Hello Everyone,
Finally the most awaited & exciting league in the world is about to start in a weeks time and I am as always is really looking forward to our new season. Usually our pre-season will start with a game against Barnet and then will be followed by a training camp at Austria and the Emirates Cup. Not so this time.We made our first pre-season tour to Asia since 1999 and it was really successful is well. We started the pre-season with a overwhelming victory against Malaysia and ended with a somewhat painful defeat against Benfica. I am just going to look at each of our positions and give my thoughts about whether we need to improve it or stay put.
Goalkeepers :
We are set to start the season with four Goalkeepers. Szczesny, Fabianksi, Mannone & Almunia. I think our Goalkeeping situation is well under control. Just a year ago we were really crying out for a new Goalie and now we have two worldclass Goalies in Szczesny & Fabianski with us. Arsene has already said that Almunia might move on and even if he doesn't, I think he will only probably play with reserves unless both Szczesny & Fabainski gets injured. Mannone needs to improve a lot if he has to even think about challenging Scz & Fab. He hasn't had a great pre-season so I think he has to settle for 3rd choice. The battle for the first choice is wide open and both Scz & Fab has said that they will give their all to get it. Its a really interesting battle and definitely a great one to look out for. I would personally go for Fabianki but I think it will be Szczesny who will start the season as first choice.
Verdict : Our Goalkeeping situation is really good and so nothing needs to be done there.
Left Backs :
This is an area where there is some concern. We sold our first choice LB Gael Clichy to Manchester City and are due to start the season with only Gibbs & Traore. Gibbs is a very good LB but unfortunately he is really injury prone. Traore spent the last season on loan at Juventus and has surely improved a lot but whether he is good enough for Arsenal is still open for discussion. Judging by our pre-season, both Gibbs & Traore have played pretty well. Gibbs looks set to start as first choice and as long as he stays injury free, I am happy with it. Having said that, I would like to see us buying a experienced LB like Baines or Enrique but why should we dream about a thing that's not going to happen heh ?
Verdict : This is an area for concern, partly due to the fitness of our first choice and the quality of our second choice
Right Backs :
Our right back area is pretty covered in my opinion. We brought in the youngster Carl Jenkinson from Charlton during the transfer window and set to sell our previous second choice Eboue. Our first choice Sagna is the best right back in the world at the moment and he is a very fit guy too. Jenkison, based on pre-season performances so far looks capable of deputing him, maybe not so effective as Eboue but he certainly can.
Verdict : I think we are good to go in this department. I just hope Sagna remains as consistent and fit as ever.
Centre Backs :
We have neither sold nor brought in any new CB's so far. We are set to start with TV- Kosh as first choice CB and they are a really awesome pair that we conceded Zero goals when they both were on the pitch during pre-season. Djourou can be a really good backup. He is short of confidense at the moment and I really hope he finds it soon. Most of Gooners don't like Squillaci but in my opinion he is a good 4th choice. He is experienced and was brought in only as a cover for TV & Kosh but our injury record is so bad that he was forced to play a lot last season. But I do accept that we need to buy one more CB. We have made bids for Jagielka and also are being linked with Cahill. I think we will end up getting one sooner rather than later.
Verdict : We have some really good CB's and if we add Jagielka/Cahill to it, we are perfect to go. We do need to work a lot on defending set pieces and hope that Vermaelen and Koscielny remain injury free.
Defensive Midfield : We start the season with Song as first choice and Frimpong as second choice. Having let go Denilson on loan to Sao Paulo, there isnt very much depth in this department. Song is a really good DM but he would be much better if he has some stiff competition. I hoped we would go for a experienced player like Parker, so that it will both provide cover for Song & wont block Frimpong too but it doesn't seem like happening. Frimpong has played really well in pre-season so far but can he push Song and remain consistent is yet to be seen.
Verdict : Would have been much better if we had brought a experienced DM but now lets hope Song & Frimpong can remain fit & consistent.
Midfielders : This is an area which is making many confused at the moment and mostly its because of the situation surrounding Cesc. If he stays we will have Jack, Ramsey, Rosicky, Diaby and maybe Lansbury is well and that's more than good enough but the big question is what will happen if he goes. Arsene & PHW both have said that Cesc will leave only if Barca pay the money we are asking for. At the moment it looks like Barca are not going to pay what we ask for and so I really hope Cesc stays. There are only a very few who can replace Cesc and it would be great for Ramsey to learn from Cesc for one more year at least.
Verdict : If Cesc stays then its pretty awesome but if he leaves then surely we need to buy a player. Ramsey can be effective as Cesc but surely not yet. We have been heavily linked with Mata who can play both as a midfielder and as a winger so if Cesc (or Nasri) leaves, I hope we get him.
