I follow the Arsenal and admire the style of football they play, but they where found out last season, most strikingly by the goals they conceded from set peices.
Without Vermailen they looked fragile and whilst Djourou is a good deffender and koshelni a very tidy one they are not dominant in the air. Even Vermailen who is of undoubted quality has been, dare i say it - bullied by the taller more physical strikers in the past (here Drogba stands out in my mind).
What arsenal need, is someone who is dominant in the area and for me that is Samba. Not only will he enhance arsenals ability to defend set peices (their achillies heel last season) but add a threat at the other end, reduce at a stroke the dependence upon Vermailen and allow other more tidy players around him to flourish rather than being pounded by long balls.
What I really cant understand though is the resistance towards sighning him on these boards and the bbc 606 before them!
Its not as though Samba ALONE is the answer, I reckon a goalscoring forward to suppliment the brilliant (but injury prone) Van Persie and a decent, pacey left winger would have the team looking a lot more likley... but i just cant understant the sceptiscism towards Samba who seems to be an obvious answer to an obvious problem!?!
Christopher Samba IS the answer!
posted on 17/6/11
I hope your right but I remain unsure. Someone of his style is obviously needed but is he world class? No.
posted on 17/6/11
Samba is the perfect player for arsenal, he has premier league experience first of all which is the most important thing. Knows how to defend from set-pieces and that will reflect onto our other players as well. Djourou is tall but is not really an aggressive player, Samba is just a powerful no-nonsense defender which will give us a great balance at the back.
posted on 17/6/11
Wenger has has made some very dodgy purcahses in the past on defenders I can only think that Samba will be an improvement on that and please get over this notion that every player has to be world class, solid and good at their job is good enough for me it can be the difference between winning things or not if you get the balance of the team right.
posted on 17/6/11
I can safely say you'd all be laughing if man u or chelsea bought Samba as a first choice CB.
Again, i'm not saying he wont be good, I hope he proves me wrong, but i am doubtful.
posted on 17/6/11
djourou djourou djourou; I think samba is quality - world class, well thats a matter of opinion!
The problem though isnt the World class opposition arsenal face, given as Arsene has mentioned, that they where the only team to beat both Barcelona and Man U (the Champions league finalists) last season.
Its the long ball merchants like Birmingham that cost Arsenal silverware last time around, and Samba offers a very effective solition to the long ball game, no?
posted on 17/6/11
fair point, if Wenger picks his partnerships well for each game I can see it working.
I guess I was just imagining Samba up against the big boys.
posted on 17/6/11
comment by djourou djourou djourou is on fire, we dont need no samba! (U6253)
posted 39 minutes ago
I hope your right but I remain unsure. Someone of his style is obviously needed but is he world class? No.
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That's the thing, he doesnt need to be world class. How often do we get bullied at set pieces in Europe? not so much, so his strengths are best served in our games against English opposition....(and now swansea)
posted on 17/6/11
comment by djourou djourou djourou is on fire, we dont need no samba! (U6253)
posted 6 hours, 4 minutes ago
I can safely say you'd all be laughing if man u or chelsea bought Samba as a first choice CB.
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That's just the problem you have though. He wouldn't get in their 1st choice partnership because they already have very good, dominant defenders. Arsenal don't. Therefore he would be a very good signing for Arsenal, not so for Utd or Chelsea.