Has Shkodran Mustafi done enough to be considered for the Arsenal Premier League first-team again?
There is no doubt that a lot of fans hope never to see Mustafi play in the Premier League again. I understand that but is that a fair reflection of the man’s form and ability?
I personally thought he was the best defender at the back end of last season. Now, that is not saying a lot because the whole team was a sham. However, why was Mustafi the one dropped this season when the likes of Sokratis were playing worse?
But did Mustafi drop his head when he was dropped? No, he never, he got on with training and sorting himself out and is one of the few players that play with confidence. There was no throwing his dummy out of the pram, he accepted the situation for what it was and got on with it.
Apart from an unfortunate own goal against Liverpool has he really played badly in the Carabao Cup or Europa League? I would say not, I am of the opinion he has played well, for the most part, I mean, he was the highest-rated player against Vitoria in the bore draw.
Based on what I have seen so far this season he has been more consistent than Luiz or Sokratis, he has certainly made fewer mistakes.
We all wanted Rob Holding to return, well, we got our wish and what happened? He had a shocker last time out.
Calum Chambers has played decently when not played out of position and for me, he is the only centre half that has played as well as Mustafi this season.
I am in no way suggesting that Mustafi is the future here. I know he is not up to Arsenal standard but neither are the others, especially Luiz and Sokratis and we can only go with what we got right now.
So, out of a bad bunch, I am of the opinion that Mustafi deserves to play in the Premier League as much as Holding, Luiz, Sokratis and Chambers does.
Yet he is the most maligned of them all.
Musatafi?
Thanks, let him remain where he is presently. He is better as a bench player where there will no pressure to play with.
He would probably play regularly again, if Emery starts using the three-CB formation
Sokratis must be at the bottom of the pecking order, because his physicality has declined a lot. I can’t believe we spent 20 M for this old CB last season
Well said nothing to add.
I only feel Emery should find a way to use Chambers in his line-up. May be as a defensive midfielder.
@gotanidea
Well said nothing to add.
I only feel Emery should find a way to use Chambers in his line-up. May be as a defensive midfielder.
And Socrates has lost his pace in a relatively short period of time.
Mustafi has had least shown he prepared to put in the effort to fight for his place.
Well his own goal against Liverpool didn’t help
He is a liability without own goals
He needs to stay on the bench
I think mustaffi is a good defender with sawdust between his ears. I like his attitude and i like that he just gets on with it. I have no problem with him being back up to injury in the first team and play as he is doing regular in the other games but he would only add to the present problems not make better. With a top quality player next to him, he may turn out to be decent but we haven’t got that type of player in the squad at the moment.
I happen to agree with Martin. Listening to comments during a match… “sublime tackle” ” good header of the ball. And he did keep out a Chelsea goal in first match with them.
Mistake ridden though he is and rash too, he is nevertheless less awful than Sokratis. After that “high praise “and given the paucitry of alternatives i say, with some dread, yes,he should play instead of the Wrestler.
The wrestler – I was thinking if we were to make a special pair of gloves for Sokratis, sort of like boxing gloves without a thumb, he wouldn’t be able to grab and would be less likely to pull people down. That would take at least some of the danger away.
And I agree with you on Mustafi, he needs to be given the chance to show he isn’t worse 🙂
Of course Mustafi should play, he’s made more defensive headers, more interceptions and more tackles in critical areas than anyone else when he’s played. Ok, he has the occasional brain fart, but don’t we all?
Our lack of quality at centre back is one of the principal reasons for our decline.This season, only Chambers has done well despite being played out of position at right back.Socratis and Luis are shocking and thus far Holding has failed recapture the form he showed prior to his injury.Mustafi is certainly no worse than Socratis and I would not be averse to him teaming up with Chambers in the next Europa Cup match.On the same theme what has happened to Mavroponas?.
Mustafi is the best CB we have right now all the guy needs is to be coached right by someone who clearly knows what to do
Jon fox, I always enjoy your posts. One regret I have is my not being able to visit England, at least not in the near future. You make good use of what is called “gallows humor”.
George Belluardo is me, georgie b.
I think we often look at players to make a difference in our season. But when you are in a situation like ours, with a manager that has confused to the whole team, playing a DM like Torreira out of position too far up the pitch and then benching him when he doesn’t shine, changing starting 11 and formation and shape all the time, who we start won’t save our season because that is not the problem.
This manager can’t improve his players and this manager is the problem. We want to know how good or bad we really are? Get a good manager and then we will find out.
Playing Mustafi instead of Holding, who himself was not so long ago supposedly the answer to our problems at CD, won’t make much of a difference.
Supposedly Elneny is playing great, some fans now think we could do with Iwobi, these players have not changed, there manager has.