As Le-Boss whittled down the team sheet for the game against Fenerbahce Johan Djourou must have been sitting there listening through gritted teeth. He wasn't starting again.
Johan Djourou is one of our brightest talents at the club and he now finds himself as the FIFTH choice centre back, for a player of his quality that is criminal.
Song is a player who doesn't have a position that he can call his own, a "jack of all trades" if you like yet he is picked in front of Djourou. I can't understand it!
I think Song is a player that every squad needs, he can provide cover but he shouldn't be played at the expense of someone like Djourou, especially at the back, an area we struggle in at the best of times.
Djourou has shown that he is ready and more than capable of a starting place in the Arsenal side. I believe when he and Gallas began the season as a partnership we looked more solid than we have done in a long time.
Instead Djourou finds himself on the bench despite our regular partnership of Gallas and Toure unavailable. What does the boy have to do to play?
Keep it Goonerish...........
42 comments:
Djourou was just coming back from injury. Song and Silvestre finished the Everton game without incidence. At the back, stability counts, and Arsene went for that.
It's quite easy to grasp really. You just have to think about it.
Again, you go too far with your headline and the subject of your post. He wasn't selected for one game, and his future is now in doubt.
Blooger please!!
My thoughts exactly. Djourou is a special talent and to have Song ahead of him in selection is diabolical.
Song is a midfielder not a defender and Djourou deserves a chance.
ole gunner said everything that I was just about to type....
Ole Gunner and Nathan it goes back far beyond just one game.
Remember at the beginning of the season when Djourou and Gallas were picked, how solid was the partnership?
Then as soon as Toure is available, Djourou is out of the side. Just like that.
Is that stability like you say? I dont think so. Its quite easy to grasp really. You just have to think about it.
Well said Wrighty!
Sort of puts that argument into touch!
Djourou has Toure ahead of him because Toure is a better defender with much more experience. This happens in every single club in the world. Alex goes back to the bench once Carvalho or Terry is fit. O'Shea goes back to the bench once Evra's back.
There was a time when Toure was a young player who had to play second fiddle too.
His time will come and I think evemn he understands that very very well.
I don't see any cloud over his future.
AW clearly rates Djourou because he let Big Phil go and has extended his contract.
Just because song started on tuesday doesnt mean Djourou won't play on sunday.
Wrighty see you changed your argument to make your intial point. You first talked about Song v Djourou and when you were correctly called on it you changed your topic to Djourou v Toure. Are you serious you'd want Djourou to be on the pitch instead of Toure based on your perception that he is better somehow. Something that Wenger would obviously know a little more about. This has been a trend of Wenger's that he doesn't just throw players in there all the time if he is happy with what he has.
I agree with Wrighty and I think Sunday will tell us a lot. can wenger continue ignoring the clubs best defender in favour of players like Song and Silvestre who have been at the club shorter amounts of time? Djourou has done his time and has waited a long time and only ever put in superb performances for us - without a shadow of a doubt he deserves more games.
and as for the argument that Toure is a better defender than Djourou???! please do me a favour. Not in the last 12 months he hasn't been thats for sure.
But is the stability in that mate?
Thats why some players like Toure are complacent, there is no competition for places.
Djourou should have been kept in the side on merit. What message does it send out to players?
I agree with Wrighty, Djourou must be disgusted.
Everyone can see that he is better than Song OR Toure.
I haven't changed my argument to Djourou v Toure. I was using that as an example of stability.
Wrighty I can't believe you put up with these comments mate. All you twats that get on here to give him shit piss off. He gives it a go, he actually does something, what do you all do but complain about nothing. Get a life!
We ran a poll this morning and 90% of Arsenal fans think that Djourou is better then Song
http://thegoonerforum.wordpress.com/2008/10/23/djourou-or-song/
I think the title is spot on.
Time after time Djourou is over-looked for selection and its about time that he is given a proper run in the side.
As Wrighty says, he played well and deserves his chance. He must be seething at not being picked for the likes of Song.
everyone has a point here, i agree Djourou is a class act, im sure Arsene knows this. He will see the players every day in training. Maybe its to do with a left sided/right sided compatibility thing.....anyway, hoping for ainw sunday, dont give a fuck what the team is to be honest!
