Arsene Wenger has again given props to Calum Chambers for the way he responded to a poor first half performance against Liverpool, but admitted the 20 year has suffered from a loss of confidence over the last few months.
His initital displays for the club were hugely promising – both at right back and centre-half – but a difficult game against Swansea seemed to dent his belief, and he subsequently lost his place to Hector Bellerin.
However, the manager think he’s got what it takes to prove he’s a good player, and praised his response on Monday.
“He has lost a bit of confidence compared to the player he was last year,” said Wenger.
“I have spoken to him and he’s a strong footballer, a dedicated player who is ready to work day and night. He has the talent to be a good player.
“He showed character.The positive of the night, he did not have the best performance in the first half, was the way he recovered.
“He showed his mental strength.”
Although Laurent Koscielny was in the training pictures today, it’s not 100% that he’ll be fit for the game against Newcastle, in which case Chambers will partner Gabriel once again, at St James’ Park.
One in the chamber.
Is better than two in the debuchy?
Cringe
Drunk
Don’t cringe. I thought it was pretty good 🙂
Ironically our first clean sheet was with the makeshift defence (Gabriel/Chambers)
Because of Cech and Liverpool not being clinical. Not to forget, Bellerin had nervy moments too. So did Cazorla. More like the whole team with exception of Cech and Ozil.
Yeah but i will still perefer the two than debuch or monreal playing there
Coq was responsible for saving his teammates on a few occasions.
I don’t know why his performance is being over analysed. A 20 yr old kid learning his trade in an area where he has started a handful of games. He was called out of the blue against one of the good teams in premier league without much practice and found it tough to handle. Any player will find it tough if you haven’t played as many games and suddenly start against Liverpool. He will be a top top player.(Just imagine Sylvester or squillster starting against Liverpool and I would have been wetting my pants)
Kinda hope he starts again tomorrow. The boy has talent and he is gonna show it sooner rather than later. I believe he can become a top class cb.
Had he played for a lowly team, people wouldn’t have said a word.
He’s playing for Arsenal who have the ambition of winning the PL title which means that football must be played at the top level. He was the weakest link in that performance. That’s the truth.
for fuck’s sake he’s 4th choice, he’s a kid, and he’s learning his trade and was thrown in the deep end against an attack that includes coutinho and benteke. Get behind the lad and go easy on him, we’ve got a superb talent on our hands and it is as much our responsibility to develop his career and plan for the future as it is to focus on building a team capable of winning the league. We’ve got 3 players ahead of him in the pecking order and if that isn’t enough for the majority of the games we have… Read more »
How often does a 20 year-old with barely any Premier League experience get told, only an hour before a game, that he’s going to have to start against one of the best teams in the country, in a position he’s not fully adjusted to, and pair up with a centre-half he’s never played with before who only joined the club a few months ago and doesn’t speak a word of English? This is a guy who was thrown right in at the deep end, make no mistake. He is still a great young talent and will bloom in years to… Read more »
I will put me head on the block. The kid won’t make it at Arsenal. It was a 16 million rik. I like his attitude but he ain’t no right right back as he is to slow and awkward and I’m afraid he won’t make a top drawer centre back either. This is not based on one game but looking at him whenever he played last season. A massive liability though the fans like him so release the thumb down hounds.
Were we watching the same player? I thought he was excellent whenever I saw him at centre-half last season. The guy is no right-back, I’ll give you back. But given that we have arguably the best young right-back in the world in our team, I’m not too worried about Chambers’ ability to play there.
*give you that
He was excellent in the charity shield against city and not too bad in first couple of games and that’s what we hold on to sometimes, our first impression. He was however a liability after that and that’s why we struggled and fell away in the league race. We picked up very well when kos returned. We were watching the same player it’s just I’ve moved on from my first impression which was wow what a fantastic prospect.
