I was getting a little concerned about the young Arsenal and England international star Calum Chambers and his place in the current Gunners side and I would not be surprised if the graduate from the Southampton academy had not been thinking the same at times this summer.
Chambers hardly featured for Arsenal towards the end of last season and then was a mere spectator for the under 21 Euro championships which saw Gareth Southgate´s England side blow it and crash out of a tournament early once again.
With Hector Bellerin and Mathieu Debuchy fighting hard for the starting right back role it was hard to see how Chambers would get a look in without another injury crisis. But Arsene Wenger had already suggested that the centre of defence might be the youngster´s future position and he did play him there at times last season, with varying degrees of success.
It did look like it might take some time for him to settle into his new role though, and with Mertesacker, KOscielny and Gabriel in the squad and many expecting the boss to sign another centre back this summer, Chambers may have thought he would not be seeing much action this season, but pre-season has certainly changed that perception, for me at least. And with The Mirror reporting that Wenger has declared that interested clubs can forget about getting him on loan this year, it appears I am not alone.
The 20-year old has looked calm and assured alongside Koscielny as we beat Everton to lift the Asia Trophy and paired up with Gabriel against Wolfsburg as we lifted the Emirates Cup. Perhaps the presence of Petr Cech behind him in both those games helped and it was nerves that had been his biggest negative point when played in the middle last season.
Chambers is looking good. He defends on the front foot and looks sharp, aggressive and his reading of the games has been impressive. It seems clear that the right side of defence would be Chambers´ usual position so has our BFG got a real battle on his hands with the young Gunner this season?
Chamber is one for future!!!
OT: Still on Chelsea vs Arsenal transfer spending
CHELSEA FC
2013/14: Andre Schurrle £18m, Marco van Ginkel £8m, Cristian Cuevas £1.7m, Willian £32m, Isaiah Brown £209,000*, Christian Atsu £3.5m, Nemanja Matic £21m, Mohamed Salah £11m, Kurt Zouma £12.5m.
2014/15: Cesc Fabregas £30m, Diego Costa £32m, Mario Pasalic £3m*, Felipe Luis £15.8m, Loic Remy £8.5m, Juan Cuadrado £23.3m.
2015/16: Asmir Begovic £8m, Nathan £4.5m*, Danilo Pantic £1.25m*.
Total: £234.259m.
ARSENAL FC
2013/14: Mesut Ozil £42.5m, Matt Macey £100,000*.
2014/15: Alexis Sanchez £35m, Mathieu Debuchy £12m, David Ospina £3m, Calum Chambers £16m, Danny Welbeck £16m, Krystian Bielik £2.4m, Gabriel Paulista £11.2m.
2015/16: Petr Cech £10m.
Total: £148.2m
*Reported fee
While Arsenal have clearly added expensive players to their squad in recent seasons, the spending at the Emirates works out as less than two-thirds of the sum splashed by Mourinho’s Chelsea since 2013/14.
There is still time for both clubs to increase those totals, with the transfer window not closing until September 2 but, for now, Chelsea remain the big-spenders between these two teams
I am very surprised this whole Mou spending accusation has gained any traction whatsoever. A primary school kid could do the maths and show what b****ks he is spouting. Maybe he has been misinterpreted but maybe he is a great believer that if you are going to lie you just as well lie big.
Another BFG out article? you are getting like the rectums at Le Grove.
OT: From Wenger on Sky Sports
WENGER COY ON ADDITIONS
Arsene Wenger may have been criticised for spending too much by Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho but he’s keeping his cards close to his chest about whether Arsenal will spend any more this summer.
When quizzed on new additions this summer, the Frenchman told reporters at his pre-match press conference: “If we can strengthen, we will do it.”
Wenger has really gotten away using the word “IF”.
Av given up and wenger has won…i will support him through his emirates life and will never criticize him again…if he thinks that he can win with the current squad, then beep beeep…next season here we come
In other news: Benzema is on separate jet to that of madrid’s team, posted the pix on instagram and wrote “LEAVE THE PAST IN THE PAST” any hope gooners any hope???
