In a recent episode of Sky Sports’ The Debate, as reported by the Mirror, Arsenal legend Tony Adams revealed that Rob Holding should get a chance to impress at the Emirates Stadium. He was quoted to have said, “I like Holding. He has got talent and potential. Stick him in and work with him.
“He has brought some players over, and we haven’t seen them, put them in.”
The English centre-back is yet to make an appearance for the Gunners this season. He has been part of Unai Emery’s bench but has still not played any first-team minutes for the North London club so far.
Arsenal’s Poor Defensive Record
The Arsenal boss has opted for the centre-back pairing of Shkodran Mustafi and Sokratis Papastathopoulos in the absence of Laurent Koscielny who is currently going through a spell on the sidelines due to a serious injury. However, the Gunners have still not kept a clean sheet this term and are guilty of shipping in 8 goals in 4 league matches which should be a significant cause for concern for their Spanish manager.
Holding: A Possible Solution?
At the tender age of 22, Holding has already managed to make 44 appearances for the Arsenal senior team under the tutelage of Arsene Wenger but Emery is yet to see him play in his first-team. Maybe it is time for the gaffer to hand an opportunity to the English starlet so that he can finally get a platform to showcase his talents and help the club improve defensively after the international break.
What Will Holding Offer To Emery’s Team?
The Tameside born defensive ace is far from the finished product, but he is a willing learner who is improving with each day. Holding boasts incredible defensive awareness and is also quite imposing physically, often leaping above the opposition to win the 50-50 aerial duels. He is precisely the type of character who can come in and improve the Arsenal backline significantly in the coming fixtures.
Should Emery Listen To Adams’ Advice?
Although Mustafi has shown signs of promise over the past few weeks, yet he is still arguably the weakest member in Emery’s back four. Hence, bringing in Holding in place of him should see Arsenal become more solid defensively with two physically dominant centre-backs in their team.
Tony Adams is probably the greatest defender that the Premier League has ever seen! Listening to his words of wisdom would be the way to go for the North London club.
