It was all deja vu again for all Arsenal fans worldwide on Sunday in a match which witnessed Ramsey return to the Britannia after a horrific leg break. Ramsey is amongst many other Arsenal players who have a lot of potential but still have to prove themselves. I’m sure they will but the timings may vary from player to player. Wilshere does it in no time, Denilson takes him whole life. So is it true to suggest that the current Arsenal team only has potential, not pedigree.
Let’s just rewind back to the 2003-04 season. Yes the Invincibles era. Every player playing to his full potential and having proven themselves to the footballing world. The likes of Seaman, Campbell, Toure,Viera,Pires and of course Thierry Henry had it in them to grind out results from the jaws of defeat and were the real title material. All of them have left Arsenal either for greener pastures or for money. Some have succeed, some have not. They have been replaced by young, cheap talent from across the globe. The question is, are they any better than the Invincibles?
Goalkeeper
Invincibles:Lehmann
Current:Szczesny
The young Pole has bags of talent and confidence to boast and is surely destined to be the solution to Arsenal’s goalkeeping conundrum. Lehmann on the other hand was another exceptional keeper with loads of experience.Based on his experience, Lehmann gets the vote here. But I expect to be proven wrong in the next 2-3 years.Not now though.
Defenders
Invincibles: Lauren Campbell Toure Cole
Current: Sagna Koscielny Vermaelan Clichy
The Invincibles had a defence which was solid as a rock and which conceded the least number of goals during the 2003-04 season. The current defence is hugely criticized for its lack of leadership and defending at set-pieces. The only present Arsenal player that I’d chose is Sagna over Lauren. Sagna is Arsenal’s unsung hero and would just edge Lauren.
Midfielders
Invincibles: Ljungberg Gilberto Viera Pires
Current: Wilshere Song Fabregas Nasri(Let’s just take him for simplicity)
Both of them are class. Viera’s fight and determination, Pires’ passing and close-control, Fabregas’ vision and one-touch passing and Nasri’s direct approach and ball control are all world-class. The Invincibles had the best midfield at that time, we have ours at present. I’ll chose Wilshere for Gilberto and Fabregas for Ljungberg(not a straight swap though!).
Strikers
Invincibles: Henry Bergamp
Current: van Persie Walcott
Henry and Bergamp had in them one of the world’s best striker partnership. Bergamp with his needle-like pass to Henry who obliged more often than not. Henry was the leading scorer during the campaign and was one major factor in the Invincibles’ achievements. Van Persie is obviously a very gifted player with one hell of a left foot. When he plays, there aren’t many better. But he’ll most likely spend more time on the sidelines than on the pitch. Walcott terrorizes defences with his blistering pace but he’s still not the finished product. His crossing is often frustrating but his finishing has been tremendous this season. Both Henry and Bergamp get the nod here.
So here’s how the combined team looks like:
Lehmann
Sagna Toure Campbell Cole
Viera Wilshere
Fabregas Pires
Henry Bergamp
Formation: 4-2-2-2
Manager- Arsene Wenger
So only 3 out of 11 could make it to the Invincibles team. The defence will only strengthen next year and don’t be surprised if it even becomes better. I’m expecting a lot of disagreement on this one but bring it on.
(Picture courtesy of Chabbz, a regular here)
Vote for your team and also tell why in the comments section.
Shubham
Interesting to combine the squads but more or less the Invincables were stronger top to bottom
4-2-2-2?? Now there’s a formation I’ve never heard of!
Much as I continue to see potential in the current squad, the only player who right now (if he weren’t injured!) I would say beats an Invincible is Thomas Vermaelan. The only problem with that is both he and Campbell prefer playing as the left CB – but Toure was the weaker defender and I’d therefore have Campbell or Vermaelan play on the right.
In the near future, Szczesny, Wilshere and Ramsey will reach Invincibles levels.
4-2-2-2 is almost the same as 4-4-2. I mean formations are just a way to accommodate your best players.
Even I thought of Vermaelan but no one knows how he’ll come back from his injury-layoff.
I voted the Invincibles as the better team.
I think talent wise both teams are more or less the same. I would see no difference in the current team mentioned on that picture and the Invincibles if I judged just from the Manchester match. We were amazing. The difference lies ont he fact where Invincibles carried that performance out week in week out. The current squad fails to carry it out week in week out.
