Claudius his defensive issues weren’t covered at all. That’s wilful ignorance of reality. He was clearly a weak link on many occasions, and that side of the pitch was also clearly targeted by teams as a result. Whether you consider his offensive contribution to outweigh the defensive liability is one thing, but it’s nonsense to suggest defensively we were covered.
I’ve got questions marks on both the tactical approach of using him that way and in Zinchenko himself. He played 27 league games and was poor towards the end of the season when it most counted, so we arguably got half a season of form from him. This was only the second season he’s played more than 20 league games - the other being for FC Ufa in 2015/16. He has everything to prove form and fitness wise and it’s a risk to make a team so heavily reliant on one individual with that background, no matter how talented or how much he adds offensively from a left back role.
I wouldn’t have nearly as much concern if Arteta could show flexibility in his approach across the team when we’re without Zinkchenko, but he didn’t show that last season and there’s no talk of anything that makes me thing the upcoming season will be any better, though it is early days.
I completely understand the benefit he brings and what Arteta is trying to do. But at best he’s still a defensive weakness, off form he’s a defensive weakness with little impact, out the team he leaves big impact in our ability to progress play. We need to learn to play without him as much as anything else.
If we’ve any hopes of going past the group stages in the Champions League we need big improvements as better teams will pull us apart with him at left back.
Are there any big and successful teams out there currently or in the recent past with full backs as poor defensively as Zinchenko?
