Arsenal FC 2010-11: Are We Still Waiting, Monsieur Wenger?
After a summer rife with rumors, innuendo and a relentless pursuit of our captain by Barcelona, it would seem that Arsenal has had a busy summer.
Various names representing players from several continents have been rumored to be headed to North London throughout the summer. After the World Cup in South Africa, if you listened to the transfer chatter, it seemed as if Arsenal may have twenty new faces, come opening night of the season.
This team, according to Arsene Wenger's long-held vision, is maturing together, quite possibly on the verge of achieving something special. There is little doubt about the quality in Arsenal's squad, but there certainly is concern about depth in a few positions.
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I am fairly sure that this fact has not escaped the notice of Wenger, his staff and the board of directors. It is often discussed that Arsenal have been just off the top tier of teams the last few seasons, if not for injuries and a particular lack of depth in a couple key spots.
With the Barclay's Premier League regular season schedule beginning in less than a week though, have the primary concerns of the team been addressed?
Now, this is not the belligerent rant of a frustrated fan with unrealistic expectations, hoping for Wenger to spend wildly in the summer transfer market, simply because the money may be available to do so.
Arsenal are not in the position where wholesale changes are necessary. The roster is loaded with talent, especially at certain creative spots, where the team should still possess all the requisite skills to continue playing the beautiful football that Arsenal supporters have grown to love.
The manner in which Arsene Wenger has run the club and their transfer business is deserving of respect as well. As other teams spend lavishly, hoping to come upon the right mix of players through the transfer market, while driving their clubs deep into debt, Wenger has played the transfer game with reserve, intelligence and an eye toward the future. Helping to continually lower the debt from the move to Ashburton Grove, Arsene has been frugal with his transfer budget, yet continues to put an entertaining and competitive team on the pitch.
I know that too often, fans across the globe love to speculate constantly about the highest profile transfers, buying into all the rumors, hoping that their team will bring in the upper echelon of available talent, changing the fate of the team within one transfer window.
The team is also not in dire need of high-cost, £20 million plus transfers, simply to compete with the biggest clubs and make a large splash with a big name to satiate impatient fans. Arsenal clearly possess a highly talented core group of players, whose quality can rival that of almost any club in the world.
Due to the World Cup, many fans became familiar with players that they hadn't seen much of before, with many of them becoming instant transfer targets, lusted over by teams across Europe. Arsene Wenger is smarter than that though, knowing full well that the cost of players right after a positive showing on the footballing world's grandest stage is dramatically inflated. No savvy businessman wants to pay double for a player after a handful of games drives his price skyward.
Yes, the team has brought in new talent, adding the aerial prowess of Marouane Chamakh to the forward mix from Bordeaux, and a new man to partner with Thomas Vermaelen in the back, Laurent Koscielny from Lorient.
Chamakh, displayed in the Champions League, the reasons Arsenal have been enamored with him over the last season or two. His height and skill with his head offer a new dimension to Arsenal's attack. Although similar in size and stature to Niklas Bendtner, he should add new life and injury cover shall Bendtner's physical woes continue. The sight of crosses heading nowhere, as men like Arshavin, Eduardo or Nasri, all lacking in height, watched them soar overhead was a frustrating sight for Gunner supporters over the last few seasons.
Admittedly, I have not seen enough of Koscielny to rate him fairly, but I am willing to trust the scouting of M. Wenger and his staff, especially after scoring so mightily with the import of Vermaelen from Ajax the previous year. Thomas stepped in brilliantly, replacing long-time Gunner Kolo Toure, and helped the defense transition seamlessly from the previous year's set-up.
The additions of these two new faces into the Arsenal camp were also economical, as the Chamakh transfer was free, and Koscielny was brought in for a slightly less than £10 million fee. Always the bargain hunter, Wenger proved again to have a keen eye for below the radar deals to improve his squad.
Tempering the excitement over the new faces, is the fact that once again, Arsenal have seen their fair share of departures. Now, the departures this offseason are not as dramatic as years past, with the likes of Kolo Toure, Emanuel Adebayor, or Mathieu Flamini leaving for new locales. But, the departures are serving to highlight the worrisome lack of depth at a few crucial spots in the Arsenal team.
With William Gallas leaving, Vermaelen's primary partner in the back last year, is gone. Our late season savior, Sol Campbell, who dutifully returned and played a key role for Arsenal, due to the injury problems haunting Gallas, has moved on to Newcastle. We have the return of Johan Djourou, the young, massive Swiss international to look forward to, but expecting too much of the player after a long recovery from a serious knee injury, may be wishful thinking. He has already experienced some injury woes in Arsenal's preseason campaign.
Although most aren't heartbroken to see them leave, the duo of Philippe Senderos and Mikael Silvestre add to the departures from Arsenal's back line. It seems that the Gunners have the flanks covered with the group including Clichy, Sagna, Traore, Gibbs and Eboue, but the central defense has to remain a concern.
