An in-depth analysis of Arsenal’s backup players

An interesting story about our backups by Briantole‏

A lot has been said about Arsenal’s lack of depth and proper squad players. These are what we call backups. So where do we stand in terms of our backups? Backups can play different roles depending on the team’s philosophy. For example: They can be youngsters being groomed for the future i.e. Barcelona.
Players who alternate with first team players and provide competition i.e. the Manchester clubs.
Players who only play a bit part in the team. They are only included when first team players are missing i.e Real Madrid, PSG, etc.

So who are Arsenal’s backups and what are their roles in the team? Let me analyse them from the defence to the striker….

Ospina is our backup goalkeeper. He was bought from Nice due to his impressive World Cup performances. He came at first as the backup, but due to Szczesny’s howlers against Southampton he displaced him from the team. He put in a very good shift and played pretty well, putting Wociechch on the bench until an array of mistakes started costing the team. People questioned his ability to reach for the ball due to his small stature. To his rescue a much improved defence arose, but the club saw the need to buy a new goalkeeper who is much much better.

Debuchy: He came in from Newcastle as a replacement for Bacary Sagna who left for Man City. He did pretty well in the world cup. He in fact benched Sagna from the France national team. He did well at the beginning. His talent and experience put the team in check until two long term injuries put him out of action for an extended period. He remained a trusted player at the club even at this difficult period ,being tipped to regain his place on his comeback, but the electric form of Bellerin and his impressive performances reduced his role to a bit part player.

Chambers: Came in from Southampton for a hefty fee. During preseason he was our best player earning himself applause from the Emirates faithful. He got on with his strong performances into the new season earning himself an England call up. His great form earned him comparisons to the legendary Tony Adams. But his inexperience did him no good.
Poor decision making reduced him to play a bit part role on the bench. Now deputising for Merts, Gabriel and Koss as last choice backup.

Gabriel: Came from Villarreal for a sizeable fee. His inability to speak English put him on the bench for a while, but on his debut against Middlesbrough he put in a strong performance rating himself highly among the supporters, he started a number of games later on and continued to impress, though Wenger does not seem to trust him much, putting Koscienly and Mertesacker ahead of him.

Kieran Gibbs: A player coming from our very own Arsenal academy. Given his debut as a youngster, he was very decent on the pitch. He became our first choice in some previous years, but after Monreal was given his place on the left after a period of time the Spaniard was nothing short of sublime and made the position his own, with Gibbs deputising him.

Flamini: Returned to arsenal after his stint spell at AC Milan. He is a versatile player capable of filling centre back, full back and midfield positions. On his first season after returning he proved an important member of the club, helping the team lift the FA cup. But due to his old age he became injury prone and inconsistent. So a young and more energetic solution was sorted and it paid off. Coquelin has been a starter since then, and Flamini his deputy, though Flamini has had his moments with a tale to tell. The brace against Tottenham being the best of it.

Campbell: Came in as a youngster at Arsenal. Has been sent on loan on a number of occasions due to his ineligibility to play because of passport issues. He was to gain important experience. So the loan spell at Olympiakos proved his best. Scoring 8 goals in the league and a Champion’s league goal against Manchester United. He then came back to Arsenal after a strong World Cup campaign and everyone expected him to find a place in the team, but Wenger had other ideas in mind. He has had to wait all this time for his opportunity to arise so let’s hope he takes it like others have done.

The Ox: Once described to be our most promising youngster as he gained comparisons to Walcott. He was very impressive for England scoring that goal against Brazil. He started almost every game in the first part of last season and everyone was praising him. After another injury he made a good name for himself, including the thunderous goal against Monaco and that assist against Manchester United. But he dug his own grave with his costly mistakes, making wenger use Ramsey ahead of him on the wing despite it not being his natural position.

Olivier Giroud: Well he causes a split of opinion among Arsenal fans, just like Wenger does. Some say he is a very viable centre forward while others see him a very bad player and have been demanding a more mobile centre-forward. Well he still has an impressive return of goals and assistsand has also been capped many times by France providing cover and as an alternative to Benzema. Now the manager doesn’t seem to trust him anymore putting the speedster Walcott ahead of him in the pecking order – for whatever reason Le Prof might have. But Walcott’s injury record compared to his puts Giroud at an advantage over the season.

