Arsenal: Decision has to be made regarding Mohamed Elneny

Arsenal’s ongoing experiment of making Mohamed Elneny a center back faced it’s biggest collapse yet, and at this point, a decision has to be made.

Arsenal’s defensive situation has left them forced to start Mohamed Elneny at center back. It’s something that Arsene Wenger was experimenting with in the preseason and something he talked up.

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To this point, the returns had been lukewarm. He hadn’t been awful, but I suppose, in absolute desperation, he could be deployed there.

Against Norwich City, that all changed. Elneny was horrific. Everything about this experimental deployment of the Egyptian imploded like a dying star. He was all over the place and didn’t seem to have any clear directions, as he was up and down the pitch, playing whatever position he felt like playing at any given moment.

For awhile now, there have been cautionary words that if Elneny was allowed to continue like that, he would leave the defense exposed eventually. Norwich City was that eventually. He was caught flat footed and way too far forward on the Canary’s goal and it didn’t get any better from there.

At this point, you have to make a decision. Sure, there is bound to be a learning curve when teaching a new position, but when I say he was a liability, I mean it. If we want to run with a back four and have three deep midfielders, go for it.

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But when the defense is relying on Elneny to be that central peg and he just isn’t there, then everyone gets screwed.

I don’t see how sending out a youth defender would be any worse. Julio Pleguezuelo, for instance, has been having a solid U23 season. There are options out there – defensive options – who are going to play as a defender and not as a “whatever the hell I feel like.”

I hate to come across so negative after a thrilling win, but it didn’t need to be that thrilling and I worry what what will happen if the Elneny situation isn’t ironed out. He needs to either learn what it means to be a defender or be used as a midfielder. Because this midway business isn’t helping anyone, least of all Elneny, who is getting worse.

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Anyway, we won the match, in spite of that horrific performance, and hopefully Arsene Wenger will learn that there is absolutely no need to experiment like this when there are other options available.