Song and Arshavin are the best, thumbs down to Diaby and Adebayor

Welcome to Part 2 of my season review. Having analysed our season as a whole in Part 1, what went right and what went wrong, I will today focus on player ratings, where I will rate each and every one of our players making sure to provide the explanation behind the ratings.

Needless to say, feel free to comment about this article and to post your personal ratings so as to able to compare them with each other. In my case, I didn’t keep a record of all the ratings I gave throughout the season so I have to rely on my memory, provided it still works as it should.

Manuel Almunia: Vote 7,5

Starting from the away game against Fenerbahce in the Champions League, Manuel showed character and the needed determination to consolidate himself as Arsenal’s #1. He may make the occassional mistake here and there but all keepers do and at the age of 32, you could say - for a goalkeeper - that he’s in the best shape of his career.

Lukasz Fabianski: Vote 5

Contrary to Almunia, you can see Fabiański is still learning his job and as much as we may not like to point fingers against our players, he’s responsible for our F.A. Cup defeat against Chelsea with that silly exit in the attempt to block Drogba. But he’s still young, only 24 and I’m more than sure in two or three years, he will no longer make such mistakes and will be our regular.

Bacary Sagna: Vote 6,5

By his standards, he had a very disappointing year. He made it in the Premiership’s best team last year and that came to no surprise considering how incredible his season has been. This year he struggled very, very much. A reason may of course be that almost all our problems struggled to settle down but after almost every Arsenal game, many were disappointed with his crosses which yes, unfortunately, have been terrible throughout.

Edit: After comments on the website, I realise Bacary deserves more for his work at the back, although I stand by what I said on his offensive play.

Kolo Toure: Vote 6

If he wanted to leave in January, there had to be a reason. Problems with Gallas saw the former captain not enjoying himself anymore although in the last part of the season, he started to show a glimpse of the brilliance which made him a fan-favourite. To his defence, he rarely had the same partner alongside him, it was either Silvestre, or Gallas or Djourou, definitely not easy.

William Gallas: Vote 6,5

I think what was said on Toure can be applied to Gallas as well. Contrary to Kolo though, he was involved in a number of incidents which saw Wenger take away his captaincy. However, despite that, Billy kept on performing well, like a true professional and in a way, our slim hopes of winning something died when he suffered that nasty injury. Can’t however take away from him some mistakes which cost us dearly at the start of the season.

Mikael Silvestre: Vote 4

How could Manchester United get rid of one of their players, was the question almost everyone asked when he joined. At the end of the season, we knew the answer, although it was not hard to realise why. Slow and uncomfortable in almost anything he does, he’s been a big liability to the side. But, I would keep him, more on that in part 3.

Johan Djourou: Vote 5

There was a lot of high hopes for the Swiss Internatinal but due to injury problems and due to the fact that he didn’t play a lot, it seems he never really fulfilled those expectations.

Gael Clichy: Vote 6

Not the best of seasons but just like Gallas and without taking anything away from Gibbs, we struggled when he was sidelined in the last part of the season. Having said that, he was also very disappointing in the first part of the year, I remember that game against Hull where he was completely torn apart by Mendy. But he also had super games like when we faced Manchester United at the Emirates, a game where he gave nothing away to Ronaldo.

Kieran Gibbs: Vote 6,5

We couldn’t have asked for a better substitute to Clichy but as much as he impressed in the last months of the season, he felt the pressure in the first minutes of the two Champions League games against Manchester United, slipping twice, with the second one killing all our hopes to progress. But he’s still young of course and the best backup in that position ahead of next season.

Alexandre Song: Vote 8

After the away game at Kiev, I awarded him the man of the match award but then he faded away a little only to come back strongly in the last months of the season. And what a comeback! He performed brilliantly both as central midfielder and at the back. Also, despite his young age, he has the experience of those old defenders who know when it’s time to commit a foul, even if it means getting a yellow. A pleasant surprise this year.

Abou Diaby: Vote 4

Granted, he suffered injuries and so on but he was shocking this year. In almost all games, he didn’t seem to know what he was supposed to do, regardless where he played. The reason why Wenger kept on insisting with him beats me.

Cesc Fabregas: Vote 5,5

I would have expected much more from our captain. I understand he suffered an injury which kept him out for a long time but before that his performances were unacceptable. He looked tired, almost uninterested, maybe the hangover from the European Cup triumph. After the injury he did produce magic immediately from the first game but then again faded away. Not sure if the reason is the midfield around him, what he spoke about in an interview at the start of the season.

