Gooner Debate gives you the chance to air your views on a particular subject, its the time when we leave behind all the other issues around the club and concentrate on one subject. Please do air your views, i will not remove any comments unless they are insulting or spam, so do have your say because it all adds to the debate.
Today the subject is Gael Clichy, and whether he deserves to be dropped after some real mistakes this season.
It seems when Clichy makes a mistake it always results in a goal, the 4-4 game at home to Tottenham and the Cousin goal at the weekend just two in a season that has seen the best of him, but unfortunately, the worst too.
The Tottenham game in fact was his season in 90 minutes, shakey at the start, but from then on he was the best player on the park. Marauding runs and solid in defence but in the dying minutes with the score at 4-2 he slipped and Jenas picked up the ball and scored a very good goal, we all know what happened next…
One worry is the communication in the defence and the partnership of him and Djourou on the left hand side of defence which, at the best of times, looks a little iffy. They are often out of position or unaware of their partners position, this will be found out if you play against quality opposition but its happening against mediocre teams as well.
Since the loss at Man City Clichy has not ventured forward as much, he has been subdued. This has lessened his impact and his performances have dropped as a result, whilst the mistake at Hull shows he is not confident in his own abilities. Bernard Mendy is a nippy winger but Clichy is frighteningly quick and should not by any means be standing off a winger like Mendy, but he did, it gave him the chance to whip the ball in and the ball ended up in the net.
Personally, i think he deserves to be in the team, last season he was superb if you put aside his Birmingham Gaffe, but this season he has performed fantastically in some games, scored his first goal but has also made errors that have contributed to us dropping points. He is a fan favorite so the fans would never get on his back like they would with a player like Song, Denilson, Eboue, Adebayor or Bendtner but is it time he was given a couple of games to remind him that he is not a dead cert in the first eleven or is it too harsh? Are we in a position when we have to have every one of our best players on our pitch in every game? or does he just need the confidence to re-descover his best form that makes him a contender for the worlds finest left back?
What do you think? Don’t be afraid to speak your mind and air your views.
I will be back tomorrow with the latest Arshavin news along with team news and anything else that occurs.
Til then.
Arsenal News 24/7
Drop one of the best left backs in the league? While he has been somewhat erroneous he’s still top class and maybe a beak is indeed needed but there is no one to really take his spot. Kieran Gibbs is going to play against Cardiff and maybe it will be a good break for Clichy to collect himself. We still have Traore on loan at Portsmouth and he looks like a very good understudy to Clichy. He’s very similar to Clichy in his first few seasons, not afraid of going forward. However Clichy’s problems are only a small aspect of a larger defensive problem. Mendy outplayed him on the weekend, I cannot deny that but you cannot win them every week and that is when the rest of the defense has to step up. We really lack the right defense that is necessary right now with balls in the air giving us serious problems.
it’s a good article which i agree with.
he needs a good rest for a week or two, the question is who is good enough to replace him in the game after vs everton (i think).
he should be rested vs cardiff and yes i see it as resting. he’s world class and loved by the fans for all the right reasons. he doesn’t need to be reminded of his position, he simply needs a chance to relax and take his mind off the pressure he looks under.
i won’t make excuses for him here, but i think our entire defensive unit will function much more successfully and confidently if we can get a proper holding midfielder to cover the defense. since our defensive unit is poor and we always look suspect it’s harder for individuals to feel free. whilst i don’t miss hleb, his ball retention was what made it possible for sgna to bomb forward so much. now sagna’s also looking not himself. on the left clichy doesn’t look confident and snappy. like i said i think the defenders don’t have confidence in themselves and that translates into poor form. if our cm would give them more protection then i expect our defensive unit would greatly improve and confidence would improve with it.
Why does everyone refer to him making a ‘gaffe’ at birmingham last season. He got caught but recovered and made a clean tackle, which the refree wrongily awarded a pen for.
no way should he be dropped. hes so so good. makes the odd mistake but who doesnt? he is in my opinion the best in the world and therefore should not be dropped. when a player is making the odd mistake here and there and people are saying he has ‘lost form,’ it shows what a good player he really is.
Yes. In a word.
GAEL is not world class. Gael is a error prone left back.
We all thought that after CASHLY COLE left we had a great one in GAEL…but it has not worked out like that.
I was only last week wondering “WHAT IF” we bought EVRA and not ManUre…..I think we would have been sitting as PREM CHAMPS concurrently.
The time is right to give TRAORE the role.
Sorry GAEL. Bye bye.
Robert E Lee
John you a wanker. You say….
“he is in my opinion the best in the world and therefore should not be dropped”
Esquire you better start having more sex…because your brains seem to be in your butt.
Mark Twain.
I agree with Mark.
John is writing nonsense.
At least Bendtner is playing slightly better. Mark my words that Niclas is 2 years away from being GREAT. he is only a kid so get off his back.
Tommy Waa
You’re mad.
a player the quality of Cliche makes a slip up and u want to drop him shame on, you are you trying to drive him out of the club, he’s a human being not perfect but damn nearly so, leave him alone everybody has their off days Our family think hes the greatest.