Campbell was the best defender. I will choose verminator over him any day any time. Why? Varmalen has a do or die mentality. He will come back to his best or even more. I saw the reserves game against Man UTD where we drew 0-0. He was the captain of the reserves team. Boy he still have it. He can be out for a long long time yet he will be back on his full game. I was never impressed about sagna till much later. I think he is better than Lauren. Even Clichy I never apriciated him till the stoke game we really missed him in the defence. Gibbs need to improove a lot. His speed can be compared to Ashley cole but the defending not so much. So cluchy is a good player, However Clichy for me is not a Invincible. So we need to replace someone who is Ashley cole like.
Midfield, Nasri would be much better than Pires one day. He almost is. What he lacks is Stamina. When he is tired he often take wrong decisions. Gets a bit nervy. Talen and ability is already much better than Pires. Song can never be Gilberto Silva. Don’t get me wrong Song is good, Yet I do not see him an an invincible. I would rather have Sakho instead. Wilshere can be Ljunberg no doubt. He needs to up his game a bit more, and Fabregas is already good as Viera. Although I see him leaving us. So we need a good captain like play maker. with some leadership in the middle. Fabregas will one ay captain Arsenal. So we need to make him a captain. That would mean for the time being getting an old playmaker with experience so Wilshere will blossom to have those qualitites, if Fabregas leaves.
I would choose Van persie any day for Bergkamp only because he is massively talented. Ability wise I see no difference between them. Wallcott can be Henry and way way better than Henry, if he can handle the ball, go one to one and take players on more often and improove his passing game. That’s a lot though. Yet i Say he is not far. No one can say he has not improoved his crossing, because this season he has massively improoved his crossing. it’s not his fault that our players are not in the bloody box.
As you can see we are not far out from the invincibles. Minore changes a bit of formation change perhaps and more experience players for the underperforming players would give us back our Invincibles of a new era. However not quite, The major thing we lack from the Invincibles is the mentality. We did not let anyone call us kids “EVRA DID”. We would not let anyone criticise us. Wel they still did because our manager is French, and we are the most successfull club in england in terms of financial capabilities and stability. So english media would obviously get jelous, since It’s a frenchman’s doing. Yet they never got to criticise the Invincibles. Why? They really showed how good we are. The current team show it once it a blue moon. We need to defenetely improove our mentality. The way you attack with pase. All these things should be felt.
Next I would like to show you why that happened. We needed a better stadium than Highbury, So we mooved to Emirates. Moving to Emirtates was not easy. Loads of financial issues came along. We had to get rid of some players and get some young talent. We bought in the best youth policy. We lost 2 things by that, The experience to win and maintain and the roudy like fans who stood by the team when it matters to create that atmosphere and the winning mentality of a club in at home due to the pricing strategy of season tickets. Then we bought in new young talent without any leadership involved. They are obviously not going to work hard.
That’s why Sir Alex kept Giggs, Scholes and Vander Sar all this time. They will not let Hernandez mislead the team or act innapropriately. They will show who Man UTD is and how you become a part of it. Our young players did not get that guidence. As a result we don’t win trophies. Solution now is to temporarily get very good experienced leader like players. Win trophies get the fans backing us 100% again. Give proper leadership to the younger players to become leaders. Then we are back in an Invincibles era.
I’m just waiting for Vermaelan’s response . One thing, if you put Vermaelan is the combined team, then Koscielny can’t be far behind.
About Nasri, he’s lost his composure in front of the goal in my opinion. He was calm in the first half of d season(look at his goals against Fulham) but now tries to go for power.I also think he’ll become a great. Tbh, I’ve hardly seen any videos of Pires so puthim in the team based on reputation.
One thing that I disagree is the strikers part.Henry was in a different class and so was bergamp.Van Persie is world-class but even when he’s in his best form, I’d chose Henry any day. Bergamp was also way better than Walcott. walcott has the potential but I’m talking about the present. If we had a better centre-forward(not one like van Persie but a poacher who remains in the box waiting for d ball to arrive) he’d look much better.
I think it’s the mentality and not the experience that we lack. We have so many international captains who are quite old so you can’t talk about experience.Also Squillaci is way way poor than our other 3 defenders.What we lack is the winning mentality imo.
Are you having a laugh ”Sagna” for ”Lauren”, Lauren was a boss at defending, had better crosses and attacked better, ”Wilshere” for ”Gilberto Silva” lool ”Fabregas” for ”Ljumberg” come on, the invicibles where untouchable for a reason.