Wingers/Strikers :
We have Nasri, Arshavin, Gervinho, Vela, Walcott & if we can get the work permit, Ryo Miyaichi who all can play on the wings. That's enough quality we have. Nasri's future & Miyaichi's permit issues needs to be cleared soon. The really good thing here is Arshavin, Gervinho, Nasri and to a certain extent Theo can all play both on the left or on the right and so we can swap them anytime during the game. Miyaichi can be a great addition if we can get his permit. He has pace in abundance that only Theo can match. Gervinho looks like a great signing. His runs off the ball has been great and he has that beautiful change of pace in him which can torment defenders. I am really excited to see him alongside RVP. If we do sell Nasri (which I hope we does) then Mata can be a great replacement. Vela has got a great chance to revitalize his Arsenal career this season. His natural & best position is a striker but his physique and our formation may not allow him to play there, so I really hope he play's well on the wings and makes a name for himself.
We have three strikers at the moment. RVP, Bendtner & Chamakh. Gervinho can also play upfront. Everyone knows how great Robin is and unfortunately a bit injury prone too. Arsene said that we are looking to sell Bendtner and I really hope we doesn't. Nick is a great striker and he wants to move on most probably because he did not get enough game time and was also forced him to play out wide last season. RVP has already got injured during yesterdays game and with Chamakh in a very bad form as he is now, we certainly need Bendtner to stay. Both Chamakh & Gervinho will be off to ACN during January and so we really need Nick or a new striker as a cover for RVP. Afobe might get promoted to first team and although he is a very good player, he is just 18 and you cant really trust him to cover for a player like RVP. There are unconfirmed news that we have signed Costa Rica teenager Joel Campbell. He looks like a great player but he is also just 18.
Verdict : We need either Chamakh to get back his form asap or Nick to stay. RVP is a great player but cant be trusted to have a full season without knocks and even if he has it, we need someone to help out RVP when he is tired. Our attack is very much dependent on RVP and that's not a great sign.
So my overall verdict is, we are well covered in GK, RB & Wingers. We need cover for LB and DM position but I can't realistically see someone arriving for that position. We are looking for a CB and I have a cheeky feeling we might even get a striker if we sell Nick, so I hope those business gets done sooner rather than later.
The media would say that Arsenal will struggle to get into the top 4 but I can realistically see us challenging for the title if we can get two or (If Cesc/Nasri leaves) three more players. So its not doom & gloom at Arsenal as many may lead you to believe. Arsene knows about our team much better than us and I fully trust him to make the necessary purchases soon.
I will be back next week with the preview of our first league game of the 2011-12 season against Newcastle. Until then, have a good time everyone.
Finally the most awaited & exciting league in the world is about to start in a weeks time and I am as always is really looking forward to our new season. Usually our pre-season will start with a game against Barnet and then will be followed by a training camp at Austria and the Emirates Cup. Not so this time.We made our first pre-season tour to Asia since 1999 and it was really successful is well. We started the pre-season with a overwhelming victory against Malaysia and ended with a somewhat painful defeat against Benfica. I am just going to look at each of our positions and give my thoughts about whether we need to improve it or stay put.
Goalkeepers :
We are set to start the season with four Goalkeepers. Szczesny, Fabianksi, Mannone & Almunia. I think our Goalkeeping situation is well under control. Just a year ago we were really crying out for a new Goalie and now we have two worldclass Goalies in Szczesny & Fabianski with us. Arsene has already said that Almunia might move on and even if he doesn't, I think he will only probably play with reserves unless both Szczesny & Fabainski gets injured. Mannone needs to improve a lot if he has to even think about challenging Scz & Fab. He hasn't had a great pre-season so I think he has to settle for 3rd choice. The battle for the first choice is wide open and both Scz & Fab has said that they will give their all to get it. Its a really interesting battle and definitely a great one to look out for. I would personally go for Fabianki but I think it will be Szczesny who will start the season as first choice.
Verdict : Our Goalkeeping situation is really good and so nothing needs to be done there.
Left Backs :
This is an area where there is some concern. We sold our first choice LB Gael Clichy to Manchester City and are due to start the season with only Gibbs & Traore. Gibbs is a very good LB but unfortunately he is really injury prone. Traore spent the last season on loan at Juventus and has surely improved a lot but whether he is good enough for Arsenal is still open for discussion. Judging by our pre-season, both Gibbs & Traore have played pretty well. Gibbs looks set to start as first choice and as long as he stays injury free, I am happy with it. Having said that, I would like to see us buying a experienced LB like Baines or Enrique but why should we dream about a thing that's not going to happen heh ?
Verdict : This is an area for concern, partly due to the fitness of our first choice and the quality of our second choice
Right Backs :
Our right back area is pretty covered in my opinion. We brought in the youngster Carl Jenkinson from Charlton during the transfer window and set to sell our previous second choice Eboue. Our first choice Sagna is the best right back in the world at the moment and he is a very fit guy too. Jenkison, based on pre-season performances so far looks capable of deputing him, maybe not so effective as Eboue but he certainly can.
