Arsene Wenger and the other Arsenal players have both pinpointed the additions of Mohamed Elneny and Alex Iwobi to the Gunners first team in recent weeks has brought about an immense improvement in our form, and I honestly can’t see that either of them will be dropped from the remaining League games unless they are forced out through injury.
But it has also been said many times that Arsenal’s first drop in form came when the little Spaniard Santi Cazorla first got injured and Wenger was left to experiment with Aaron Ramsey in the middle beside Francis Coquelin or Matthieu Flamini.
Arsene Wenger was talking about the Elneny/Coquelin pairing against Watford and the began discussing the difference between the two partnerships, and it makes for interesting reading. “Both of them are improving offensively,” he said. “When Coquelin plays with Cazorla, Coquelin is the defensive player which made them a perfect pair. Then Coquelin focused more on defending and Cazorla more on attacking.
“Now both [Elneny and Coquelin] share the job, so the balance is a bit [better]. They’re more similar. We have four attackers in front of them so we need people who can defend well in central midfield.”
So Wenger will obviously have a big decision to make when Santi finally returns to the fold, but Wenger’s last update on the Spaniard’s return made it look unlikely that he will be playing again this season. Le Prof said: “Santi has started to run, but is still a few weeks away I think. I hope [he will play again this season] because he has started to run.
“We have to always be a bit cautious, because you never know how people will respond to training sessions, but at the moment he looks like he has a chance to be completely fit to respond again before the end of the season, and to be competitive.”
But whatever happens this season, the next campaign will be a different kettle of fish. If we had all three of Coquelin, Cazorla and Elneny all fully fit, which two would you choose?
No ! I would still play elneny, because it wouldn’t be wise to rush back Santi carzorla too quickly!
Bit like a Rosicky dilemma,why change it when it’s working. The game West ham should be the one where the team has made it or not. Personally I think you will see this team really come together and the new players will grap this opportunity to make there mark, and good luck to them as its time to enjoy them. CB
No it would be stupid to risk him when the rest of our games are effectively meaningless and dead rubbers
el neny is still young and cazorla is aging.
But cazorla still has the skills and sublime movement.
We need to alternate them as we make way for cazorla’s heir
Cazorla is no spring chicken and it will be interesting to see if he can return with the same kind of abilities as before, his injury… If so, then great, It would mean that Wenger has more options to rotate with quality, We may even see Cazorla used further up the field, Giving Ozil a breather during games.
Personally, I think that Cazorla’s career at Arsenal is up!
I wouldn’t be surprised if he heads back to spain in the summer. (Sold)
With reports of Wenger wanting to promote 3 more youngsters into the first team next season, it sounds as if Wenger has already found his replacements for Arteta, Flamini and Rosicky… Kroenke will be pleased, when you compare the money saved, by wages alone.
As per usal, It looks as if Wenger doesn’t plan on spending much in the summer….with maybe Xhaka being his main signing and a couple of teens.
These Groundhog day’s are becoming abit too much of a coincidence for my likings! ?
We win our last 8 games and Wenger has an excuse not to buy in the summer! ? ?
Pretty pointless worry really, when do we have the luxury of choice? It’s so very rare, but my fear is that elnenys emergence along with the form of toral and to a lesser extent hayden and zelalem, wenger just might feel he has enough again next summer.
Even if the 3 old timers move on a fit midfield could boast, coquelin elneny ramsey wilshire cazorla hayden zelalem toral ozil iwobi chamberlain alexis Campbell gnabry with Welbeck giroud and Welbeck again fighting for the lone strikers role.
Honestly it scares me but you can just see it happening again.
Hahaha ?
You must be the type that jumps out of their skin on the second and third “BOOO” too ???
Go see your GP and see if you can sue Wenger for being a nervous wreck! ???
The Cazorla question should be for next season, highly unlikely he is going to get much game time, perhaps some 10 minutes in some games. The bigger questions is Wenger going to pull up the partnership of Elneny and Coquelin to fit in Ramsay who is one of his favorites, that should be the question being asked
Cazorla is ahead of Ramsey.
I love Santi Cazorla, and I hate to say this, but Elneny should keep his place not just for the short term, but long term as well. Yes we’ve looked poor in Cazorla’s absence, but that was more to do with Ramsey playing centrally. Ramsey just isn’t good enough to be playing at this level, and his constant presence in the first team has been a contributing factor to our loss of form. It’s no surprise that we’ve looked very good again in Ramsey’s absence.
Arsenal look so much better with two ball winning central midfielder’s, as opposed to the usual one or even none in some cases! It gives the team so much more balance, and let’s not forget that Elneny’s passing ability, and technique have also been excellent! He’s all about forward passes, one/two touch football and has great energy with a physical presence. We should also remember that Cazorla’s natural position is more of a CAM, rather than a CM, which is the position he currently occupies. Despite his best season being played as a CAM, Cazorla was pushed back to accommodate Ozil. Cazorla has still been excellent for us, but in certain games we have looked little off balance, and it gives Coquelin too much to do defensively at times.
Cazorla is still a huge player for us, and I hope he’s still got at least another season or two at the top level. Looking forward to seeing him again very soon!
I put it on Sanches playing on the left as the down fall of cup exit and bad results. We had no one other than Monreal to cross from left as Sanches stopped turned inside and the momentum was lost. Does any body know what position Sanches plays for in his games for his Country. His last 2 games he has scored and assist in both from his position on the right. I rest my case. CB
When Sanchez first came to Arsenal, the defending clubs were still trying to figure our Sanchez hence why he scored so much. But yes he is always cutting in. Now he switched to the right we more crosses. Same with Campbell he needs to play left and Iwobi too.
El Neny is doing well so far… but soon we’ll need him to be chipping in with goals and assists. If he can’t offer that, then Ramsey, Cazorla and Wilshere will probably take over.
Cazorla might be sold I think he has only 1 year left on his contract.
Elneny/Coquelin pairing is good and can rotate with Santi depending on the opposition. No way Santi should be rushed back into the first team let him play a bit part for remainder of season and have him fresh for start of next.