Bleacher Report - Articles by Ismail Ayub

Arsenal's Formation Formula: 4-3-3 Or 4-2-3-1?

Ismail Ayub — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 12:54:00 -0400

Arsene Wenger has been the greatest manager in Arsenal’s long and illustrious history.

Recently, in contrast four trophyless campaigns have led to ‘le prof’ being criticised in ways not previously imagined. Another criticism is that of Arsene’s lack of spending following the departures of two first team players in Adebayor and Touré.

However Arsene believes that it is a change of formation, rather than a change of personnel that will improve the prospects of his young and ever improving squad. During the squads pre-season Arsene has been looking at a 4-3-3 formation.

In this formation, with a fully fit squad Wenger could choose a line up of:

Arshavin, Eduardo, RvP

Rosicky, Fabregas, Song

Clichy, Vermaelen, Gallas, Sagna

Almunia

With this formation the attack is enhanced greatly compared to last season, by having three forwards, who are supplemented in attack by two playmaking midfielders, who can unleash vicious long range strikes.

However in recent years it has been in defence where Arsenal have so often been unstuck, rather than attack. One criticism from last season is that Arsenal’s backline was all too often exposed by the lack of a dominating midfielder or centre back.

In this formation, the defence looks slightly over exposed. Song, while adequate, cannot offer the backline the same level of protection than that of the same players of Arsenal rivals. Can Song really match Essien, Mascherano or Yaya Touré in the midfield anchor role?

So what to do? While I, and many others would intimate that buying a new player would solve this problem, this path seems like one that Arsene is increasingly reluctant to go down. In contrast a change in formation to solve this problem would be a more likely route that Arsene Wenger would follow...enter the 4-2-3-1.

In this formation , with a fully fit squad Wenger could choose a line up of:

RvP

Nasri, Arshavin, Rosicky

Song, Fabregas

Clichy, Vermaelen, Gallas, Sagna

Almunia

With this team the attack is still strong, but in addition to this the defence are better protected as Song and Fabregas are working together.

Yes, Fabregas has to play in a deeper role, but Wenger has stated that this is actually Fabregas’ favoured role. Wenger has stated that he feels Fabregas has neither the pace nor trickery to play permanently ‘in the hole’ behind the striker.

With Fabregas’ switch to this slightly deeper position the defence are offered more protection and Fabregas is afforded more time and space on the ball to provide that killer pass.

Also with the switch to the deeper role, Arshavin can move to his favoured position of playing just behind the striker, thus meaning we’ll get the best out of one of Arsenal’s most exciting signings of the decade.

In addition to this with Nasri and Rosicky playing beside Andrei, the ability to interchange is astounding as all three players are comfortable playing out wide or in the hole. This will give Arsenal a degree of unpredictability and will help break down stubborn defences.

Finally with this formation the level of attacking depth is unparalleled. If any or all of front 4 get injured, then Walcott, Vela, Eduardo, Bendtner or Wilshere can come in for them. If the central midfield duo becomes injured then the ever improving Ramsey, Denilson, Diaby or experienced Rosicky can fill in admirably.

Why Joe Calzaghe Isn't As Great As People Say

Ismail Ayub — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 22:45:14 -0500

Joe Calzaghe deserves credit, no doubt, and no doubt in time he'll be a legend belonging to the Jimmy Wildes and the Ted "Kid" Lewises of yesteryear, but I have to disagree with your "rant" at the end. To be a great fighter, you have to beat great fighters when they're at or not too far from their best.

Otherwise, why isn't our own Terry Downes an all-time great with his win over a 44-year-old Sugar Ray Robinson, the greatest pound for pound fighter who ever lived?

The facts are these.

Calzaghe kept a useless belt in a dead division for far too long, and it was not until his win over Jeff Lacy did he have any marketable value beyond Britain. Calzaghe needed the recognition, so he should have been willing to go to them. Like Jones said, "Now that Joe's the man, I'm willing to come to Wales...but before, I was the man. You want some of my glory, you gotta come to me."

Calzaghe fought for the most part a string of nobodies: Pudwill, McIntyre, Starie, Thornbury, Salem, Jimenez, etc., etc., who in all honesty weren't in anyone's independent list as being a top 20 fighter in the division at the time. Most of the former world champs he fought had been beaten by rival champ Sven Ottke before he had faced them, and Chris Eubank was in the middle of a five-bout losing streak when he faced him.