Well it seems pretty harsh for the manager to bench some of these players so let’s hope they can push the first teamers to perform even better

Arsenal held 1-1 by Norwich as Sanchez comes off injured

Laurent Koscielny and Santi Cazorla also ended Sunday's 1-1 draw at Norwich City with injury concerns.

"I don't think it was down to them not playing as well as they can".

Meanwhile, Koscielny was still in obvious pain as the squad departed Carrow Road to head to the airport as Wenger, who also lost Kieran Gibbs to a calf problem before the game, gave a negative prognosis on Cazorla's knock. With no European commitments to worry about midweek, the Gunners won't be back in action until next Saturday, when they host Sunderland at the Emirates Stadium.

The coach told Sky Sports after the game that he would have rested Sanchez had the forward not insisted he was fit to play, saying: "Of course we are concerned but you go through spells like this in the season". The Chilean worldwide has played in majority of Arsenal's matches of the English Premier League so far.

- Norwich are mixing it with the big boys but require wins to steer clear of the bottom three.

Regardless of his positive contributions in the game, Wenger will now receive a barrage of abuse tomorrow owing to his risky gamble. "I thought we got a better balance today". I am glad you (the media) are anxious for us.

Kane has featured in 26 games for club and country this season and played a total of 2,015 minutes in total. It's not enough, but we have an opportunity to come back.

"We made some mistakes that cost us the game and we need to look at ourselves and realise that this is not the way".

In spite of the disappointing draw, Aaron Ramsey felt good to get more minutes under his belt.

Former Arsenal striker Thierry Henry pointed the finger at Arsene Wenger regarding the club's latest injury setback.

The draw sees Arsenal finish the weekend in fourth spot, while Norwich move up one spot into the 15th position. In truth, the Czech gloveman did not have very much to do throughout the game, but his jaw-dropping reflex save from a fizzing cross with 15 minutes left on the clock helped the Gunners claim a point in a largely unconvincing performance at Carrow Road. "We have to assess all of that".

Sheffield Wednesday will take more than 4,000 fans to the Britannia Stadium as Carlos Carvalhal's side seek to repeat the kind of display with which they beat Arsenal 3-0 in the last round.

- Mesut Özil (@MesutOzil1088) November 29, 2015Not the result we wanted, but we're 2 points of the top...

Analysis: How Arsenal stars did for England

On form Gunner Theo Walcott struck the first goal for England as they beat Estonia 2-0 at Wembley and continued their 100% record in Group E.

Despite qualification secured early, Roy Hodgson chose to play his team selection safe and deploy Spurs goal shy Harry Kane up front supported by Raheem Sterling, Adam Lallana on the left and Theo on the right.

It was a dominant but pedestrian first half for England before Ross Barkley picked out Walcott with an excellent pass and Theo made no mistake to score calmly with the last touch of the first forty-five minutes.
With Kane completely anonymous, Theo continued his fine form and was the main attacking threat for the entire game drifting inside from the right, making clever runs and lifted the crowd with every touch of the ball as he drove England forward. He was desperately unlucky not to see a cracking volley go in early, but got his reward with a superbly taken goal on the stroke of half-time that made it 10 goals in 15 games for club and country.

It was a fantastic performance from the 26-year old who marks a decade in the England squad since his shock inclusion in the 2006 World Cup. His performance made a strong case for him to have a starring role in France in 2016, and it’s a promising sign for England’s hopes of a run in the tournament that he is getting games for Arsenal and replicating his awesome club form for his country.

It’s clear that playing alongside with the likes of Ozil and Sanchez seems to have improved his all round game as a forward when he was so often seen as just a sprinter. His runs and movement are superb, and his finishing has also improved drastically.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who has become a regular starter throughout the campaign, came on for Adam Lallana in the 73rd minute but had little time to make an impact.

Kieran Gibbs remained on the bench in this game, but will likely get a chance against Lithuania to push for the left back slot left vacant by Luke Shaw’s terrible injury.

Expect to see at least one Arsenal star start against Lithuania on Tuesday and look to help England be only the sixth team to finish a European Championship qualifying campaign with a 100% win record.

Thoughts go out Danny Welbeck and Jack Wilshere who before cruel injuries were in superb form for England in the campaign.

