David Luiz did Well despite mistakes
David Luiz divided opinion while at Arsenal. He was somewhat of a panic buy in the 19/20 season, and like many Gooners, I was sceptical. We needed a rock-solid, experienced leader at the back. What we got was an £8m quick-fire Chelsea sale, in David Luiz.
I wasn’t happy with Luiz’s signing as it stank of the typical Arsenal botch-job. To his credit, I think Luiz did well overall for Arsenal. I’d even go as far as to say Luiz won me round, and I have a healthy respect for the qualities he introduced into the dressing room.
The only thing which can replace experience is experience. As such, we’re going to miss what Luiz brought to the table. None of our other CB’s resumés are comparable to Luiz’s. He also stood out as one of the few winners at the club, with Tierney, the only other serial winner in the squad.
As such, it’s Luiz’s resolute mental characteristics that really leave a void in the Arsenal starting eleven. Essentially Luiz, a 32-year-old ex-rival player, established himself as a leader pretty much straight away. Doesn’t that tell you what the squad lacks?
David Luiz Was A leader at arsenal
Every fan could see it when he was on the pitch, and we heard a similar tale from those behind the scenes too. He was great at organising the defence, composed in big games (apart from when he turned into a clown), aggressive and dominant in the air.
His communication when next to Gabriel also proved effective, and I felt a little less secure when Gabriel was partnered without Luiz. In general, I that David Luiz was committed to improving the club. He showed great desire and fight, and I got the impression he always gave his all.
He was also immense in the FA Cup final. The way he was able to elevate his game in the face of intense criticism is a testament to his character. There’s a limited pool of players who can stand up and be counted in the way Luiz was for that 90 minutes.
Another thing I really respected was that Luiz owned up to mistakes and apologised to the fans. I recently wrote a piece about how players’ conduct can alienate fans. Both our previous and current captains feature in that article. Yet Luiz (the player who’s won it all bar a world cup) took accountability for his part in howlers that cost the team.
Every great side takes ownership of its performance on the pitch. You can’t be successful if you don’t. You also need leaders with this mentality dotted around the squad. That way, the young players have people to look up to, and the entire team has anchors to steady it during rough patches. We don’t have many of these characters, and we certainly lack any with Luiz’s trophy cabinet.
Crucial to Playing out from the back
Finally, from a ‘pragmatic’ perspective, David Luiz’s ability to play from the back was unrivalled. I was one of those questioning the sense of signing Ben White for £50m as other positions were clearly a priority. However, when thinking about what Luiz leaving means for Arsenal, it’s pretty clear why White is such a priority…
Leno isn’t amazing playing out from the back, and Gooners noticed how stifled our attack looked without Martinez. Luiz leaving Arsenal is the same. This is why we had to sign White as a priority. Seriously, the closest we have to a BPD like Ben White or David Luiz in the squad is probably Rob Holding. I don’t feel confident seeing a Holding-Gabriel pairing for the entire season.
White is an upgrade on Luiz (and probably all our CB’s). He’s younger, fast, has potential, is homegrown, and is more technically gifted. He’s also made zero mistakes leading to shots on goal in the past 2 years (Luiz has made 6).
The main shortfalls in White’s game compared to Luiz are inexperience and heading. Gabriel and Holding can hopefully compensate for the heading. The experience should speak for itself. I also think he lacks the ‘nastiness’ Luiz was capable of at times, but those who have managed White, say otherwise.
David Luiz's experience and mentality hasn't been replaced
So to wrap it all up, although we have replaced Luiz’s technical ability, his leadership qualities are irreplaceable. Looking at the current squad externally, only Tierney, Partey, Saka, Smith Rowe, Xhaka, Lacazette, and Martinelli are close to leadership candidates.
Smith-Rowe and Martinelli are too inexperienced, and Saka should be allowed to develop. Xhaka should never have been captain and is hopefully sold by the time this article is posted. Lacazette has an edge but is likely to leave on a free next summer. Finally, I only included Partey based on hunches from last season. He had a lot of injuries, so in reality, it’s too early to tell.
This means Tierney is the only leader in the squad based on how we perform on a matchday. We’re desperately short of experience and leadership across the pitch. If the defence is fully stacked number-wise, then Luiz’s experience has to be replaced in Midfield. Partey is a good start, but he cannot carry the spine of the team alone.
Tick-Tock Arsenal. Tick-Tock…