The crux of everyone's argument seems to be Kessler and Lacy. You discuss reputation a lot, but there's a difference between hype and achievements of the fighters. I think Bernard Hopkins said it best when he said:

"Okay, he beat Jeff Lacy—give me a 'name' fighter he beat."

"Okay, he fought Kessler—give me a 'name' fighter he beat."

There aren't any. Kessler in particular fought similar flotsam to Calzaghe, with a well-worn Markus Beyer and Anthony Mundine as his only decent opponents—but name me decent fighters they beat, i.e. those who Joe Public would recognise?

At the end of the day, when Calzaghe fought Hopkins and Jones, their recent ring records coming into their fight with him were 2-2 and 3-3 respectively, and they had a combined age of nearly 85. Those are the only Hall of Fame fighters he faced, and both were obviously past their best.

Hopkins beat three HOF fighters and Jones beat five HOF fighters, including beating 20 current, future, or former world champs. Against his fellow peers, Calzaghe's ring legacy is nowhere near that of the last two fighters he fought.

If a 43-year-old Hopkins (I'm 23 and he's older than my mother) can put him down and push him to the brink of defeat, what do you think the Hopkins of a few years ago would have done?

If Roy Jones at nearly 40 can put him down and outspeed Calzaghe for the first four rounds, what do you think would have happened when Jones was the best P4P fighter in the world consecutively between 1994 to 2004? Everyone knows that Jones wasn't the same fighter anymore when he came back down from heavyweight. Joe knew it—he even wrote it in his autobiography.

People also say Jones and Calzaghe are close in age with only a three-year difference. But precious few fighters are successful past the age of 36. Take the following facts.

Roy Jones at 36 did not have any real defeat on his record, just a disqualification loss he reversed with a first round KO, which meant basically the man went 50-0. At 39 he's 52-5.

Muhammad Ali at 36 was 55-2. He retired at 39 with a 56-5 mark.

Lennox Lewis at 36 looked great thrashing an over the hill Mike Tyson, but at nearly 38 he was awful against Vitali Klitschko (and was losing).

Larry Holmes was 48-0 at 36, but at 38 he was 48-3.

Don't get me wrong—I give Calzaghe credit. I could name a ton of fighters who were beaten by last minute nobodies, but I think Calzaghe is great simply because of his longevity, that is all. But long undefeated records are common amongst stay at home European fighters.

Take Sven Ottke (34-0, 21 defences), Dariusz Michalewski (48-0, 23 defences), and our own Chris Eubank, who went 47 bouts unbeaten with 19 successful defences to his credit.

Arsenal Transfers: What Can Arsene Wenger Do with £50 Million?

Ismail Ayub — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 04:25:56 -0500

In the Summer before the 2007-2008 season Arsenal were being written off. Tottenham had spent £16.5 million on Darren Bent and millions on loads of other players to secure a Top Four spot, while a wounded Arsenal sold Henry and Ljunberg.

But Arsene Wenger spent £16 million on three highly impressive players in that transfer window: Bacary Sagna (£6 million), Eduardo Da Silva (£8 million), and Lassana Diarra (£2 million).

Bacary Sagna became the PFA Right Back of the year, Eduardo had made six goals and six assists in the Calender Year 2008 before being injured in February. Lassana Diarra was a quality player for us when called into the First Team, but couldn't hold down a spot due to Flamini's Form when he was fit (now he's been sold to Real Madrid for around 20 million euros).

If Arsene Wenger can use £16 million to get those three players, imagine what he can get for up to £50 million, which is what is being mooted as his transfer kitty for January.

I don't want to see Arsene Spend £30 million on one player. I'd rather he used £40 million pounds to get five players whose quality can match or even beat the three described above.

With £40 million I'd love Wenger to get a solid Centre Back (Brede Hangeland anyone?), a pacy full back (preferably left-footed; Nadir Belhadj?), a strong Holding Midfielder (Alonso, Inler, or Veloso?), a pacy Attacking Winger (Jesus Navas, Guardodo, Krancjar?), and then another one of those amazing youngsters he seems to pluck out of thin air.

For if he can get three quality players for £16 million pounds, he should EASILY be able to purchase five quality players for £40 million.

Here's hoping...

A Look at Manchester City's Squad—The Good, The Bad, and The New?

