For many years Arsenal fans prided themselves in having the leagues Best Midfielder’s both collectively and individually, but now it appears the trend has shifted, and there is a no definite Best Midfield in the Prem. Which is why I’ve decided to explore this, and discover who now boasts the leagues best midfield.
The season before last it was Arsenal, case closed. That year we had Song, Fabregas, Wilshere and Nasri orchestrating our Midfield, and with the likes of Rosicky, Arshavin, Diaby, and a recovering Ramsey to name a few, we had it all. Since then the midfield area has undergone a series of changes. After the disaster of last summers transfer window, Arsenal begged farewell to arguably their best and third best performers of that season in Fabregas and Nasri. In all the calamity of that window, only Mikel Arteta was brought in on a permanent basis.
A resurgent Rosicky helped cover the cracks after New Year, once Ramsey lost confidence, and Wilshere lost his battle to play that season. Following the last game against West Brom, questions were asked, have Arsenal still the best midfield, are they even Top 4 quality? I think so.
This transfer window has brought renewed hope, and leaving aside the RVP situation, we have brought in two top class strikers in Giroud and Podolski. However it is the imminent midfield signings that are bringing the most optimism. Santi Cazorla’s deal is virtually completed, he will be announced early next week after undergoing a medical. The fee ranges from £12.5 m to £20 m but whatever the price, we have got our hands on a world-class talent.
The other news is that Nuri Sahin only has to sign the dotted line to complete a loan move to Arsenal. A loan move you may say, why should we help nurture a potential European Rivals player only to lose him and the end of the season? Well 1) Wilshere is not expecting back till October, and in fairness will need a good season before we see him back to his best. 2) Sahin is a world-class midfielder, had it not been for injuries he might well be in Madrid’s starting Xi. This possible midfield option would give us strength in dept in the middle, and increase the competition levels, whilst also giving the likes of Frimpong and Coquelin another year to mature.
So for next season our midfield options looks likely to be as follows:
Mikel Arteta, Alex Song, Nuri Sahin, Emmanuel Frimpong, Jack Wilshere, Francis Coquelin, Nico Yennaris, Thomas Rosicky, Santi Cazorla, Aaron Ramsey, Alex Oxlade Chamberlain, Gervinho, Ryo Miyachi, Theo Walcott, Andrey Arshavin, Henri Lansbury, Abou Diaby.
Now you look at that and think WOW. That midfield has got everything, pace, strength, composure, the lot!
Now this post isn’t exclusively about Arsenal, and i’ve put together the of Three other Best midfield in the Premiership.
No surprises really, I wasn’t sure whether to include Newcastle or not, after all they have the likes of Ben Arfa, Tiote, and Yohann Cabaye in their side but I felt the three I chose were stronger.
Manchester City: James Milner, Nigel De Jong, Samir Nasri, Yaya Toure, David Silva, Gareth Barry, Adam Johnson, Michael Johnson, Abdisalam Ibrahim.
Believe it or not for all their money, their midfield lacks dept. Yes the class of Silva, the Sheer Power of Toure, and Creativity of Nasri is undeniable, but two injuries to that midfield and they are looking pretty ordinary. Now there has been widespread rumors of a deal with Roma midfielder Danielle De Rossi put in place, but as that is only speculation(Therefore different to our situation with Sahin and Caz) I didn’t want to be too hasty. Overall whilst they may have two of the best five midfielders in Toure and Silva, facing a trio of Milner, Barry, and De Jong does not seem do daunting, now does it?
Manchester United: Antonio Valencia, Anderson, Ryan Giggs, Michael Carrick, Nani, Ashley Young, Paul Scholes, Tom Cleverley, Darren Flethcer, Nick Powell, Shinji Kagawa.
Now that is you will agree a decent midfield. Now you will see I have included Fletcher in that list, but to be honest it will be very hard for him to return to United’s midfield and Ferguson has recently stated he has a place as a coach, meaning his playing days are likely to be over. Despite in my opinion only being a hatchet man, certainly in games against us, he was a big loss to their midfield. United’s midfield is often hard to decipher, not really being all that and still winning the league, or being their or their about. However cracks were really showing last season and Ferguson already having to persuade Scholes to come out of retirement, has opened up the coffers to sign the highly rated Nick Powell, and technically gifted Kagawa, who dictated play with Goetze at Dortmund.
