Nacho Monreal

Even Messi and Ronaldo have off days. I think I can forgive a few poor games in an otherwise stellar run of form.

Thatā€™s what you have squad depth and competition for. Not that I rate Gibbs really highly, but if Monreal doesnā€™t look quite as good as he used to we may as well give the other a couple of games to prove his worth.

It was not like he had a series of bad gamesā€¦ why not let him play through it?
If his bad form last for a few more games, then we can start considering Gibbsā€¦

Iā€™m really not convinced his age (30) has anything to do with it. Just a series of games where hes below his usual standardā€¦and not by a massive distance either.

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Iā€™m not asking Gibbs, but a chance to prove his qualities and to put Monreal out of the comfort zone.

Iā€™m honestly not seeing the hate tbh. Probably cos Iā€™ve watched the last couple of games drunk and not followed up with any highlights or analyses because we are playing some gash stuff right now and watching us once is difficult enough.

We arenā€™t leaking goals though - Liverpool aside - and I donā€™t think our defense has been overly bad other than Mustafi and Koz getting tore apart by Cavaniā€™s movement.

Actually there is no right or wrong to sit Monreal for Gibbsā€¦ arguments from both sides could be right.

As I said, it was just a game or twoā€¦ not necessary to ā€œoverreact a bitā€ to make any changesā€¦ especially we already have a new starting CB. It is better to let Bellerin-Mustafi-Kos-Monreal to play some consecutive games together to build the understanding.
Unless Monreal is injured or really out of form, otherwise I will save Gibbs for the COC and FA Cup.

Not really sure what you mean by seeing the hate?

Itā€™s a colloquialism. I just mean some people have been saying - not only on here - that Cech and Monreal are starting to show their age a little and declining a little. I sort of understand it about Cech but I think Monreal has been decent enough especially at a fundamental level just like he has been for the last couple of seasons.

Like I say though it could larely be down to me not paying avid enough attention.

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If Cech is showing ā€œhis ageā€ playing like against Soton, I wish him to be in goal with us until his 94th birthday.

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I think some people may want to start Ospina from now?? :wenger:

Monreal is comfortably the better defender than Gibbs, it will take a consistent spell of poor form for me to consider Gibbs a suitable replacement.

Standard football fan kneejerk reaction.

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I feel like his games against Liverpool and PSG have me questioning his place in the team but it is very likely just a blip of poor form which hasnt been helped by the team playing poorly and the tactics being a bit off.

:smiley:

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Just scored a well taken Volley vs Macedonia.

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Nacho man!

Was fantastic yesterday! Back to his best hopefully. Could have had two assists yday if he was more lucky.

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I think it helped that West Ham basically played without any full backs.

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He needs to be dropped IMO, heā€™s a far cry from what he was last season and with the way Gibbs has been playing what else does he need to do to start?

Monreal looks like heā€™s lost a yard of pace and just generally his form is poor, Gibbs deserves his chance.

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Got shot down for suggesting we drop him for Gibbs at the start of the season. Could clearly see heā€™d lost half a yard of pace.