Arsenal's Super Subs need more game time

When Arsenal lost 1-0 to Manchester City in the Carling Cup on Tuesday night, somewhat unfairly, it should be admitted because Arsenal did have the better chances and seemed to be gaining the upper hand when they were caught on the counter for Edin Dzeko, Adam Johnson and Sergio Aguero to combine brilliantly to close one alley of silverware, two things stood out clearly for all to see. One: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Emmanuel Frimpong, Francis Coquelin and Ignasi Miquel are brilliant, and two: Arsenal’s first-team fringe players need more game time. Arsene Wenger usually chooses to field a blend of youth and experience in this competition and representing the latter at the Emirates Stadium were Sebastien Squillaci, Yossi Benayoun, Park Chu Young and Marouane Chamakh. While there is no doubt that there players are definitely quality, they were severely lacking in match sharpness on the night. Tomas Rosicky, another player who’s been at the Club since 2006 has featured intermittently at best over the last two seasons and missed out on last night with a thigh strain. At this point, it would be safe to include Andrei Arshavin in this list as well. The Russian has struggled for form and consistency over this and last season, both of which have been dogged by inconsistency. Between the five of them, they have started exactly nineteen games in the Premier League and Europe this season, with another twenty three appearances coming as substitutes. That makes a total of 42 appearances in all between the six, or seven appearances a head. Take away Arshavin’s contribution to these figures and you get a little more than five appearances for the others These players are quality, and surely deserve more game time on the pitch. Worryingly, they NEED more game time if they are to have that required impact. These players have always been dependable in the past - for their previous clubs in the case of the new arrivals - and come with high recommendations. The six of them have played a total of 1,930 games in the past, with another 395 senior international appearances. Surely they are capable of making a difference when called upon, but making a difference requires consistency, something these players don’t have at the moment. [caption id=“attachment_146532” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“Tomas Rosicky is known as ‘The Little Mozart.’ Reuters”]  [/caption] Tomas Rosicky was always the heartbeat of his old Borussia Dortmund side. Czech and German fans alike had nicknamed him ‘The Little Mozart’ for his finesse on the ball. He was also the midfield metronome of the Czech Republic side alongside Pavel Nedved and Karel Poborsky. Arsenal had in him a tailor-made replacement for Robert Pires, plus someone who could pull the strings in midfield. And despite suffering a few injuries, the 31-year-old made the midfield tick. He was one quarter of THAT midfield which included Cesc Fabregas, Mathieu Flamini and Alexander Hleb. But come January 2008 and an FA Cup date with Newcastle United and he limps off early in the game. What follows is a nightmare eighteen-month period where his ‘mystery injury’ is treated every which way, until he makes his return - and scores - in a 4-2 defeat against City. Since then, he has struggled for - not form, no - game time due to the emergence of Wilshere and Ramsey and the dominance - until recently - of Fabregas and Samir Nasri. Give him more minutes, and he will deliver results. The Sunderland game speaks volumes about that last part. Yossi Benayoun has always been a player of the highest standard, whether people see it or not. He was fantastic at Liverpool, and would’ve surely gotten more game time had it not been for the terrible man-management of Rafael Benitez and the negativity sown by the Hicks-Gillette regime. He was extremely versatile, being able to don the mantle of playmaker-in-chief, wing wizard or false number nine with equal amounts of grace and ease. He filled in capably whenever Steven Gerrard and - to a lesser extent - Xabi Alonso were injured, and played alongside them when he was called upon to play on the wings or in the hole. Yet Benitez never game him his worth, and he was never told by the Spaniard as to why he was left out of matchday squads for no apparent reason. A move to Chelsea saw him injured soon after his arrival, and being unable to nail down a first team berth, he has shown what he is capable of with the Gunners. He has bags of creativity, and brings with him leadership skills and a sense of purpose that comes with experience. The three question marks on this list are Squillaci, Chamakh and Arshavin. The Frenchman was considered a bargain buy when Arsenal paid eight million for him from Sevilla. And with Laurent Koscielny and Thomas Vermaelen - and now Per Mertesacker - being first choice, it was clear he was never going to be first choice. But he hasn’t been all that bad. Blips would include an own goal against Wigan Athletic and a howler against West Brom which led to the second goal, but that was more Manuel Almunia’s fault than his. He isn’t world-class, but he is good. Arsene Wenger would know how he plays since he has come through the AS Monaco youth system, something Wenger instituted in the first place. Some might disagree with what I’ve said about Squillaci, but the 21-time capped France international seems to be on his way out of the Grove already. Marouane Chamakh also came with the highest of recommendations and seemed to tick all the right boxes. He was a French-born Moroccan who could both lead the line and play as a lone striker, he was experienced, he was tall and strong, and more importantly for Le Prof, he was brought in on a free from Ligue 1. He started well, scoring his first competitive goal against Blackpool and continued to lead the line for most of the first half of the season, scoring 10 goals and greatly influencing the game with his hold-up play. He did, however, complain that the Premier League was too taxing, and Arsene Wenger gave the striker a couple weeks off around Christmas time to recharge his batteries. By the time he’d come back, however, Robin van Persie was not only fit, but firing on all cylinders, meaning Chamakh was relegated to the bench. He scored only once more all season, against Leyton Orient in an FA Cup replay. He’s also scored in the 4-3 loss away to Blackburn, but he lacks that sharpness he once had. Give him more game time, and he will be among the goals again. The only thing lacking in his case is confidence. [caption id=“attachment_146561” align=“alignright” width=“380” caption=“File picture of Arsenal’s Arshavin. Reuters”]  [/caption] It seems to be the same with Arshavin. Arsenal were crying out for a big name signing and it came in the form of the little Russian, and we all remember the game at Anfield. He was the heartbeat of Zenit St. Petersburg, and his versatility meant he could - like Rosicky, Park and Benayoun - occupy a number of positions on the field. His seasons have been good, but he hasn’t been consistent enough, which means he’s been overlooked. Arsene Wenger says he gives it his all in training, and Johan Djourou says he is a great player, but the Russian being relegated to the bench means he’s lost confidence. Couple that with a slightly sloppy work ethic and you get as Shava himself puts it - an ‘average’ performance. His role as the go-to guy in the Zenit midfield means he has the capability to orchestrate play at Arsenal as well, and fortunately for the Gunners, Arshavin is working on improving his game. The last name on this list is Park Chu-Young. He too is versatile and has scored hatfuls of goals in the past for club and country. We’ve seen what he is capable of in terms of skill in the three Carling Cup games he’s played, but he isn’t quite ready, as we’ve seen in the Marseille game. He is tailor-made for Arsenal, and the best way to get him acclimatised - something the player says he’s done - is to give him more time on the pitch. Picture the havoc that Arsenal would then be able to wreak on other teams. Looks good, yes?