Ismail Ayub — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 23:39:11 -0400

Goalkeeper:

1 Joe Hart
16 Kasper Schmeichel

Defender:

Midfielder:

Striker:

Isn't that a lovely squad then.

I've been hearing that the arrival of Robinho will leave a winger being benched. I hear that Robinho's arrival will end up with SWP being back on the bench like he was in his Chelsea days, or Martin Petrov/Stephen Ireland being benched, so Robinho can go on the left.

However, I don't think this will happen—I think Robinho will be used through the middle and will play off of his countryman Jo, and in front of Elano, another of his countrymen.

It is known that Robinho has played through the middle before, and prefers being there then on the wings. This leaves the wings open to SWP and Petrov. The midfield will be competed by Johnson, him being in the holding role.

So now we know that City's midfield and attack are fine, but here's where my worries are. City have purchased a new left back in Zabaleta, thus sorting out that position. But they have foolishly sold Corluka, who I think is one of the best right backs in our league.

They have no replacement for him, the only thing I can see happening is Onuoha playing there, with Zabaleta at left back and Dunne and Richards in the centre. I do not believe that Richards will be returned to Right Back again. However I don't think that Onuoha is anywhere near as good a right back as Vedran Corluka.

Maybe Kompany will play there—can he? Anyway I believe this will be City's weak spot this season—not defensively, but in attacking. Corluka's run's down the right side often helped City get goals. I remember one, where he crossed for Gelson Fernandes to score against Arsenal.

Anyway my City XI are:

GK: Joe Hart

RB: Nedum Onuoha

CB's: Dunne & Richards

LB: Zableta

RM: Shaun-Wright Phillips

Centre Mids: Elano(Attacking), Johnson(Defensive)

LM: Petrov

ST: Robinho

CF: Jo

Whoah! I seriously hope City's owners don't ruin an up-and-coming team like this, which need to develop and grow together to win titles, with their talk of wanting "a minimum 18 players."

The only area I'd want sorted in this first XI is right back, as I see Onuoha as more of a centre back—but even that area may not need sorting, look at Wes Brown for United.

What's your Manchester City XI?

What are your thoughts on their squad and all the hype surrounding them in general?

Top 10 EPL Summer Transfers

Ismail Ayub — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 22:24:24 -0400

10. Geovanni

In Geovanni, Hull have an experienced player with pace and goals in him. A former Barcelona, Benfica, and Manchester City player (scoring the winner in the Manchester derby), he knows what it is to feel pressure, which is what it's going to feel like being at relegation candidate Hull. And at free I can't NOT put him in this list well can I?

9. Vincent Kompany

At around 8 million pounds, you have to think that City have gotten themselves a bargain. He can play in defense and in front of the back four, in the holding midfield role. He's young and experienced—he's played in the UEFA Dup before, which is an added bonus for City.

8. Johan Elmander

This one may be a little controversial, as he had a bad Euro 2008. However in the 06/07 season, this man's goals fired Toulouse into the Champions League spots (only for them to fail at the Qualifiers to Liverpool.) If this form is carried over to Bolton when he's back from injury, he should make sure Bolton aren't stuck in the relegation dogfight.

7. Mikael Silvestre

A cheap, experienced, versatile, and French defender. A great signing by Arsene Wenger. If he can regain his fitness and form then he will become a great addition to the thin Arsenal squad. He would be a great back-up defender. I for one would be more happy with him in the back four than Senderos—especially in the big games.

6. Amr Zaki

Three Premier League goals, none tap-ins. This guy is fast, strong and intelligent. His pass to set Valencia off for his goal against Hull showed great vision, and then he added two great goals of his own. He may not set the world alight, but he has goals in him and could propel Wigan to a 11th/12th place finish.

5. Vedran Corluka

What can I say except...why did City have to sell him to Spurs?! He is a great attacking right back who's fast, can recover well and can set up goals. At £11.8 million, he's not the cheapest defender I've seen, but he's proven in the Premier League and will give Zokora the chance to move back into midfield. A very good signing by Spurs...a foolish sale by City.

4. Shaun Wright Phillips

Finally Shaun has moved away from Chelsea, and back to somewhere we he'll get playing time. I know he won't be scoring like he did against Sunderland everyday, but he's a confidence player and SWP's confidence is now very high—meaning he'll be showing good performances for City. I just hope Robinho doesn't take his spot in the side (or Petrov's at that—I hope they play 4-4-1-1, Robinho playing off Jo.) I see good times ahead for SWP and certainly a spot in the England squad.

