Wenger: We're Good Enough, But Not Tall Enough!
-
Wenger: We're Good Enough, But Not Tall Enough!
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has admitted that his side are lacking in height at the centre of their defence, but insists that the team have enough experience and ability to mount a challenge this season...
It's been a well documented fact that Arsenal are potentially vulnerable to aerial threats from set-pieces this season as their defence is lacking in height. Brede Hangeland scored for Fulham against the Gunners from a free-kick delivered into the box, and Daniel Cousin rose highest to head Hull into a decisive 2-1 lead at the Emirates this weekend to hand Arsenal two league defeats.
Manager Arsene Wenger is aware of the problem with the relatively diminutive William Gallas and Kolo Toure in the heart of the backline and has hinted that the 6'3 Johan Djourou could be drafted in for some vital inches at the back.
However, the Frenchman maintains that his side are not lacking in ability, but need to improve their defending as a whole. "I believe that we have more a size problem than quality in our defending problem. Our centre backs are not very tall. I don't know what we can do. It's not only centre backs who defend. As a team we are a bit short. "I do not necessarily think it's inexperience. We gave them too much room on the first goal and we didn't clear the ball on the second one, and that's basically it.
Arsenal's second defeat of the season, and they are yet to face a fellow top-four team, has left them in a dangerous position at this relatively early point. Wenger is eager that the side's defensive lapses are rectified and that they can bounce back in time for their next fixture.
He continued: "I don't know how many games we can afford to lose in the league. What is important now is to recover and prepare for the next one. Can we afford to lose not one more? I don't know." -
ok lah, not really as short as SWP type lah, terry also not quite tall but doing fine.
-
lalalaa joecole so short also cans core with head
exquse so much..
-
Ya loh.Fabio Cannavaro is also considered very short for a centre-back.1.76m.
It all about the intelligence and positioning.
-
As an arsenal fan im really disappointed this time with wenger's excuse this time... I still feel it's poor defending on gallas' part. If he had made the move ahead of the person he's marking he could have cleared the ball away. Even Cannavaro also can.
It's hard to pinpoint where the problem lies in the gunners defence too. Could be poor positioning by the players in the box, there is no "free" players guarding in the box too.
-
problem is cannavaro is a great defender.. gallas is a lazy ass
-
when gallas leave chelsea. everyone is saying that gallas is a better defender den terry.. gallas is covering terry.. but now gallas in arsenal. seems that he making alot of mistake.. seems that terry is better..
-
When Gallas left Chelsea, the reason was he was playing out of position as a right back, left back and not a centre back where he wanted to be... He became a utility man for them... Another thing we can take note is... When Gallas was at Chelsea, the whole team was defending most of the time as a squad but over at Arsenal, only the defenders are doing the defending most of the time as the midfielders and striker are only interested in attacking...
So it helps when big guys like Drogba, Lampard and Carvalho were there. There is no doubt of Gallas's overall quality in the defends, he is still a very good defender on the ground as well as in the air, the only thing is he don't get enough help from his team mates... and the height of Toure, Clichy and Sagna his defensive partners, all very good on the ground but not exactly the best in the air. And add to it all their central midfielders of Fabregas and Denilson, the ones you expect to help out in defensive duties are also very small size and rather short players too... Gallas need someone like a Rio Ferdinand by his side cos Toure is just too small size.
So I feel Wenger does has a point here... I belief you can have one short guy, maybe two, at worst three. But all 4 not very tall... This is a vulnerable area... And will prove costly to them.
-
if their strikers have been more potent - they would have been 3-0 up or more. So what if they are not tall enough? If they can score more than they let in - its still a win.
-
if AW knows he lack height in the middle of defence, why still loan out senderos?
i think at times, senderos could be useful to handle some of the team that like to play tough and rough.
AW has only himself to blame.
when arsenal was winning trophy, one of the ket attributes was center of defence.
steve bould, tony adams, sol campbell.
-
I dont know-Italians are genrally shorter than the Anglo Saxons. I once saw a Spain vs Germany match and at the handshake line up, you could see the size difference. The Germans were at least half as bibg as their Spanish opponents. At 1.76 Cannavaro may have been tall enough. Also Italians play on the floor and very little in the air-most European teams do.
In ENglish football, players (especially) at lower levels (even in EPL) are massive. In fact I'd like to do a paper on the correlation between size and success in football. The smaller teams seem to be more succesfull. (Because football is a game of balance smaller players have more balance).
Look at Man U-not many big players. Chelsea-same. Arsenal-same. Liverpool-also same.
Look at the Newcastle Uniteds, Spurs Wigan etc - what are their sizes anyone know how I can get the stats?