Why Arsenal's Johan Djourou Will Be an Able Replacement for William Gallas

Arsenal have been through a lot this season. In fact, it has felt almost longer than a season for so many fans because we've seen different Arsenal teams throughout different periods.

Perhaps the lowest of lows for Arsenal this season was when William Gallas as captain said some things he shouldn't have and it was a time when the team was simply not confident. 

Gallas was still part of a defense, which was shaky enough with the then much maligned centre-back. With crucial games such as the one against Liverpool and Chelsea to come, Arsene Wenger dropped Kolo Toure from the side. Up stepped Johan Djourou into the centre-back position and he looked as assured as an experienced defender at the age of 22.

The result? Arsenal regained a considerable amount of the lost confidence due to the ever improving midfield, and Johan Djourou gave some reliable performances which kept one of the most experienced defenders out of the side for a while. 

Djourou did make some mistakes during the Liverpool and the Chelsea games in particular, but it was his willingness to go into every challenge forcefully and make his aerial power felt that must have made Arsene Wenger pick him against the aerially weaker Kolo Toure—who was never having the best of seasons in any case.

At the time, Wenger hailed the improvement that he had seen in the youngster, saying:

"Johan Djourou is not comparable to the player he was six months ago," Wenger told the club's official website.

"He has gained in personality, in determination and in quality. I spoke with the Swiss national team coach last week and I was telling him how good he is.

"He is pushing all the other players."

He also gave an indication of why he preferred him, rather than Toure at the back with Gallas at the time:

"At the back you want players who are strong in the duels and strong in the air. 

"Johan's size is a big advantage. He is among the top quality."

Djourou does have all the qualities to be a top-class centre-back. He has the height (192 cm), which he uses to good effect. In addition to that, he is very good technically owing to the fact that he was used in the central midfield position at Birmingham City last season. 

Now that William Gallas is injured, Arsene Wenger will yet again turn to the 22 year-old Swiss international. Both Lukasz Fabianski and Djourou looked steady in the Champions League game against Villareal. So when the press, yet again talk about "three of the preferred five of the Arsenal defence missing," it somehow doesn't scare me as it would have had it been November.

Interestingly, out of the 25 games that Djourou has played for Arsenal this season, they have lost only two.

Johan Djourou, like Alexandre Song and Denilson, has improved on leaps and bounds this season. In addition to his height and impressive technical ability, he is brave enough to make a few powerful runs from the back and with good effect.

He almost fed Emmanuel Adebayor with a glorious pass after a strong run in the game against Villareal, only for Adebayor to make a wrong decision and waste a potential one-on-one chance with Diego Lopez. 

It is testament to Arsene Wenger's faith in Djourou that he's been able to improve so much. So, when players like Lassana Diarra come out and say the things they say about him, it only beggars belief. 

The fact is that Diarra never really fancied it at Arsenal and decided from day one that he was going to be unhappy. Wenger made double his transfer money in six months and while Arsenal have lacked the bite in midfield, it was more to do with Mathieu Flamini's departure than Diarra's.

If only Diarra had stayed at Arsenal a little while longer, could he have understood the value of being a bit patient. 

Johan Djourou will certainly testify to the fact that being patient will make one reap rewards under Arsene Wenger at Arsenal. The fans, too, can be rest assured that in the absence of William Gallas, Djourou will be as reliable as the ex-Arsenal captain.