So after months of waiting, we’re finally back to our full compliment of left-backs. I think having natural full-backs in the team makes all the difference to our attack, giving the opposition defence that extra man to worry about. The difference that it has made to our team has been blatant. Unbeaten in seven, our attack looks like it can penetrate any team in the league at the moment, and a large amount of this is down to our full-backs.
On our right side, the chemistry between Bacary Sagna and Theo Walcott is improving with each passing game. Bacary never seems to run out of steam and his crossing has markedly improved during the last few seasons, giving our attack another dimension. Likewise, Theo seems to be benefiting from Bacary’s new found ability to win every single header from Wojciech Szczesny’s (occasionally erratic) kicks. Think back to the Newcastle game. I would say that 75% of our attack that match came from the right flank, with Theo having arguably his best game of the season, apart from perhaps the Blackburn game at The Emirates.
But this article is about the other side of our team, and more specifically, our two senior left-backs – Andre Santos, signed from Fenerbahce in the summer, and Kieran Gibbs, from our very own left-back production line.
We have not yet seen the development of any particular relationship on the left flank of our team for various reasons. These being:
1) Our two current left wingers, Gervinho and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, were not with us last season and so haven’t had much time to gel with their respective full-back.
2) Gibbs was the understudy to Gael Clichy last season and as a result, this is his first full season as a first-team regular.
3) Even though Gibbs is our first choice left-back, the England international is notoriously injury-prone and finds it difficult to put a string of games together.
4) Santos has been sidelined by a long-term injury, picked up in the Olympiakos game, from which he has only recently recovered.
So there are a number of reasons why we have less of a relationship on the left flank, but whilst some may see this as a bad thing, you could view it as an opportunity.
We’ve had almost a full season to judge the different permutations, so picking the best one should be easy, right? Not quite. You see, both of the left-backs have some seriously different qualities that could potentially decide the fate of a game. So let’s compare the two.
Santos all the way. He has more experience, better in the air, better tackler and way better offensively. Great at free kicks, shooting and at getting forward into dangerous positions and creating havoc. Santos overall brings a lot more to the team and makes it a lot more dangerous.
Every time Arsenal buy a player everyone jumps on the bandwagon saying they are not good enough, … blah blah blah, sometimes i can’t believe the things some people say, they have no clue about soccer, with Koscielny everyone was against him i knew he would be great, same with Santos. Some people have no clue, this guy is so much more than a left back, i can see him being used also as a left midfielder. Santos is the better choice.
Gibbs has improved recently and I’m glad that we now have two good leftbacks.
santos!!!!!!!!!!!!
You people are weird. Clearly Wenger, who will analyse their styles a million times more rigorously than the author, will, if they are both fully fit, either rotate them on the basis of differences in their ability (Santos is a more confident and tricky attacker and more confident in front of goal, but would be less of a Prem defensive left back, though is capable of cleverly dispossessing people in the way that Barca do – Gibbs is faster and has a different kind of attacking threat and a different sort of defensive style)….but more likely they would be rotated because of tiredness/fitness. If we have a fully fit squad, Arsene will rotate. Both players are capable. There is no ‘better’.
I like them both and at the moment wouldn’t mind who plays. Say a lot about about the quality backup we have
I’d have to go for Santos because he’s a major threat going forwards, he has skills to go past people and his crosses are pinpoint. Gibbs can learn a lot from the guy who replaced Roberto Carlos FACT. I like Gibbs a lot but Santos just edges it. He’s already doubled Clichys goal tally and he’s only played half a season. He knows a forwards game and can pick out that killer pass because of this.
first u must knw tht tha two players are in diffrnt forms.bt i prefer santos as mch gbbs s gud
i don’t mind for wenger to rotate them. our left flank is not the same with right flank. theo would hug the touchline while gervinho/alex ox would come inside. so our left back must be skillful enough to be a winger too since they’ll have all the flank to themselves. santos clearly more skillful than gibbs but gibbs got more pace to burn.
rotate them wisely..
depend on our enemy..
it’s the best for me..
rotate them wisely..
Neither can defend whatsoever-as their playing description should indicate.The only threat to the Arsenal goal against Villa,occurred when Gibbs had vacated the defensive left half of the pitch.I would offer Gibbs to Everton in a part-exchange for Baines in an instant but this isn’t going to happen!Santos was a panic buy with similar defensive frailties!