3. Jonas Gutierrez

A great signing. Newcastle have bought a fast winger, who works hard and can defend well. Against Manchester United he showed great attacking and defensive attributes. Hopefully he'll score a couple of goals soon, because I want to see his Spiderman goal celebration! Finally at a mere £2 million pounds, I think Newcastle have got themselves a ruddy bargain. Great business by them.

2. Deco

At first I thought he'd be a big flop, and would not be needed at Chelsea. However, looking at him this season, he seems to fit in well with the new style of football that Scolari is creating. I like how he plays on the right and then roams from there, and with him, Ballack, Essien, Joe Cole, and Lampard in one midfield EPL defences will be in big trouble. He's already scored two spectacular goals, and created a few as well.

I'm also surprised at how well he's been able to handle the physical aspect of the Premier League. He's been a bit too enthusiastic so far, especially with that horror tackle on Diarra. But getting goals, creativity, experience, and flair all for just 8 million pounds means he has to get on this list.

1. Samir Nasri

Now here's a 21-years-old who's scored at the international level. He has been a first-team player for a few years now and a pacy dribbler who can play in a number of positions. But I'm forgetting his best attribute, and one that makes him superior to Alex Hleb...he has the confidence to shoot. Potentially, Nasri could be a player who could score at a similar rate to Tomas Rosicky, and this would prove invaluable to Arsenal. So far he's scored two goals for Arsenal, both of which have been spectacular in terms of his passing, movement and dribbling.

He has also shown the confidence to shoot from outside of the box and shoot from free kicks. Finally I'm glad he has a defensive edge to his game—I've noticed him covering for Clichy at times, and he always gives as good as he gets (just ask Joey Barton). An unbelievable talent who will undoubtedly become great under Wenger's tutelage.

Other Honourable Mentions: Dimitar Berbatov, Geovanni Dos Santos, Peter Crouch, Andy Johnson and James Milner.

What are your opinions?

P.S. Here's a link to my original list, you can have a good laugh at Robbie Keane being in there!

Jeremy Toulalan: Could He Be Arsene Wenger's Mystery Signing

Ismail Ayub — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 09:30:52 -0400

Jeremy Toulalan. A young midfielder, once a more attacking player, but he has taken over the mantle of being Lyon's first choice holding midfielder. He is a young, experienced international.

He has tasted first team football for many years, and has been involved in Champions League Football and in France's European Championships earlier this Summer.

Playing at the top level for both Lyon and France, Toulalan understands the nature of being in tough situations and has had to deal with pressure from all areas.

He is a holding midfielder, who does the job and more. He can defend, but he can make effective forays forward.

Young, experienced and gifted...

Surely he fits the bill for Arsenal? What do you think?

Could Emmanuel Eboue or Kolo Toure Solve One of Wenger's Biggest Problems?

Ismail Ayub — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 12:21:45 -0400

July 30, 2008. A day many Arsenal fans would remember.

This was the day Arsenal visited Jens Lehmann's new club and came out with a resounding 3-1 victory, after the attacking trio of Wilshire, Bendtner and Vela ran away with the goals.

They may also remember Emmanuel Eboue playing in the holding midfield role and doing a mighty fine job of it.

He broke up Stuttgart's play well. He made blocks, interceptions, tough tackles and had a tireless work ethic.

He fought hard for every ball and started off some forward moves.

Maybe Eboue could make this defensive midfield position his own.

He seems more useful here then being shunted out on the right wing.

Also, if Eboue were to be successful in this position, this would free up the right wing slot for Nasri/Walcott to take up.

Could Eboue be the answer to Arsenal's defensive midfield woes?

Well there could be another defender to plug this problem position.

Kolo Toure.

In his younger days, he himself was a midfielder, but Wenger converted him into a defender.

Might it be his time, to take the position his brother has made a success of, as his own.

If this was to happen, it could potentially improve another problem area of Arsenals.

With Toure playing as a holding-mid, Wenger would have an excuse to buy a new center back- a tall, dominant, experienced and organized center back who could solve Arsenal's weaknesses to long balls.

This would add more solidarity to defense and could improve the consistency of William Gallas.

Could Toure be the answer to Arsenal's defensive midfield woes?