Lets see who Le Boss plays on Sunday as Djourou had been suffering from concussion, then we'll have a clearer idea of what's going on.Personally I don't think Toure/Gallas works and crazy as it sounds I'd like to give Toure/Djourou a go.. Kolo seems to play better when he has a big old fashioned centre half as a partner. Bring back Big Phil anyone ?
Come on Wrighty7, we should all know that Djourou is rated aboove Song as CB. Even before he was loaned out to Birmingham, there were strong indications that AW just wanted him to be playing continuously before January 2008. Alas, injuries made that impossible. This season, Senderos has practically been sold to AC Milan, leaving Djourou and Song. Djourou is just recovering from injury and AW would not have wanted to risk him as a starter in turkey when he's not had even a game after recovery. let's relax and allow the team find it's rhythm. Why sow seeds of discontent in our own team when we can simply watch and learn
Djourou is a much better partner for both Gallas and Toure. I really hope that Wenger picks him ahead of Song this weekend. The only reason he wasnt picked on Tuesday was because he was coming back from injury. Toure injured is a blessing in disguise.
I personally enjoy a blog that doesn't rehash everything all the others are saying. The best Arsenal blogs all run the same crap every day. I follow one and ignore the rest. Wrighty doesn't always get it right but at least it's unique and refreshing. This is a very underrated blog.
I thought Djourou-Song was the strongest available partnership. And I am a big fan of Johann Djourou. But I have no illusions about which of Djourou or Toure I would pick.
And I won't wank around about his future being in question because he didn't play one game. Screw that.
Thanks Trennon!
Ole,
As I've said mate, its not just about one game and I hope you are right that his future isn't under a cloud.
Wrighty,
I really don't see where the cloud is. When Toure was injured earlier in the season, Djourou played. And then we let Senderos go to Milan, and gave Djourou a new improved contract.
The evidence that his Arsenal future is bright is 99% to the 1% it's not.
I love Djourou and genuinely believe he deserves his chance this season for a long run in the team. However, I dont believe that he'll be disappointed of dis- heartened after being left out recently in favour of Song as he had suffered a bad blow to the head during in the international break. Wenger rates the boy..no doubt and I would play him alongside Gallas. I love Toure but his form since the last ACN has been shocking and if it were he that had joined us from Chavski, he would have been hammered from all angles this season.
I have no doubts about his ability but it does seem that he's living off peoples affection for him based on past glories. Gallas does have his faults and got slated for the Fulham goal but if you watch it again, it was actually Toure's man that got away and scored.
take it easy. gallas and silves both 30+ and at most will play for another 2 season. after that djourou will be the first choice. at the moment he still lack experiance and match fitness as he just came back from injury. im sure he'll get to play in the next couple of games.
We looked better at the start of the season with Djourou playing in defence, and Eboue as DM - Denilson just doesn't cut it as an enforcer/midfield general. Eboue's not great in that description, but overall we were better off. Johann's brill, and I'm not surprised he was chosen ahead of Phil
A new contract means nothing these days mate, but I completely understand your points Ole.
I think we may just have to agree to disagree.
silvestre comes in from Man u and walks straight into the team. I hope that was purely down to JDs concussion and nothing else. if silv stays in the team then its blatently unfair because JD did not put a foot wrong in the opening 2 games or the CC game and he still gets dropped as soon as there is an alternative. silv scored an own goal and did not look that solid. dont get me wrong I rate him above Song as a centre back but no where near Djourou.
Very good point Gazzap. I guess we will find out on sunday!
Wrighty;
Agree with you fella.
Song aint a right back, he aint a centre back, he should be used as cover for Diaby, Denilson, Randall and the who ever's left in the centre. He is shite! He, like Senderos is being given numerous chances where Djourou is not.
If Wenger looks at the performance of Song against Everton and Fene, then there is only one option; To stick Johan in with Silvestre. But it won't happen, as once again, Wenger will be stubborn as everyone else feels he is wrong, so he will stick to his guns.
BTW;
I aint jumping on any bandwagon here as Ive been championing Djourou since last year.
The lad should be given a chance and seeing how we are missing Gallas and Kolo it just makes no sense to stick with the injury prone, accident waiting to happen that is Song, instead of Johan who, given time, will turn out to be a top class defender.
But then again, i think Wenger likes his defenders to be erratic, bumbling and basically shite!
