Abou Diaby watch?

[Letters]

For those saying we've been idiots standing by him, it's easy to say that with 20:20 hindsight but RvP had persistent injury problems, maybe not to the same degree as Diaby but enough to warrant debate on here as to whether we should cut our losses (I thought we should). Then he goes and has that season he had last year and would have repeated it...well, he has repeated it, just not for us. I'm not saying Diaby would have ever had the same impact but at times he's looked like a player who could become an important part of our midfield. When you've persisted with a player for so long and invested all the time and money in rehabilitating them, not to mention paying them all the time they've been on the treatment table, I'd suggest it's not a simple call where to call it quits. That time has come with Diaby now but it's impossible to know in advance.

[fakeyank]

You've adopted a very cold and hard 'business' like approach to this subject and I bring emotion and sentiment into the argument because it's the argument we often use when saying the club has lost its way.

I disagree. Its not cold and hard business like. It is logical! If we had abandoned Diaby right after his horror injury, that would be a cold and hard business like approach. Right after his next injury, may be... the next one, again may be... but after 30 odd injuries in his last 7 years where he has played an average of 17 games/season in which quite a few of them he has come off injured, then its time to cut losses. Do I feel bad for him? Hell yes.. I feel sorry for the lad because he seems genuine and wants to play football. But from an Arsenal point of view, there is absolutely no reason to keep him, pay him 60K/week and take up an important squad place.

Its time to move on from crocks like him and Rosicky. Both have been liabilities to AFC for a long time. Let's clear the deadwood..

[Power n Glory]

It's a bit of a double standard and the player/fan loyalty talk is an illusion. I've heard so many berate RVP for leaving and other players for taking the money but if they had the sort if injury problems Diaby is going through, fans would be calling for them to be given the boot. There is no real loyalty. If we're going to talk logical then we can't really begrudge players wanting to leave for more reward at another club.

[Xhaka Can’t]

I think you are being argumentative for the sake of it. The only one displaying off the wall opinions here is you.

[Syn]

For those saying we've been idiots standing by him, it's easy to say that with 20:20 hindsight but RvP had persistent injury problems, maybe not to the same degree as Diaby but enough to warrant debate on here as to whether we should cut our losses (I thought we should). Then he goes and has that season he had last year and would have repeated it...well, he has repeated it, just not for us. I'm not saying Diaby would have ever had the same impact but at times he's looked like a player who could become an important part of our midfield. When you've persisted with a player for so long and invested all the time and money in rehabilitating them, not to mention paying them all the time they've been on the treatment table, I'd suggest it's not a simple call where to call it quits. That time has come with Diaby now but it's impossible to know in advance.

It's impossible to know but it depends on how much hope you have. Ruthless managers would've moved Diaby, Clichy, Rosicky, Van Persie, Gibbs and possibly others along a long time ago. Wenger has only really had Van Persie who has repaid the faith shown and even then he was happy to move on last season. The uber trust Wenger displays isn't justified on past evidence, and furthermore you'd be silly not to realise that he takes a gamble on a crock's fitness for other reasons. If he can operate on lower expenditure, he stands to gain a lot.

[Power n Glory]

@GB - How so? I'm just drawing comparisons to certain arguments made on here on a daily basis. Maybe it's devils advocate but so be it.

[Syn]

It's a bit of a double standard and the player/fan loyalty talk is an illusion. I've heard so many berate RVP for leaving and other players for taking the money but if they had the sort if injury problems Diaby is going through, fans would be calling for them to be given the boot. There is no real loyalty. If we're going to talk logical then we can't really begrudge players wanting to leave for more reward at another club.

Van Persie didn't leave. We sold him. I don't think normal people can be too angry with him but we can roll our eyes when Diaby picks up this injury. This was not unexpected. It was a ridiculous gamble but as long as we stumble across the line for CL revenue, it's all paid off for Arsene.

[Özim]

Fuck, everything that Wenger is control of is just cyclic. This man never seems to learn from obvious patterns and this has ballooned a toxic atmosphere around the club.

Spot on, how many crocks has he stuck by...sorry but him harping on about crocks being like new signings is a joke, with the exception of RVP they never stay fit, he did but then he left after one season, we did a sterling job with that one.

He just never learns, he's been wasting our resources for years, even ignoring the crocks there's all the players we just can't get rid of, Squillaci, Denilson, Bendtner, Chamakh etc.

Diaby has had a fair chance but he can't stay fit, it's proven, feel sad for him but at the end of the day we need players who can play and make a contribution to our season. I was shocked we gave Gibbs a contract earlier in the season as well to be honest, he'll never stay fit, he plays a couple games and gets injured he'll be another crock who never plays, likewise Rosicky...the only time he seems to stay fit is when he stays on the bench, again he's got talent but he's 30 odd now and since we signed him has never managed to stay fit and that was what 6+ years ago?

We seem to have a problem spending money on new players but no problem wasting money on players who never play more than a handful of games for us every season.

[Munchies]

He'll always be a legend.

Haha I remember he injured himself in that aswell !

[Xhaka Can’t]

@GB - How so? I'm just drawing comparisons to certain arguments made on here on a daily basis. Maybe it's devils advocate but so be it.

Fair enough - but the argument seems to be akin to continuing to hire a surgeon in the same role after he has lost his sight as the result of an acid attack.

I think most feel bad for Diaby and the aftermath he faced as a result of that POS all those years back. Had footballers not been so richly rewarded, I'd expect and attend a testimonial for him, but he is set for life. While that can't cushion the blow insofar as regret he'll always have for not fulfilling his potential, he is luckier than most and has been given every opportunity by the Club. It is not as if they left him lying on the pitch after that tackle - and neither did the fans. But surely now - it is clear, he can't fufill his role and everyone needs to move on.