Rob Holding

I disagree.

This was a really good article I read on Stones development from a couple months ago.

Heā€™s hiding behind the strong arm of Pep, simple as that.

whilst Holding is shown up by the limp arm of wenger!

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Itā€™s very easy to pass judgement on Holding, Chambers etc when under the so called tutelage of the likes of Wenger.

Stones may be better, however, heā€™s ahead in his development and is playing in an incredibly dominant team, he too has been where they are not too long ago. Yes he has seemingly got through it but that doesnā€™t mean they canā€™t either with a better manager and tactical set up.

Iā€™d much rather Holding be out on loan rather than slowly being poisoned by a distinct lack of football guidance.

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I remember when Stones was the joke of the league last season.

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Yes and heā€™s played about 900 minutes this campaign and hardly had to defend due to their tactics but thatā€™s enough to prove heā€™s da bess!! He was dropped too. I just think itā€™s not the right time to come out with the I told you so routine.

The only thing Iā€™d say is that players like Monreal, Kosh, Per and some others have looked good regardless of Wengerā€™s system. Iā€™m not disputing that Holdingā€™s performances (and Chambers for that matter) would be better served elsewhere and make the assessment fairer, I just feel that there isnā€™t actually a whole lot of quality with Holding anyway. And Arsenal fans saw two or three good performances and suddenly proclaimed him as good as someone as talented as Stones (who himself had a difficult season last year, but he paid his dues at Everton and continues to improve).

How was he dropped? I swear he got injured?

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He did get injured

None of them were thrown into the deep at the age of 20. They were already established and well taught defenders. It feels kind of premature to compare their careers to Holdingā€™s. And despite Wengerā€™s shortcomings, more so due to the lesser competition at the time, they were always part of the 3rd/4th best team in England.

Holding is part of a fully dilapidated team, that even average players of Chamberlain or Walcottā€™s ability consider below their level and want out. A team that is certainly lacking in quality in every department compared to itā€™s rivals. Completely disorganized, different set up every game, unreliable and error-prone midfield defensive unit, players played out of position all the time, no one to look up to or learn from because everyone is made a fool every now and then despite their experience, age or quality and everyone looks out of place and confused at least once in 5 games. He did get a great few games at the beginning of last season and I donā€™t feel he got undeserved credit for it. Since then he has had to swim through shit and I feel there is a manager in a boat near him using a paddle to keep him in the shit.

Stones wasnā€™t at all all that impressive at Everton as well as last season at City, he was very error prone and ill-disciplined tactically, giving the ball away at critical areas and making shocking decisions. Iā€™ll reserve judgement on him too until he first-teams throughout a season or two for City.

Again, Iā€™m not comparing Holding to Stones. One of them is more experienced, tested and valued. But I donā€™t see a whole lot of talent setting them apart and itā€™s the circumstances, tuition and opportunities for growth that will make one of them much better and successful than the other.

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Care to comment on Stonesā€™ latest performance?

He didnā€™t have a great game and his form has certainly dipped from his injury. Yet itā€™s abundantly clear that heā€™s a more talented player than Rob Holding. People often believe that playing in Pepā€™s system makes you look better as a defender but it really isnā€™t true. His teams are often exposed defensively because of the importance of their role being less about defensive solidity and more about creating moves and attacks from their defensive positions. Stones is not in some ultra protected system which makes him look like a world class defender.

If youā€™re going to do this whole ā€œcomment on his latest performanceā€ thing you should probably be defending someone who hasnā€™t had more poor/average games than good ones in an Arsenal shirt.

Balance my friend. Balance.

Actually you were the one to quickly jump in this thread when Holding had a bad game and bring up the Stones thing, Iā€™m assuming so you could have an I told you so moment, just the precedent you set yourself really. Just wondering what you had to say now that his purple patch is over and Stones is back to being the mistake prone dedender we all know and love.

Really unfair to criticize him. He is a raw youngster put in a team out of shape and not coached properly.

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Iā€™m just curious why do you have the impression that Holding is an average talent? He looked an impressive talent by all accounts last season. This season heā€™s clearly struggling. I am not a good judge of defensive talents but it seems weird to me this hard line of Holding being a mediocre talent, when he certainly seemed all but that last season.

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I donā€™t think heā€™s a mediocre talent at all. Heā€™s just not better than Stones and no matter who coaches him, I donā€™t believe he ever will be. I think Stones ceiling is significantly higher than Holding.

I read over this thread quickly, so apologies, it was average not mediocre that you used, but it was this post (and the tone of the others) that I think I had in mind.

https://twitter.com/ArsenalFanTV/status/957549915902824448

Heā€™d be gaining experience in one of the PLā€™s tightest defencesā€¦ :face_with_monocle:

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Yeah, until he comes along :grin:

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