Arsenal: The Way Back to the Title

How should Arsenal go about the title challenge? Who will we buy? Who do we need to buy?

The Gunners have come a long way since the 3-0 thrashing received from Chelsea. That particular game gave Chelsea a 11-point lead, and the premier league title clearly looked out of reach.

Six weeks later, the gap is only three points with 18 games still left to play. It all looks reasonable on paper, but it's going to get harder from here on.

The big four, five, or six will try harder to stay in the title race or the Champion's League race, and games will get even tougher if the relegation battle becomes fierce towards the end.

A Song for the Helpless

The Everton game on Saturday made it excruciatingly clear that we do not have any reasonable replacement for Song. Without him, there is simply no defensive cover in the midfield and we look like wax statues.

Denilson has been a player for the future for a long long time now, but he has never been able to step up to the task of a defensive midfielder, and does not look like he can step up anytime in the near future.

What happens if Song gets injured in the African Cup of Nations?

Or when he comes back, for that matter?

Fabregas will then be expected to play both roles—of attack and of defence—and more experiments will be conducted with Diaby, Nasri, Rosicky in the DM position.

Arsenal can then kiss the title goodbye.

The beginning of last season saw three defensive midfielders (Flamini, Gilberto and Diarra) leave. Arsenal then had to cope with an uncomfortable transition period, bringing in Song and Denilson to play the DM role.

It was an unfair expectation from either of them to come and become the new Vieira or the new Tony Adams. The title was duly surrendered by the beginning of Feb. 09.

We don't want the same events to play back this season, do we?

The One Weak Link in the Side

The only real weak link in the side is the defensive midfield area. We simply lack cover, and we simply cannot cope if any sort of real pressure is exerted on the side.

Everyone is talking about a striker, and I am convinced that Wenger will bring in a striker, no doubt about that. Of course, the best striker we have is out for the season, and we have severe holes in attach and defense.

But fixing this midfield gap will set up nicely for the rest of the season, with Bendtner coming back, and the central two looking solid.

Defensive midfielders are not as expensive as the attackers in the market; we are not looking for a lot of skill, but the ability to stand firm and make simple, clean distribution to the rest of the team.

What we need is muscle backup for Song, or someone who can double up with him and get through the pressure when we are 2-1 up.

We cannot even afford to bring in a rookie here, as the learning curve will mean any youngster who fits into that position will only start showing up from next season onwards.

What we need now is an experienced Premier League player who can get his foot in.

This is my opinion. And if no one comes in for this position, we can say bye to the Premiership.

And I throw these questions back at the readers: Who should we bring in for the defensive midfielder Role?

Who should be our top target?

And who will the boss actually buy?