Arsenal Forward
Transfer Window CLOSED!!
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Two of the many international captains Arsenal have. |
Soooooooooooo….the transfer window is closed, and I am super EXICTED. Well one of the reasons why I am exited is because our transfer activity was good and quite encouraging. And in contrast to what people say about them not being super quality, I am very content with the buys. In all honesty I would have loved if we bought Eden Hazard and M’vila, but as talented as these guys are they are not experienced and that is not what arsenal need right now. What we need is an injection of Experience and quality which we have in the players we bought. We cannot afford to buy inexperienced players when they do not really have enough experienced and consistent heads to look up to in the team. And this might lead to talented players like Hazard feeling like they carry the team by themselves (which might lead to pride). Look at Nasri. Now that we have a number of experienced heads in the team like Captain Robin, Verminator, Mertesacker, Rosicky, Arteta, and Benayoun, younger players would be able to learn and provide good competition for these players. All these new signings along with the emergence of pplayers like Ryo, Chamberlain etc, I can’t contain my excitement.
Team Spirit
After the …..*cough*… game that must not be mentioned, it is tough to tell exactly how low morale and the team spirit are despite the arrival of new players. Before that game we all saw how hard the team fought in every game, and I hope that spirit and commitment isn’t lost. If that spirit is as strong as ever then we can definitely get back on track with a big win against Swansea. I am personally hoping for a repeat of the 6-0 drubbing of Blackpool against Swansea or at least something close to that. Fingers Crossed.
Arteta
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New signing Mikel Arteta |
I am quite exited that Arteta has signed for Arsenal as he has the perfect mix of experience, leadership, and quality. Another exiting thing is that Arteta is good at set-pieces and he is a dead ball specialist which is something we kind of lack at arsenal. The only convincing set piece taker is Captain Robin and to add Arteta to that list is quite convincing. Because Arteta accepted a wage cut to join Arsenal some people think he is committed to playing for the Arsenal. I think that is yet to be seen. I think he took the wage cut because of the lure to play in the Champions League, and nothing more. But I hope he gets really committed to wearing the Red and White. Arteta’s arrival also takes a lot of weight of Ramsey’s shoulders, because he cannot carry the weight of our creativity all by himself. And after ‘that’ injury, he needs to be nursed back to form.
Mertesacker
This is the signing that excites me the most. When I heard we had signed him, I was very happy. Standing at 6ft 6in he is perfect against teams like Stoke amongst others who like to play the long ball game. I feel we will see a lot more rotation in central defense which is a very good thing because we need them to be fit and we do not want to play them in too many games because that can lead to tiredness and loss of concentration at times. One thing that bothers me is that Metesacker is not necessarily a fast defender and with the way Arsenal plaa high backline, he might be caught many times against very fast forwards. With that being said, I hope Mertesacker fits in to the Arsenal style of play as soon as possible
Quick Side Note
People seem to have forgotten about Koscielny since Mertesacker has arrived. Underestimate him at your peril.
Andre Santos, Benayoun, Park Chu Young
I am excited about Andre Santos’s attacking prowess but I still hope to see how well he will do in the defensive department. I definitely hope he won’t become a weak link in the defense.
Benayoun is one player I believe is going to surprise Arsenal fans this year. Because he really didn’t feature last year with Chelsea doesn’t mean he won’t be a good player for us. To me Benayoun isn’t really a cast away or a leftover because 2 years ago he was one of Liverpool’s top players and was just unlucky with injuries last year. I wish him the best.
Park Chu Young is a player I am looking forward to seeing on the pitch. Like many asins who play in the major leagues he is very hard-working and I feel that will be needed if he wants to break into this Arsenal team. He was the main star in a decrementing Monaco team last year and had to do a lot of work alone upfront and still managed to reach double figures for the Season, which is quite impressive. I wish him the best as well.
Theo Walcott
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Theo probably doesn't get enough credit. |
I feel this is one player who probably doesn’t get enough credit in the Arsenal team. Since the beginning of last season I have notice how hard Theo has been working on improving many areas of his game, most notably his set pieces. But it seems many gooners don’t really seem to appreciate or care about that. Personally I can’t wait for Theo to also become a dead ball specialist and curl those free kicks in along with Van Persie and Arteta. Theo is trying his best to become a top forward by shaping more facets to his game and I wish him the best.
Samir Nasri
“I didn’t want to be a leader in a team that cannot win trophies”.
Did he just say leader?