On the horizon, Arsenal do have some promising young reserves in the likes of Nordtveit, Eastmond and Bartley, but their lack of experience leaves something to be desired, if any of them were to be pressed into regular duty.
If, god forbid, something were to happen to Vermaelen, who on the squad would be his long-term cover?
The exact same question applies to the defensive midfielder position. Alex Song really stepped up his game last year, developing into a strong, defensive-minded player, capable of anchoring Arsenal's midfield. Of course his offensive contributions are still in the very early stages of their development, but his strength and tackling made him a presence during the 2009-10 season.
We saw through various short-term Song absences last season, whether due to minor aches or enforced banishment because of his occasionally mis-timed tackles; when Alexander Song was missing from the lineup, Arsenal felt it.
Another player with no obvious backup in the squad, Alexander Song proved to be a valuable member of Arsenal during 2009-10, and since he is just short of his 23rd birthday, he may be primed for another leap forward in his abilities. Before last year, Song wasn't a heralded member of the squad, but things may be changing rapidly in regards to his reputation, if he follows up last year with another strong season in front of the back four.
Like Vermaelen and Koscielny, there is not a clear cover for Song if he were to miss any significant stretch of matches. The midfield is loaded with talented players in Fabregas, Nasri, Rosicky, Diaby, Denilson, Wilshere and Ramsey a little way down the road. Unfortunately, none of those players are defensively minded midfielders, and would likely struggle mightily if tasked with replacing Song for more than just a late game cameo. Considering the propensity of several of Arsenal's defenders to find themselves joining in the attack, it is crucial to have a tough holding midfielder to man the back during their offensive forays.
Song is good enough to anchor the role, but if Arsenal are to compete on several fronts throughout the season, expecting one man to handle all the responsibility is treading dangerously.
This leads me to the concerns between the goal posts. At times, Manuel Almunia plays really well, temporarily quieting the chorus of supporters calling for his imminent ouster. The desperate calls for his return crop up immediately though, once fans get a glimpse of Lukasz Fabianski butchering simple plays and allowing crucial goals. Unfortunately, neither of them inspires the confidence that a goal-keeper must, if his team is honestly expecting to challenge for silverware in England or Europe.
Don't get me wrong, goal-keeper is an extremely difficult position, filled with split-second decisions and the weight of the team's success resting heavily upon one player's shoulders. Even the best in the world are made to look weak and indecisive at times. It just cannot happen nearly as often as Almunia and Fabianski have managed to over the last couple seasons.
As many are awaiting the arrival of 20 year-old Wojciech Szczesny between the posts, Arsenal feel that their long-term goal-keeping hopes rest in sure hands.
The rumors have centered around experienced veterans, capable of stabilizing the position for a maximum of a few years until Szczesny is fully ready to assume command of the position. Mark Schwarzer has been the name mentioned most often, as well as those of Igor Akinfeev, and Joe Hart. Just as happens with every World Cup, every other top goal-keeper has been mentioned as a possibility as well, whether they were available or not. Someone like Schwarzer makes the most sense, as he is 38 and wouldn't present a long-term obstacle to the development of Szczesny. Akinfeev and Hart, both fine goalies, are only 24 and 23 respectively, so the signing of either of them would indicate that they are not necessarily as confident in Szczesny's arrival as previously indicated.
Unfortunately, with the season starting this Sunday at Anfield, no move has been made, and it seems nearly impossible that Almunia hasn't been listening to the speculation over his job. Is it wise to head into the club season relying on an unsettled goal-keeper to man your goal? A man dealing with rumors of his imminent replacement doesn't seem like he'd be capable of projecting the air of confidence that a top-flight goalie must.
I am fully aware that Arsene Wenger knows his team much more intimately, and the intricacies of the transfer business much more than this American Gunners' supporter. It must also be sure that he is clear on what his squad's needs are. He is in training with them daily, witnessing first-hand the strengths and weaknesses of the team he has constructed.
Of course, the sentiments that I'm voicing are not fresh concerns, as Gunners supporters have been clamoring for some type of reinforcements over the last couple seasons, as the steady stream of departures has continued. M. Wenger stated himself, early in the summer , that he was aware that depth was needed in the squad. However, with the Premier League season beginning in four days time, and the transfer window closing a few weeks later, when are those reinforcements going to arrive?
As the saying goes, "In Arsene We Trust", and I shall defer to his footballing wisdom, but I am just hoping, along with many other Arsenal supporters, that we don't see another season of beautiful football, yet still lacking in the ultimate results.
I apologize for the shameless self-promotion, but please give this article a read if you find the time. Whether you agree or not, it is a fine piece in my humble opinion, and it deserves more exposure than it received upon its initial release here on Bleacher Report.
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