Arsenal 2010/11 Season Preview

So then, for the first time in three months we go into a weekend of league football. Arsenal aren't in action till tomorrow afternoon but for most of the league the big kick off is today. 

This season's Premier League starts with a distinctly unappealing game between Spurs and Manchester City, but even that game seems exciting after months of nothing but a World Cup and transfer speculation to keep us going.

So what can Arsenal expect from the new season? A lot of fans are still worrying about the transfer activity or rather the lack of it from the club, but I think that can be put to one side for the moment. I'm confident once the window is closed that the club will have at least one of the players it obviously needs.

So starting from the back, lets have a look at the Arsenal team and what we can expect from them this season.

Goalkeepers

Wow. Talk about starting on a low note. The goalkeeping position is one in serious need of attention. There's still talk of Mark Schwarzer coming in from Fulham and at this stage I'm really hoping that will happen.

Of the goalkeepers we have at the moment, Arsene Wenger seems to favour Lukasz Fabianski, which I find inexplicable. I see no case for Fabianski to be the first choice goalkeeper whatsoever, considering how he has fared with the opportunities he has been given in the past. 

I regret to say that, although I know they have their fans, I see no case for Vito Mannone or Wojciech Szczesny to be first choice at this stage in their careers. Promising prospects they may be, they are simply too inexperienced in my eyes to be Arsenal's goalkeeper. Goalkeepers, like everyone else, learn from their mistakes, and the Arsenal goal is not a place for someone to be learning from their mistakes.

So, much as I know that a lot of fans may not like it, I think Manuel Almunia is still the most sensible choice from the goalkeepers that we have to be Arsenal's No. 1. He made some errors last season, but he was never the sort of liability that Fabianski is. That's not a ringing endorsement and it's not meant to be. I don't see Almunia as a great option, but until Arsenal sign somebody I do see him as the only option.


Defence

So, from one problem area to another. The defence was a weak point for Arsenal last season. However, defending is not the defence's job alone; the whole team has a role to play and Arsenal didn't defend well as a unit last season. I like the 4-3-3 formation but perhaps Arsenal aren't protecting their goal well enough while they use it.

The friendly against Legia Warsaw has put the wind up a few Arsenal fans, and perhaps there is good reason to be concerned. One thing that I had hoped would come from all the departures in defence this summer was that it would force a shake-up of Arsenal's back line that would leave it stronger and more organised.

If that has happened, it wasn't in evidence last weekend. It would be unfair to judge on one preseason friendly, though, and I guess the real test starts tomorrow with the start of the league season.

The number of central defenders in the squad is an area of real concern. Johan Djourou is injured for tomorrow's game, as is Alex Song, who is the only other player apart from Arsenal's "full-time" central defenders with the recognised ability to play in that position. That means that for the Liverpool game, the central defence pairing of Vermaelen and Koscielny has absolutely no senior cover on the bench whatsoever.

We have heard Arsene Wenger say three central defenders is not enough and he wants to sign one more without wishing to encourage panic, as yet there has been no sign of a concrete target in that position. Of all the signings the manager could make, I would consider a defender the most important, more important that a goalkeeper even.

Individually I don't really have any concerns about the players in Arsenal's defence. They're all good players; it's how they work together that counts. Thomas Vermaelen is now a senior figure in the defence and I believe he can organise the players at the back well if given that responsibility.

I'm looking forward to seeing the battle between Kieran Gibbs and Gael Clichy for the left back slot. Both are good players, and the competition should spur both players on to have great seasons.


Midfield

Cesc Fabregas staying with the club is a massive boost to Arsenal's ambitions, make no mistake. Those who would have wished to see him leave the club because of what happened during the summer are underestimating the player's value to the team in my opinion.

Arsenal's captain is a professional of a standard few footballers reach both in terms of his ability and his attitude. I fully believed him when he said that anyone who doubts that he will be fully committed when on the field for Arsenal simply does not know him.

Of course, every time he has even a slightly quiet game for the foreseeable future we're going to be subjected to pundits and fans talking about how "his mind is on Barcelona." It will be annoying, but there will no truth in it.