Sorry, but you are very much mistaken. Calum, while not a natural right back did very well there last season in the opening games. And did a fine job as center-back when called upon. I think the difference here is that firstly, he hasn’t played a lot of games, and secondly he was playing alongside the much more assured center-backs (in regards to the EPL). That’s not to say I think Gabriel is a bad player, far from it, and given time I think he will become a very strong member of the squad, if not first choice. Whatis good… Read more »
Don’t give up the day job fella. After a positive start he was awful at right back and centre back. Take off the ride tinted glasses.
Don’t give a fuck what people say.
The guy will come good.
Off topic: I just read Gary Neville’s piece in today’s Telegraph. He makes a point of praising AW and walking back the “arrogance” charge a bit, but his arguments are pretty compelling and damning, in my opinion. It’s with a read at least. Would love for someone to explain why he is wrong about our beloved club.
Worth a read I meant…
The only bit of that article that justifiably annoyed me was when he mentioned the height of our midfield. Coquelin and Cazorla are exactly the same height as Keane and Scholes.
You’re absolutely right. And which one was the destroyer out of Carrick and Scholes. Title-winning midfield.
I don’t know why so many fans use his first half performance to prove he is not good enough, yet totally ignore his second half performance, which was very good, and if anything could be termed exceptional due to the fact that he had such a poor first half. I never seen even an experienced CB turn a performance around so much in one game. It suggests he has not only great ability but massive character. I thank God that when Keown and Adams were starting out on their careers that they did not have to cope with the rantings… Read more »
Think Tony Adams and ray parlour, both had pretty unspectacular starts to their arsenal careers before going on to becoming legends – keep the faith
“It’s only Calum Chambers…”
off topic, but where is rambling Pete?? I am a big big fan of his ramblingsh (if there’s any English word like that). NB- if found kindly bring him back on
should do a series with him called the chamber of secrets 😛
I’m sorry but Wenger has to take some responsibility for this. Chambers was asked to do too much too soon – & in positions that didn’t suit him.
The kid clearly has talent so let’s hope he bounces back.
I suspected that Wenger had tweaked Koscielny’s back, but he infected Per, too? The man is absolutely diabolical! 😉
In all seriousness, I don’t know what Wenger is supposed to do with a 20 yr old fourth choice CB to get him ready for a surprise start. I think we’re maybe asking too much.
I was referring to last season when we repeatedly played him out of position against some serious opposition. It damaged his confidence – as Wenger himself admits. At that point we had no option but to play him due to injuries and lack of alternatives, but the choice not to strengthen at the back was Wenger’s. He rectified that with Gabriel in January but – as far as Chambers was concerned the damage was done. That’s what I meant by Wenger having to take some of the responsibility for Chambers’ current struggles with confidence. Hopefully, he’ll regain his equilibrium and… Read more »
really? you don’t think wenger could’ve prepared this kid for the match? seems like that bloke at westham had that 16 year old pretty damn prepared to put ozil in his pocket at the emirates first game of the season. can we stop making excuses for wenger. a young player like chambers needs to be drilled and drilled and drilled to perform his task on the day. it’s his job to be ready for a surprise start. that’s why we paid $16M for him. and coaching him is up to the manager and coaching staff. no player should be unprepared… Read more »
The circumstances are completely different, Oxford had been preparing to start against Arsenal all week, probably longer given it was the first game after pre-season. He was mentally ready for it. Chambers was thrown in an hour before the game having had no chance to prepare himself at all.
wow – i’m confused. don’t these guy’s train together? if wenger and bould are preparing kos and per for the game shouldn’t gab and chambers be right there as well? or are they playing cards in the back? unprepared? then play for a different club. this is arsenal.
