Daily Archives: August 12, 2011

Arseblog, the arsenal blog
August 12, 2011 posted by arseblog

Arseblog season preview 2011-2012

Every year I write a preview of the season and this year will no different. Given the circumstances and the timing, however, I feel I should stress this is based entirely on where we are now. Not where we might be, or indeed hope to be, in a few weeks time.

So, without further ado, let’s start where we always do, with:

GOALKEEPERS

Last year’s verdict: Arsenal need a new goalkeeper. The performances of the ‘top two’ last season show they cannot be relied on and no team with goalkeepers who play that badly wins trophies. Much of our defensive frailty stems from the lack of organisation, the keeper should be a big part of that as Lehmann and Seaman were. Fabianski and Almunia have no authority, don’t instill any confidence in their back four, let alone the fans, and their positions are surely untenable.

Well, there’s untenable and untenable, yet at the time of writing both keepers still remain. To be fair to Fabianski, one fairly dodgy moment at WHL aside, he acquitted himself well until he got injured and I have no problem with him playing back-up to SZCZ.

We did get a new keeper and it wasn’t Mark Schwarzer, thankfully. Almunia started the season, out-Almunia-ed himself and then got injured/disappeared. Fabianski took over and did ok until he got injured and that opened the door for Wojciech Szczesny. He had been making noises about leaving if he didn’t get a chance at Arsenal, the club convinced him to sign a new deal and while he’s not fully established as the number 1 he’ll start in pole position this season.

Behind him Fabianski and Mannone are perfectly acceptable substitutes. I don’t know too many clubs that have much in the way of strength in depth in the goalkeeping position so I don’t really see any cause to complain about where we are. SZCZ has the confidence, ability and presence we’ve all been crying out for. It’s curious to me that people still want Wenger to buy a keeper. Doing so now, when we have a talent like him emerging, when we spent four seasons with Almunia as our number 1, would be little short of peverse.

Verdict: I’m hoping Wojciech can establish himself properly, gain the experience he needs and really push on in his development. I have no doubts about his character or talent but we have to be mindful that he’s still very young in goalkeeping terms and might need some patience from fans at points during the season. We have decent back-up and if we can find someone to take Almunia I’ll be even happier (maybe we could stick him in one of those old clothes bins you see in supermarket car parks).

DEFENCE

Last season’s verdict: We’re short on numbers and we need an injection of experience and quality at centre-half. At least one needs to come in, the potential development of Nordtveit probably precludes more than one signing. It should be noted that our defensive record is not entirely the fault of the defence, a better team approach to defending is required, but unless we add stability with the goalkeeping signing and a new centre-half this is going to remain a serious weakness.

We got a centre-half, unfortunately Squilvestre didn’t quite work out as planned. On top of that we lost Thomas Vermaelen for most of the season due to his banjaxed Achilles, Nordtveit ended up being sold and Gael Clichy’s stagnation continued. And the point about better team defending is more relevant than ever.

While it’s easy to question the quality of Squillaci it kind of masks the real issue, which is that whichever group of defenders we play we generally look vulnerable to a) the ball over the top and b) the dreaded set-piece. Clearly the latter was a serious issue last season. We conceded more goals from set-pieces than all the other teams in the history of football ever and, frankly, it became a  weak spot that teams exploited over and over again.

There has been a lot of talk this summer about new recruits in defence and, at the time of writing, that we haven’t signed a centre-half yet is staggering to me. That said, I don’t really think just adding a new centre-half to a dysfunctional unit solves the problem. It takes hard work on the training ground and there’s been talk of that already. From the pre-season games it looks as if a zonal marking system is going to be used which I think is a risky strategy but at least they’re trying something.

At right back I’ve got all the time in the world for Sagna while Carl Jenkinson’s inexperience as back-up is offset by the fact he’s not Eboue. Left back remains an issue for me. Kieran Gibbs is talented but brittle while Armand Traore is about as convincing as an elephant in a tutu pretending to be a ballet dancer. I know Wenger has done it before, replacing Silvinho with Cole, Cole with Clichy and now Clichy with Gibbs, but I’m skeptical that Gibbs is ready or reliable enough.

Verdict: I believe strongly that better, more focused defensive coaching, and a better team approach to defending will go a long way to helping solve our defensive woes. I still think we need at least one centre-half and a left back to say we’ve improved this area of the team. Scott Dann from Birmingham is being mooted as a possible arrival, it’s hard to imagine that he was the manager’s first choice – if he was surely we’d have done a deal for him long before now. It doesn’t look as if a left-back is coming, so we’ve got to hope Gibbs stays fit, Vermaelen’s return adds some much needed character and organisation to the back four, while Koscielny and Djourou can make progress from last season.

MIDFIELD

Last season’s verdict: Generally fine. The lack of cover for Song is a worry but the emergence of Wilshere might put pressure on some of the more senior players who went through the motions at times last season. I don’t expect any kind of post-summer hangover from Fabregas and Nasri’s impressive pre-season suggests he might well forge the main partnership with the captain.

