Gibbs’ Arsenal progress could be under threat Ignacio Monreal was Arsenal’s only signing in January 2013 and he went on to play for the rest of the season. He was credited with good performances and hailed as a good buy by everybody in the footballing world. He is a good player for Arsenal but the only concern about him I have is, will he stop the growth of Kieran Gibbs as a player? Gibbs has spent his whole professional career at Arsenal and has only just become an important player in the team. Last season he made more performances for the club than any other seasons but I am worried that next season he will get less game time than Monreal, and his progress will suffer accordingly. Being a player who has risen through the youth ranks of Arsenal is a good thing for Gibbs as he knows the club and has never known any other way. He has grown up alongside players like Theo Walcott and been taught by skilled left backs like Gael Clichy. He has improved his ability every season since he made his debut for Arsenal in 2007. Gibbs has even earned himself two England caps but is still behind Ashley Cole and Leighton Baines in the pecking order and may have the added competition of Ryan Bertrand who has also earned himself a couple of caps since last year. In a time where the England under-21′s are suffering a bad spell, Arsenal should be encouraging English talent and Gibbs has been an important part of the under-21 set up for the last few years but now he is 23 and the time has come for him to stake his claim on a place for the senior national team. Getting a regular place for England would be easier without Monreal limiting his game time with the Gunners. Monreal is a good player for the club but he may prevent Gibbs reaching his real potential and becoming a vital Arsenal man. I was a little concerned to see The Mail reporting that Arsenal have bid £2.5 million for the 18-year old Le Havre left back Benjamin Mendy. Is this a hint that Gibbs position could be under threat, or do you think that he would be the long term replacement for Monreal, who is 27-years old now? I hope Gibbs gets plenty of game time next season to show what he can do as a footballer rather than a bench warmer.
Posted on: Wed, 26 Jun 2013 12:04:06 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015