They certainly have many wide options, any team who is able to leave one of Nani, Young, or Valencia on the bench is doing well and this is where their midfield gains many plaudits, and in my opinion qualifies the fact that they now have a better midfield then City. Lucas Moura is also said to be wanted by them and after having bids knocked back, should he join it would represent a mouth-watering prospect in Midfield. A Valencia Kagawa Lucas Young midfield with Cleverley or Carrick holding isn’t half bad at all!
Chelsea: Michael Essien, Oriol Romeu, Ramires, Frank Lampard, Juan Mata, Oscar, John Obi Mikel, Florent Malouda, Raul Meireles, Eden Hazard, Josh McEachran, Marko Marin, Yossi Benayoun, Gael Kakuta.
Well if there was one team to rival Arsenal for the leagues best midfield it would be Chelsea. Following the summer signings of Hazard, Oscar, and Marin Chelsea fans will no doubt claim to have the best Midfield in Britain. However for all the class of the likes of Hazard and Oscar(Who I have never seen play live) they still have to adapt to the rigorous pace and demands of Premier League life, something they have not experienced in their respective leagues, to a certain degree. Michael Essien was once considered the best defensive midfielder in the world. No Longer. He has had major injuries in the past, but for the best part of the last campaign he was a sub. Has he lost his mojo? Somehow I think not, and his doubters may find themselves baking a humble pie next term. The wide players however must be considered the leagues best, Mata, Hazard, Marin, and to a degree Malouda are quality players. While Frank Lampard may be considering his options, there is still an engine at the heart of Chelsea in Ramires, and no doubt looking at next season, id be putting money on Chelsea finishing in the Top 2.
So Gooners I will leave you with the Four Clubs Best Midfield, and let you make up your own mind. My own personal preference after much pondering lies below.
Arsenal:
4_1_3_1_1
Song
Wilshere__________Sahin____________Arteta
Cazorla
Manchester City:
4_1_3_2
Toure
Milner_____________Silva_______________Nasri
Manchester United:
4_1_4_1
Carrick
Valencia_______Kagawa_________Cleverley_______Young
Chelsea:
4_2_3_1
Essien___________Ramires
Hazard_____________Oscar__________________Mata
Best Midfield?
4. Manchester City
3. Manchester United
2. Chelsea
1. Arsenal
Am I biased? Nah I’m just a Gooner! Enjoy the Bank Holiday Folks.
Don’t forget to give me a follow on Twitter @Le_Dooner and follow @ArsenalGhana for all the latest news on Arsenal.
I don’t think Arsenal would play 41311 I see them playing a 4231 with Song, Sahin and Arteta competing for the two centre mid positions, Cazorla in Atacking midfield and either the Ox, Wallcott or Gervinho battling for the wide positions. Could also see the likes of Diaby, Eisfield, Myaichi squeeze in somewhere. Eisfield especially after impressing in pre-season.
What is micheal Essien doing ahead of Mikel John Obi in chelsea line up. No doubt about arsenal having d best midfield!
¨¨After the disaster of last summers transfer window, Arsenal begged farewell to arguably their best and third best performers of that season in Fabregas and Nasri. In all the calamity of that window, only Mikel Arteta was brought in on a permanent basis.¨ …..I have to take umbrage at your ill-informed and blinkered statement above. Arteta, Song, Rosicky, Ramsey, the Ox, Frimpong, Coquelin, Benayoun, Arshavin, and Diaby(when fit) were an impressive series of options that allowed us to go from 17th in September to 3rd in May, despite the loss of Arteta and Diaby. Wenger brought in 6 players, 5 of whom made an enormous difference to the team overall so to call that a ¨disaster¨ or ¨calamity¨ defies explanation!
Other than that, your article was quite good!
