Hello there,
With no match until Saturday, and very little happening Arsenalistically today, I thought I would entertain myself with a little list. So here it is; the 5 things I would like to see happen this season:
1. Theo Walcott having a 20+ goal season. I could add to this that I would like to see him be generally more influential in the final third. Walcott is a very divisive footballer, but I personally am a fan. I like the way his pace terrifies defenders, and the fact that by simply being on the team sheet teams are forced to play a deeper line against us. I also love his attitude. Look at his face in the moment after he scored against Chelsea at the weekend (a habit of his, incidentally, which also endears him to me.) Critics often say that he has no 'footballing brain'. Look at the double-touch that takes him past two static defenders after he has gone to ground. There is something there, and I would love to see his obvious potential fulfilled this season. Not least because Theo scoring a bit more would take some of the pressure off of the busy van Persie. Which brings me to my next point...
2. A striker coming in in January. Wenger being like he is this doesn't seem likely. After all, we do have two strikers outside of RvP who are capable of scoring. Chamakh, though, looks a totally different player to the one who kept the team afloat at the start of last season. No confidence, no touch, and no patience from many fans. Park, who scored a wonderful goal against Bolton in the League Cup the other week, may or may not be the solution when or if van Persie gets broken. A team truly challenging for honours, though, would have extra options. Look at the striking options at Man United; if Rooney's not scoring, they have that guy named after a vegetable. If not him, the tall Bulgarian one with the face of a serial killer. God, even Michael Owen. All of them can score goals when called upon. I would love to see us sign a striker of Benzema-quality in January. But in reality I will settle for a Darren Bent-esque signing. Not for 20 million quid though. That's ridiculous.
3. This one's simple. A permanent back four finally being solidified on. The two teams that have conceded the fewest goals this season are Man City and Newcastle (not a typo, they have somehow only conceded 7 goals). These two both have very settled back lines. We will, sadly, have to wait until the return of Bacary Sagna before we can start our preffered back four. When we do I think it will be Gibbs, Vermaelen, Mertesacker, Sagna. I personally would prefer to keep Santos at left back but I suppose Gibbs is seen as the future. Similarly, I would rather Koscielny over Mertesacker generally, but the German's height and presence is an advantage and will hopefully compliment Vermaelen's reading of the game and positioning. Either way, settled defences lead to improved cooperation, which lead to clean sheets, which lead to wonderful, delicious points.
4. This one's slightly more abstract. I want to see the return of 'fear'. Not in our players, obviously, but in the opposition. It was often said of the Invincibles that teams would be beaten just by looking at our team sheet. 'Bollocks, Henry, Pires, Ljungberg, Bergkamp and Vieira are playing', they'd say. 'Shall we even bother?' Sadly this is no longer the case. There is a definite sense that Arsenal are fragile mentally, and that teams can, with a bit of application, take points off of us. Slowly, perhaps, we have seen a slight reversal of this trend over the last 9 games or so. The wins against Sunderland and Stoke were so pleasing because they were both against the type of team that is perceived as being able to 'bully' Arsenal. So too the win at Chelsea. The fear, I'm sure, will only return with results, and we have been amassing some of those over recent weeks. To reinstate it, we need to continuing mopping up points in the Premier League, and a nice unbeaten run in the other competitions wouldn't hurt at all.
5. A controversial one, this. I want to see the return of Abou Diaby. A player so divisive he makes Moses look like an amateur. I have Arsenal-supporting friends who have said they will not watch matches that he plays, such is the ire he inspires in them. On the other hand, there are people who defend him rigorously, saying that he is a genuine talent whose career has been sadly blighted by now-constant injuries. Remember the Diaby that we saw glimpses of at the world cup? Remember this Diaby? Ever-optimistic, I’m with the latter camp. I really like the dynamism in his game, the way his telescopic legs combined with quick feet make him so difficult to tackle, and the way that people always describe his legs as ‘telescopic’ when they mean ‘long’. Thus, I hope for a return for a footballer whose career has been sadly sidetracked, and whose driving forward play (err... at times) we could really do with at the moment.
So, those are my top five things I would like to see happen, from an Arsenal point of view, this season. Please comment with your own, and let me know whether you agree, disagree, or didn't really read mine.
Until next time,
Joe
I agree with the 5 overall. I'm not a fan of Theo as I think he's had enough chances at Arsenal and too often offers nothing. I like him though and want him to do well, 20 goals a season would change my mind!
ReplyDeleteWenger won't sign a striker in January. I think Gervinho will be very handy with a bit more time, and hopefully can start scoring regularly. He seems to be playing will with RVP.
The back four thing is so crucial and has been a long time since we've had a top four quality player in every position at the back. I would rather see Gibbs at left back and Koscielny alongside Vermaelen.
Your fourth point is an important one, and I too am a fan of Diaby and always have been. However, in place of Diaby I would like Arsenal to sort out some of the major injury problems. Imagine if Vermaelen and Wilshere had played 90% of our games this season. Somewhere there is a problem, footballers will always pick up injuries but they shouldn't be picking up minor injuries which result in 6 months out.