It’s almost sinful having to pick the stand out player of the week, when you are looking at a shameful team that leaves the poor, and harrowingly inadequate, Monreal at the back all alone — again.
However…
All things considered, concerning last week, and all the other messy weeks, I think it’d be nice to show 19-year-old Calum Chambers a level of acknowledgment and gratification. Firstly, he’s nineteen, barely making Southampton’s first team in the year previous, and he’s been thrust all the way to the back of the Lion’s den, and in his weakest position – which takes nothing away from him, because even now, he is showing what a truly excellent footballer he will become. Well, who knows what will happen if he stays under Wenger’s reign; but it’s likely he’ll pick up an injury in January that see’s him ruled out for the next season and a half, and then he’ll come back and partner Monreal at the heart of the defence against Barcelona away. So the story goes. Wenger likes doing that. Some sort of power play or something. Look at me. Look what I can do without matching Chelsea’s spending power. Monreal at centre back: that’s what you can do. That’s all you can do. The incompetence running through every level of club is frightening, and even more so when a 19-year-old has been asked to fill and solve our defensive gaps; and for the most part he has been brilliant (all things considered) with only the odd nervous performances, which is completely understandable. Imagine being nineteen and slotting almost effortlessly into a struggling and hugely immature Arsenal team. I’m not talking about age with regards to maturity, simply attitude. I’ve touched on it before. Arsenal are a team of schoolboys, with the odd flair, and champion that is Alexis Sanchez, who can hopefully see past the gloom and envision a team with Walcott and Ozil and fresh ideas. There’s a platform for something special at Arsenal, it’s such a shame that it’s dismissed for the sake of one man’s quest for self-destruction.
Chambers has been largely unfazed in an Arsenal shirt, already shining against top-tier teams in Manchester City… (And United?) Kidding. But he did do well yesterday, and although United offered very little (to the entire game) the prospect of facing Di Maria can’t have been easy having been battered by a Swansea player; with no disrespect to Swansea, who are having an excellent campaign because their manager has a vision that is clear in his and and his players’ heads.
He has formed a promising understanding with Chamberlain on the right, which poses to things: One, it’s promising, and two, what happens when Walcott returns? Chamberlain is hitting a purple patch, and we could see a breakthrough season, even if the whole package is burning to ash, so it’d be unfair to shove him back onto the bench when Theo get’s back; you’d think it’d be one of Wilshere, or Ramsey, who misses out… with Sanchez in the hole. I say this with boring foresight, because Arteta is never going to be dropped with Wenger in charge, and if he does, it’ll be to incorporate the even less capable Flamini. Despite his excellence for England in a defensive role, Wenger does not trust Wilshere, but he does trust Chamber’s to save his defensive crisis. It is so odd. There is no system.
Although, credit where it’s due, Chamber’s has repaid Wenger’s faith. He made a fantastic challenge to deny United the opening goal in the first half, against all the run of play, showing his intelligence with regards to seeing danger and extinguishing it. It’s a shame that he couldn’t pass this wonderful foresight onto the team when Monreal was staring dumbfounded at all nine of his teammates in the opposition half; Mertesacker playing third striker.
Chambers isn’t purely a kick the ball out of play defender though; he can play footballer. His good with his feet, and can carry the ball. He has a presence, and along with being very capable of picking a pass, and appearing a natural to Arsenal’s passing game, he’s seen as a possibility of playing in a defensive midfield role. I’d like to try him out there, because things can’t get any worse now, and the season has already been written off, so it makes a lot more sense to experiment with the team now than it did three months ago. However, if there’s one weakness to Chamber’s it’s his pace, but if a team is set up properly then a defensive midfielder doesn’t need to be rapid. Matic isn’t fast. But Matic knows his role and how to do it exceptionally well.
All in all, I’ve been impressed with the way Chambers has come into the club. And maybe not something to reward a gold star for, but he picks up a lot of yellow cards because he makes the so-called ‘smart fouls’ that stop counter attacks that kill. Not many Arsenal players do this. They’d rather see a single centre back race Rooney from the halfway line. Chambers can be very, very good. He’s versatile and very confident for someone who hasn’t played a lot of football, and is now being asked to fill in at right back every week, and in the Champions League.