The Importance of being Nasri

Written by Basil James.

Things have been going on just fine at the Emirates and the team seems to be hitting the right notes in crucial matches. The flip side of the coin is the injuries to Arsenal’s best players, Van Persie and Fabregas. One stand out performer in the recent matches has been Samir Nasri, who came back from injury quite recently and hit the ground running.

The Arsenal number eight has developed into the perfect utility midfielder, providing Wenger with the option of deploying him anywhere in the center of the pitch. Nasri, his frequent inconsistencies notwithstanding, has served the club excellently wherever he has been used. The importance of having a player like Nasri came to light in the recent matches against Braga, in the Champions League, and against Spurs in the League Cup. Nasri co-ordinated and orchestrated Arsenal’s play from the centre of the park brilliantly, providing starlets like Wilshere with plenty of space, time and freedom to play some beautiful football.

Nasri has been used predominantly as a winger by Wenger, but his real talent and ability comes out when he is in centre midfield, where his dribbling and passing skills come out in full bloom. His agility, passing and the ability to hold the ball in the attacking line are what makes him an exceptional player and these qualities are brought out best when deployed in the centre of the field.

Samir Nasri has often been compared to the legendary Zidane and many think that he can be the next Fabregas at Arsenal if he keeps putting in consistent performances. When the inevitable does happen and Fabregas leaves for Barca, Arsenal will need all of Nasri they can get to anchor and steer the side in the right direction. Arsenal has players like Jack Wilshere who can do the creative bit on the field, providing killer passes and through balls to create a host of chances. Nasri will be the man suited to do what Schweinsteiger did for Germany in the World Cup, a holding midfielder who provides the canvas for those of a more creative bent of mind to splash their colours. Nasri can dribble, as he showed us against Porto last season and can create problems at will for the opposition when he goes forward in attack.

Nasri’s only problem has been that he has been a tad too much inconsistent. He tends to switch off for phases in some games and is yet to prove himself consistently on the pitch in a slew off games. However, with Fabregas out with injury, Nasri has the ideal opportunity to make an impact and prove his critics wrong by putting in some scintillating displays. IN fact, Arsenal need Nasri to step up and be the big man in the forthcoming games as Arsenal attempts to set the tempo for a title challenge yet again.

After a disappointing draw at the Stadium of Light, Arsenal need to pick up the pieces for their next league game. Arsenal did play brilliantly to outsmart and outdo Spurs in the League Cup, though some may argue that a huge slice of luck went Arsenal’s way. Nasri was particularly impressive in the match, though a storm regarding the manner in which he won the first penalty is brewing up. It promises to be on the rough side. But more on that later. Currently, all that I’m saying is that Nasri certainly looks set to dazzle.