Arsenal News 24/7Writer: Tom14 
Date:Saturday January 3 2009
Time: 7:20PM
UK time is: 09:02:36
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Plymouth Player Ratings
Fabianski - Some good saves but looked a bit uncomfortable at times. 6
Sagna - Usual self. Great at the back and got forward well. Useful crosses and combination play with Eboue. 7
Gallas - Calm and did well with what he had to deal with. A few nervous moments with set pieces (the team as a whole rather than him as an individual. 6.5
Djourou - Same as Gallas. I still think he needs to get a bit more nasty and tough before he can become a top player but he has the qualities. 6.5
Silvestre - Nothing much there. Subbed off early. 6 (until the sub)
Gibbs - Like Clichy reincarnate but he has a lot more skill and a better shot. He needs to learn how to play the position in terms of defense but this performance was promising. 7.5
Eboue - Linked well with Sagna and had a few decent efforts. Not enough produced though in my opinion. I think comparing his performance to Nasri`s highlights the need for another wide player with quality. 6
Wilshere - Not much time on the pitch. Unfair to criticize a few bad passes.
Ramsey - Seems too hesitant to do well. He had a decent game but all too often he tried to do something special or did not have the "picture" that Fabregas has. He will be a top class player in time. 6
Diaby - Good performance form the big lad. Box to Box all game and helped Ramsey throughout. Not enough produced for a player with his qualities but he will be in for a shout alongside Denilson at Bolton. 7
Nasri - Fantastic. He was simply amazing. All across the pitch, defending, creating and shooting well. Set up both of van Persie`s goals and had a brilliant match. If we had two Nasri`s (one on the right as well) we would be up there at the top. 9
Vela - Put in a good shift on the left wing. Always looks to go past players, inside or out, and even created a few chances. Should have had a shot on a few occasions but chose to pass. 7
Van Persie - Good performance as both the link man and up on his own. He has finally stated to perform on a regular basis. But his finishing isn`t half inconsistent. If he could sharpen up in front of goal he would be lethal, at the moment he could miss a sitter and smack one in form 20 yards in the same game. 8
Bendtner - I liked this performance. He looked like what he should be. Big, strong and clever on the ball. If he tightened up his skills and the way he uses his body more effectively, he could be a brilliant player. He has some work to do. 7.5
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Your Comments
Nasri needs to stay as our creative central midfielder while Cesc is out in my opinion. My apologies for the lack of a match preview, as I've been in and out of the doctors office the last couple of days.
gunnerkid107
Go me! But the Nasri in the middle thing is a bis risky. Then we would lose him as a wide player. We would ahve to play Vela and Eboue at the moment.
Tom14
I agree it could be a bit risky, but I think his talent as creator can be better utilized in the centre of the park rather than out wide with Fabregas out.
gunnerkid107
Yeah, unfortunately he's pretty much our only real option on the left, but if we get a wide midfielder, we could move him into Cesc's role
TPowell
I like Fabianski, he comes for everything. their is a confidence and presence about his game that Almunia though a decent keeper lacks. Plymouth simply didnt know how to deal with Nasri when he had the free role behind RVP, he looks far more comfortable their but how to accomodate him in this position on a regular basis?
iceman10
Yay, Tomf's famous now! :D
GoonerLou
wilshere should of been givin more of a run out he is gona b very good as we can all see and he just isnt gettin the minutes hopefully he will be used more this season
Arsenal_1_Best
Largely agree with these ratings. I reflect iceman's sentiments about Fabianski absolutely, he is a keeper that is positive and takes risks. Almunia doesn't and is hesitant, in time, Fabianski's confidence will stand him in much better stead than Almunia and I think next season he will be in a really strong position to be number 1. I also liked the rating for Bendtner because that boy got nothing but ***** today in the stadium for absolutely everything he did, even when he made a simple pass he was berated and I, like you Tom, thought he was half decent today. Not special, but he did his job and won most of his headers too. The last two games have seen us revert to Bendtner out wide and Nasri central where I agree he looks good. Hopefully that can go some way to answering our problems creatively.
Little Dutch
Its a bit puzzling to see Bendtner out wide, as he is the best header amongst the starting 11 today. But he did contribute positively (I only saw the 2nd half). Also, we've looked far more impressive in the 4-4-1-1 this season either with Diaby or Nasri jst behind the striker. We used the same formation to ery good effect last season when RvP was injured. Perhaps, thats the way to go, for a few games, till we get our confidence back.
prits
I could make this a permanent thing If you like. Hows the money?
Tom14
Bendtner enjoys the extra space he gets on the flanks. He has always had a midfielders eye for a pass and with that little bit more time his ideas seem better executed. I think because of his size we tend to pigeon hole him as a striker/front man. I suspect that really isn't his game. Similarly we look upon RvP as a link man or 2nd striker but he is far and away our most dangerous player in the box. He finds space in the box easier than Ade or Bendtner too. With Nasri there is a greater creative mobility ability those 3 players. It might not work in every game but if we can find the right midfield format behind them it could work well in most. At least it gets us away from the obsession with long balls and hopeful crosses that have afflicted our game at times over the last year or so.
