Shkodran Mustafi.

[FootballHQ]

Has there guy ever been rated as a good CB?

Just seems the sort that gets massively hyped because he won a World cup.

People used to say he was great at Valencia but I watched most of the season when they had Neville in charge and Valencia were a joke defensively and he played most of the games.

Arsenal won't be keeping many clean sheets with the axis of Cech-Mustafi-Skoratis-Xhaka.

 

[GledTheRed]

He's dogger

 

[DWelbz19]

One of many absolute bums at Arsenal.

 

[Ekeke]

Didnt look as good as Otamendi to me at Valencia. I thought of him as Valencia's Phil Jones. Was struggling this weekend

 

[prateik]

More like Valencia's Bailly. Always has a mistake in him.

 

[maniak]

I would swap him for a random defender in the championship.

He works hard and seems to genuinely care about winning and seems upset when we lose, but he does so many silly mistakes... it drives me crazy.

 

[horsechoker]

 

[Rozay]

The worst centre half in the PL.

 

[SilentWitness]

I remember we had both him and Dier in 11-12 and being more gutted that we didn't hold onto Dier. I was surprised that he turned into a player capable of getting into the National Team as the Arsenal version is definitely the player I recall.

 

[phonics_tid]

The only thing more laughable than how bad he is, is the fact that his centre back partner is David Luiz. Up there with two of the very worst that this league has seen and they happen to be playing in the same side at the same time

 

[Rozay]

The only thing more laughable than how bad he is, is the fact that his centre back partner is David Luiz. Up there with two of the very worst that this league has seen and they happen to be playing in the same side at the same time

That is a million miles away from being a fair description for David Luiz.

 

[Wiltord02]

An absolutely tragic defender. Utterly brainless. Makes Cygan and Stepanovs look like prime Maldini and Baresi.

Even though Arteta came in and he finally tried to give structure to the defence, Mustafi still makes terrible decisions and is a total liability.

 

[phonics_tid]

That is a million miles away from being a fair description for David Luiz.

Care to elaborate and let us in to what would be a fair description then?

 

[RooneyLegend]

Hopeless defender, really fun watching him defend given he's not in our side.

 

[Rozay]

Care to elaborate and let us in to what would be a fair description then?

Very talented player prone to the odd error. When Luiz isn’t in the process of making a mistake, there’s a fair chance he’s busy being one of the best players on the pitch.

Mustafi is just a poor player. Luiz on his day has totally shut dominated some top forwards. Mustafi is just poor. Even when not making a ‘mistake’, he’s just not very good.

 

[VP89]

He was rated when he was at Valencia wasn't he?

 

[VorZakone]

He was rated when he was at Valencia wasn't he?

Surprisingly him & Otamendi were one of the best CB duo's in 2014/15 at Valencia...

 

[Rooney in Paris]

Very talented player prone to the odd error. When Luiz isn’t in the process of making a mistake, there’s a fair chance he’s busy being one of the best players on the pitch.

Mustafi is just a poor player. Luiz on his day has totally shut dominated some top forwards. Mustafi is just poor. Even when not making a ‘mistake’, he’s just not very good.

The narrative peddled by some that Luiz isn't shit is one that will always surprise me

 

[OleGunnar20]

The narrative peddled by some that Luiz isn't shit is one that will always surprise me

I think it's fair to say he's a very talented footballer. He is however, an awful defender.

If he'd been developed as a CM from an early age I think he'd have been really good, but as a CB he's always a mistake waiting to happen.

 

[hasanejaz88]

I thought he was doing well since Arteta came in.

Being a German fan I'll have a soft spot for him, I think hes a talented defender but just has brainfarts that can ruin a performance. Against Chelsea recently he made a shit error that got Luiz sent off but then played the rest of the match brilliantly and helped Arsenal get an unlikely draw.

Reminds me of Lucio. While not at the same level of brainfart that Mustafi is, people really forget how haphazard Lucio was in his last season at Bayern under Klinsmann when Bayern were just horrible defensively. Lucio then moved to Inter under a much much better defensive coach in Mourinho and suddenly became one of the best CBs in the world.

I thought Mustafi was improving under Arteta and so hopefully he would improve his nac of making mistakes, or maybe he'll remain that way.

 

[tenpoless]

He's a disgrace to Hamburger SV.

 

[RyRoc]

I thought he was doing well since Arteta came in.

Being a German fan I'll have a soft spot for him, I think hes a talented defender but just has brainfarts that can ruin a performance. Against Chelsea recently he made a shit error that got Luiz sent off but then played the rest of the match brilliantly and helped Arsenal get an unlikely draw.

Reminds me of Lucio. While not at the same level of brainfart that Mustafi is, people really forget how haphazard Lucio was in his last season at Bayern under Klinsmann when Bayern were just horrible defensively. Lucio then moved to Inter under a much much better defensive coach in Mourinho and suddenly became one of the best CBs in the world.

I thought Mustafi was improving under Arteta and so hopefully he would improve his nac of making mistakes, or maybe he'll remain that way.

Yeah , this the last 2 months have been by far his best period in an Arsenal shirt.

This will certainly be a controversial opinion and I accept that but I do think there is a decent defender in there and he has shown it at times although I accept he makes far too many individual errors. He has admitted himself that his confidence has at times been at rock bottom which has obviously affected his performance.

 

[RyRoc]

I think it's fair to say he's a very talented footballer. He is however, an awful defender.

If he'd been developed as a CM from an early age I think he'd have been really good, but as a CB he's always a mistake waiting to happen.

He makes far too many individual errors and and he will rightfully always be judged for that. However the original poster was right - when he’s fully concentrated and on top of his game , he’s capable of shutting out the very best attackers and has done this for a number of years.

 

[Grinner]

nah, he's shit. Pound for pound our worst ever buy.

 

[FootballHQ]

He was rated when he was at Valencia wasn't he?

I saw many of the games in the few months before he joined Arsenal (obviously when they were scouting him) and he was much the same as he is now, poor positionial sense and constantly not tracking strikers runs, poor distribution etc.

That was mainly in the Gary Neville period though where pretty much all Valencia squad were punch drunk on the pitch.

Hard to believe he's been at Arsenal four years. I assume his contract is coming to an end soon.

 

[Rozay]

nah, he's shit. Pound for pound our worst ever buy.

Andre Santos by far the worst I’ve seen in your shirt.

 

[hmchan]

Mustafi is poor, but I can assure you Jones is worse.

 

[horsechoker]

 

[Nick7]

Mustafi is poor, but I can assure you Jones is worse.

He ain't.

 

[do.ob]

The best thing that ever happened to him was Löw and his 4cb backline nonsense.

 

[hasanejaz88]

The best thing that ever happened to him was Löw and his 4cb backline nonsense.

I remember the match against Ghana where he played RB and he lost a header for their goal at the back post. Thankfully Lahm went to RB after that.