How many of those games were they played out of position (I.e not at centre back)? Smalling has always been very good at CB.
Thomas Vermaelen
- Thread starter Santos J
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I do, only in some much as I'll be pretty pissed off if we buy that sack of shite.
Agreed, he is much more comfortable in the center!
You can obviously understand how incredibly nonsense your opinion of a player is when a huge Arsenal fan replies with this. You really have no clue about judging players. Swapping a top notch young CB and getting an injury prone CB who even the fans of his current club feel is not good enough anymore.
That's a bit harsh. He's had at least had one season where he looked quality and has got a lot of decent attributes. Injuries aside (and they're not easy to ignore, mind you!) his biggest flaws were about discipline and tactics, as much as anything else. If LVG can get Vlaar playing like the best centre-half in the World Cup, he might be able to get more out of Vermaelen than Wenger has these last few years.
Obvious WUM is obvious!
For whatever it's worth, I've said ever since he arrived that I felt he was overrated as a defender. Scoring a few goals and being good on the ball masks the defensive and positional issues that he has, IMO. To me the answer's pretty straightforward: let's not bother buying Vermaelen in an attempt to make him something he's (IMO) never going to be and instead bring in someone who we know can do those things without having to endure the high-wire act that is him defensively. Or, stop pricking around and play Smalling Jones and Evans in their actual positions and see what we can get from them.
I'll be delighted if this never happens.
Adding another injury prone CB is the last thing we need to do.
Adding another injury prone CB is the last thing we need to do.
I rather like the guy, he offers something different to our current choices, he's a more creative passer.
In style he's not dissimilar to Rio. No reason he couldn't shine in the right system. Wouldn't be keen to get rid if Smalling though who has really potential.
Of our center backs right now I view Phil Jones as the weakest option, he's a present day Terry Butcher, unsuited to the modern game.
In style he's not dissimilar to Rio. No reason he couldn't shine in the right system. Wouldn't be keen to get rid if Smalling though who has really potential.
Of our center backs right now I view Phil Jones as the weakest option, he's a present day Terry Butcher, unsuited to the modern game.
We'll take Jones and Smalling for Vermaelen +£10M. Deal?
Christ, I'd rather have Anderson than Jones.
Okay Anderson + Young then ? Deal.
+Fellaini
Arsenal do need a big man in midfield, he's like a Belgian Khedira..
He's not terrible, as I've said before. But he's clearly a bit...yeah. If the idea is to bring in a so-called ball playing CB there must be other options, surely. Someone who's less of a crock and a wee bit better.
As an option, a squad player - sure. Except for the crocked part. As a radical improvement - no. Can't see that, really.
As an option, a squad player - sure. Except for the crocked part. As a radical improvement - no. Can't see that, really.
It makes sense if LvG wants to play 3 at the back.
Is there really still not better options? Is he that good on the ball?
There's a lot of guesswork on what formation he'll want to play but it strikes me he'll probably just end up just sticking with the 4231 we've been playing for years. It's what he played at Bayern, it's what our players are used to (and so you'd think most suited to), he's never consistently played a 3 man back line before this summer as far as I'm aware. I like how pragmatic and flexible he seems to be though, despite having a reputation as an idealist.
I feel it's more to do with the fact he's good on the ball and he's left footed. That matters a lot to van Gaal, and there's not many (if any) talented but attainable left footed cb's around.
If he's prepared to be a squad player, then I'd take him for under £10 million.
Still much better than Andy Carroll, Downing, and 'the pivot' Charlie Adam.
Yes but living in the present rather than the past, surely this link should be sounding alarm bells?
At best hes as good as Skrtel. At best.
Yeah. Can't think why we need Vermaelen. But then you bought Kolo last season, who might be about the same level as Vermaelen now. And your team seemed doing fine with him.
You've become such a nonsense poster lately.Thomas Vermael-IN?
Smalling swap? I know he is not the best with the ball, but bloody hell, LvG could seriously piss me off if he lets Smalling go! There are really not many things he could do which would piss me off, we need some serious changes and start to act as a big club again on and off the pitch (the last 3 years were kind of a stalement, but since the Mata and then LvG signing things have started to look better thank God). But selling Smalling should really be blocked by the club, he can't sell a young, talented English CB!!!
Mad that these rumours just ramped up massively, and then fell down again. Just shows when a few people start tweeting about a player these days they can create a whole load of stories.
RVP is the new De Gea ?
Van Persie, please injure him so he cant pass a medical
RVP is the new De Gea ?
They've always been very good friends
Isn't he always perma-injured anyway?
RVP is the new De Gea ?
Won't do us much good until he is trying to get Robben to sign for us.
In Wenger speak, that does make me wonder if this is now relatively close. He usually doesn't give too much away.
Is there no better CB available than this ?? someone that does not get injured so much.
Yeah, sounds like he's off for sure.
I´m not sure what to think about us signing him. Hes not been good enough for the last couple of seasons and his injury record is a big worry. But at the same time signing him makes so much sense, LVG knows him very well from his Ajax days and he can cover at both CB and LB two positions that we are short on numbers in.
I'd much rather De Vrij, or anyone with a better injury record to be honest. We'll end up with Fellaini at centre back going off the amount of injuries our defenders accumulate.
He's a left footed ball playing CB. That's why we want him. He's not very good and he's fairly injury prone, but there really isn't much alternatives.
I was talking to someone who's an Arsenal fan and according to him there was going to be a review at Arsenal due to too many players getting injured.
feck sakes, he's coming guys
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