Tim Payton
“Per Mertesacker is a poor man’s Jagielka”. Errrr…WHAT??? That’s a fail Tim. A HUGE one.
I read a view about Tim Payton here and I totally agree. All for the good of the club..
Twitter: @beautifulgroan
Park Chu Young and Captain Robin scored 3 and 4 goals against Lebanon and San Marino respectively. Gervinho also bagged a goal and 2 assists against Rwanda. Even though the opposition in those games were quite easy, I still think it is a sign of good things to come. Hopefully they bring that form whenever they wear the great Red and White. I definitely hope none of our players return from international duty injured because, you know, that happens a lot.
Overall I am very excited about the rest of the season and can’t wait for the Swansea game. Victoria Concordia Cresit. COME ON YOU GUNNERS!!!
By Ajibade Babajide
Follow him on Twitter: @ajibade_jide
Deadline Finally Dead!
It's funny how our great manager, as-in Wenger,acts. In about 3 months, he was only able to sign one quality player: Gervinho... at least Jenkinson proved himself a flop against forever rivals ManUre.
Then in a couple days,that same man that would take use decade to bring in half-a-player happens to sign 3-4 players in 2 days.(wonders shall never cease).
The new players include:
Park Chu Young, Korean international and AS Monaco striker who refused to go to fellow Ligue 1 team, Lille. £10.5m
Andre Santos, Brazilian and now former Fenerbache of Turkey left-back. £7m
Per Mertesacker, German int'l and long-time player of Werder Bremen. Arsenal have long been trailing this name but at long last,our hook caught his mouth.
The other players I heard about while on Twitter were Yossi Benayoun and Mikel Arteta.
Quick one> I personally don't buy the idea of the former, what did he do with the blue guys from the West-side of London? Though,i know he's good, but for us, I DON'T THINK SO! Hope i won't shout your phone or computer down with that!
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| New Arsenal signing, Mikel Arteta. |
Then the other: Art-e-ta. Even from the prefix, you'll see he's a good soccer artist. I've always liked his style but as at the time of this writing, his paperworks were what was left for his signing and Arsenal.com was reportedly shut down. Too much traffic into the website and we all know by now transfer window is closed so Wenger can't sign any traffic-warder to look into that.
Since I can't also get there due to the 'traffic', guess am stuck, so i'll just stop here. :-) ;-)
Ma Salam
By Alaketu Oladimeji
Follow him on Twitter @sniqs
Take Your Medicine, It's Deadline Day At Arsenal
Well now,
I started writing an article the moment after the horrifying loss we had at United, but I just couldn’t finish it. Luckily the last couple of days have given us Gooners some good news to dwell on, so that’s what I’ll be talking about today.
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| Marvin Martin, a reported transfer target for the Gunners. |
I don’t know a whole lot about Vargas, in fact I’ve never heard of him if I’m being brutally honest. Gauging by the reactions I’ve seen to this particular link, he’s a very good player. He seems to have temperament problems; his nickname is El Loco (the crazy one), so that should clue you in. I don’t know if this would actually happen and players with off the field issues don’t seem to last long at Arsenal, players like Adebayor. I, mainly just because I’m American, am very excited about the prospect of Clint Dempsey joining us. He’s tough, creative, and a very hard working player. He loves to play in the hole directly behind the striker, a central position, and has very good technical skills. He’s proven internationally as well as in Europe. He was very pivotal to Fulham’s run to the Europa League Final just two years ago. I don’t know if Dempsey would start every game, but he would be a fantastic option to have off the bench. Another thing that could help seal the deal is Dempsey’s desire to play Champions League football. He has been linked with PSG and Sevilla recently, but if it came down to a choice he would undoubtedly pick us, now it just depends on whether Arsenal put in a bid or not.
As far as filling up our empty midfield, I’m stuck on whom I would rather have come in. My opinion is that the midfielder that is bought must be a major improvement to what we already have, improving other player’s abilities by becoming the creator for the team. A big name like Hazard or even M’Villa doesn’t seem to be that for Arsenal. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love Eden Hazard. I’ve wanted him at Arsenal for over two years. That said, he doesn’t play the central role at Lille, Florent Balmont and Benoit Pedretti occupy the central of the pitch for Lille OSC. Hazard has all the skills to become something truly amazing, but he would have to adapt to a new role in a bigger and faster league. Not something that is easy for anybody, especially with the weight of almost being required to win a trophy in your first season. No, if any midfielder were bought I would wager that it would be one of Gourcuff and Martin, both if we’re lucky. Both player’s posses excellent vision and technical skills to make any pundit drool. Don’t believe me? Watch this goal scored by Gourcuff, tekkers like you won’t believe.