Agreed that Lauren was better going forward but that’s one department where the current arsenal team is good enough.It’s the defensive part of Sagna that made me pick him over Lauren.But of course, it was a very close one so I’m not surprised that you chose Lauren.
Fabregas for Ljungberg any day. Way above him.
Wilshere one was a tough one to call. I think you can also say Gilberto and I won’t disagree.
i love this comment this team forget is nothing compared to the Invincibles and non of them can beat any member of the untoucables
Commitment wise yes
Quality wise no
Overall not all of them
It’s not as if we are fighting to survive in the premiership now eh?
I’m not a glory hunter, I’ve been going over to The Arsenal since 1976, we nearly got relegated the season before, I just want Wenger to wake up and finally, after 6 season, recognise the weaknesses within the team and squad and do something about them.
I want him to change his stubborn views where he can’t purchase a player with premiership experience will kill a player currently within the squad, that is want competition is all about, and we’re lacking that in spades.
I want him to change the way he conducts himself along the touchline, every season he gets worse, I want to him also to change the sound bites he gives out after the game where he finds every excuse under the sun, but can’t or won’t criticise his precious babies.
I also want him to change the way he views the Champion League as his ultimate goal that he must have to the detrement of all other competitions, what I am saying I just want him to change and get back to where he was 6 seasons ago.
Oh, and p.s. I can’t stand the football he currently plays, 60 passes to get nowhere and every player frighten to shoot.
We don’t even play good football anymore! Its boring to watch.
We are bottlers and don’t have the balls to be winners. Sad thing is we are good enough (when we try)
I would 100% rather we were not good enough but tried every game.
This is what fucks me off.
If your happy with that then I salute you. But when I pay my season ticket money and my train fairs to away games across the county I want to see my team give 100%
As I said if your happy with the team when they don’t bother giv
I also would prefer a team who’d give their all than a team having so much quality as the current team but still bottle it. For me ,its not the quality, not the experience, nor the manager who’s completely at fault.Its our players winning mentality. Most of them are happy with the way things are and don’t care if we for instance draw courtesy of a goal in extra-time.
I also firmly believe that Wenger over-protects his players which is NOT good enough for his progress.I mean what if a young kid is protected from the outside world and he doesn’t face any problems. Surely it can’t be good. But as far as I am concerned, viewing the Champions league as the ultimate goal is absolutely fine. The thing is, our players are good enough to do it. Remember they almost beat Barca( Busacca I wanna kill u). But I agree that they do bottle it when the going gets tough. The manager is this scenario doesn’t help.
I’d tell you the players from the first team who do put thier max efforts:
Szczesny
Koscielny
Djourou(not always)
Sagna
Wilshere(of course)
Song
Nasri
Fabregas(not always)
Walcott
van Persie
So the first team is fine but if the same team plays week in week out our frailties get exposed and we fail to open defences.That’s only when our confidence is low.
Now the efforts of the bench-warmers
Squillaci(effort-wise he’s fine but he’s nowhere near Arsenal’s quality.Hence should be SOLD)
Denilson(pure crap.Never seen a game where Denilson has shed his blood on the pitch.NEVER.Worst Arsenal player.Sell him PLEASE!)
Diaby(only seems to be concerned about trying to go forward with d ball in his feet.should be SOLD)
Arshavin(he has put some effort in his lst few games but has lost his magical touch.I’d still keep him in d squad)
Bendtner(Laziest striker in Europe)
Chamakh(For me he’s useful for Arsenal and shis shooting must be looked at so that he can play more often.Best Arsenal reserve.Work rate is exceptional)
The solution does not necessarily lie outside.Some of our youth players are good enough to at least be on the bench.
This is a stupid comparison as far as am concerned these is like trekking by foot to Australia from London
Very well done shubham. It has to be the Invincibles.
“4-2-2-2?? Now there’s a formation I’ve never heard of!” – Then hear it now. Luxemburgo used 4-2-2-2 at RM. It’s the fav formation of Manuel Pellegrini and he used it at RM .
Thanx Robz
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/697277-arsenal-transfer-revamp-how-can-arsene-wenger-build-a-world-class-team#/articles/697277-arsenal-transfer-revamp-how-can-arsene-wenger-build-a-world-class-team/page/16
Since we are talking about which players should leave, which players should improove and which players we should keep. Please have a look at the article I have mentioned at the begining of my comment. It shows how we can be Invincibles again. I see some of those transfers actually happening this season.
