Arsenal Pre-Season 2010: Arsenal Defenseless As Season Nears

Good morning, last night saw Arsenal compete against Austrian side SC Neusiedl in their third pre-season friendly, winning comfortably 4-0. It was standard pre-season fare, with Arsenal clearly treating it as more of a training exercise than a match. Nevertheless, the game generated a few talking points, the most significant of which was Johan Djourou limping from the field with an injury at approximately the half hour mark.

No information seems to be available on how severe the knock might have been but it goes to show how fragile things are in the central defense position for Arsenal at the moment. If Djourou is to miss any significant stretch of time then it leaves the team with two central defenders and absolutely no senior cover of any kind.

With the news that came through yesterday that contrary to expectations, he would sign a new deal at Arsenal,  Sol Campbell   will most likely be confirmed as a Newcastle United player in the very near future, it's tough to see where the reinforcements will be coming from.

There have been no substantial reports of Arsenal interest in center-halves since we signed Koscielny. There have of course been the usual batches of sheer speculation from tabloids and agents but in terms of credible reports of Arsenal approaching clubs and trying to recruit another defender, there has been nothing.

I am the last to encourage hysteria, after all there is over a month left in the transfer window, but I think it's quite legitimate for any Arsenal fan to be concerned about the situation at the moment.

Arsenal seem to be dragging their heels in the transfer market this summer, instead of knuckling down to the business that needs doing. If what the club tells us about its financial position is to be believed, then Arsenal are one of the few teams with a bit (not masses, but a bit) of money to spend. If the club truly can afford to reinforce the squad then that's what needs to happen.

Arsenal only stands to disrupt their own preparations for the new season the longer they leave the transfers that need accomplishing in limbo. I'm not advocating panic buying, but I am saying that this situation needs resolving with some degree of urgency. Transfers do not happen overnight at the best of times, and I would say Arsenal need to look at adding a minimum of two players. There's still a fair bit of time, but equally no longer as much as there once was.

So with that slice of transfer paranoia out of the way, it's back to last night's game. Marouane Chamakh scored his first goal in Arsenal colours from the penalty spot, and Carlos Vela once again showed the wonders what he's capable of in a game with very little pressure involved. Neusiedl acquitted themselves well, indeed might have taken the lead in the first half but for a goal line clearance from Samir Nasri.

It was, barring the injury to Djourou a good workout. With the Emirates Cup coming up at the weekend, and the final preparations for the new season upon us, last night's game was the final chance for a few of the players to convince the manager they should play a role for Arsenal this season. Kieran Gibbs, who looks like he's been eating his spinach during his lengthy injury layoff, looked sharp, and Jay Emmanuel Thomas continued to make a good case for himself, scoring the second goal.

Jack Wilshere did well again, very much in the thick of things. It was remarked on after the Sturm Graz game when young Jack picked up a booking (no small feat in a friendly) that his time at Bolton has certainly rubbed off on him. That was in evidence again last night, and it's fair to say our lad isn't frightened of a tough challenge or two.

So, moving forward it's the Emirates Cup next for the team with AC Milan providing the opposition for day one, a slight step up in the caliber of opposition from an Austrian third tier team. It's usually a fun weekend with plenty to talk about, and a bit more of the manager's thinking on who might be his preferred team for the season ahead should be revealed. More on the cup in the days ahead.

Away from actual football, there's one or two bits to discuss. Firstly, Barcelona spokesman  Toni Freixa   has been speaking of their clubs difficulty in getting into talks with Arsenal over Cesc Fabregas. Friexa said,  ""Arsenal don't want to sit down and negotiate with us,"

"It's not a problem with the wishes of Cesc or of Barca - they simply don't want to negotiate."

By George, I think they've got it.

Presumably this means they'll leave us along for the rest of the summer? No? Oh well, it was a nice thought while it lasted.

Gael Clichy   has become the latest member of the Arsenal squad to speak confidently of the season ahead. He says,  "I really hope this year can be a good one and now we cannot hide behind anything - the age or the experience. We have everything to do it - so let's do it."   He goes on to say more, but that passage sums Arsenal's situation up nicely. The fact is the squad isn't that short of age or experience now. Even some of the younger players have had a few years at the top level now, they now know what is required of them.

For some of them you wonder if it's a question of motivation. For others, I think that it's a matter of getting a trophy won so they see that it is possible. There have been times in the really crucial games over the last few seasons when Arsenal could be fairly accused of choking on the big stage. There is something of a mental block there for some of the team I think. Overcome it just once, and it could be gone forever. That's one reason I think we should be taking the League Cup more seriously this season. Any trophy could be invaluable to Arsenal at the moment, not just in it's own right but because it could inspire the team to go on to even greater things. In many ways the League Cup is ideal. Winning a cup in February or early March is just what a team needs to be inspired in the last crucial months of a season.

Cagliari goalkeeper  Federico Marchetti   is apparently after a move. More than that, the club's president Massimo Cellino say that Arsenal is the only club to be "pushing for his signature". Naturally this could be a chairman trying to use Arsenal's name to drum up interest in a player that wants out, but I have, for what it's worth, a gut instinct that says there might be some truth in it. If it is the case that we're interested, I can only reiterate what I've said before. Arsenal should get on with it, and do it quickly.