Spike, we see eye to eye for a change mate!
LOL
dijouro has an extemly bright future,he just needs to patient for his chance,i do think he would be a better partner for gallas,plus toure seems to be in bad form right now but having said that so is gallas,i do feel that silvestor needs to given a chance,from what i have seen of song he seems very solid and nal yet so he needs to given chance andstrong but does seem very fast,and i dont think wenger has made up his mind on him yet but he is another player that has huge future ahead of him, he not played full season at arsenal and he needs time to develop a partnership with fab and so far its been shared between delinson and song and plus diaby is now healthy,for me both players just need to given time both are extremly tanented but are both raw and have not realy played first team a full season i think wenger wants use them in carling cup to give them evon more experience, and he wenger wants to use more experienced players silvestor,gallas and toure
Djourou is simply not going to get a lot of games ahead of Silvestre, Gallas, and Toure. While Arsene will play young players a lot we have to practical at times. DJ is 21. He's a fine player but CB requires greater experience. Very few 21/22 year olds play CB for big European teams.
He'll get his chance at a full run-out in a year or two. Gallas is wearing thin on everyone and Silvestre was brought in knowing he is far from a long-term solution.
you go on about Djourou like you have dinner together.
He's very prone to costly mistakes and like Song, needs and experienced and calm head next to him.
Our problem is that our so called experienced players are possibly more shakey than the youth.
We need a couple of commanding center backs.
This whole issue of defensive midfielder can be resolved very easily: the team has to defend as a team. This means defending from front to back. I've seen on countless occassions people duely strolling through our midfield.
It doesn't have to be a particular persons' job to drop close to the defence.
We do have dinner together.....
Wrighty
We do agree every now and then fella!
BTW; Isnt it Johan's turn to cook tonight?
Yeah Spike we're having poached egg on toast
LOL
Totally agree with you wrighty, pal.
I hope wenger isnt going to become stubborn over song, just to prove a point.
His performances against everton and fener left alot to be desired.
JD did well at the start of the season and deserves to play against west ham.
If song isnt dropped wenger will have questions to answer.
Ole gunner doesnt grasp the concept of football, he's more interested in stats.
Jd had concussion, and that was over a week ago. You dont lose fitness with concussion after a week. it not like he had a torn hamstring and has been out for a year. He came off the bench at fener, he was fit enough to start.
The lad was unlucky to be dropped as soon as toure was back, i dont think he should have been dropped, toure wasnt fully fit and JD did well, wengers decision to play toure instead after no pre season has backfired.
It has been identified that we lack a big man at the back. JD is our biggest defender and i believe a partnership with someone like gallas will help develop JD as a player and help gallas regain the form we know he his capable for. You dont win everything he has won for being a shit defender. JD could be our defender we have been missing and wenger needs to give him a go, or we'll never know.
All the other defenders have been found wanting, please Arsene, listen to the fans on this one. PICK JD!!!!!
I don't agree that Djourou's future at Arsenal is in doubt. It is evidently clear that both Gallas and Silvestre has short term futures at Arsenal and I can't see either being here for more than 2 more years, at the most.
Djourou wasn't picked for the Fenerbache game because of recent injury. But Song doesn't appear to be that great as a centre back but again he is only young too. Song and Djourou are definately for the future after Gallas and Silvestre leave, Toure will be the experienced head partnering either of these two.
I agree with Wrighty7 in that I too was bemused as to why Toure regained his spot when Gallas and Djourou formed what I think has been our best partnership this season. Also it bugs me to see Wenger play Song in defence when he is a terrier in midfield and much better suited than Denilson who is too soft for that position.
Anyhow now that Djourou is fit and ready to play it should be interesting to see who Wenger chooses to partner Silvestre for Saturday. If he chooses Song then I will be pissed off to say the least.
Djourou just came back from injury.
Watch Song head the ball back directly into the path of Guiza the other night... scandaleous immaturity and inexperience.
Djourou has more maturity and experience than Song.
Anyway my feeling is that Denilson and Song are on their way out of the emirates
Song was extremely lucky not to pick up a red card for two obstructions in Turkey.
Very poor/lazy defending by Song/Silvestre time and time again a through ball with guiza escaping through the middle as we had no holding midfielder in center to block these killer passes.
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