Madge
NO, who should come in for him? If we had a left back on the bench then YES.
Every single team we play always attack on our left side. Hardly any team chooses to attack on sagnas wing, that says alot.
He is superb going forward, but Gaels marking is very poor in some cases. If he cannot win the battle with Bernard Mendy.. how can you possibly say that he is our best left back? The goal we conceded this weekend did not come from the cross itself, it came because Clichly did not close down his man properly which allowed him to get the ball, then cross.
Just a thought..
best,
Timmy the gunner
i meant.. how can you possibly say that he is the best left back in the country…
sorry!
i thought he was switched off on the weekend game..no mistake about that but then again you have to wonder every good cross that lands in the central defence ends up as a goal.what is the purpose of the central defenders if every the ball will find some one unmarked.
personally i liked the way nasri came in to help out i think this is supposed to be a team effort to defend one player makes a mistake another is supposed to cover up.
gael should be dropped not by any stretch of imagiantion do i see any better replacement
who ever talked about evra shame on you.you need serious medical attention…
This is the most useless blog I’ve seen in quite some time. Just because a player has a bad game doesn’t mean they need to be dropped. No he isn’t cursed as some of these morons are saying, NO he isn’t in need of a dropping, and NO he isn’t perfect. He simply needs a good fortnightof rest for his body and his mind to get himself up again. C’mon boys you think after Evra or A. Cole or whoever the hell Liverpool have at right back have a bad game then there “supporters” go online asking dumbass questions like “should **** be dropped?”. Get with it boys! We see that Geal needs to get something sorted and he will. He’s the best LB in the prem at the moment. Your supposed to be getting behind your boys not infront of them pushing them back! Don’t worry about Clichy he’ll be fine, its you cunts that should be dropped. Supporters…. HA! Sound more like fans to me.
gooner4lyf
i’ve always expressed how clichy has made little mistakes that cost our team alot..from last season at birmingham, last season again at man city he miscontrolled a ball and let corluka in which led to a goal..this season his weak throw in led to a robbie keane goal against liverpool, his poor clearance allowed tuncay to cross for aliadiere which led to a boro goal and again on saturday he stood off allowin mendy to cross the ball for a cousin goal…these are awfully many mistakes for a world class left back but what he needs is encouragement rather than being dropped..he always pushes the team when the going gets tough and everyone seems down
“This is the most useless blog I’ve seen in quite some time.”
—————————-
Im just trying to get debate going, im not actually calling for him to be dropped…
so who gonna play there if we drop him?
sylvester?gibbs?
cos i don’t see an option to that kid at the mo.
he was alright till some people joined him in the defence and maybe that needs looking AT.
the priest is out
to error is human. if every mistake of his results into a goal then where is the rest of the team? its lyk he carries the whole team on his back. go clinchy just rock everton for me.
gooner4lyf
clichy is a very good prayer but he needs good competetion from another prayer other wise he is assured of the number even if he makes so many mistakes . let us bring back traore you so what did gainst totenum
It’s exactly this type of sniping at players that I have found the most disappointing aspect of this season. I would expect this sort of behaviour from other teams but it is a new phenomenon at Arsenal.
When a team has boldly been put together with youth and ability but less experience than rivals the main thing that is missing is confidence and the gutter rats that have emerged to criticise every kick of the ball, I believe are doing the most damage.
Do you call yourself supporters?
The clue to your behaviour is in the name!
On behalf of Eboue, Gallas, Toure, Bendtner, Adebayor, Clichy and the great Arsene Wenger
a lot of the time when players seem to be out of form they are in fact carrying an injury. this was the case with Bendtner and will probably be the case with Clichy – as we saw him get clattered against liverpool a few weeks ago. he’s probably not 100 per cent over that yet but judged to be better than the alternatives in that position.
i think that we r not the only one ho noticed that even our opponent specially our direct rivals seems to always press him when he got the ball,but dropping him is out of question the guy is pure class just lack of confidence due to some kind of pressure because when u look at our right back u think as bad as the opponents will try they will never score from sagnas side so clichy just need to put his act together the rest will fellow as we all now he got the full backing from everybody.peace…………………..
hallo I am from indonesia, have never see a cool blog like this http://www.herbaqu.co.cc/
What a load of Bullsh*t! Clichy is not playing his best but is still the best we’ve got. He needs his problem sorted whether it is just lack of form, an injury or maybe even contractural (“gimme more money!!”) type issues. He does not fall into the same category as Ade, Eboue, Bendy etc. As I’ve said on here before we are entitled to get on their backs if they look like they don’t want to be there …… but not Clichy you numbnuts !! I watch him every home game and he grafts and grafts, 110% just give him some support until he sorts his issues.
Oh and by the way Herbaqu ….. wtf ?!?!?!?!
nasri’s not rosicky. fathom what i mean. nasri has not been a ball mover and marker like rosicky. dat’s telling on clichy’s performance