I don’t see any Central defenders being bought apart from Mertesacker, who by all means is no easy way out for Arsenal. The tall, and I mean tall (he’s 6’6’’), CB has loads of experience for both club and country. Possessing 75 caps for Germany, he has more experience than any other CB we’ve been linked to all summer. He also costs less than all the other CB’s, being bought at a cool £8m. Cahill could still yet arrive, but I doubt it. The tension between Bolton and Arsenal has become very high, and in all honesty Cahill would not be first choice even if he did arrive. Kos and TV5 both still rate above him, not mention Mertesacker. Many fans have called out for Cahill, which I’m not quite sure why. Maybe just having an English CB brings back memories of Tony Adams, pleasant nostalgia if anything. I don’t see it happening though, but would gladly be proved wrong.
Santos is another signing that has been met with much skepticism. Opinions vary from him being world-class to him being crap. I hope it’s the first, and from what videos I’ve seen, Santos possesses enormous confidence on the ball. Something that will definitely aid the attack this year. I can see Santos winning the battle with Gibbs for becoming first choice, mainly because of Gibbs’ track record with injuries. I believe that Wenger wouldn’t have suggested him to be bought unless he was actually good, and Santos also brings experience with him as well. So all in all, for the price of £7m, not a bad buy.
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| Park Chu Young, Arsenal's newest recruit. |
Either way, business seems to be good at Arsenal FC. With the last few hours of the transfer window ticking away there is still business to be done, so watch out for some last minute blockbuster deals. I’ll be back tomorrow to look at the final verdict.
Till then,
Thaddeus
By Thad Torrez
Follow him on Twitter - @thad4dified
We Can't Replace Cesc From Within
As Cesc has departed, and Nasri seems on his way our squads creativity seems to be losing more power and depth. We have to sign a replacement, no matter what Arsene says about the players at the club currently.
I have identified 5 players who may be asked to take up this role, but simply can't as they lack the craft and vision of Fabregas.
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| Our new captain, Robin Van Persie. |
Van Persie - The closest player we have to Fabregas now is our new captain Van Persie. He is probably our only world class player left and as well as his super, pin point finishing he can pick a pass and create many chances for team mates. If we did change our formation, he could drop slightly deeper into a Cesc or even Bergkamp role, but we don't have any strikers at the club to takeover his position.
Chamakh is lightweight and Bendtner is on his way, and moving Van Persie backwards (even if it is to his favoured position) may mean we miss out on his goals which have become so vital to us lately.
Ramsey - Aaron Ramsey was identified by Cesc as he was introduced to the Catalan public as his replacement, and he has all the qualities to make the position his own. However, judging by his performances in the opening two games he doesn't seem ready to carry this most important of roles on his shoulders.
His creativity will not provide to 3 or 4 chances each match the Fabregas would, and throwing him in at the deep end could mean he loses confidence after a few sub-par performances. He will end up being Cesc's heir, but we need another reinforcement for a few years.
Arshavin - The Russian has taken up a similar role to the one which Fabregas had enjoyed when playing for his national team, but to have him playing there would be too much of a luxury. His powers also seem to be on the wane as he gets older and his assists and creativity from out wide has been precious to us and is something we don't want to lose.
Rosicky - Rosicky is not good enough to play for Arsenal any more. That may be slightly harsh, and is not something I want to say about someone who used to be my favourite player, but it is true. His ball retention is awful, especially for a man with so much experience, and his creativity is almost non-existent. This season, he has started like a Denilson with only backwards and sideways passes or simply giving the ball back to the opposition.
He may be carrying slight injury problems, but that shows how unreliable he is with his injury record. He may be useful as a squad play, but the fact that he's started our first two matches highlights the fact we need reinforcements, and as soon as possible.
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| When he's on form, he can compete with the best. |
Diaby - Diaby probably could play the "Cesc role" and he probably would be one of the best players in the world too. But he is far too inconsistent and injury prone and as for his effort and work rate, that's about as visible as a trophy in our trophy cabinet.
Abou is fast energetic and when on form his power destroys even the best defences but it will almost always be a what might have been regarding how talented he could be. Any good performance we get from Diaby would be a plus for our season at the moment and his reliability to play the whole season - or lack of it - shows how we need reinforcements to our shaky midfield.
I would have included Wilshere, but he has cemented his position in the box to box role and his performances in that position last season against Sunderland especially were quite unimpressive.