Calum was always a centre-back for me. People seem to forget how good he was when he played there, he played with high confidence nad no errors. But he isnt a right back for me. Debuchy will play fine for 1-2 more seasons, then Bellerin will replace him. We have 4 class CBs just to remind you guys. We wont sign a defender. Maybe a holding midfielder, and fingers crossed for a classy striker. Lets shut up Mourinho and nick the shield from Chelsea. COYG
To be honest i cant see Bellerin on the bench. He is doing very good and till now hasent made any errors.
actually considering how he performed even against the big teams, he should not be in the bench….that position i think will be rotated a lot next season but debuchy should play against the big teams
I believe he can become a top centre back but for now i’d like to see Gabriel displace BFG! To me Gabriel seems like a top class defender and he got voted the best defender in la Liga become coming to us!
before*
Not likely to happen imo. CC is a natural ride-sided CB as is Mertesacker. Kos and Gab the reverse. Kos and Gab are pretty similar, bit like the few times Kos and TV5 paired up with no great success, no nonsense types who tend to move toward the ball, CC and Merts more positional and both better ball players out of defence – CC is very impressive at that imo. CC looks a shoe-in for BFG over the next year or two, ditto Gab for Kos.
Benzema on social media’leave the past in the past#future direction#on jet to arsenal
link?
they speculate that it could also be manure. Kinda nervous.
His agent said hes “1000% staying”
Jesus calm your tits, it was a picture of him on holiday from previously – he is still in Shanghai. Confirmed on Sky.
@sth
He was on a jet to meet up with RealM…Save the bs next time.
The main Chamber!
its not a chamber of commerce…its not a legislative chamber!
its not the chambery chamber!
it s not a cham and its not beer.
I think in the future he can become an excellent CB. But Mertsacker may be slow, he is still experienced and good in many areas like positioning, tackling etc. If he is good enough for the World Cup champions he is good enough for us.
I see Gabriel forcing his way into starting lineup before Chambers
Etc, hahaha. There are no Etc. He was a sub and barrely had any contribution in winning the trophy. Or am i mistaken. If he is good enough for Germanys bench, then he should also be good enough for our bench.
Of course there is etc. Other qualities include:
1. He is strong and powerful
2. Brilliant in the air
3. Great anticipation
4. excellent distribution of the ball
@fred cowardly
Mert is not good in the air. And for a guy his height, thats laughable. Neither is he strong and powerful. Every sizable CF we played against twisted and turn him like a pretzel. His ball distribution consists of lateral passes or back to the keeper. And since we’ve rarely conceded from those passes, I guess you could call that “excellent”
Well, he is good at anticipating the play. But if you’re not fast or agile enough to break up that play, it don’t count for much.
IJS…
What rubbish. Look at the stats and they will tell you something very different – it is OK denigrating BFG if you want to suggest that he is only good rather than very good or excellent but to make him out as some low-life conference level hoofer is just very, very silly. Have you ever seen him play for real? Most guys who have seen him in the flesh will tell you there is quite a bit to his game and how he organises and directs at the back. Who were these CFs that exposed him? And anticipation is everything so don’t know why you ridicule it – most faster defenders use speed to make up for a deficiency in anticipating things. Where do you want him to pass the ball when he comes out with it – you looking for an Alonso 50 yd cross field ball? Seriously question your player evaluations – seem to remember you on the Winston Reid bandwagon, Afobe “better than all our strikers” bar Alexis, Benteke the missing link who hasn’t had a sniff against BFG in the last 4 encounters, Milner would have been a good buy….etc.
@jonestown
I can’t stand these people who just say the dumbest most inaccurate sh*t. Mert is a very good defender people just keep mentioning his pace cause they get there info from fifa, I can’t remember the last time a ST has made Mert look like a fool like these people claim.
Another thing that really irritates me is they say he only passes backwards which is NOT TRUE at all! He’s starts ALOT of our attacks, he’s very very composed on the ball and always has his head up looking forward
I like BFG and will stick up for him with some of the OTT stuff. I once read something by some sociology academic that basically said that it only takes 10% of a population to start perpetrating and promoting a myth on a regular basis before it quickly becomes an “accepted fact” by the general population, and many of the remaining 90% will happily trawl out the party line like dumb sheep. If only half the stuff about BFG that gets thrown out there was true we would still be waiting for us our first win since he arrived!! He is part of the best defence we have had for 10 years but mugs on here will say it is all down to Kos.
@jonestown1&goonsquad8
Must be tough livin in that alternate reality called”denial”
Keep hope live fellas.
PEACE…
Man you are spot on
Lol. Cocain is a hell of a drug. Stay clean.