Then again buying someone like Gokham Inler, Xabi Alonso or Yaya Toure, or using Diaby, Denilson could do the job too, without having to get used to being in that role like Eboue and Toure would.

All I know is that, “Arsene knows.”

Premier League: Top 5 Transfers So Far

Ismail Ayub — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 10:09:27 -0400

5. Deco

At first I thought he'd be a big flop, and would be unneeded at Chelsea. However, looking at him in preseason, he seems to fit in well with the new style of football that Scolari is creating. I don't know how him, Ballack, Essien, and Lampard will all fit in one midfield but that's not my problem. It also remains to be seen if he'll be able to handle the physical aspect of the Premier League, but for 8 million quid he JUST gets into this list.

4. Luka Modric

A quality young player, as evidenced by his performances for Croatia in Euro '08. He seems strong for a small player. I for one didn't see him getting bullied by any players. He was also the key to running the Croatian midfield. I hear rumors of him being Tottenham's Fabregas, and whether he lives up to this or not. I don't know (I certainly hope not), but he has talent. If his price tag wasn't so high (around $15 million) he would be higher up on this list.

3. Robbie Keane

A player, who, when I first heard of Manchester United's interest in Berbatov in the last transfer window, I wondered why no one was interested in him. He's consistently scored bags of goals in the UEFA cup and the Premier League. He was also a good creator of goals and formed a deadly partnership with Berbatov.

2. Marvin Emnes

Emnes was plucked from Sparta Rotterdam by Gareth Southgate for a meager sum (around $3.7 million). Looking at him in preseason he looks like a quality winger. And one who can definitely match Stuart Downing for pace, flair, and skill. Eight goals in his last 10 games for Sparta Rotterdam shows he also has goal-scoring prowess. Watch out Downing, it looks like Boro has another star winger to steal the limelight.

1. Samir Nasri

Potentially he could be a player who could score at a similar rate to Tomas Rosicky, and this would prove invaluable to Arsenal. His confidence to shoot might give Arsenal points, especially when the goals dry up and no one can walk it into the back of the net. A good deal by Arsene Wenger.

So what do you think have been the best summer transfers so far? Give me your thoughts and opinions...

P.S. I will do an updated version of this at the close of the TRANSFER WINDOW...

10.3 Million Pounds= Van Der Vaart To Real Madrid... Bloody Bargain!

Ismail Ayub — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 06:58:21 -0400

Whilst reading another article on how Darren Fletcher was a bargain for 3 million pounds(which I agree with), I thought about how much of a bargain Van Der Vaart was at only 10 million pounds from Hamburg. He's a left footed midfielder, he scores goals, creates goals and would definitely link up well with the four other Dutch members in Real Madrid's squad.

He's young (only 25), experienced, and a proven performer at an International level. He oozes quality, and for only 10 million Pounds. It makes you think that in today's times of inflated transfer fees, how such a bargain has been over-looked by many?

One thing this transfer has done, is put other transfers into perspective. I really think a lot of Gareth Barry, and feel he is a better player than Van Der Vaart, but seeing as VDV has been bought so cheap, it just makes you think.

So what do you think? Was Van Der Vaart a bargain whom many missed out on?

What player valuations, does this put to shame? Arsenal's of Senderos, Liverpool's of Alonso?

Gareth Barry: An Underrated Gem

Ismail Ayub — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 01:31:12 -0400

Gareth Barry's transfer to Liverpool is one being greeted with large amounts of animosity. Liverpool fans don't think he's Liverpool quality and that Xabi Alonso is a superior player. They also say Liverpool already have a strong central midfield.

I always hear of how great "Stevie G" is and I agree, he's a damn good player, but I put this to you: Gareth Barry scored two less goals and made two less assists then Steven Gerrard in the Premier League last year. So, how is he not up-to Liverpool standard?

Imagine the number of assists Barry would have had, had he played in Liverpool last year with Torres getting on the end of his crosses. Also Stevie G, is one year older then Barry and maybe with an extra year of playing under his belt, Barry would be even better.

Another thing that makes Barry a worthy addition to this squad, is that he's a natural left-footer, and so would give Liverpool's midfield some balance. Also his versatility is amazing, he can play at Left-Back, Left-Midfield, Defensive-Midfield and Central Midfield.