Overall, I'm not trying to have a go at our players, but merely showing just how much we need players. For the Liverpool game we only have 2 fit mid-fielders at the moment. One of them has only played 25 minutes of competitive football in his career. Lansbury might be on his way to Blackburn, and Nasri's transfer may be delayed just so he can fill in for us.
We need players and we need them soon. You can see my review of some Fabregas replacements here: http://iamgoonerblog.blogspot.com/2011/08/who-can-replace-cesc.html
By William Jones
Follow him on Twitter: @iamgoonerblog
Boring, Boring Arsenal?
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| Don't judge until Jack returns |
I admit that over the first couple of games this season, Arsenal haven’t been as good as what is expected of them. They have lacked the final ball and haven’t taken their chances. And most of you are saying that there hasn’t been any creativity in midfield, and are calling for an established attacking midfielder to come in and shake things up. Let’s just wait and see how things go when Jack Wilshere comes back to action. I can assure you that if Aaron Ramsey didn’t suffer that horrific injury, he would be in Jack’s place right now. Some of you are not quite willing to put your trust in to Ramsey because he’s ‘too young’ and ‘too inexperienced’. Some were saying the exact same when Jack was getting first team chances. I really do believe that Jack and Ramsey will be a dream together this season, so give it time.
But the real question is, is playing averagely but still grinding out results, really that bad? Manchester United did the same as they did all of last season last weekend. They played averagely and were given a run for their money, but still forced a result. Apparently that is ‘what champions do’, but in Arsenals case it’s ‘just not good enough’. It really does baffle me. In the Invincibles season, the Gunners drew a large amount of games against weaker opposition, but still managed the amazing campaign they had. In my opinion, getting results against the lower teams, in whatever fashion, is ultimately more important than beating your rivals. That’s exactly what let us down last year.
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| Arsenal's No. 1 for years to come |
Defensively, the last to games have shown us Gooners that we’ve improved. We kept our heads for the full 90 minutes, despite a red card and everybody being angry about it, against Newcastle. We didn’t let them through at all, we stood strong and there were no scares that Newcastle were going to pip one, even in the dying moments. Against Udinese it was a little more worrying, as at times the Italians were able to find a way through. But the last ditch challenges from the likes of Djourou, Song and Vermaelen what was kept us in the tie. And that’s what we need more of! Even when the last ditch challenges where not there, Szczesny was incredibly impressive and fully deserves to be our number 1 for years to come. Our defence really does seem to be growing up, and I do think that last season has benefited them. Obviously, the return of Vermaelen has boosted the defence too, and so far, he hasn’t put a foot wrong.
Overall, I believe that, with a few more signings (which seems likely now that Eboue and Traore have been sold and loaned out respectively, and that Gibbs and Djouruo are out injured) we defy the critics and be serious title contender this year. Please Arsenal FC, prove them wrong. And remember, In Arsene We Trust.
Follow him on Twitter: @c_player42
Who Arsenal Are Missing
Whilst it's obvious that something is missing at Arsenal its not obvious as to what that something is. Yes the club need new singings to add straight to the first team. Yes the club need to adopt a new transfer policy. But what else do the club need.
The club’s transfer policy does not immediately affect the first team. Instead Arsene Wenger looks to seek out young prospects mainly, from on the continent but also from England too, and develop them into the best possible players they can be over time. Arsene will very rarely make a signing that will involve the player immediately playing in the first team. He also does not ‘splash the cash’ instead going for cheaper players from ‘lesser’ leagues. For the club to win silver ware this needs to change. More first team addition signings, less youth prospect players and if Arsene Wenger identifies a player who will cost a lot then the board should do everything in their power to attempt to sign the player.
