Who are our most important players?

This question keeps popping up and just wanted everyone's views. Who are our most important players? Not necessarily who are our best technical players or the ones who have the biggest talent/potential, but which players do we miss the most when they aren't on the pitch.

RVP - I think far and away our most important player, not only for his goals but the way he can bring others around him into the game and also his assists. The lack of any backup what so ever just magnifies his significance to this side.

Szczesny - Still young, still susceptible to the odd error, but one of the best young keepers in the world. Also with some of the clowns we have on the bench, massively important between the sticks.

Song - For the simple reason that there are no real viable alternatives when he is out. Le Coq and Frimmy are both talents, but are raw and inexperienced, over a stretch of games, they get found out due to inconsistency. I don't actually think Song has had a particularly good season, but he is crucial to our midfield.

Sagna - Best RB in the world, and I actually rate his importance above that of our CBs. If Kos or TV are out, Mertersacker is still a pretty decent replacement, if Sagna is out, we are noticeably weaker and sides exploit our right flank. Sagna is brilliant defensively, it frees up Walcott from some of his defensive duties, but Sagna is also bombing up and down the wing all game to provide an attacking outlet. One of, if not my favourite player in red and white.

Koscielny - Ridiculed by many when he first joined and after some high profile mistakes, but has grown into an absolute monster at the back. Reads the game so well and has formed a formidable partnership with TV at the back. I see him as more important than TV because he is more disciplined at the back and that allows TV to go marauding forward or make the odd mistake which Kos will mop up.

Before the season started, I would have said Jack, but we are doing ok without him. Undoubtedly Jack will add something to the team, but in terms of being crucial to this side, I think that feeling has subsided a little.

With the way Arteta has grown in the team and being one of our top performer I guess he could give one or two more seasons like that. Even if Jack comes back I would say Song Arteta Jack/Rosicky/Ramsey

Irreplaceble at the moment.

Agreed. I think that Wilshere's absence was felt significantly at the start of the season, but as Arteta has grown into his role and the team we've seemed to miss him less and less. It'll be great to have him back, but it's good to know we have a more than able replacement if Jack gets injured again.

Chris, agree with everything about Sagna. I think he's actually the best defender we have at the club, and the difference he has made (compared to the games where we played without a recognised right-back) is incredible. I'd go as far as saying we have missed him more than Wilshere.

Good call on Sagna, he truly is a fantastic player. I would say this season it's been RVP and Kos. As you said with van Persie, the fact that we have no one else who could do anywhere near what he does makes him that much more important. Also, his leadership is something we've been missing.

When Song is doing his duties defensively he definitely has to be considered. Except for a few errant passes yesterday (his specialty), I thought he was excellent

When I was watching the game yesterday I was thinking that between Sagna and Kompany you had two of the best players in the world at their positions. Sagna is an absolute rock.

Hard to argue with Rosicky being one of the most important players - the only player in the squad with any meaningful experience as a no.10.

RvP and Sagna. No one can replace them from within. Arteta is quite important as well. When he missed those three games due to injury we missed him badly. Song's assists have been very important as well this season.

The thing is with Arteta, he keeps the ball running, keeps possession, does his defensive duty ever so well, and has good hair.

Sagna, RVP, Kos, Arteta, Rosicky, Szczeny.all doing whats required of them in their particular positions consistently. Who said chelsea had a better squad than us?

Van Roy Bostanian wrote:The thing is with Arteta, he keeps the ball running, keeps possession, does his defensive duty ever so well, and has good hair.

I like Rosicky's hair more. Arteta a close 2nd for me.

