Arsenal are missing Mathieu Flamini and Alexander Hleb according to Carlo Ancelotti
After leaving AC Milan to join Chelsea, Italian manager Carlo Ancelotti wasted no time to make an impact with the Blues, easing into the Champions League knockout stage and leading the Premiership.
Speaking of how the season could unfold, the 50-year old declared that Arsenal lack experience as they are still missing the departure of Mathieu Flamini and Alex Hleb.
He told The Daily Mail:
I see a very balanced and uncertain tournament. Besides Liverpool, all the top teams are in the contention. From the group winners, all the teams are difficult.
The only one that has less experience is Arsenal, a very young side. They have lost several key players with respect to when they eliminated Milan two years ago in the last 16.
In midfield there’s always (Cesc) Fabregas, but Flamini and Hleb left the club and those were two big losses.
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Hleb??!! Nasri and Rosicky have both scored more goals in their first injury ridden seasons than Hleb did in his entire Arsenal career.
Hleb was very good at dribbling and passing but average at best at everything else. If Ancelotti wants to say we miss someone at least be cliche and say Patrick Vieira or Gilberto.
waste no time and make an impact..huh.. what are biases…if this happen to AW less people will take it positive..are u sleeping ancelloti…they were nobody when they first come to arsenal like most of other players…now we have replacement not less than them..i just regret we not get benefit when flamini moved…for me u just a luck passenger that get the cruise ticket where all the destination have been programmed before…credit should been given to hiddink…while arsene is building the cruise…
Shows how much the average Arsenal fan knows about football.
Judging a midfielder entirely on the basis of GOALS scored?!
If all you do is focus on his diffeciencies, you’re bound to miss out on the things he does really well (just like the Hesky/Owen debate).
He’ll definetly make my team ahead of young Nasri.
Hleb created a lot of space for his team mates off and on the ball.
We were much more fluid and along with Rocsiky, he knew how and when to make the pitch wider.
This team’s had to rebuild after the loss of Rocsiky, Flamini and Hleb.
As much as we may not like the man, it’s essential to appreciate the role of players putting on the Arsenal shirt.
you’re right dude.
Hleb was very important, he created a lot of space for his teammates. That’s Nasri, Rosicky can’t.
He’s spot on dudes.. thats why he’s carlos ancelotti..he knows it..but arsenal supporters dont want to admit it..
It doesnt matter about the how many goals u score..its about the team chemistry and the ability to create more chances up forward..
U must remember at the time we did have hleb , flamini, rosicky all playing well and were FIT also !
thats alot of experience when u consider hleb now 29 i think and flamini 27? im not quite sure..
Nasri?? well what a mixed bag he has been.. just come back from injury yes i know… but he has hardly strung more than 2 good games together since he started… and he never seems to get much bad attention.
Rosicky not quite there yet and u wonder wether he ever will..
Ancelotti is spot on !! we lost big time with those 2 players
Oh yes and i forgot to add… ARSENE WENGER REALLY BALLSED UP WITH THOSE 2 !!!
2 CRYTICAL PLAYERS AND HE THOUGHT IT WAS OK TO REPLACE THEM WITH A LOT YOUNGER AND INEXPERIENCED PLAYERS..
Considering we also lost gilberto and patrick veira before him that counts for a lot of experience that arsenal needed and are now in desperate need of.
Even managers stuff up !!
flamini and hleb, yes. in respect that both are cesc’s close buddies. plus rosicky’s untimely injury means the perfect midfield 4 was not to be. arse luck. but never a disaster nor crisis.
5 years going on to 6 without winning the title and it wont be coming this football season thats for sure..
Its close to a crisis lingo.. we are just hanging on..
would rather have super samir over flamini, hleb or rosicky any day.
how people cant see his talent is beyond me. a relatively good tackler for a player so offensively inclined, rarely ever has the ball taken off his feet, great passer.
he is our most consistent player outside of RVP and fab. this is only my opinion but i believe it to be accurate
eg. see both liverpool games last year and most games.
arsenal fans just don’t appreciate what’s in front of them. it makes me sick, all of you let what’s written fuel your frustration
you people seem to forget that they wanted to leave flamini was given a contract but wanted to leave because he wasn’t given a 50 thousand pound contract and was given 5 thousand less, hleb wanted to play for barcelona and said himself its a dream, do you guys really think arsene wanted to loose 3 players including gilberto silva some of the most experienced players in the squad, and would just let them go like that, think agree with ancelotti but if i was him i’d just say no comment to the media when asked about that question, and focus on chelsea especially after the 3-3 draw, considering everton had no cahill, arteta, jagielka whilst chelsea had a full strengthened team missing only essien.
Thats right messi. Hleb wanted to leave for Barca and Flamini wanted more money. People forget that Arsneal has built a stadium and hasn’t had much to spend on wages and transfers in recent years.That has now changed with the highbury appartments project taking off but in recent times there has not been much money for the club.
AFAIK many fans were actually calling for Gilberto Silva to leave after a long run of well below par performances.
Ahhhh messi messi messi….. for a start flamini was worth a couple of thousand pounds more… and tightass wenger wouldnt pay him… come on man he was worth 60,000 pounds a week..thats quite an average salary these days..
Hleb could of stayed but wenger wasnt willing to up his salary either..
as for gilberto?? arsene sold him for measely 1 mill to panathanaikos.. smart wenger u say??
yeah rite.. get your facts right
arsenal did have a fab four as lingo mentioned..
think about it..
Hleb, flamini, Fabregas, Rosicky… experience, class and a bit of magic thrown in called chemistry…
U can spend BIG money out there and u still may not be able to find thats sort of understanding and culture
I’ll say it again..aresene stuffed up !! i havent forgotten anything !!!!
He stuffed up when he did not give Ashley Cole the money he wanted to did he not? Cole is deffo worth more than flamini
I think the sale of Gilberto is indicative more of how the player had slipped in terms of quality rather than a poor deal for arsenal.
People talk about debt. which of the top clubs in England isn’t owing ?
Flamini deserved what he wanted as salary. For God’s sake, he was exceptional that season. he made it easier for Cesc
Hleb admitted playing for Barca would be a dream come through but my problem was Wenger’s replacement. Nasri’s is still just a great talent whom the best is yet to come from. That was not the kind of player needed to replace Hleb.
Agian i have to ask. Do you think Flamini is 100000 times the man you are? Cos he does earn 100000 times more than you..
grow up dude…u dont know what ur talkin about
hleb was magic bring him back when i use to watch helb play he would make a world class player look like a sunday footballer he would walk the ball in to the net and he dident score a lot of goals but he would set them up. if we could get them both back why not let jack go on lone and bring him back
Hate to break this to you dear Carlo, but Chelsea are missing Jose Mourinho.
You guys are all forgetting one man and one man only, Arshavin….He is Hleb’s true replacement but unfortunately is sooo good that he has to play striker (and therefore sees the ball much less) while all our forwards are injured. Arsha>>>>Alex