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| Scott Dann, who is linked with the Gunners |
Player wise it is most obvious where the team is lacking. With the departure of Cesc Fabregas and possibly Samir Nasri the team will have to call upon the likes of Aaron Ramsey, Jack Wilshere and rookie Emmanuel Frimpong to command the midfield; all three are under 24. Another midfielder or two would give the squad depth and the ability to rest tired/injured players. More recently arsenal have been linked with Valencia’s Juan Mata and Shaktar Donetsk’s Jadson to replace Fabregas and Nasri both of which would add quality and depth to the squad. Defence wise the club needs at least one centre back. Last season this became extremely obvious when Thomas Vermaelen missed most of the season through injury and when Sebastian Squillaci was called upon he could not do his job to the fans’ level of satisfaction and on one occasion the manager’s. For much of the season the club relied upon Laurent Koscielny and Johan Djourou to fill in neither of whom had any real experience of a top flight league. The centre back that the club need, needs to be able to join the first team immediately and if the club purchased a second centre back it would be to cover for any injuries. Bolton’s Gary Cahill, Everton’s Phil Jagielka and Birmingham’s Scott Dann have been just a few of the many centre backs linked with the club. Goalkeeper wise the club unearthed a gem in third choice keeper Woijiech Szczesny when and he appears to have stemmed all talk of new keeper. It has also been said that another striker is needed to partner Robin van Persie. Whilst van Persie is renowned for his injury record he is a quality player when fully fit so if the club were to purchase another striker he would only be cover for van Persie. Recent rumours have put Carlos Tevez in a swap deal for contract rebel Samir Nasri.
The final area where the club lack is in the backroom staff. Whilst Assistant manager and club legend Pat Rice has been at Wenger’s side during many great seasons it appears that it may be time for him to move on. Many people have suggested that another Arsenal legend, Tony Adams, should replace him. The only flaw with the move would be that Adams is managing in Kazakhstan. Other people have suggested that youth team coach and Arsenal legend Steve Bould should take up the job. Last season it became apparent that the defence did not have the mentality or experience to win trophies. Later on it became clear that the whole team lacked this too. The answer to the problem is a sports psychologist and a defence coach. Manchester United invested in a sports psychologist and they do not appear to suffer with the same issues as Arsenal. If the club are to retain the current transfer policy then a new job role may arise. Similar to a scout this person scours the world for talent and prospects and if they believe they have found someone then they clarify it with Arsene Wenger and if he agrees they take control of signing the player. This would allow the manager to concentrate on the players he has and would mean that deals could be done quicker as the scout could arrange a meeting for talks rather than have the club speak to Arsene Wenger.
Overall it appears that the club is lacking more in personnel than it really seems. As to whether any of the backroom staff would change it is unforeseeable in the near future. What is even more unlikely is the possibility of Arsene Wenger making more than five signings in a transfer window or the clubs transfer policy changing.
By Toby Charter.
Follow him on Twitter - @gunneropinion
I remember the days, not so long ago, that not even a whisper of Arsene Wenger’s sacking would be mentioned. Arsenal fans had the upmost believe that Wenger was, and always will be, the right man for the job. Oh how things have changed.
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| Will the Glory Days ever come back? |
It was towards the end of last season that Arsenal and their manager came under scrutiny. Following being knocked out of the FA Cup, the Champions League (in the ugliest of fashions) and losing the Carling Cup final to a horrific penalty area mix up in the space of just two weeks, pundits, journalists and even fans started to question Wenger’s place at the Club. And just to tip it all of, Arsenal somehow managed to throw away any chance of winning the Premier League, from an unbelievably promising position. Some fans, however, still showed their support for the manager. They still trusted Arsene. But even the most optimistic of Gooners are now looking in despair towards the Frenchman.
Many Arsenal supporters have been calling for change. A change of philosophy, a change to 4-4-2 and most importantly a change in personnel. Us Gooners no longer want to see the likes of Almunia losing us games against mid table, we no longer want to see Eboue giving away penalties in the final minutes of massive games. To be fair, Arsene looks to be trying to get rid of our lacklustre players, with reports that Almunia, Bendtner and Eboue are being shown the exit door. We also need a change in players coming in. Gervinho, to his credit, has been excellent so far this pre-season, but I just don’t see him making a massive difference. We need proven, world class players. Players like Benzema, like Mata. We also need that little bit of Premier League experience in the centre back position. I’d love to see either Samba or Cahill at The Emirates, or maybe even both. But none such a move has materialised yet. Of course there is still the major obstacle of keeping our best players. Cesc Fabregas, no matter what some people say, is the single player that carries Arsenal along. He can make an opportunity out of nothing and can turn defence in to attack in a split second. However, you have to face the reality. He is ‘torn between two loves’, Wenger says. Let me tell you now, his love for Barcelona is much deeper than his love for ours. It’s almost inevitable that our captain will play his trade for the Catalans this season. This means we need to look to the future... Who can fill his boots?
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| Do we really have to look that far for Cesc's replacement? |
Despite what many believe, I think Arsenal can still be title winners. Arsene Wenger just need to insure he makes the right steps to bring success back to the Club.
By Craig Player
Follow him on Twitter - @c_player42
By Craig Player
Follow him on Twitter - @c_player42