Needs more time in the gym, also him playing a bit more agressive would not hurt. Coquelin should teach him one thing or two how to do that.
SHITTTTTTTTTT Benzema is on plane, rumors are he is heading to London, and plus Bank balance for Arsenal salaries will be higher by 20m pounds, COULD IT BE, pls let it be truth
I am so excited about this, RM team is in Chine while Benzema is heading in different direction, he is not on Holiday, nor he is injured, that leaves only one thing, TRANSFER. BUZZINNGGGGG
With him in our team Mourinho will shitttt his pants
Mayb. Moro has heard the news about him coming to us and thas why he was moaning about us spending money aswell, haha.
exactly, OMG i am like little kid buzzing, just let it happened and i will never say a word against Wenger LOL
@AlmiR
Guess you better start cursing out AW, Becaue Benz is on his way to meet up with RM…CTFU…SUCKER.
F*ck. Still have my hopes up that Wenger will pull out a rabbit.
No! No!! No!!! Not yet. But the Boss could give Chambers enough game time this coming season. Rhinosacker will continue to Rhinoceros at the heart of the Gunners center backs as both Chambers & De Abreu continue to be the understudies to Rhino’ & Koscielny. Infact, Bellerin is the understudy to Debuchy. My Gunners starts to face the Blues for the Shield are: Cech. DebuchyRhino’KoscielnyMonreal. CoquelinCazorla. WilshereOzilOxlade. Giroud. My bench: MartinezChambersBellerinGibbsRamseyAdelaideWalcott. The Boss dosen’t need to sign a CB this summer but would need a 6 ft +; left back even if Monreal stays.
maybe thats reason why Mourinho accused Wenger for spending, he was RM coach if something is happening he heard that 100%. Plus no one yet came out with different story.
Why are you guys getting so excited. There is no way Real would sell without having a replacement. Dont believe everything you read. Who knows when he took that pic.
Looks like people here have been trollieded by Benzema.
cmon dont tell me you are not excited, liying is bad, will we sign him i dont know, but excitment comes from thoughts having Benz in our team, will he come or not you simply cant shut it 😀
@HA559
Big Time.
They’ve been “suckered”…LMFAO!!!
Chambers at this moment in time has a long long way to go, if you compare him to some other yung c.b he is quite far behind them. Stones, Zouma, Dier, just to name a few who were all bought for less. Best thing would be a loan spell but seems wenger might give him the carling cup route this season and poss f.a cup, Time will tell.
Still think we are a little short, do i think wenger will buy not really but then again he may be waiting for a opp to arise. Lets get the tactics spot on for the chelsea game if we can win that game and i say If then mentally it could be massive becuase if were all honest it is the one game which no Arsenal is ever confident esp against Jose.
“arsenal spend more then chelsea” oh i did laugh profusely at that 1 lol
@nygunner. I 100% with you again on this. Per is a great character, leader and organiser but individually as a player he’s a wobbly clown! No agility,mobility, pace, weak in the air and challenge and slower than my nan. #weaklink.
Also if Pers stats are good its only because the rest of the back line have adapted well to covering his ar*e.
PER IS THE WEAK LINK IN OUR DIFFENCE
PER IS THE WEAK LINK IN OUR DIFFENCE AND PLEASE GABRIEL IS PUSHING BFG OUTER THE STARTIN LINE UP NOT CHAMBRES.
With you Ron & N Y Gunner. Obviously we are all entitled to an opinion. But I have to wonder what some people are actually seeing when they describe Mertesacker’s game. There are so many faults with his physicality and mentality. He is I’m afraid literally too big for his boots. For me he is far from being a great organiser or does he possess good antiicipation. As for being part of the best defense we’ve had for 10 years, well I’ll give that one a miss. In his favour I think that he is aware of his own shortcomings but he can’t hide them because his basic co-ordination is out of sync. However he seems such a nice guy that I wish he could be a better player and be good enough for Arsenal.
Side ways pass to midfield; pass back to the player who gave it him, twice (“you can have it I don`t want it”) ,pass back to the keeper (twice) ” you kick it up field I can`t”, then trots backwards into his 5×5 metre safety zone. The only time this melodious routine changes is when he goes up for a corner. To be honest I`ve never seen him do anything else, but then maybe it`s because I`ve fallen asleep.