Pain in the Arsenal
Fansided

Arsenal: Mid-Season player rankings

By Andrew Dowdeswell

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 22: Aaron Ramsey of Arsenal celebrates scoring his sides fourth goal during the Premier League match between Everton and Arsenal at Goodison Park on October 22, 2017 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 22: Aaron Ramsey of Arsenal celebrates scoring his sides fourth goal during the Premier League match between Everton and Arsenal at Goodison Park on October 22, 2017 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images) /
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Arsenal, Mohamed Elneny
LONDON, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 24: Nelson Oliveira of Norwich City and Mohamed Elneny of Arsenal battle for possession during the Carabao Cup Fourth Round match between Arsenal and Norwich City at Emirates Stadium on October 24, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images) /

20. Mohamed Elneny

I’m still not sure what Arsene Wenger wants out of Mohamed Elneny, or, for that matter, what he wanted out of him when he bought him. And I think that Wenger’s recent actions have proven that he is similarly confused by what he has the Egyptian for.

Elneny has never quite been at the first team level. He’s been exactly one rung below where he hasn’t been terrible but he hasn’t exactly given much room for hope either. That has endured, and now he is even being used as Wenger’s new “DM floater” role in the midweek fixtures.

The problem is that it’s making Elneny look even worse. There is no denying that the Egyptian has a lot of positive qualities, namely his work ethic and enthusiasm over the ball (and his goal against Barcelona helped) but now that he is being used as a center back, he is suffering. He is being pulled so far out of position and left exposed and it just can’t be good for him.

Elneny is a decent squad player, with a certain level of reliability, but at the end of the day, he just isn’t cutting it in terms of getting into the starting XI, or challenging for a place, and that’s what you need out of all first-team members.

(Andy: 20th; Josh:19th)

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