I think it's truly impossible to pick a player that has been most important for us this season... RVP kept us afloat when we were floundering, while szcez showed he is going to be one of the best keepers in the league for a while (let's work on your kicking though son!). Kos showed fleeting glimpses of how good he is last year and has been brilliant this term, easily our most improved player. Sagna has been our best defender since he got here, oh how we missed him early on, the Verminator too... Arteta has really proven himself as more than a panic buy as he has been the calming force in our midfield several times this season. Alex "Zidane" Song has been nothing short of brilliant... RVP doesn't score several of his crackers without Song sliding and chipping those balls in for him on a dish... but my man for this turnaround is, without a doubt, Tomas Rosicky. 52/67 passing against City... yes, he's prone to a dumb turnover, but he will run his arse off and get it right back. I don't think it's any coincidence that he got to his best right when we started the run that got us to 3rd... just imagine where we'd be if he never got hurt and played the last 3 years like he is right now...

"Tomas Rosicky. 52/67 passing against City... yes, he's prone to a dumb turnover, but he will run his arse off and get it right back. I don't think it's any coincidence that he got to his best right when we started the run that got us to 3rd"

This is actually a very good point, thats a decent stat on the face of it but when you consider how many of those 52 were forward progressive passes (he probably plays more than any other player in the team at the moment) that stat then becomes very good indeed.

Back to the topic i'd say Sagna and Van Persie are our most important outfield players.

Anyone done the stats on players we miss the most?

I think our record without Song last season was very bad. We really miss him.

I think it might be similar of Arteta and Sagna this season. Very few wins when they are absent.

Arsene Wenger believes that Bacary Sagna is a perfect successor to defensive maestros Lee Dixon and Lauren and that his battling spirit makes him the best right-back in the Premier League.

The French international has been in fine fettle since returning from his ankle injury sustained in October. Bringing solidity at the back, and an awesome ability to win headers from Szczesny goal kicks, he has also dovetailed well with Theo Walcott in the final third to help return fluidity to the attack.

Scorer of the goal which began the comeback against Spurs, the former-Auxerre man is now the country’s most consistent full-back according to the boss; a view he feels is shared elsewhere.

“I think so, personally, and I believe that everybody at the Club would share this opinion,” Wenger told Arsenal Player. “Many people outside the Club have this opinion as well.

“I must say with the right back position I have been quite lucky because we had Lee Dixon when I arrived, then Lauren, and Sagna afterwards. They have all been real winners and extremely consistent. On that front we were very lucky.

“They are all real battlers, they are ready to die to win. All these players have been inspirational for everybody because their physical level, commitment, intelligence and desire to win is all there.”

Funny how Arsene doesn’t mention Eboue…

There is reportedly some doubt about Sagna’s participation in this evening’s game against Wolves, although with Laurent Koscielny suspended and Kieran Gibbs ruled out with a slight groin strain it the boss will have to weigh up the risks of playing an away fixture with a heavily changed back four.

Link

Sagna and RvP are probably the most important for me. Both for reasons already said here. RvP is a machine and Sagna is a rock in defence, we look drastically worse when either of those two don't play.

On the tier just below them I'd put Szczesny, Song and Kos.

I remember for a few seasons we had a goalkeeper nightmare and didn't know who to play. Almunia had a good season then made mistake after mistake, Fabianski was average but never anything special, Mannone wasn't ready, it was our biggest worry and the weak point in our team which cost us numerous points... then in stepped Szczesny. Now not only am I not worried about our goalkeeper, or have a heart attack every time a cross if floated in, but I have confidence in our goalkeeper. I am sure that helps our defenders out too. Song is a beast. He has a couple flaws like he makes a stray pass every now and then but he still young and will improve on that, plus he more than makes up for it in other ways. We look a lot, lot, lot, lot weaker in midfield without him. And Koscielny for me is our best CB this season and is battling Sagna for the Mr. Reliable title.

Part of the value of the key players is the drop in quality for who is replacing them.

Hence, RVP, Sagna, Szczesny, and Song are really THAT vital.

You could also say that Djourou is in that list, because without him, we would be playing Squillaci.

jason.mandryk wrote:
You could also say that Djourou is in that list, because without him, we would be playing Squillaci.