Most Arsenal fans seem brainwashed, giving Wenger all kind of excuses, that’s why he’s been able to last 10 years without a league title abd counting. Ridiculous fan base
Chambers is supposed to be training for the role – correct. As always, I might guess the input given to him prior to the game nerved him out. Also, whilst Cech had a great game I find it a little dubious he is given credit for being a calming influence. When was this? It wasn’t in the first half. Chambers is a talent but I am beginning to question why/how the club felt compelled to buy him when they did (with precious little first team experience at Southampton) and for the price he cost. I think there might have been… Read more »
Wenger played him last season because we needed him to play due to injuries. If he hadn’t, people would be asking why we bothered buying him if he wasn’t going to play. When you’re trying to develop a player you have to play him at some point, to gain experience. And don’t forget he was playing well. I think, when he struggles with ball distribution, it’s more of a confidence/nerves problem. He was in a high pressured situation against Liverpool, made worse because of the circumstances (our bad start to the season, being chucked in at the deep end due… Read more »
Stones would be a lovely addition. Class. He’ll end up at Chelsea though… to replace that Fat racist scum bag Terry. Him and Chambers could be first choice for both us and England. Per has a season in him at best, maybe 2. Kos relies on his pace and ability to nick the ball much like Stones. He wont have that pace and injuries will pile up for Kos at some stage. Gabriel could be a diamond in the rough though. Another Kos like find from the boss.. Hes got it all.
How anyone doubts Wenger is beyond me.
Seriously?
Stones hasn’t left Everton for 40 million plus, but somehow he might be a ‘lovely addition’ for us?
But we dominated second half and Calum was never put under pressure. Difficult to say if his second half was better when he hardly was involved. On another note I cant believe pro footballers have such weak mentalities that they carry with them one bad game several months ago. Get over it, it was a bad game, pick yourself up and focus on the future cause there is nothing you can do about the past, so Meaningless even spending energy on it. To many spoiled kids who never tasted adversity growing up and the simplest thints just destroys their confidence… Read more »
His actual defending was pretty good, I think it’s more that his distribution and passing was a bit dodgy in the first half, some of which was down to Liverpool spotting a potential weak link in our team and putting him under pressure.I also think it’s a good sign that he came through it and gave a much better showing in the second half. That was a very difficult situation for a young player who has barely played in that position to cope with, give the lad a break eh?
Seb Squillaci, Pascal Cygan, Phillippe Senderos, Igor Stepanovs, Andy Linighan…
This boy’s got a lot to live up to, to match these legendary 4th choice CBs.
well, we´ve got to the CL Final with Senderos and he was starting the FA Cup final 2005. i think he was not so bad for a certain time. but you are right with all the others, they give me shivers…
and you have forgotten Djourou who was also like a 4th choice CB.
Andy Linighan wasn’t so bad. He scored a goal in the Cup Final. It might have been the winner. But you left off Willie Young who was First Choice CB and a couldn’t kick a ball to save his life.
Western kids get messed up by any little thing. So he had a bad game half a year ago, why would you let that bring you down and wreck your confidence? But alas when you have grown up in freedom behind a Playstation with unconditional love and support from your parents who wrap you up in bubble plastic to keep you from harm then I guess a bad game might seem like the end of the world since it is way worse than anything you have ever experienced before. But when you have grown up in the favela of South… Read more »
Oh and how can I forget the awesome Mikael Sylvestre?
I hope young Calum has watched all his arsenal performances on video to learn a thing or two.
The boy’s head is in the right place. The feet will soon follow.
Admit it, the only thing that he’s got going for him is his age, he’s english and his transfer fee…Centrebacks who are good they started good and then become great…Look at Chambers, he has a great physique and body for one but lacks absolutely the positional and defensive instincts and IQ to hold the position. Can he improve on that? Maybe, but I’d say there’s compelling evidence he’s not that stable of a centreback, he just lacks that footballing IQ. He can improve but his ceiling is low. He may become an acceptable CB but not a great one that… Read more »
Honestly, I have no doubt at all that chambers would be awesome for us. I have high hopes for him.
Signing Virgil Van Dijk would be a better solution
Kid has played a handful of matches for us and he lacks IQ? If he had played as many matches as stones we would be talking of Mert has to go now. Give him a break. I believe he’s going to be a great cb for us one day
He can hardly say he’s sh*t before he has to use him in a match, can he?
Our defence won’t be the problem against the zebras, we can barely score as it is.
Good hair!
Let s keep giving Wenger and players excuses for not performing; maybe for another 10 years??