Verdict : I think we are good to go in this department. I just hope Sagna remains as consistent and fit as ever.
Centre Backs :
We have neither sold nor brought in any new CB's so far. We are set to start with TV- Kosh as first choice CB and they are a really awesome pair that we conceded Zero goals when they both were on the pitch during pre-season. Djourou can be a really good backup. He is short of confidense at the moment and I really hope he finds it soon. Most of Gooners don't like Squillaci but in my opinion he is a good 4th choice. He is experienced and was brought in only as a cover for TV & Kosh but our injury record is so bad that he was forced to play a lot last season. But I do accept that we need to buy one more CB. We have made bids for Jagielka and also are being linked with Cahill. I think we will end up getting one sooner rather than later.
Verdict : We have some really good CB's and if we add Jagielka/Cahill to it, we are perfect to go. We do need to work a lot on defending set pieces and hope that Vermaelen and Koscielny remain injury free.
Defensive Midfield : We start the season with Song as first choice and Frimpong as second choice. Having let go Denilson on loan to Sao Paulo, there isnt very much depth in this department. Song is a really good DM but he would be much better if he has some stiff competition. I hoped we would go for a experienced player like Parker, so that it will both provide cover for Song & wont block Frimpong too but it doesn't seem like happening. Frimpong has played really well in pre-season so far but can he push Song and remain consistent is yet to be seen.
Verdict : Would have been much better if we had brought a experienced DM but now lets hope Song & Frimpong can remain fit & consistent.
Midfielders : This is an area which is making many confused at the moment and mostly its because of the situation surrounding Cesc. If he stays we will have Jack, Ramsey, Rosicky, Diaby and maybe Lansbury is well and that's more than good enough but the big question is what will happen if he goes. Arsene & PHW both have said that Cesc will leave only if Barca pay the money we are asking for. At the moment it looks like Barca are not going to pay what we ask for and so I really hope Cesc stays. There are only a very few who can replace Cesc and it would be great for Ramsey to learn from Cesc for one more year at least.
Verdict : If Cesc stays then its pretty awesome but if he leaves then surely we need to buy a player. Ramsey can be effective as Cesc but surely not yet. We have been heavily linked with Mata who can play both as a midfielder and as a winger so if Cesc (or Nasri) leaves, I hope we get him.
Wingers/Strikers :
We have Nasri, Arshavin, Gervinho, Vela, Walcott & if we can get the work permit, Ryo Miyaichi who all can play on the wings. That's enough quality we have. Nasri's future & Miyaichi's permit issues needs to be cleared soon. The really good thing here is Arshavin, Gervinho, Nasri and to a certain extent Theo can all play both on the left or on the right and so we can swap them anytime during the game. Miyaichi can be a great addition if we can get his permit. He has pace in abundance that only Theo can match. Gervinho looks like a great signing. His runs off the ball has been great and he has that beautiful change of pace in him which can torment defenders. I am really excited to see him alongside RVP. If we do sell Nasri (which I hope we does) then Mata can be a great replacement. Vela has got a great chance to revitalize his Arsenal career this season. His natural & best position is a striker but his physique and our formation may not allow him to play there, so I really hope he play's well on the wings and makes a name for himself.
We have three strikers at the moment. RVP, Bendtner & Chamakh. Gervinho can also play upfront. Everyone knows how great Robin is and unfortunately a bit injury prone too. Arsene said that we are looking to sell Bendtner and I really hope we doesn't. Nick is a great striker and he wants to move on most probably because he did not get enough game time and was also forced him to play out wide last season. RVP has already got injured during yesterdays game and with Chamakh in a very bad form as he is now, we certainly need Bendtner to stay. Both Chamakh & Gervinho will be off to ACN during January and so we really need Nick or a new striker as a cover for RVP. Afobe might get promoted to first team and although he is a very good player, he is just 18 and you cant really trust him to cover for a player like RVP. There are unconfirmed news that we have signed Costa Rica teenager Joel Campbell. He looks like a great player but he is also just 18.
Verdict : We need either Chamakh to get back his form asap or Nick to stay. RVP is a great player but cant be trusted to have a full season without knocks and even if he has it, we need someone to help out RVP when he is tired. Our attack is very much dependent on RVP and that's not a great sign.
So my overall verdict is, we are well covered in GK, RB & Wingers. We need cover for LB and DM position but I can't realistically see someone arriving for that position. We are looking for a CB and I have a cheeky feeling we might even get a striker if we sell Nick, so I hope those business gets done sooner rather than later.
The media would say that Arsenal will struggle to get into the top 4 but I can realistically see us challenging for the title if we can get two or (If Cesc/Nasri leaves) three more players. So its not doom & gloom at Arsenal as many may lead you to believe. Arsene knows about our team much better than us and I fully trust him to make the necessary purchases soon.
I will be back next week with the preview of our first league game of the 2011-12 season against Newcastle. Until then, have a good time everyone.
