Real fucking shame when you see it listed like that. Was criminal how during that period we were getting at least 2/3 serious and 10s of not so serious injury’s every single season and nothing was ever done to address our medical staff our training techniques.
Guy was a baller and definitely had bags of talent and potential which unfortunately never got realised.
Incidentally I vividly remember the abdominal strain injury he got, it was the first time I’ve ever heard of such an injury (also the last), he got it in training didn’t he?
Gutted he didn’t manage to overcome his injuries. But I think the injuries he had made long lasting injuries that developed strength imbalances in his other joints which led to further injuries.
An imense talent unfulfilled.
*Signs a new 5 year deal in 2009
Diaby always came across well in interviews. I will always remember his performance versus Liverpool in 2012. He really did look like Zidane 2.0 for those 90 minutes at Anfield.
One of favourites. Absolute shame how his body couldn’t cope.
I remember him playing a 40+ game season for us and him just being hugely inconsistent. Think people have done a lot of revisionism with this guy and romanticised what he could have been.
I think he had a lot of raw talent but I don’t think he was quite the generational midfielder some will have you believe.
But, what will say is, when he was on he was ON and he looked unstoppable on his day.
With Wilshere breaking through in 10/11 nobody even cared anymore. If you are potentially great that doesn’t happen. Only when he also seemed injury prone people started talking about Diaby again.
That performance against Liverpool wasn’t even that special. They were shite.
While it’s true Diaby never hit his true potential he actually managed a season where his whoscored rating was 7.76 in the PL and 7.50 in the CL. This was the age of 23 with little experience. He did missplace passes and overdribble down dark alleys at times still. But with experience you’d expect he could improve his decision making and become a world class midfielder, which he was bordering on when on form as it was. At least physically he should of become the most dominant midfielder of his generation.
Aww shucks 
Dan Smith was and is a fucking Cunt, it was a totally unnecessary tackle when there was nothing left to play for in the game, it’s one of my personal worst memories as an Arsenal fan. He ruined what was a potentially bright career, even though Diaby came back he was never the same, glad that Dickhead rotted away in non league.
Think his actual potential is hugely overstated. Looked a good player at times but very inconsistent and had a tendency to be ill disciplined on the pitch and over complicate things.
I look at Diaby as someone who could have been a good player but what I saw from 2008-2010 was a player who was very frustrating to watch.
I think it’s a case of the less we saw of him the better he became in some people’s minds. He was the subject of a lot of criticism for some of his performances back at a time when he actually did play.
Not to take anything away from him but I don’t think he’d have reached Yaya Toure level of PL greatness which is often what people think he could have been. I’ve seen a big enough sample size to pass judgment on hkm
That’s true, I remember at the time a lot of people were hoping he would be the next vieira even though he was a different type of player. He would turn up with the odd important goal and could make things happen when he would drive the ball into the box.
I think what’s sad is he was robbed of a normal career, like you said he was never going to be Yaya Toure, but who knows how his career would of panned out if he wasn’t constantly injured and actually got to play on a consistent basis.
His decision making wasn’t great at times but he also was quite young before his serious injuries hit and never got the game time to mature. The likes of Steven Gerrard had erratic decision making when he was younger before he became more experienced and grew into his role in their team. He had all the tools to be one of the best in the world if it came together for him, in terms of first touch, close control, pace, power, physical strength in duals.
On another note I think Wenger banked on having Diaby back once he recovered. I don’t think he sells Song if he knows Diaby isn’t going to be fit.
Song was a friggin snake, anyway. He was leaving regardless. Just cos we sold van Cunt the same summer, Song kinda left under the radar.
An important part of our midfield in his prime coming off 12 assists while being a solid combative midielder. I think we suffered from letting him go.
Yeah, but, is that enough?
His passing was always suspect to say the least, for me just so frustrating. He just didn’t have it in him. Like, general vision and awareness, never good enough to become a elite midfielder like Yaya or Vieira. For me it’s laughable to put him up there.
Except for an odd game or two, the Liverpool one or so, you could never rely on him to keep the game flowing in the middle, he was usually slow realise spaces and team mates around him…
Often he’d dribble past a couple of player like they’re nothing and just had no clue what to do with the ball after that. Even if you don’t have team mates in great positions, just pass it to someone and make a move, something will open up, he would just keep the ball, wave his hands like “why is nothing happening?”, and end up losing it it or just passing it randomly to no one.
Never a Yaya/Vieira potential.
This Diaby debate is missing something. Can’t quite put my finger on it 
