Arsenal 2009/10 Season Review: The Players Part 2

This is day four of my season review and if things go to plan, I intend to finish it today. Yesterday I covered the goalkeepers and defensive players in the squad and today it's the turn of the midfielders and attackers.

The rating system is as follows.

3 - Very, very poor(not good enough to play for a Championship team even).

4 - Poor (capable of playing for Hull).

5 - Below average (not good enough for Arsenal but usable in a crisis).

6 - Average (a squad player who can play the odd game).

7 - Good (Good enough to be a first team regular without setting the world alight).

8 - Very Good (A star of the first team and always one of the first names on the team sheet).

9 - Outstanding (A crucial player to have fit in every single game).

10 - Magnificent (Cesc Fabregas).

Cesc Fabregas, 9.5

There is little to say about Arsenal's captain that hasn't been said already. His 15 league goals from 26 starts and one substitute appearance were a magnificent return coupled with 15 assists as well. It is obvious that he is the top midfielder in the English Premier League. Frank Lampard got seven goals and two assists more than Cesc but he played almost 50% more minutes.

Our season crashed and burned when he picked up his injury against Barcelona and it's impossible to overestimate his influence on the team. He always wants the ball and he nearly always knows what he will do with it before he gets it.

In the past the only complaint about him might have been that he didn't score enough goals but he vastly improved in that department this season. It's a joy to watch him play and I hope he stays an Arsenal player for years to come. 

Alex Song, 8

A couple of seasons ago I thought Song wasn't good enough to don an Arsenal shirt but I was wrong and Arsene Wenger was right. He came into his own this season and made the defensive midfield his.

His strength in the tackle, positioning, and reading of the game are excellent. He seems to automatically slip back to cover defenders when they go forward. He is young, and I expect even better things from him next season.

Samir Nasri, 7.5

After breaking his leg in pre-season Nasri missed a good deal of the season. When he came back he showed himself to be a very good young player with loads of talent and plenty of potential.

His goal against Porto was fantastic and he did an admirable job filling in for Cesc after Fabregas broke his leg. He showed that he can play well when used on either the right or left flank and like Cesc he's a player who always wants the ball, holds and shields it very well and knows how to make things happen.

I would like him to become more of scoring threat, but I'm sure he will over the next few seasons.

Tomas Rosicky, 6.5

His 2008 injury looks like it might finally be behind him and if he stays with Arsenal, it is my hope that we will see the real Rosicky next season. He performed well enough when called upon this season although it's not easy to imagine a team with him, Cesc, and Nasri in it as they can be very similar at times and it appeared like he had trouble fitting in.

He's a valuable player to have in the squad for his ability and experience.

Denilson, 6

Although he played well on occasions this season and scored a few very good and important goals I still would prefer not to see him in the team too often.

I can't understand why he suddenly stopped and fell over in the home game against Everton and I can only assume that our players are over protected and told to put their own good before the good of the team. What happened to making the ball safe before you go down injured unless it's truly horrific like the one suffered by Ramsey.

In my opinion he looked afraid to play at times and he played the safe pass far too often when we needed him to be able to step up and take responsibility.

Abou Diaby, 6.5

He's a player with a lot of ability and that's partly the reason why he can be so frustrating at times. He still suffers from niggling injuries that can be traced back to the severe leg break he suffered over four years ago and it would be great if he could overcome them once and for all.

I thought he turned the corner this season when he seemed to have stopped his twirling and getting caught in possession, but it came back all too often towards the end of the season. I think that he plays a lot better when Cesc is in the squad. He only played poorly this season when Cesc was out in the last few matches.

Interestingly he played more minutes this season than any other midfielder in the team and I'd like to see him score more than the six goals he managed.

Aaron Ramsey, 6.5

He is such a promising talent and I'm hoping the horrific injury he suffered against Stoke won't ruin his career. Up until then he looked like the most likely player to take Cesc's place whenever Cesc isn't playing.

All the news about his injury is good so far but it remains to be seen how he will cope when it comes to playing competitive football again, and when that will be. It's hard to give him a score without letting my heart rule my head but based on what he did this season I think we will see a lot more of him as long as he recovers.

There are a host of other midfielders at the club who have had a few appearances each this season and of them I would like to see a lot more of Eastmond, Lansbury, JET and of course Wilshere next season.

It's hard to mark all of them when they haven't really had enough game time to make an impression. Perhaps Eastmond could do with a loan elsewhere next season while the others stay with us and fight for their place in the team.

Robin Van Persie, 8.5

When the season started I wasn't sure he could play the lone striker role in our new formation but he proved me wrong. Up until his injury in November it looked like he was the best striker in the league.

When he eventually came back it was too late to save what was left of our season but he again showed what he can do and the Netherlands are very lucky to have him nicely rested before the World Cup.

I really hope he can make it through next season injury free but I have my doubts. We missed his set pieces and his ability to make things happen on his own for too long this season.

Nicklas Bendtner, 6.5

Another player whose season was interrupted by injury and when he came back he scored some very important goals to keep us in the hunt for the league. The problem is, he also missed a host of chances at times and his touch and build up play isn't at the same level as our other players but it doesn't stop him from trying.

I wish he would spend more time in the box when he is playing and I could never understand why the boss played him in a wide role, considering his strengths and limitations.

Andrei Arshavin, 7

When he joined us nearly a year and a half ago I was delighted. He was the main reason why we qualified for the Champions League last season.

He hasn't been anywhere near consistent enough this season and even though he has played out of position quite often I still expect more from him. While at times he has played really well and shown his quality by scoring a fair share of goals, he often looks lazy and disinterested. 

Eduardo, 6

The injury that he suffered over two years ago is still affecting him and the whole debacle of the Celtic game was compounded with it, his his confidence seemed to drain completely. Before his injury I expected him to score every time he got the ball in the box but he's a pale shadow of that player now.

He got his fair share of games this season but the goals didn't flow and the injuries kept coming. I fear for his future at the club. With Chamakh coming in his chances will be limited next season.

Theo Walcott, 6

Another player whose season was blighted by injury but it was of his own making in my opinion. When he played for the senior England team last summer he should have taken a holiday for the rest of the summer but he chose to play in an under 21 tournament instead and got injured in the process.

It meant he started late and he found it very hard playing catch up on the rest of the squad as the niggling injuries piled up for him. In the end we are no wiser when it comes to finding out whether he will make the step up or not but his feet still seem to move quicker than his brain and the ball at times.

Carlos Vela, 5

It must seem like a wasted season for Vela as he went from injury to injury with Arsenal but somehow always managed to play for his country.

Part of the problem with him is the distance he has to travel to play for Mexico which means he is never available on a Saturday after a Wednesday game and it affects his chances of playing badly. When he did play he did very little to showcase the talent that he has.

I can only hope that if he stays for next season that he can turn things around. I hate to give him a bad mark because I know how good he is but his season has been wasted in my opinion.

We also have players like Sunu, Barazite and Watt but between them they hardly played a game all season and as a result it's hard to judge them. They all have bags of potential but whether they will get to fulfill that potential at Arsenal or not is another question altogether.

That's it for today and for the review of the players too. Feel free to tell me where I've gone wrong if you like and I'll try to remedy it. I'll be back to reporting rumours and speculation tomorrow but it was nice to forget about the rubbish that appears in the media for a couple of days.

See you tomorrow.