lying
    “He (Wenger) is the boss, the one who makes the decisions. You should ask him. I was injured at the end of the season and I haven’t seen him for about six weeks.”

    Cesc Fabregas

    Quotes of the week

    Fabregas said: “A player who is not frustrated at not winning titles is either lying to himself or lacks ambition.

    “There is a good team and a good manager and one of the most faithful fan bases in Europe. With those I believe we can make progress and one day win an important trophy.

    “I am an Arsenal player. I have been very happy for eight years and I am very happy. I am not thinking about football right now, just about my holidays.

    “There have been no decisions. The truth is that it doesn’t always depend on the player and at the moment I don’t know anything.

    “He (Wenger) is the boss, the one who makes the decisions. You should ask him. I was injured at the end of the season and I haven’t seen him for about six weeks.

    “I am very happy where I am. Anything else would be speculation that is untrue. You can never say never in this life as so many things happen that you can never predict.”

  24. @Shambo

    LOL.. It’s good to be on the dark side 🙂 I’m joking too.. One thing I don’t like doing, is pre judging a player. I Haven’t seen Gervinho play. And his reported price tag isn’t the highest (though it is higher than Nasri’s reported price tag, both of whom are in the last year of their contracts). Those things might be a pointer to their capabilities, but it is very often flawed as an argument, since it completely arbitrary. Seriously, if we had the internet craze, and the media frenzy 15 years earlier, we might have killed the careers of Vieira and Henry before they began. One an unknown, and one too expensive (10.5million in 1999!) as a Juventus flop. Both Arsenal legends.

    The only thing that concerns me about the Gervinho transfer (if it happens) is that he’ll be off for the ACN in January. As will Chamakh. That leaves us with only RVP unless we sign a centre forward too. Gervinho apparently plays down the wings more than up front.

    And please. No Gary Cahill. His only plus point is that he’s English. So he’ll get the benefit of some dodgy ref calls, and he’ll count as home grown. Still, paying 17 million (reportedly) for a 25 year old out of contract next year. No No No. My personal preference will be Jagielka, but that seems a non starter.

  25. Well, well, either the English papers are bored of the Giggs story or things are really going down at AFC. Although, they are known for their sensationalism. Is it naïve to get excited before the eggs have hatched?

  26. Hey Shambo…..
    Hey Shard……..
    Hey EDEN HAZARD…..
    Hey Andy……..
    Hey all…….

    Nasri is a comedian and is going no-where. Funny to see him indirectly tell the manager to spend and get new players.
    Fabregas is not trying to be a comedian. He seems to know he WILL be on the bench at Barca and he is also aware of being over-priced. He seems to be begging Wenger to NOT sell him, but Barca do not even have the cash for him. They are heavily linked up with Rossi and the Udine striker. Fabs costs more than each of them.
    We can manage Gervinho…atleast, he can RUN at defences and cause problems. We could also do with Odemwingie(CHEAP and uses both feet very well)…seems to be able to play everywhere for Nigeria. We NEED players like him. He is the typical Arsenal player. Wouldnt mind buying both and selling CHAMAKH. If we buy both, we win the league next year. I’ve seen both play lots of competitive international matches, they are technically sound…but seem to get tired soon. Replacing them second half should not be a problem or will it?
    Does Messi really RUN back and mark? REALLY? If so, who does the counter attacking? If he always keeps his mind on defending, how will he see dribbling opportunities? I have always rated Arshavin amongst by top 20 living footballers. ALL real fans are tired of complaining about playing Arshavin out-of-position.
    Did we see Kaka play against Barca in champs league? Do we not understand that the formation of the day is supposed to be used for picking the players? The formation of the day is ONLY suited to WHICH tactics/opponent you play. If you are an unfortunate manager and do not have players for your formation, then, you introduce something close which suits the players you have. Why cant we have a formation to FIT Arshavin in the centre? WHY? He is the most accurate striker we have. So why make him struggle to play? Why not make him comfortable so he can produce what we know he can do? I HATE it when guys talk about him like this. This is all Wengers fault. Only blind followers can be saying Wenger is always right in playing him on the left.

    It is ONLY Arsenal FC that buys a STRIKER who makes no effort to shoot the ball and still keeps him and yet rates him higher than more talented players because of EXPECTATIONS… “cough, choke…. liverpool Suarez… choke”. Where were we when the likes of Chicarito and Odemwingie were signed? We got a SLOW, NEVER shooting striker and LOWERED our expectations. NO TROPHIES is what u get.
    Is this now Arsenal? God damn it, this guy is an E. A non-threatening E. Chamakh will NEVER trouble any defense.
    If we are to compete on all fronts next season, we NEED another defender, midfielder and striker(in addition to Gervinho). Nasri can go help Fabs in midfield.
    Boss out.

  27. we do need aplayer who thinks and shoots like HENRY,fights on like VIERA and agreat goal keeper who doesn’t cost us points.

  28. Great ratings!!
    Arshavin’s rating – I couldn’t agree more.
    BUT..
    16th february 2011 , first leg against barcelona. the second goal scored by arshavin may just increase his ratings in my books!
    God! Not a day goes by when I don’t think of that amazing game!
    gunners all the way!

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