Then we come to Barry's England performance. He hasn't received three man-of-the-match awards for nothing. He has been a consistent performer, and again, gives Liverpool's midfield a natural left-footer.

One match that comes to mind is England vs Russia at Wembley. I remember seeing Steven Gerrard taking a free-kick and a corner, and nothing came of them. Then I remember Barry's free-kick and the resulting goal for England. Then Barry, took the next corner, displacing Gerrard who was standing over the ball. What happens next? You guessed it... another goal for England.

Barry's left-foot is amazing with dead balls, and he can put in-swinging balls in from the right side of the pitch, thus causing troubles for keepers and defenders alike (as you've seen with my example above.)

Another arguement I hear is that Barry is older than Xabi Alonso, but the difference is only a year. Steven Gerrard is 28, and I don't hear anyone harking on about his age.

Gareth Barry is a quality player with years of Premier League Experience under his belt(which is another thing which would make him a great signing). I don't think he deserves some of the things said about him by upset Liverpool fans.

What do you think?

Adebayor Is Arrogant!

Ismail Ayub — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 00:46:31 -0400

At the beginning of the transfer window one of the big sagas was Emmanuel Adebayor being transferred to either AC Milan or Barcelona. Now I love Ade as a player, and have put the whole thing behind me.

But then, whilst perusing the Internet I came by an old article with Adebayor asking to be sold, and whilst reading I saw this: ' If Arsenal sell me, they are going to get £40 million, maybe £47 million.'

When reading that, I realised how big Adebayor's head had gotten, after one great season. Thinking that he's worth up to 47 million, for one great season, shows how inflated his ego has become and how highly arrogant he is.

I know that it's all water under the bridge, and I forgive Ade, as long as he keeps up his form, but that quote just made me realised how big-headed he had become.

What do you think about this quote?

Real Madrid Turn Their Gaze To Cesc Fabregas

Ismail Ayub — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 12:15:03 -0400

Real Madrid seem to have given up their dogged pursuit of Ronaldo, but now Sauron's, sorry I mean Calderon's, eye has turned to Arsenal and Cesc Fabregas. First let me make it clear I don't want Arsenal to give him up, but if we did, let's discuss what transfer fee our most celebrated and creative player would have.

Naturally Fabregas would have an astounding transfer fee, after all Fabregas is only 21, and has a footballing brain similar to that of Zidane. And a 29 year old Zidane was 46 million, and gave Madrid four good years, meaning Fabregas could give them at least 12 decent years, unlike Ronaldo or Kaka, whose attributes (speed, power, pace) would fade away with age.

So how much would I suggest Arsenal sell him for. 90-100 million pounds, he's worth at least double Zidane was. He's a Euro 2008 winner, a Champions League finalist and an FA Cup winner at only 21.

If Arsenal was to sell him and get a transfer fee, in excess of 90 million pounds, Arsenal wouldn't have to sell off any other big players for at least five more years.

So your thoughts?

How much do you think Cesc is worth?

Tomas Rosicky: An Essential Part of The Arsenal Machine

Ismail Ayub — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 07:59:46 -0400

One complaint, I often hear about Tomas Rosicky and Alex Hleb, is that neither has scored double figures, in one season for Arsenal. I also hear in some corners how Hleb was so important to Arsenal last season, however I hardly hear people talking about Rosicky's contribution.

Of the two, he was closer to getting into double figures for league goals. Seven goals in 15 League Starts, which means he was scoring a goal every other game, whereas Hleb scored a paltry two goals, even though he had around double Rosicky's number of starts.

Had Rosicky not been injured at the start of the season and January 16th to the end of the season, imagine how high his goal tally would have been for the season. Definitely into the double figures, as I'm sure you'd agree, so I think the argument that Arsenal are missing a midfielder who can score like Pires/Ljunberg could, is a little off-base, (but could be used against Alex Hleb).

Had he not been injured in January, and stayed fit for the rest of the season, as it hit crunch time, maybe Arsenal would have got some major honours. After all he was a master of shooting from outside of the box, and could have chipped in with some valuable goals when Arsenal couldn't walk it into the net.

Hopefully, with the new titanium plates in Rosicky's troublesome knee, he can stay fit and help Arsenal challenge for major honours next season.

Anyone else out their agree with me?

Do you believe Rosicky is a highly important part of the Arsenal machine?

Had he not been injured do you think Arsenal would have won something?

Any comments will be appreciated...