Kieran Gibbs was supposed to replace Gael Clichy at Arsenal. With the squad disintegrated ever since Wenger retired, the England international now finds himself at West Brom trying to revive a career that risks ending up in the lower leagues.
During one of the many FA Cup finals Arsenal lost, the story goes on how Wenger instructed his side to pair up in twos for a sunt. Everyone avoided Sanchez who was at that point bent on heading to United but Gibbs was the only one who volunteered to pair up with the Chilean.
It remains till this day but maybe that one-bit act of being the grown man in the room surprises people as to how he couldn’t make it at the Emirates.
The Gunners had a lot of issues but Gibbs was hardly one of them.
He was supposed to stay and build on the legacies of Gael Clichy and other left backs that started their trades at Arsenal. Even if a day was to come when he would call it quits at the Emirates, City or Chelsea always seemed to be the preferred destination of Arsenal wantaways.
Even United was not far off afterall their captain once joined the Red Devils to know how lifting the Premier League felt like.
At West Brom a consistent weekly performance is the only thing that will keep Gibbs career at float.
Unlike Clichy who had the luxury of playing at the highest levels, West Brom remains the last club that will give Gibbs the kind of status every knows he deserves.
Slaven Billic’s side lost to Aston Villa in the play-offs last March and anything other than qualifying for the premiership this season will be labelled a failure.
That won’t help Gibbs’ cause.