England's Ryan Bertrand ready to be ruthless to nick Man United star's Euro 2016 spot

RYAN BERTRAND believes it is time to get ruthless - and nail down the left-back spot with England.

The Southampton star, 26, earned his fifth cap on Friday night at Wembley when he was selected ahead of Arsenal's Kieran Gibbs in the 2-0 win over Estonia.

And with Roy Hodgson's top two picks for that full-back role - Leighton Baines and Luke Shaw - currently crocked, Bertrand is determined to make the most of his rare opportunity.

The Three Lions defender said: "I'm not sure the position was anyone's anyway - even before Luke and Leighton were out.

"There's quite a few of us vying for that place - myself, Luke, Leighton, Kieran Gibbs, Danny Rose at Spurs and West Ham's Aaron Cresswell.

"And there's probably a couple of others out there I haven't mentioned.

"There's real competition - so now it's all about putting in consistent performances whenever you get the chance.

"Of course, it's never nice to see international team-mates and fellow left-backs getting injured but at the same time you have to be a bit ruthless."

After failing to become a regular at Stamford Bridge - he had loan spells with no fewer than seven different clubs in nine years - Bertrand's career is really blossoming on the south coast.

And he is adamant that much of his progress is down to the cool, calm, collected approach of Southampton's highly-rated Dutch coach Ronald Koeman.

Bertrand said: "I have really enjoyed myself playing under him - and relish the opportunity to work with him even more.

"He has provided a fantastic base for us at the club and has a very good football philosophy.

"He really encourages free play but he also wants a stern back bone - as our record last year proved.

"And if you are performing consistently well and at a good level with your club, then, hopefully, that is enough to keep getting yourself noticed and picked for England."

Bertrand has only recently returned to action after having summer surgery to resolve long-term knee problems.

Before Estonia, he had played just twice for the Saints - in the recent wins over Swansea and Chelsea.

Its fair to say, then, that after a frustrating opening couple of months, his season has suddenly gone into overdrive.

Bertrand, a Champions League winner with Chelsea in 2012, revealed: "I had planned the surgery from last January.

"It was the tendon area just below the knees - and it was killing me to be honest.

"It was something I wanted done as soon as possible so I could limit the amount of games that I'd miss.

"I didn't want to be out in December and January when there are a lot of important matches.

"Having only just come back my lungs were feeling it on Friday but you have to be ready when you get the call."

Whether Hodgson will risk using him again on Monday night - for the final group clash away in Lithuania - remains to be seen.

But whatever the line-up, Bertrand insists everyone is united in the bid to create Three Lions history - by making it a perfect ten wins out of ten in the race to reach France 2016.

The £10m St Mary's man added: "We have won nine in a row and now we want to get that 100 per cent record and make some history. Definitely."

Meanwhile, Theo Walcott was full of praise for Ross Barkley and believes: “There’s nothing to stop a wonderful player emerging.”

Everton’s midfield ace, 21, supplied the perfect pass for Walcott to put England ahead against Estonia, capping a five-star show.

Arsenal winger Walcott said: “Ross’ pass was perfection. If he had held on to it, I would have been offside.

“But he spots things like that and his performance was confirmation of form this season.

“Ross sees things and he is a strong, big lad and very hungry. Everything clicked for him on Friday but it wasn’t a one-off.

“He has done it a lot this year and if he stays fit you will see a wonderful player emerging.”

Ryan Bertrand eager to seize opportunity with England

Ryan Bertrand is determined to grasp his opportunity with England after receiving an immediate recall following an injury-disrupted summer.

Eyebrows were raised when the 26-year-old joined Southampton on an initial loan in July 2014, but the move worked out better than either party could have imagined.

Bertrand's key role in helping Saints to their best-ever Premier League finish led to his inclusion in the PFA team of the year -- and an England recall.

He has since started twice for his country including Friday's qualifier against Estonia, helping Roy Hodgson's men to a 2-0 win in the absence of the injured Luke Shaw and Leighton Baines.

Another chance to impress may arrive in Monday's final Euro 2016 qualifier against Lithuania -- an opportunity Bertrand would seize given the competition to make next summer's finals in France.

"There are a few of us in there: myself, Luke, Leighton, [Kieran] Gibbs, even [Danny] Rose and Aaron Cresswell at West Ham," he said. "There are a lot of us vying for that place.