I was expecting something like that from you when the post was held for moderation.
I will let Lee answer this question since he wrote the article.
Thanks again for the comment.
Don are u on Twitter ?
I am but rarely check it out as it confuses me……I prefer Facebook or simply e-mailing.
This article was primarily about midfielders. When you said ” Wenger brought in 6 players, 5 of whom made an enormous difference to the team overall so to call that a disaster or calamity defies explanation!” you weren’t really sticking to the point of the article. The only signings we made in midfield were Arteta and Benayoun, yet as I stated Arteta was the only permanent midfield signing. Also Fabregas and Nasri were sold after the season had started. Arsenal were forced to make quick signings after the Disaster of the old trafford result. Everyone agreed that result was a disaster. We made 5 signings in the last two days, and yes Arteta did well as did Mertesacker, but it wasnt very good business was it. We were banking on 5 players to hit the ground running in the league, which in truth they didn’t. We only saw some consistency in February onwards. Now I didn’t feel the need to explain the transfer window in dept because every Arsenal fan over the age of 8 knows exactly what happened. Wenger himself stated the window was handled poorly and contrast that to the current situation whereby we have made three or four signings before the season has started it only qualifies how business should be done. I for one think losing your top players after the season has started is demoralizing for the players, and the effects of the events in that window led to Arsenal ending up 17th in September. Also I see you mentioned about the options we had. It was Ramseys first full season back. Nobody knew what to expect from Chamberlain, he was just a talented kid in many peoples eyes. As I recall Diaby didn’t exactly play every game last season, and Benayoun wasn’t good enough for Chelsea, which was pointed out numerous times. It’s all very well using Hindsight to say oh well we finished third so it wasnt so bad! But even then we knew the Window was our worst nightmare, Hindsight or not! Therefore it is legitimate to claim it was indeed a calamity, something which we all would not to happen again!
Arsenaldon 95….first off, thanks for such a detailed response. My point is that if the article is about midfielders, then why dismiss AW’s entire 2011-12 transfer efforts, as a calamity when they actually (regardless of when they actually effected improvements) improved the Club. I am not arguing about losing Nasri or Cesc being a real conundrum as the season started. I am not pretending that last season’s transfer rush was a marvellous achievement, what I am saying is that it wasn’t such a ¨disaster¨ or ¨calamity¨ , but you seem to feel that compared to what has happened this season, it was. That is your opinion but I say that, regardless of your conviction that what I say is hindsight, Benayoun did prove to be a very skilled addition, Ramsey had a good season and as you stated, Arteta and Mertesacker had immediate impacts.
I am sorry but for me it is hyperbole of the worst sort to use disaster and calamity when considering what AW achieved in the transfer window last year…..and by the way I don’t need hindsight to assure you and all true Gooners that Podolski, Giroud and maybe Sahin and Cazorla WILL prove to be key players. I saw Podolski play live in Germany and he is a very tough, driven player who played with a very poor team and yet was a top scorer in the Bundesliga. He is a born leader, am excellent all around player and a true international professional….I presume the other 3 will be very similar!
Lets just leave at differing opinions. I don’t think I said our new signings wouldn’t succeed I think they are wonderful players and I think we all believe they will be successful. If it helps I saw Mario Goetze play an U17 game live, he scored after a minute, not relevant really but if we ever get him I got some info too!
My Faithful gooners,
thanks for your sweet analysis on our arsenalfc but they only comment I need to make is that arsenal still lack in the defense and goal keeping position. I will very happy if prof Wenger can bring Hugo Lloris from lyon.
thanks.
It will be more than cool if Arsene can bring in one player each in defence and goal keeping role..Above all I wish RVP stays ,then we are ready to go all the way in 12/13 season…I look forward to a fruitful season
Arsenaldon95…….agreed …it is always a matter of opinion! I saw Goetze play against Podolski and Podolski was very impressive but Goetze looked off the pace that game. Apparently Podolski and Sahin have a bit of ¨history¨ between them but so did Vermaelen and RVP at one time…makes Football very entertaining n’est-ce-pas?