Samir Nasri: Vote 7

His first year at Arsenal was superb. Like Song, one of the few players who can actually smile when looking back at his season. Unfortunately, the experiment of playing him as central midfielder failed but he’s terrific on the wings and like the rest of the pack, will be hungry for more next year.

Denilson: Vote 5,5

Regulars of the website will know I don’t rate him high enough to be a regular, to be one of the men who played most games for us. The statistics may dress him up as the holding midfielder every top European team wants to have but all I saw, over and over again, is a weak youngster who gives the ball away cheaply, in dangerous areas and doesn’t backtrack to make up for the mistake. Will he be good someday? Of course, but this wasn’t supposed to be his season and away games against Manchester City and Aston Villa clearly showed why.

Aaron Ramsey: No Vote

I will not give a vote to those who didn’t play enough and Aaron is one of them. I honestly can’t determine how good he is, not yet at least. The Carling Cup and the away game in the Champions League against Fenerbahce may say he’s good, very good, but way too many times, when he was used, he kept the ball way too long, rather than passing it, maybe to impress but in that case, how can you blame him? He thought he could be a regular, instead …

Jack Wilshere: No Vote

Liam Brady said the kid will be good and good he will be! In the Carling Cup but also with the youth side he was simply amazing and his goal against Stoke City is one of the best goals we saw this season. A shame we didn’t see more of him with the first team as the kid is full of confidence and not shy to challenge in any way.

Emmanuel Eboue: 5

Strange season for Emmanuel. The boo-boys didn’t help, he looked devastated on that day but in a way recovered well from that. Unfortunately the midfield is not really his preferred position so I hope to see more of him in the Sagna position when the Frenchman will need a rest.

Amaury Bischoff: No Vote

Brough by Wenger as a mystery signing. Many believe he will leave and so do I. He’s not as patient as Ramsey and Vela, he knows he’s good and wants action, not bench time. In the few occassions I saw him play, I was impressed.

Eduardo: No Vote

He didn’t play much, did he? In the few occasions when he was involved, he delighted us with some incredible tricks and goals and seems to team-up well with Carlos Vela. He just underwent more surgery, let’s just hope it’s nothing serious.

Robin Van Persie: 7

Awful start to the season but at the end of 2008 and start of 2009 he was simply unstoppable. The goals against Chelsea, Liverpool and Everton show how needed he is for this Arsenal side. He was disappointing from set-pieces and faded in the last part of the season and that worries me, his inconsistency.

Carlos Vela: No Vote

Too little, just like Ramsey. All I know is that in the little time he was used he hit a hat-trick, scored six goals in all and provided three assists. He’s fast, his first touch is top-class and above everything else, he’s damn creative in front of goal, something almost all other strikers - with the exception of Eduardo - lack. Some may say he’s not strong enough as statistics show that as he’s the most fouled player of the season but that’s not because he’s not strong, that’s because fouling him is the only way to take the ball off his feet.

Theo Walcott: 6

Theo also suffered a number of injuries which prevented him from having a good season but when he was involved, he showed those limitations when having to deliver the final ball which you may wonder when he will overcome.

Emmanuel Adebayor: 4

My conclusion on Emmanuel is that he wanted to leave last summer, the club forced him to stay and therefore he was upset from the first to the last day of the season. Some amazing goals such as the one against Villareal clearly show that when he meant business, he delivered.

Nicklas Bendtner: 7

Some insist on saying he’s no good, too wasteful but ultimately, I don’t see him as a pure striker, he’s more of a support to someone like Eduardo. He was amazing also when played on the right this season and one of the few who actually tried hard whenever involved.

Andrei Arshavin: 8

The “8″ is not a “9″ or “10″ because he only played half-a-season but anything he tried and touched during the last six months turned to gold. He’s fast, can delivery crosses, can win penalties and can score. And he’s also not shy to express his feelings although maybe he should discuss that with the club rather than talking to the media.

Summary

Our top fives players - for me of course - have been Almunia, Song, Nasri, Robin and Arshavin. Those who really disappointed are Fabianski, Silvestre, Denilson, Diaby and Adebayor although others follow closely.

And this concludes part 2 of a three-part season review. In Part 3 I will talk about who we shall keep and who we shall sell of the players I mentioned above. In the meantime, feel free to comment on this part. But remember, keep it nice so as we can live happily ever after.