Anfield 89 hero Michael Thomas believes that Arsenal’s defensive problems will prevent them finishing in the top four this season, but also that the solution is right under Arsene Wenger’s nose.
Speaking to Wearethenorthbank.com, Thomas said that legendary defender Steve Bould is the man to ensure that ’embarrassing’ mistakes don’t keep happening.
“You got a player that has been part of the best back four in Steve Bould”, he said, “who’s done a great job with the kids. He should be working with the first team defence. Schoolboy errors all the time. It’s so embarrassing, they’re meant to be international players.
“I like Gibbs but he’s still a young kid and I don’t think he’s a left back. He’s a left winger that Wenger has transformed from a left back as he did with Ashley Cole. But Cole had great defenders around him – Tony Adams, Lee Dixon, Keown, they taught him how to defend.
“That’s where Bouldy can work the back four and work them hard so it then comes natural”.
And Thomas believes these defensive issues will see Arsenal drop out of the top four for the first time in Arsene Wenger’s time at the club.
“Because of the defence I can’t see Arsenal finishing in the top four this season. They’ll always score goals but it’s the back door. That’s why we lost the league cup last season. If you leave the back door open, it’s goodnight. Unless they sort that defence out they’re not gonna win anything.
“Essentially he needs to sort that defence out”.
Meanwhile, with Bacary Sagna and Carl Jenkinson both out injured, the manager says he has yet to decide who will play at right back against Stoke on Sunday.
“That’s what I have to sort out before the game and I have not decided. My options are Koscielny and Djourou.”
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Follow @northbanklower on Twitter and get the full Michael Thomas interview here
Managed many teams thomas? …
Hmmm…I didn’t you needed to be a manager to see that Arsenal’s sucks, has sucked, and hadn’t made any marginal progress. So, be smarmy all you want, but you’re simply whistling past the graveyard.
Do you have to have managed to have an opinion?!
Err , maybe , kInda, sorta… Yeah
then surely by posting here you’re going against what you believe? By posting and having an opinion, you are either a manager or a hypocrite 😉
I’m going into hybernation until after half term, I’ve noticed the quality of posts dips some when its school holidays.
Heard it all before, except the solution was Martin Keown, now its Steve Bould. This could be part of the solution, involve former players like Ajax but this will achieve little if our recruitment policy doesn’t change. We need to buy world class defenders of the Vidic, Vermaelen caliber and stop buying cheap alternatives. I hope Wenger buys one more top drawer quality CB in Jan, a player that is good enough to play for any side in the world. An experienced DM who will push Song all the way and challenge him or maybe play with him in certain… Read more »
Have we ever? still done pretty well though….
Can’t you see that the problem lies in midfield, not in defence. In 2004 or 2005, our defenders and keeper weren’t any better than we got today. But none of our current midfielders (apart form Jack) would get close to a starting place in 2004 or 2005. Most of them wouldn’t make the bench. So stop moaning about poor defenders when it’s quality midfielders we need.
Ain’t gonna happen with this board in place. No matter how obvious it is.
Yeh. Let’s buy a world class player in every position! Then we will win!!!!!…..
Wenger won’t change his coaching staff. World class players don’t want t come to Arsenal anymore. Arsenal players that get to anywhere near world class level leave for bigger clubs. Everyone has sussed how to play against our style of football.
If you can solve that lot we might stand a chance.
No side has ever finished in the top four having had the start we have had and i can’t see us changing that.
I’ll think you’ll find that Arsenal themselves have started this badly before and finished in the top 4
Everyone who says we can’t finish top four this year needs to look around. If not us, who? Liverpool? Shit. Spurs? Pure shit. Stoke? Absolute shit. Everton? Hahaha fulham
liverpool maybe, they don’t have any Europe action
Newcastle are there at the moment. They have as good a defensive record as anyone to date. A lot of draws, though.
If the Arsenal can string a few wins together, they’ll rocket up the table. Arsenal need points, not necessarily clean sheets.
I really think Kos can step up to the plate, hes getting better game by game
I don’t think the problem is Wenger and his coaching staff they have been at the club for a long time and no one moaned when we were bringing in the silverware. I think the real problem is that our current defence just isn’t as good overall as when you measure them up to our previous back 4 lineups. So even if Wenger did bring in a defence coach it may still not iron out the kinks that this current back 4 are currently having.
Everybody speaks but not everybody that understands soccer. Our current system allow defenders to push too forward and holding midfielders to get to opponents box. We have gud defenders but they are always exposed. All we need is adjustment of system to get results to match EPL. Our defenders do well in europe & not england bcos EPL is different. If Barca have our current defensive set up. The may not concede goals in la liga. All arsenal need is another striker. I won’t mind bringing back Adebayor
once you mentioned that massive twat, i discarded your comment
He does makes good points about the setup maybe suiting the team in Europe well apart from against he top CL clubs, the pace, physicality and intensity is different and many teams have played us week in week out. in the PL. Even The Invincibles did well domestically but in Europe it was a close call in our group, we have struggled to get that balance right. Another creative midfielder/winger wouldn’t go amiss but a striker the trouble is the system suits last seasons and present midfielders even then they lack a bit of discipline at times aswell as the… Read more »
Soccer/ adebayor? Thumbs down
Fuck adebayor
Sign a top class player…
Baptista
Reyes
Arshavin
Jeffers- Fox in box
Wiltord- 13m
Stepanovs – international capt
Luzhny – 70 caps for Ukraine
Name players are rarely perfect.
Who here knew Vidic Pre Man u? TV, PM, LK, AS. 4 top class CBs
Got to be honest, I’ve been one of the defences biggest critics but recently I’ve noticed that the so called midfield have been helping out with the defensive side of duties and that is our biggest problem! KOS a big plus, just hope people start laying of our (19 year old) full back!!
Can you people smell the coffee? Wenger is about to commit a tactical suicide. His only contenders for the right full back are: Djorou n Koscielny. Meaning that whether DJ played at rb or Kos does, our back four will be: Santos, DJ, Per n Kos. N God help me, I’m no doomer bt if Kos or Per crocks up, then what do we have? Squillaci. Meaning our back four might end up being: Santos, Per/Kos, Squilaci n Djorou. The thought of having either DJ or Squillaci in defence is terrifying, but the though of having both is an absolute… Read more »
Ayooye…..its football not soccer
I would like to see us switch to a 4-4-2 or 4-2-3-1 rather than a 4-3-3 we playing at the moment.. Our goals has dried up because of lack of that creative flair that Fab provided..
A second striker, may be park will balance the game
4-3-1-2 would be my preferred second formation with Gervinho in the attacking midfield position, as he likes dribbling and getting at defenders, and then Walcott and van Persie up front (i think Walcott get a lot of stick despite still only being 21),
Gives van Persie some help while letting him be a proper #10 instead of having to be a #9 & 10.
Fuck the formations just dreaming of Thomas
winner against scousers oh yes
IMHO, yes defensive problems need to be sorted out but it’s a team problem. If you want to play the style of football that Arsenal play, defending needs to be a team effort just like attacking. When we attack, we attack as a team and that should be the same for defending. There’s just a lack of effort. Arsenal plays as if they had sex before the game, no energy, no drive.
It will all change next season anyway with our current defensive coach retiring. I would expect Bould to step up to sidekick and possibly even be primed to takeover when (and if) Arsene retires. He’s certainly earned his stripes & deserves the chance to prove himself at the higher level.
[…] let’s not keep our hopes up for the latter.With all injuries, the battle for right back is between Djourou and Koscielny at the moment. Personally, I say keep Koscielny where he is excelling at, and place Benayoun at the […]