LOL

I'm sorry, Rosicky is not 'one of our most important players'. He's not even a guaranteed starter any time since 2007. Yes, his form has been great and yes it's been massively important in our revival but he is eminently replaceable and frankly it isn't a huge stretch to imagine someone better there.

Experience or not, he probably won't even be a first choice when Wilshere returns.

Now, he's exactly the sort of player good squads need...but that's not the same, is it? You don't build your side around John O'Shea.

I also wouldn't pick any centre back simply because any two of the three will do well. It doesn't matter if any one of Kos, Per or TV gets a knock because there is someone capable of stepping in.

As of right now, I'd say Chesney, Sagna, Song (though I completely agree with what you say, Chris, he still has a lot of improving to do), and RvP. Beyond that we have options.

Christopher Flanagan wrote:I'm sorry, Rosicky is not 'one of our most important players'. He's not even a guaranteed starter any time since 2007. Yes, his form has been great and yes it's been massively important in our revival but he is eminently replaceable and frankly it isn't a huge stretch to imagine someone better there.

Experience or not, he probably won't even be a first choice when Wilshere returns.

Now, he's exactly the sort of player good squads need...but that's not the same, is it? You don't build your side around John O'Shea.

I think that's extremely disingenuous to compare Rosicky, a proven playmaker when fit and given the keys to the side for Dortmund/Czech Republic etc, and limited John O'Shea.

At the moment I have no doubts that Rosicky is a better player than Wilshere, who has one season under his belt and is, despite the fact that we all like him, neither the Messiah nor a proven no.10 at first team level.

I don't see the point of the not since 2007 comment either. It's a very strange situation. He was signed to be an unquestionable starter but due to missing the best part of 2 years, he became almost surplus to requirement. Yet, we've recently discovered that he is a very important player for us. He's exactly the kind of dynamic midfielder, defensively and offensively that we missed in the past two seasons.

When he did make irregular appearances over the past two years, he was in no form and probably not fully fit. It took the sales of Nasri and Fabregas for Wenger to realise that he still had Rosicky at the club! He was so keen to promote Ramsey that he seemed to almost forget that he had a super playmaker at the club already. He never represented a consistent goal threat but aside from that he is a super player. Far more committed that Nasri was for most of his three years.

I don't think Sagna is one of our most irreplaceable. Jenkinson has looked good when called upon. Inexperienced but the potential is definitely there, and he's done ok. It's gotta be RVP and Arteta for me - take out Arteta and I think our whole midfield style changes at the moment. None of our backups have that calm control about them that he has.

Also, Chesney.

EDIT: don't mean to take anything away from Sagna, he's still the best RB in the world. But I think Jenkinson is good short-term cover. Whereas Coquelin/Frimpong/Ramsey/Diaby for Arteta doesn't fill me with confidence - none are like-for-like.

It's unfair on John O'Shea if anything, who has played a much more important role at a much more successful club.

Rosicky has proven absolutely nothing in England. Nothing whatsoever.

i'll admit... after 0-0 at Bolton, I was hoping for 6th... but since that point, Tomas Rosicky has been the positive force we've needed in our midfield. his spirit has been nothing short of fantastic and has undoubtably lifted us... yes, he doesn't score many goals, but he runs his ball sack off. every. single. game. and every pass he makes is a forward, progressive pass... something we desperately needed earlier this year... I will concede that he hasn't been our most important player this season (RVP, Szcezc, Sagna, etc)... but I truly believe the energy he brought back into the club mid-Feb has been the driving force for us taking back 3rd from the scum

Rosicky may be very underrated, but its not really anyone's fault. He got injured. Chris is right that he hasn't proved anything, even Nasri had an excellent spell last season. If Rosicky can keep it up for another year, then he'll have proved something I think.

Rosicky has prov proved something. Nasri proved 25m pounds worth of something. The question is more if they have achieved anything.