Amos.
The big problem with van Persie is his inconsistant finishing. If he converted more chances he would be World Class. At the moment, he seems a bit too here or there. But Nasri in behind him with Eboue on the right and a left midfield signing seems a good way forward for me. With Denilson and Diaby in the middle.
Tom14
rosicky.... come on...
korodon
A BIG problem???? RvP has 12 goals in 21 starts so as he hasn't scored in every single game I guess that makes him inconsistent and it a BIG problem does it? I think sometimes he does try to hit the ball too hard but even so having hit the woodwork 12 times this season he can also count himself a little unlucky. There is no other forward in our squad that carries anything like the individual goal threat that RvP does - with the possible exception of Eduardo.
Amos.
For me Eduardo does not carry much of an individual goal threat. Yes he is the best finisher, but he usually needs someone else to set him up, unlike van Persie who can create a goal from nothing.
gunnerkid107
Fair ratings overall Tomf. Only can't believe you're still going on about RvP's finishing!! As Amos said he's giving us a goal every other game this season, matching the likes of Anelka, Robinho and Zaki. Just wondering if you're gonna use that old argument 'with the number of chances we create, he's bound to score' with Ade before on RvP now lol.
GoonerLou
Unfortunately I didn't see the game and had to settle for live radio commentary but it certainly seemed as if Nasri was great in central midfield and RVP always a threat. However it did seem that there were a few defensive 'moments' and this is an area that must be sorted out. We need the team to take more pride in it's defensive capabilities and clean sheets should be relished in the same way that scoring 4 or 5 goals is; then we would win something. I think Fabianski is still some way off being the 'keeper we need as is Djourour from being one of the central defenders we need although both show great promise. However, perhaps those who claim that we must spend big to win should consider for a moment the results of Chelsea and Man City - big spend doesn't always get big results but it can bugger up the club finances to the extent that everything is ruined and I think we'll see more evidence of that elsewhere as the year progresses and the bubbles burst.
norfolk dumpling
I can think of that Eduardo goal against Man City when, with his back to goal, he took the ball on his chest and hammered it home as pretty individual. I agree that RvP can fashion a goal for himself more readily than most though.
Amos.
His goal against Sheffied United in the CC (first one if I remember rightly) was all his own work too.
Rocky7
Didn't RvP start out his career mostly playing on the wing for Feyenoord? So he's not a 'natural' finisher like an Eduardo, perhaps more a Cristiano Ronaldo (in terms of being a generally highly skilful and technically brilliant front player). In that sense his return is excellent.
Gooner_Vin
Im not having a go at van Persie but a player who has as many "easy" chances as he does should score more goals. 12 in 21 is fine, but that is not really a strike rate that would win us the league. When you consider that nobody else seems to score that many either. And when we also consider that he is more of a striker than an off the front man kind of player, he should score more goals. You can disagree about him being flakey or inconsistent, but you cannot argue that he should score more goals in this Arsenal team.
Tom14
You could argue that everybody should score more goals in this team. Has RvP missed more 'easy' chances than any other striker? Bear in mind also that he has been playing as a link player and on occassions wide left this season. It is in that context that you should be judging his scoring rate - not that individual scoring rate is enough to win the league anyway. Play him further forward and you may well see more goals and perhaps more importantly goals that are derived more from intelligent movement and skill on the ball rather than hopeful punts into the box.
Amos.
I agree. I usually agree with you. But there is always the question of "could they do better?". Adebayor and Bendtner should also score more (less so Bendtner because he has less chances) so its not an attack on him individually. But there are some chances...god they look easier to miss.
Tom14
argh! They looked easier to score than miss...!
Tom14
12 goals in 21 games could well end up as 20 in 38 if he continues like this, and that certainly is league winning form. RvP doesnt miss more 'easy' chances than any other top class striker. The likes of Drogba, Anelka, Rooney, Berba, Torres all miss their fair share of 'easy' chances. The fact that other team members arent scoring cannot be used to criticise RvP. He is doing a good job.
prits
I am not stating anything other than the fact that he misses easy chances on several occasions. I am not having a go at van Persie. Don't take my criticism of him the wrong way. The guy is **** ace! But I disagree that they miss just as many as other top class finishers. Play him in this role for the rest of the season and he will improve his strike rate in my opinion, but if we revert to the 442 alongside Ade I think he would decline once again.
Tom14
hey you won didnt you....whats the problem.......doesnt matter how many you miss as long as you score more than the opposition.....
lincolnblue
remember RVP is having his "first" injury free season in the last 3. so give the guy a break. i agree he misses, and some might be easy chances. but so has every other striker in the league. the way i see it, at least he is not caught offside 5-6 times a game like ade. rvp has better positional sense and as already mentioned, he has the ability to carve out chances for himself out of nothing. we need to appreciate that he sometimes provide the "individual" brilliance which lifts the team's morale and gives us fans something to cheer for. i was growing tired of watching us of all people kicking long balls to ade. rvp's recent resurgence is a sight for sore eyes indeed.
supersof
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