Santi Cazorla

Full name: Santiago Cazorla González


Date of birth 13 December 1984
Place of birth Llanera, Spain
Height 1.68 m
Playing position Midfielder

Cool interview with Santi

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Seems like Santi’s really struggling with injuries right now. Real unfortunate that he’s now entering that phase of his career where this should be his best years, but suffering real badly from injuries for a good while now.

Would hate it for to end up like an Arteta or Rosicky situation where we hardly see him, even though we really need him back on the pitch.

Whether it’s this season or next, he’ll fall off a cliff physically and we won’t be prepared, even with the warning signs appearing. It’s obvious imo, it’s why I had Dahoud in my wish list on the previous forum, we need someone who’ll hopefully be his successor in time.

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Santi is back!

Cech, Bellerin and Gabriel too.

Photos of todays training session can be viewed here

http://www.gettyimages.co.uk/search/events/655675705?sort=best&excludenudity=true&phrase=&family=editorial#license

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I don’t understand why no one mentions this, but instead keep going on about how Arsenal desperately need a cf, cb and a winger. They’re not wrong, but a midfielder is needed just as much. Frustrating, how this has actually been allowed to happen. The best midfielder at the club this season, and IMO the only convincing one, was a declining 31 year old…Genuinely can’t believe how pretty much everyone now thinks this is no longer an issue, just because Xhaka has been signed.

Mentioned Kevin Kampl in my wish list. Can’t think of a more suitable option. :slight_smile:

Great news!

Honestly wouldn’t be surprised if Wenger see’s Zelalem as Santi’s successor.

We have Xhaka, Elneny, Coquelin, Ramsey, Wilshere; so the situation is just not as critical.

Besides why Kevin Kampl? There are like 10-15 players I would name ahead of him. He seemed very average to me when i saw him play for Dortmund & Slovenia.

Because if Xhaka is truly the new Alonso, like he’s hyped to be by some, we already have our deep-lying playmaker.

You still want to to partner him with someone competent both in & out of possession, Elneny is that although he’s pretty mediocre, Ramsey is definitely not and Wilshere I really don’t believe Wenger sees him as a CM anymore (even if he did, setting yourself up for disappointment/failure there).

Santi when fit is one of the first names on the team sheet for me.

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I don’t think Wilshere is a good player and I doubt he’ll be fit anyway. Ramsey, as much as I used to like him, is no longer the same player I was such a big fan of. Can no longer really play in midfield. Purely an attacking midfielder these days.

I don’t want Coquelin or any other deep midfielder in the same team as Xhaka.
Elneny is just average.

Kampl because he’s an athletic ball carrier, with excellent technique and ability under pressure. He’s very good and disciplined off the ball too. This is the kind of player, that I think the team should have in midfield. I certainly couldn’t come up with 10-15 better players, who fit this profile.

Santi was in training today, I guess that’s good news then.

I miss him. I hope we get to witness atleast one more season of his magic.

Great to have him back. If we can keep him fit, he’ll be a huge component in any success we have this season. We have no outright, like-for-like players in his mould but I’d like to think we could balance the fitness between Santi and Jack for this season.

Easy to forget that a 26 year old version of this guy is probably worth 40 million. if him, Xhaka and Ozil click it could be one of the best midfield 3s in the world.

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Not to say I believe this (although he’s got a very good record when it comes to injuries), but both Wenger & Cazorla have expressed their concerns regarding his achilles this pre-season and despite him playing in the friendly against Chivas, Wenger wasn’t exactly positive about his chances vs Liverpool after the game.

^^Cazorla was already training regularly when he said that

This is really reminiscent of Koscielny before the 14/15 season, the club knew he was suffering from chronic achilles issues but they decided Chambers, Koscielny and Mertesacker was enough, Kosc ended up missing 13 games before the January window we signed Gabriel (not the greatest signing either).

There’s no chance we sign a midfielder, but this is potentially a big problem because of the poor squad building that means beyond Xhaka and Cazorla our midfield options are mediocre at best.

There’s absolutely no doubt in my mind we’re going to see loads of Aaron Ramsey in centre midfield this season. He’ll probably get the most games there of anyone not named Xhaka.

Which is why at the beginning of the summer I said it was a must that we sell him, so to remove that option from Wenger’s hands, much like should’ve been done with releasing Flamini before last season.

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All depends on the fitness of Cazorla. I think if Cazorla stays fit and continues to hold that midfield position down, you’ll have your wish and Ramsey will be sold next summer because I don’t think he’ll renew his contract unless he’s played centrally.

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