I guess last season we were thinking of a formation which saw Song holding and two more attacking players ahead, hence the Nasri/Fabregas partnership. Instead we had the two deeper lying midfielders with one ahead. Unfortunately that wasn’t Cesc often enough and although Nasri played there at times his best spell came when playing on the right hand side of the forward three. He’s more of a finisher than a creator.

Anyway, discussion of either seems a rather moot point at the moment. Although Arsene was giving nothing away in his press conference today, you wouldn’t put your life savings on them being part of things this season. That means we need additions to our midfield. There’s certainly great potential with Wilshere and Ramsey but I do think we need a signing to tie it all together. Rosicky is busy but increasingly ineffectual and to lose a player like Cesc, who creates more chances per game than any other player in our team, is a massive loss for us.

I also a worry a little bit that we still have no real alternative to Alex Song. This time last year I thought a loan for Frimpong would do him good but injury put paid to that. As yet he has still to play a competitive first team game and it’s hard to imagine he’s ready for this level of football, no matter how eager he is. And I haven’t even mentioned Abou Diaby. How can you count on him as part of your first team with his unfortunate, but damaging, injury record?

Verdict: If/when Cesc goes we lose the creative hub of our team. On the one hand it might mean the burden is shared throughout the side, making us less reliant on one player to find that killer pass, on the other we may just find ourselves creating fewer and fewer chances. For a team which is clearly going to focus on the attacking side of the game that is a worry. I would hope that whatever money we get for Cesc is invested in a player of quality who can come in and do a job straight away. I like Ramsey and Wilshere but I’m not convinced they’re ready to replace a player of Cesc’s calibre just yet.

STRIKERS

Last season’s verdict: I think we’re covered here, there’s plenty of competition for places and that’s not even including Jay Emmanuel-Thomas who could force his way into the reckoning. I fancy van Persie for a big, injury free season (I’ve just jinxed him, haven’t I?) and along with the midfield there’s plenty of ammunition in this team.

Well, I got van Persie mostly right! He had a fantastic season from January onwards and without him I shudder to think how last season’s collapse might have been worse. Marouane Chamakh had a great start to his Arsenal career but since van Persie’s return has looked a player shorn of confidence, form and, most worryingly, basic footballing ability.

Nicklas Bendtner’s obvious frustration at being played wide all the time means he wants out. While you might criticise and say he should do better – he did still produce moments like this – and if we can bemoan the manager playing him as a wide forward and not getting the best out of him, why can’t he? I’m sorry he’s going. He’s nowhere near as good as he thinks he is and should work harder but he’s got a decent scoring record and for me, anyway, is a better all-round player than Chamakh.

I think in terms of the wide areas we’re well covered and there’s an obvious change of focus – genuine wide men. Walcott, Gervinho, Arshavin are established and have end product – while the youngsters like Miyaichi and Oxlade-Chamberlain will provide some much needed pace if not much in the way of experience. I do think we’re light in this area though. Bendtner is going to leave, Carlos Vela is about to be shipped out on loan, and our only real back-up to van Persie is the aforementioned Moroccan whose form hardly merits a place in the team except by default.

Verdict: I would really like to see a signing here, another centre-forward to compete with, and provide a genuine alternative to Robin. He hasn’t gone one season without some kind of injury, of varying degrees of seriousness, so it would be a big risk to hope he can stay fit throughout the campaign. He can’t play every game anyway. The signing of Gervinho is a positive and I’m encouraged by what we’ve got to offer out wide but I still think we need to improve our options.

OVERALL

Again I’ll stress that at this moment in time I’m not particularly encouraged and I don’t think we’re in any way stronger than last season. In fact, if Cesc and Nasri go, Bendtner goes and with Clichy already gone we’re considerably weaker.

In last year’s summation I said:

Perhaps the added maturity of some players and the fact that others have points to prove this season will help but I just can’t look beyond the defensive weaknesses which are, and have been for some time, glaring and as yet not fixed.

Right now I’d predict a top four finish, and maybe a decent cup run, but unless we add to the squad I fear another trophy-less season.

I don’t think I need to even add anything to that, it applies so well to this year too. We got the cup run and then bottled in a way only Arsenal could. Without further recruitment in defence and attack, and a quality replacement for Cesc, I don’t think this is a team that can genuinely challenge for the title. It can certainly be in the mix for a while but when push comes to shove I don’t believe we have the quality or experience needed to go all the way.

I feel like the summer, and the various challenges it has presented, have been handled badly, and I still can’t quite get my head around the lack of investment in a team that really needs it. I’m concerned about our Champions League qualifier with Udinese and if the lack of investment is responsible for a failure to qualify then Arsene is going to be on very, very thin ice indeed.

All the same, football has a way of surprising you sometimes so you just never know what we might produce. As it stands though, I reckon we’ll be in a scrap for 4th place and I think that scrap will preclude us from taking cups as seriously as we might like.

There’s still 19 days left until the transfer window closes. We’ve got to do business, in and out, but if he’s had all summer to do it, I’m not exactly confident he’ll be on a shopping spree, no matter how much the potential sales of Cesc and Nasri bring in.

I’m looking forward to the football, excited to see what the new season brings, but I’m more worried about our prospects than at any other time under Arsene Wenger.