Also reading all the comments here, I would like to point out the fact that, you all seem to be knowing much better about Arsene Wenger’s team more than he does. Would any of you think you can win the premier league if you put these comments in to action, if you become the Arsenal Manager. Probably, but as a manager it’s not just about winning trophies, matches and players, but in the modern world you also have to show concern and take care of the brand, legacy and the financial ability.
The worst thing Arsenal did was, moving to Emirates stadium. Don’t get me wrong lovely stadium, much improved from Highbury. Yet it put us in a difficult position financially, and had to get rid of the invincibles too early. The only way to keep that stable was to use cheap good players, which I think Arsene has done extremely well seing as how he has been in the top fight with those boys. No one in this forum can disagree on that. If we give Arsene’s team to Alex, Fergy won’t do any better.
So Yes with the current team, if we are to win the title others have to do extremely poor. However we can give a top fight thanks to Arsene. So why not splash the big cash now that we are very stable. Not that I know too much about risk management. However I think it was too early to sign big names. Although I believe now it’s fine to sign some big names. Obviously Arsene will never admit these facts I mentioned, Nevertheless they are pretty obvious though.
I say Arsene has done something no other manager would ever be able to do. Not even Murinho. I would give his youth policy one more year. If Arsenal still seem to be in the top fight and would be able to be stable financially. Then I think we should sign big names. Although I still think even this season it would be safe to sign some big names.
Like the article I have attached said,
I would really like to 1st of all see
1) Denilson £4 Million
2) Rosicky £6 Million
3) Bendtner £8 Million
4) Squilacci £4 Million
5) Clichy £10 Million
6) Diaby £6 Million
7) Arshavin leaving £20 million
Total gain of £58 million
I would believe we can beat even barcelona if we replace them with,
1) Sakho (Article says Scott parker I do not agree with that) £8-13Million
2) Eden Hazard £15 Million
3) Benzema or Falcao £20 Million
4) Vertogen £10 Million
5) Leiton baines or Juan Manuel Vargas £8 Million
6) Eden Hazard bought in. £15 Million
A total Spend of £68 million perhaps.
£68 Million – £58 Million = 10 £million difference. We have been given a transfer budget of £45 Million. So we would only have to spend £10 million of it leaving us with £35 Million if we wont to blossom the squad more in January transfer window.
If we do not take this transfer targets they might disapear next season, but it’s football there will be replacements just as good. So either do this transfers this season or lets see what these youngsters are capable of just 1 more season. That’s all I can tollarate. I would have to least see some signing the season after.
Although I really do wish Arsene sign these players in the Summer.
The article on BR is pretty useless.The onyl ones which are good are mostly from Aditya M S and sometimes from Callum D’Souza.
But one thing,comparing Arsene to Mourinho????
Arsene is in a different class. I mean what does Mourinho do? Buy experienced veterans for inflated prices and ask them to give their all. Sure his ability to motivate his players and man-management skills are good but that’s it. Nothing else. Arsene is so much better than him.
One thing I agree is the fact that everyone seems to believe that he/she could win the league as the manager of Arsenal . I guess that’s normal .Even I sometimes think like this.Everyone does.When a goalkeeper makes a howler, I think I’d do so much better than him. It’s human nature, mate. But I know that I can’t.The only thing I’ll criticize Wenger of is protecting his players too much and hence NOT developing a winning mentality.
I agree that we do miss the Highbury atmosphere here. I haven’t seen a single match at Highbury cuz I started supporting in the 2008-09 season. But now it’s probably the worst in the league.
And Chabbz, I didn’t expect such kind of Fantasy Football from you. Wenger would know whom to buy. From my point, I can only tell which players to sell.
Just notices I had put Seaman instead of Lehmann in the Invincibles team. Just corrected it.
Didn’t anyone notice?????
Hey Shubham,
They were just players who are rumored to be interested by Arsene Wenger in the UK media. Mate there wont be fire without fuel? So if the media is saying that, they must have seen a scout following them around or meeting held. Yes that don’t mean we are buying those players. I was just stating players who could increase the chance of us winning next year and becoming to a era just like the Invincibles did.
Thise valuations? are not done by me. It was in the Article. I just followed, personally I think some players value more and some value less than I commented. However the total would still come to a similar amount. So it really make no different how much we pay if the total would be the same. So I hope you tetract the word fantasy football. lol
We all seem to know which players should go. It seems to be the same idea among everyone.
