MIDFIELD

ABOU DIABY

This guy is a good player. I like his size and for that size he has surprising technical ability. Good dribbler and can score goals. Defensively he can be better, but my major concern with him is injuries and his temper. He gets injured all the time, sometimes is bad luck and bad tackles against him but whatever it is, we need him healthier. As far as temper, the painful memory of the Newcastle game is still in my head. It was a really bad tackle from Barton (who I hate with passion) but Diaby put the team in a bad situation which ultimately cost us dearly. He has done that in other games too, getting silly yellow cards.  

TOMAS ROSICKY

I really used to like Rosicky from his days at Borrusia Dortmund. I think he was a great player but unfortunately with us he has been just good. Injuries kept him off the field for a long time and even this year he hasn’t been able to play for long periods of time. He is getting older and I doubt he can ever get back to the way he used to play. I would still keep him for a secondary role and for his experience.

DENILSON

Denilson to me is a misunderstanding just like Almunia is. I have no clue what Wenger sees in him and why for so long he was trying to establish him in the first team. The guy is just average. Doesn’t do anything particularly well. I don’t think I have ever watched an Arsenal game and said to myself: “this guy had a good game”. Some guys are not flashy or big scorers but you see them on the field, you can feel they make an impact on the game. From this guy I rarely see anything. The sooner we sell him, the better.

ALEX SONG

I love Alex Song. This guy can play pretty much anywhere on the field. Great attitude and hunger to do well. Never shies away from a challenge. Does a lot of dirty work in the defensive side of the game but is also keen to go forward. Good technically, and can score goals. Whatever we do, we have to keep this guy for many years.

ANDREY ARSHAVIN

After his first year at the club everyone was raving about him and rightly so. But I am going to talk about this year. To me, he was the second most disappointing performer after Squillaci. I caught myself screaming at the TV in full rage numerous times this season and more than half of them were because of him. Does he have talent? No question about that. Does he have heart? Questionable. I understand players go in slumps, but with him it was more his attitude than anything else. He did score some important goals but overall this year he has made so many mistakes. And after he makes a mistake or losses the ball he is just watching. Defensively he would go back and then look at the player with the ball from 7 feet away and just stand there. No pressure, nothing. Compare his attitude with Jack Wilshere’s and tell me which one shows more desire to play this game? He was supposed to be one of our leaders this year; instead he was walking around the pitch for most of it.

CESC FABREGAS

Oh, Cesc. My opinion about him differs from a lot of other Arsenal fans. I think he is a brilliant player. On his day he is unstoppable. He sees opening and angles which very few other players would see. Some of his passes are absolute genius. When he is on, he helps Arsenal play great football.

My first big problem with him is when he has an off day. I have seen so many games when his touch is a little off or we are playing a team which is defending with 10 guys in the back. And that’s when Cesc starts pushing and trying too hard to make passes and combinations that are way too complicated. I don’t think he has the word “Simple” in his vocabulary. At times he just needs to keep things simple and not come up with the brilliant pass every time. Especially, when things are not working. Instead he keeps trying the brilliant pass and we keep wasting time and possessions without creating any chances.

And my second problem with him is his leadership qualities. Besides his constant flirting with Barca, this year he has said a few times that all the pressure is on him and Van Persie and that he wishes someone could share that burden. To me, things are as simple as this: If you are a captain of a team, you have to deal with the pressure. You have to embrace the pressure and perform despite it. You have to use it as a fuel. If you feel it’s too much for you to handle, say so and let someone else be the captain. If you want to win trophies - do something about it and make it happen, instead of complaining that we haven’t won in so long. Bottom line: If you want to play for this club and be the captain, do it without whining and complaining that it’s too much stress. If you don’t want to deal with all this, go to Barca and play there.

SAMIR NASRI

The first part of this year, the guy was unstoppable. Unreal technical abilities; good passer; moves well; feisty and determined. The second half of the season, I don’t know was it because he got moved to the left side of the midfield or because his form just dropped, he faded away like the rest of the team. I think this guy is a winner and we need to make sure we keep him. Figure out if he prefers to play in the middle and if you have to, play him there more but he is a player who has big impact on our midfield.

AARON RAMSEY

I really like Ramsey. He didn’t play enough this year to grade his performance but he can be the player who substitutes Cesc, if Cesc decides to leave. I don’t think Ramsey is as flashy as Cesc but he is a very good passer of the ball and also a player who can score goals. I am just glad he is back on the field after all he has been through.

JACK WILSHERE

I don’t need to say much about his performance this year. It speaks for itself. I love his confidence no matter who he is playing against. Great control over the ball even though I have never seen him use his right foot lol. Physically strong, covers a lot of ground. He needs to start shooting/scoring more but that will come with time. He just needs to control his temper a bit more but he is the type of player that we need more of: confident, physical, tremendous desire, fighter. He is a good example of why I believe Arsene needs to make sure he has a core of English players. They bring a certain attitude and toughness with them.

EMMANUEL EBOUE

I like a lot of things about Eboue. He is very, very athletic and can cover a lot of ground. Average shooter, but his athleticism helps him create space and chances for others. I think as a secondary player he is very good quality. The thing I don’t like about him and we have all seen it is that he struggles under pressure. A lot of the times when the pressure is on him he makes poor decisions. Most recent example is the penalty vs Liverpool. No matter how controversial the decision was, he should have been nowhere near Lucas as the guy was going nowhere but I think in big moments his nerves get the best of him. I would still keep him as a back up to Sagna, I think he would easily start in many other clubs.