Sunshine and Rainbows for Andre Santos

You know that horrible feeling of your heart seizing up as you see a player go down in seemingly innocuous fashion? That happened this week with Kieran Gibbs. We all held our breath as Kieran tried to soldier on and run off his injury, but to no avail: his time in the match had come.

As the air grew tense around the Emirates, the camera swung dramatically, it revealed none other than the infamous André Santos, as he stripped down and began to prepare to being subbed on. You could almost hear the stereotypical villain music crescendo as each second of Santos’ unveiling passed.

In recent weeks, our cuddly little maverick has been subject to unfathomable abuse, mainly due to his defensive incompetence and seemingly poor attitude. His poor decisions and apparent lack of match fitness on the pitch has earned him the scapegoat’s bell ahead of Aaron Ramsey, Gervinho and others, while also being portrayed an anti-hero among some Arsenal fans. While Santos has never been an all-star defender, his recent performances have left a lot to be desired at any level, let alone the Premier League.

Against Liverpool, he certainly didn’t do anything to repair his shoddy reputation, as he was often caught out of position, or committing potentially fatal mistakes at the back. It wasn’t a good day out for André at left-back, but his days as a defender for Arsenal may be numbered.

There are two reasons for Santos to remain hopeful of a successful career at Arsenal, and ironically enough, they both involve transfers.

The first is the arrival of Nacho Monreal. With him in the squad and Gibbs fit, we have two brilliant left-backs, freeing up Santos to be an attacking impact sub at left-wing, which is his favored role judging by performances. Lukas Podolski rarely gets through a game, the Ox is off form, and Gervinho only seems to remember his brain in Africa, so our cuddly maverick could certainly do a job in a game where we lack ideas. His attacking capabilities are well documented, with his playful samba style and ferocious shot saving our bacon on occasion, namely against Chelsea and West Brom. Not the best option, but certainly not the worst.

The second is his departure. Andre is on the verge of a year-long loan move to Brazilian side Gremio. Whether it’s a move to make him happy, raise his price, or help his form, we’ll never know. All that’s for certain is he’ll be happy back in his native land playing more frequent minutes, instead of rotting on the bench in cold, miserable England. While he may not brush up on his defending in Brazil, he will at least find some form, and gain confidence with a change of scenery. The pressure won’t be as omnipresent as it is playing for Arsenal, and he’ll definitely enjoy himself. The Brasiliero fits him like a glove, naturally.

If he chooses not to return after this loan move, then both parties benefit. Santos goes home, we get a higher fee for a player in demand, and we are left with two defenders who are just that. Win win. I love Santos, but he’s nothing more than a liability at the back. In spirit, he’ll be missed. On the pitch however, Monreal and Gibbs are more than adequate in easing my woes.