Arsene Wenger is renowned as a manager who is an expert in developing young talent, but there is one area of the field where he has struggled to produce homegrown players. For all his coaching ability, Wenger seems to have trouble turning out a top-quality centre-half.
On the evidence of Arsenal’s first three Premier League games, Wenger has an exciting young defender on his hands in the shape of Rob Holding. As impressive as he has been, it’s time to take him out of the firing line—for his own good.
Holding is not the first defender of promise to be under Wenger’s care. The Frenchman has had plenty of talented young defenders to work with in his time at Arsenal. They may be regarded as joke figures now, but the likes of Philippe Senderos and Johan Djourou were once regarded as among the best defensive prospects in Europe. Matthew Upson is another who arrived as a highly rated teenager, only to leave as damaged goods.
Wenger has made Arsenal a star factory, producing heralded players in almost every position. So why is it that he struggles when it comes to central defenders? One issue could be coaching: Wenger’s strengths lie in developing a cohesive attacking game rather than drilling a back four. He’s not necessarily the best manager to hammer home the pragmatic requirements of being a top-level defender.
However, there are other coaches on Wenger’s staff with defensive experience. Steve Bould, Wenger’s current assistant, was an outstanding defender, as was his predecessor Pat Rice.
The bigger problem is overexposure. Senderos, Djourou, Upson and others all enjoyed encouraging starts to their Arsenal careers—so much so that they convinced Wenger they were more ready than they actually were. In each case, it simply proved to be a case of too much too soon. Mistakes began to creep into their game, confidence waned, and their star faded.
Calum Chambers is another who has suffered a similar fate. After an excellent start to his Arsenal career, he was relied upon too heavily and his performances suffered. Now that Chambers has been loaned to Middlesbrough, Holding has effectively taken his place in the Arsenal squad. However, Wenger must ensure that the former Bolton Wanderers man’s career doesn’t follow a similarly troubling trajectory.
Holding has been outstanding thus far. When he was paired with Chambers in the opening-day 4-3 defeat to Liverpool, it was telling that he looked considerably more comfortable than his more experienced partner. In the next game against Leicester City, it was Holding who got the nod alongside the returning Laurent Koscielny and helped the Gunners to a reassuring clean sheet. Afterwards, Wenger told Arsenal.com:
I think he did remarkably well against top-class strikers today. For me he had an outstanding performance.
He’s 20 years old, he’s English and it’s a great reason to be happy. As long as players don’t cost a huge amount of money, people don’t give them any qualities.
We have to be stronger than that and just acknowledge how good he is.
The performance at the King Power Stadium was no fluke. In the following match at Vicarage Road against Watford, Holding was excellent again as Arsenal ran out 3-1 winners.
Wenger is never shy about praising young talent, and raved about Holding’s qualities one again to Arsenal.com:
An outstanding performance. I’m happy that you noticed that, because it’s important that a player who comes from Bolton, comes to a club where he concedes four goals in the first game at home, he has to play under huge pressure at Leicester and today he performs the way he does. I think it’s not easy and it shows some great potential and I am convinced that he will give a fight to all the centre backs.
At that stage, Wenger was right—Holding seemingly did have the ability to challenge any centre-back at the club for a first-team place. However, since then Arsenal have completed the signing of Germany international Shkodran Mustafi. With such an established player now available, it’s time to afford Holding a break.
The good news for the Gunners is that Mustafi is fit to play this weekend, despite an injury scare on international duty. Sky Sports broke the story, reporting:
Arsenal have confirmed new signing Shkodran Mustafi will be available for the visit of Southampton next weekend, despite an injury scare on international duty.
The Gunners were concerned when the defender hurt his ankle during Germany's 2-0 friendly win over Finland earlier this week, a game in which Bastian Schweinsteiger ended his international career.
Holding is a good prospect, but Mustafi is a ready-made defender who arrives with experience in English football as well as the Spanish and Italian leagues. With a price tag of £35 million, he’s the most expensive defender in Arsenal’s history. It would be folly not to use him.
Wenger can sometimes be cautious with his new signings—Granit Xhaka, for example, did not start on the opening weekend against Liverpool. However, Arsenal paid for that when they struggled to win the midfield battle against Jurgen Klopp’s men. Hopefully, Wenger has learned his lesson and is prepared to use Mustafi from the off.
If Per Mertesacker and Gabriel Paulista were available, the situation might be different. However, given the lack of experienced alternatives, Mustafi has to start—at Holding’s expense.
Arsenal full-back Nacho Monreal, who has watched Mustafi in his native Spain with Valencia, has no doubt about the German’s capacity to hit the ground running. Monreal told Arsenal.com:
He will find it easy to adapt to the club. He has already lived abroad, he speaks the language and he knows Mesut Ozil. All those elements will lessen the impact of changing environments. Luckily for him, he will feel at home from the very first day.
Mustafi is a player I like. He is experienced and really tough to beat, which makes him very suitable for the Premier League’s style. We really needed to bring a centre back to the club considering Per Mertesacker and Gabriel’s injuries, as well as Calum Chambers’ departure on loan.
I hope he feels happy here from the very beginning so he can do for us what he does best.
Mustafi’s last spell in England was not altogether successful. After joining Everton as a teenager, he struggled to make a first-team breakthrough before eventually leaving for Sampdoria. However, his former team-mate in the Everton youth setup, Jose Baxter, insists his failure to make an impact with the Toffees was nothing to do with his quality. Baxter told David Prentice of the Liverpool Echo:
I honestly think he’ll suit them great there. He can really play, and once he settles in he’ll do well. Arsenal are a footballing team and they like to get it down. In a little way he’s like John Stones. They’re defenders, but they could play in defensive midfield and play football.
It sounds as if Mustafi will be more suited to Arsenal’s continental style than the kind of football Everton played under David Moyes. The player believes so and explained as much to Sky Germany (h/t the Independent):
I have always loved Arsenal, I like how they play here, it is not typical English.
The game here is more like in Spain and with the German national team, keeping the ball on the grass, so it was easy to convince me.
Mustafi should be able to adapt swiftly. Asked about how new signings Lucas and Mustafi have settled in his pre-match press conference, Wenger sounded positive. He explained to Arsenal.com:
They have settled very quickly and very well, so the real test is the games. We will see and know very soon, but what they do in training is promising. A least they have the quality and focus in training that we expected and on that front I’m very happy.
It seems Mustafi is primed for a starting spot. Holding may feel it’s harsh to lose his place, but it’s almost certainly for the best. Arsenal have a precious commodity in the young defender, and they need to protect him. Mustafi seems the ideal man to allow Holding to step out of the limelight.
James McNicholas is Bleacher Report's lead Arsenal correspondent and will be following the club from a London base throughout 2016/17. Follow him on Twitter here.