Squilacci
Almunia
Deilson
Diaby
Rosicky
Bendtner
and Andrei
No one wants to see anyone else leaving. If we all feel these players should leave, it cant be a coincidence can it? We all had different views on other things, so if we have the same view about which players should leave, then we maybe right. So I think we should get rid of them and get players I mentioned or similar.
2) Eden Hazard has been a long term target, and have expressed that he likes Arsenal
3) Benzema has mentioned he wants to leave
4) Lukaku has mentioned he will leave
4) Vertogen has expressed he likes Arsenal
5) Leiton baines might like to play champions league football so can get him if we want
6) Juan Manuel Vargas might like to play for Arsenal more than fiorentina
None of these targets are hard to get. They all are looking for something new. So I’m not fantacising. I’m just hoping. We get to see players like that. We need players like that so our younger players who are coming through will get some guidence through the senior or experience players. Yet Arsene might sign someone we don’t know or have never heard of. All I know is that I like to see these players in Arsenal. If by any chance I was lucky enough to be right my team would be,
GK: Sessney
RB: Sagna
CB: Koscielny
CB: Vermalen
LB: Juan Manuel/ Leiton Baines
DM: Alexander Song
CM: Jack Wilshere
LW: Samir Nasri
RW: The Walcott
ST: Van Persie
On the bench I will have
Fabianski
Vertogen
Ramsey
Eden Hazard
Lukaku/Benzema
Chamakh
This team can even beat barca… No doubt
lol
Of the players you mentioned ,I’d keep Diaby and Arshavin.I think we won’t sell 7 players but 3-5 will surely be given their way out.I’d love Hazard but his I do think his price is inflated.We should get another striker in the mould of Benzema or Falcao, a poacher. I’d start him with van Persie cuz there’s no way Benzema will come only to sit on the bench when van Persie’s fit. Baines for Clichy would be a step forward. Don’t know much about Vargas.Is he a playmaker?
We willNOT buy Lukaku as he’s only 17-18 and worth 25-30m. Arsene would rather buy an unknown striker from the Antarctic and it’ll be completely fine by me.Also Lansbury,Bartley,Miyaichi,Frimpong,JET and Vela should be given more playing time.
Btw we already beat Barca this year once and it would have been twice if it were not for that Ref.
To sum up, a defender cum DM and a centre-forward is what we should get. But I’d also like a replacement for Clichy and promote the really deserving youngsters to play them along with these experienced stars to show the world that our youth policy has been a huge success.
You don’t know about Vargas? Mate youtube him. Not only he is a playmaker. He is a bloody Scorer. He cuts in with his speed and takes amazing shots. Defensively he is better than Ashley cole. So defenetely he is even better than Baines. I also like to see Botelho, out brazilian Left back getting a chance. He is apparently tall, fast and better than Gibbs. He is not given a chance since he did not get his Visa to play in England. So he played in Spain for three years in a row now. He is good. He will be one of the brazil future left backs for sure. So I see him in Arsenal squad in the future.
Ofcourse Benzma won’t sit on the bench for sure. I heard Arsene is keeping strong tabs on the highest Feynoord brazilian 17 year old scorer. He scored 4 of the assist provided by Miyaichi. I saw him play three games now. His composer is amazing. He is a ronaldinho with his skill and ronaldo like finisher. Gues what? He is dutch but since his parents are brazilian and he was born in netherlands. haha Rather than getting Benzema, I would like to see him. Why? Amazing work rate, Great Ability to improove, Young and amazing talent, also a great finisher. He can be a possible replacement for Robin when he retires. Lets be realistic Robin will never leave to another club haha
he is our hero 
Also Kyle Bartley has done amazingly well for Rangers. So I do not see us buying another defender. He is better that Sebastien for sure lol.
Vargas is so awesome. Amazed I haven’t heard much of him before.What is he valued at?Any ideas
I think Arsene will sign another defender so that if and when injuries strike us again, we’re not short on numbers.We will have 5 defenders next season.Vermaelan Koscielny,Djourou,New BUY,Bartley.
Don’t know why but Miquel doesn’t look great to me.
check this video out
Miayichi is so much better.Tbh, he(the player in the video) is good but not great.I’d rather have Miyaichi playing for us next season than him.
If in all likelihood if Fabregas goes..Nasri have to move to centre than we have to revert to 442 formation back..
Fabregas has said that he want to bring back trophies back to Arsenal.So he won’t be leaving at least this summer.At last some good news