The midfield looks like Arsenal's strongest area to me. Alex Song is an invaluable player, especially when a team plays the way Arsenal do. And for the first time, this season he will have recognised cover in the form of the impressive youngster Emmanuel Frimpong.

Then you have Samir Nasri, a man on a mission to make the decision to leave him out of France's World Cup squad look as stupid as humanly possible. Since the squad returned to training, Nasri's attitude and his performance on the field have been impeccable. If he keeps this up through the season we are going to have a seriously good player on our hands.

And Jack Wilshere, well, I know the manager would urge caution and not to heap pressure onto young shoulders, but it's impossible not to be very excited about this young man. His loan spell at Bolton, whatever you may think of that club, has turned him into a fully fledged, first-team footballer in my opinion.

He may not be considered an automatic starter now (though I think he will start tomorrow at Anfield), but there will no denying him for every long in my opinion. He seems to have his feet on the ground, I doubt he'll be discouraged if he finds himself on the bench to start with.

The midfield is an area where we do have plenty of cover, I don't believe we need any signings in this area, and I think we could possibly stand to benefit from playing four midfielders more often.


Forwards

Unsurprisingly, Arsenal's attack looks good. What we have seen from Marouane Chamakh in preseason looks very encouraging. I would hope that the manager plans to accommodate both him and Robin Van Persie in the starting 11. Once again, it's time for the biggest "if" in football, but IF Robin Van Persie can stay fit, we have at least one world-class striker. 

If Arsenal do stick with 4-3-3 this season, then in my mind, with Van Persie and Chamakh starting, the other automatic starting place up front has to go to Andrei Arshavin. Despite his famed ability to go missing in some games, he is still a superb player who has the ability to create something out of nothing and is always worth having on the field for that reason.

In terms of cover, I feel that Carlos Vela and Theo Walcott must deliver on that renowned potential of theirs this season. Vela, particularly, is yet to show that he has anything substantial to offer this Arsenal team, whilst Walcott has yet to do so consistently enough to be a regular first team starter.

I do feel a lot of sympathy for Nicklas Bendtner, who had a good season last term, and was instrumental in getting Arsenal points that would otherwise have slipped away from them. He will miss the first month or so of the new season, giving Marouane Chamakh, who seems to be Bendtner's main rival for a starting place, plenty of time to stake his claim.

So there you have the team, with a good attack, excellent midfield, slightly suspect defence, and terrifying goalkeeper.

In terms of what Arsenal might achieve this season, I think the league title is not out of the question at all, but the team will have to be tougher in defence and much more resolute. There can be no regular capitulation in games against the top sides. This will be a tough season for all 20 teams in the league. There are too many good teams around for any team to dominate the league and not drop many points in my opinion.

I would like to see more focus on the domestic cups this season. They've been allowed to fall by the wayside a bit in pursuit of the title and European success but what Arsenal need most is a trophy right now, and it doesn't particularly matter which one. In fact, winning the Carling Cup in February could be just the inspiration the team needs to go on to greater successes in May.

The Carling Cup is a first team competition, after all. There is already an FA Youth Cup for the younger players, and whilst I'm not suggesting the policy of giving youngsters a chance in that competition has to change, I am saying that perhaps the squad could do with being a bit stronger for some Carling Cup games.

As for the FA Cup, well, I'm sure I don't need to explain why winning the FA Cup, one of the greatest knockout tournaments in the world, would be good for Arsenal.

As for the Champions League, to have a chance Arsenal have to sort out this mental block they seem to have developed when playing big teams. They need to be more competitive in games against top sides, a couple of good results against big teams would help that situation no end.

I don't think there's a single Arsenal fan who wouldn't be ecstatic to see the team win its European Cup. It's something long desired by the fans, the players and the manager. It won't happen without a lot of hard work, so let's hope the squad are up to it.

So there you go, consider the season previewed. Tomorrow brings our first game of this new season, and if that's not enough to get you excited, I don't know what is. Perhaps you should take up knitting.