"It's about putting in consistency and when we get the chance, we take it. I think, first and foremost, when you get here, you do want to perform well.

Ryan Bertran earned an England recall after his loan move to Southampton.

"But also the position is one that, at club level, is about establishing that consistency within the Premier League and then hopefully those performances are recognised."

Bertrand, like many of his team-mates, put in a solid if unspectacular display against Estonia -- perhaps no surprise given qualification had been secured with three games to spare.

However, the left-back's display was more impressive than most given it was just his third start of the campaign, having undergone surgery on problematic knee tendons during the close-season.

"It's good to be back playing, having been injured over the summer," he said. "This is my third game back [on Friday] so the lungs are feeling it. I need to ease myself in and be sensible.

"The operation was something I had planned from January onwards. It was killing me, to be honest.

"It was something I wanted to get done as soon as possible, so I could limit the amount of games that I would miss, rather miss than December or January times, which we all know is a very important period in the Premier League."

Arsenal's Fullback Surplus Proven By Kieran Gibbs England Call-Up

The international squads are being confirmed and it appears as though Kieran Gibbs will be joining the England side. With injuries rampant on the Three Lions, Gibbs was a solid option. Despite some opinion out there that Gibbs was in no way deserving, the fact remains that Gibbs is a superb left back. He has simply been outdone by a more superb left back.

On most other teams, Kieran Gibbs would be starting. He is not in bad form. He is not underachieving. He is doing perfectly fine. The only problem for Gibbs is that Arsenal have an absolute surplus of fullbacks.

Kieran Gibbs and Nacho Monreal are two left backs that are beyond qualified to be starting on a title-winning team. Fullbacks can tend to be at a premium, but Arsenal have 4 very good ones. That puts them in a unique position of excess, something Arsenal rarely feel.

When Hector Bellerin finally gets his just deserts and gets called up to the Spanish National side, Arsenal will have 3 of their 4 fullbacks playing nationally. One would assume that Nacho Monreal would get a call-up too, seeing as how he has been playing out of his shoes for Arsenal.

That would give Arsenal 4 fullbacks represented at the national level. Most teams would be happy with 1.

Let’s start at right back. Hector Bellerin is outstanding. He has risen to every challenge to become one of the best young fullbacks in the world of football. He has become so good that the French starting right back Mathieu Debuchy was packing his bags in defeat, as he found himself unable to break into the first team.

But Mathieu Debuchy is the most seasoned fullback of them all. He has been the starting French National fullback for years. He was brought in last summer to be the starting Arsenal fullback but injuries opened the door for what has become an unstoppable machine – Hector Bellerin. But having the depth that Debuchy provides is such a wonderful resource.

Kieran Gibbs and Nacho Monreal remain as Arsenal’s arsenal at left back. Nacho Monreal has been a star turned on this Arsenal side. He has center back instincts at left back. What a resource.

Kieran Gibbs, as mentioned before, could be starting and Arsenal would be perfectly fine. He was always meant to be the long-standing left back at Arsenal. However, injuries stepped in and made that task a bit heftier than we had initially though. Which led to Nacho Monreal being discovered. And now Gibbs and Debuchy share in the same plight.

No matter the plight, Arsenal have an outstanding crop of fullbacks. Squad rotations can be problematic for the Gunners but not at fullback.

How on earth did Arsenal man Kieran Gibbs get England call-up?

When the England team was announced for the upcoming fixtures with Estonia and Lithuania one position was always going to be a difficult choice for Roy Hodgson.

The nation's number one left-back option is Leighton Baines, but he has not yet played this season because of injury.

Luke Shaw was the next choice and had a great start to the season. His horror leg break against PSV Eindhoven however means the Manchester United man is also absent.

That gave Hodgson a dilemma.

In the end he decided to go with Ryan Bertrand, who had impressed toward the end of last season and then went with somebody who already has England experience in the form of Arsenal's Kieran Gibbs.

But how?

Aaron Cresswell of West Ham was surely worthy of a call-up ahead of Gibbs who has been usurped at Arsenal by Spaniard Nacho Monreal.

Even when brought into the Arsenal first-team Gibbs has been poor recently and it was certainly surprising to see him drafted in ahead of the impressive West Ham full-back.

Gibbs will now hope to prove himself for England after a poor run of form for Arsenal.