Arseblog, the arsenal blog
August 12, 2011 posted by arseblog

D-Day for Cesc and Nasri + Arsecast 204

Morning all, the new season is just a day away and this morning Arsene will meet the press in what is sure to be a fun-filled romp full of japery and good cheer.

Last night, we got a glimpse of the interview Arsene does with the official site before every game. He confirmed that it was true we had to sort out the Cesc issue and called the Nasri situation ‘stable’, before adding:

It is very difficult to speak about possible transfers but we are in a situation where we have to make decisions one way or the other. Ideally you want it to be sorted out before the season starts.

Indeed, ideally you would want that. But ‘before the season starts’ is loads of time when you’re saying those words in June but the night before New Season’s Eve, well, that doesn’t really give you much room to sort things out. Not so much the players leaving but in terms of the ones you might bring in to add to the squad with the great wheelbarrow loads of cash you now have at your disposal.

Anyway, the main thrust of this morning’s reportage is that the manager has sanctioned the sales of both Cesc and $amir Na$ri to Barcelona and Man City respectively. Cesc, I will miss. Back in 2003, a youthful, sprightly and slightly less balding Arseblog was the first site to confirm the arrival of the young Catalan. Regardless of anything else I feel sad that he’s going.

We’ve been here before though, players come and players go but the club is one the constant. As I said yesterday, it’s crucial that money be re-invested in the squad, as quickly, efficiently and effectively as possible. The Guardian throws out the name of Juan Mata again and, in typical Arsene fashion, a little-known Brazilian named Jadson, playing in the Ukraine for Shaktar, was one of the first players to be linked with us. I mean, it’s just so Wenger. By all accounts a decent player but certainly short of the star quality many would like to see arrive. Shades of Eduardo, I guess, but is more important that the players we bring in have actual quality rather than perceived profile.

Ignore talk of €60m buy-out clauses for Mata. It may well exist but it doesn’t mean we’ll have to pay €60m to buy him. We can pay the clause amount and they’ll have no choice but to accept but the reality is if we want Mata and go to a Valencia with an offer they consider acceptable then they will sell. Simple as that. It remains to be seen if we really want him.

At this point anything else is just speculation. Yesterday we at least had a defender linked, Scott Dann from Birmingham City won’t have got too many people excited, but at least it showed that we’re possibly still looking. Maybe. Perhaps. We won’t get any confirmation of that from Arsene today. I doubt he’ll be giving anything away in terms of his transfer targets. I’ve also got £20 on him saying “When we sign someone, I promise you will be the first to know”, to the collection of journalists. The odds are so short on that though, that even if I win I lose money.

All the same we should have a clearer picture over the two transfer sagas which have dominated our summer. If they both go through we’ll be in a situation where we’ve let one player go for far less than I think he’s worth whilst making out like bandits on the other one. What Arsene says about them both will be very interesting and how he reacts to questions from the press corps should be quite telling. More on that throughout the day on Arseblog News.

Now, onto matters team and ahead of tomorrow’s game against Newcastle we’ve got relatively good news with injuries. Despite worries over van Persie, Gibbs, Theo Walcott and Thomas Vermaelen – as well as Ramsey and Arshavin who picked up knocks whilst on international duty in midweek – all of those players should be available. The only key player missing is Jack Wilshere whose Achilles injury sees him in protective boot and I think the club are being ultra-cautious with him after the Vermaelen problem last season. There’s also no mention of Koscielny so we’ll have to wait and see there.

I imagine we’ll find out from the boss at his presser if the likes of Oxlade-Chamberlain and Miyaichi will be included in the squad. I suspect they probably will be given the unavailability of certain players and the dearth of options otherwise, but while we might be going into this in better shape, when you think about the team we could put out tomorrow evening it’s not too bad at all, especially from an attacking point of view. There’ll be a full preview of that game in tomorrow’s blog.

In other news, Newcastle are reportedly interested in Nick Bendtner but Stoke are still very much in the race to sign him. Maybe the delay is because we’re manufacturing a scarecrow who looks exactly like Nick but as soon as Pubis unwraps him it detonates a dirty bomb which will cover him in toxic, radioactive bison shite. I know that’s what I’d be doing if I were Arsenal.

And that’s kind of it, really. A little later on I’ll be posting the traditional Arseblog season preview which I’ve more or less finished but which I suspect I’m going to have to modify slightly in the wake of the press conference this morning. That should be up around lunch time so that’s some bonus reading for you.

And now, all that’s left for me to to is give you the very first Arsecast of the new season. Joining me to discuss the summer and the state we’re in ahead of the new campaign are Goonerholic and rap music’s latest sensation GilbertoSilver from Gunnerblog. Also on the agenda, Internet Joe, Amaury Bischoff PI and the usual guff and waffle.

You can subscribe to the Arsecast on iTunes by clicking here. Or if you want to subscribe directly to the feed URL you can do so too. To download this week’s Arsecast directly – click here (31mb MP3) or you can listen directly below without leaving this very page.

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Right, that’s that. Press conference awaits, season preview needs to be updated, it’s busy busy. And tomorrow there’s football. Real, actual football. Hurrah!