Kevin Whitcher
I am not sure anyone puts too much store in pre-season friendlies, although the weekend’s Emirates Cup did suggest that the team’s ability to throw away winning positions has not been lost in the summer break. Arsenal need to improve at the back as everyone, including the manager, knows.
The word is that both Phil Jagielka and Gary Cahill will be announced as Arsenal players before the week’s out. That will allow the pair to form some understanding in the final pre-season workout in Lisbon next Saturday. Hardly ideal, but at least preferable to waiting until the team have negotiated a Champions League qualifier. Vermaelen will be moved to left back, where he sometimes played for Ajax, and the first choice defence, in terms of personnel, experience and ability to deal with Premier League opposition, will suddenly look a lot healthier. The club have bargained hard and so had to wait until now before these players can be secured, but at least we know they are ready to go in terms of the Premier League, and one imagines should form a quick understanding. It will also be good to see some more English players in the team. A spirit has been lacking in recent seasons and for me it is interesting that those players which the fans identify as having greater spirit tend to be either British or northern European (I’m thinking Van Persie, Vermaelen, maybe even Szczesny if we draw a line east through Germany). I’m not sure where Nicklas Bendtner fits in there, but he’s on his way, so that’s unlikely to trouble me for long.
There will be other arrivals further up the field. One assumes that Mata will be funded by the Fabregas sale. The Nasri situation rolls on, and it does appear that the club are going to make a stand with this player to send a message to the rest of the squad. They are prepared to take a loss to emphasize that player power is not totally supreme. It’s a decision that will stand or fall on the number 8’s contribution over the course of the campaign. For my money, it would be better to take what Man City are offering and replace him with a player we can get at least three seasons out of. That’s what our scouting network apparently exists for.
As for the attacking side of things, the pre-season games have been encouraging. Arsenal can score plenty of goals over the course of the season, that’s rarely been an issue. If they concede less, then things can improve in terms of achievement and trophies. With Denilson gone and Eboue and Bendtner apprarently close to the exit door, there is at least some moving on of players that have fallen short consistently. Rosicky doesn’t look like he is going anywhere, but you can’t have everything. Almunia hasn’t featured at all pre-season, so one assumes he will be allowed to depart on a free if he can find a club that will match his wages at Arsenal. So expect him to be lining up with the players for the annual squad pic this Thursday then, but only ever again for the first team in the event that the three ahead of him in the pecking order are all crocked. It took Arsene six years to realize what anyone else could have told him after the Man Utd 4-2 home defeat in 2005. He’s paid £6.5 million a year for that insight.
Anyway, he’s got Szczesny now, who will make errors as he learns for himself (he’ll learn little from Gerry Payton), but in the long term may well become an Arsenal great. He will hopefully bite the bullet and realize that quality in defence costs money, and with the two English signings, we have the makings of a vastly improved back four which won’t need the defensive coaching currently unavailable to younger players in the first team squad. The midfield is to be resolved, but there are options. Key is that Song and – presumably – Wilshere in front of the defence improve as a partnership when the team do not have the ball (and are not careless with it). With every season, Wilshere will improve with experience, so hopefully this will happen naturally. In attack there are many options. In the Fabregas position, Nasri and Ramsey are obvious contenders, and there are other players that could be tried there. As so little defensive work is required, then any one from Arshavin, Gervinho or Mata could be tried there. Gervinho looks good so far, let us hope that continues when the real thing begins.
Anyway, at least with the new defensive signings, things are looking up. Djourou, Koscielny and Squillaci have been tried and found wanting, simply not of the requisite quality. I guess only Koscielny cost significant funds, and doubtless both he and Djourou will be called upon at some stage during the season. Still, the Invincibles roster featured one Pascal Cygan, so the perfect squad is not required to achieve perfection…
This season’s first issue of The Gooner went on sale at the weekend and can be bought online here. Incidentally, last week was a little chaotic at Gooner Towers, but for the record, the competition we ran to win club level tickets for the Emirates Cup on Saturday was won by Sandra Marshall of Catford.
