5 Reasons Why Arsene Wenger Should Sign Radamel Falcao or Karim Benzema.
This summer is almost definitely going to be a busy one for Arsene Wenger, whether it's holding onto Cesc Fabregas, making some easy money out of Denilson, or finally telling Bendtner he isn't good enough to be an Arsenal player.
But we all know Arsene needs to sign players—good players, experienced players. The youth in the team is full of talent and potential, but it doesn't have the experienced backbone of teams such as Chelsea or Manchester United.
And Arsenal need a few new players in most positions, a good strong centre back, an experienced midfielder and a good goalkeeper who will help Wojciech Szceszny develop.
But it's not just the defence of Arsenal that needs strengthening—they need a proper out-and-out striker. Robin van Persie is one of the best players in the world, and his goalscoring ability is clear for everyone to see. But he is not an out-and-out striker.
Which is why the signing of Karim Benzema or Radamel Falcao will hugely benefit Arsenal for the 2011-12 season.
1. Robin Van Persie Can Be Deployed as a Second Striker.
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We all know Robin van Persie is one of the best players in the world today, and his goalscoring ability and finishing is at times second to none. But he is not an out and out striker, he is a second striker.
He tends to drop deep into midfield to collect the ball and set up chances for other players which he can do with such precision. But while he is dropping deep, or moving out to the wing, there is no one in the box to finish the chances he creates.
This is where having Karim Benzema or Radamel Falcao would come in. They will stay in the penalty area and pounce on anything that comes there way, and most of the time finish the chances given to them. Deploying van Persie in a role just behind one of these players will seriously increase his own performances and also supply Arsenal with two goalscoring strikers.
Robin van Persie will be able to create chances for the rest of the team or go wide and cause a nuisance to all the defenders, and if he plays in a cross, there will still be a player in the area to stick a head on it or convert an easy tap in.
Robin van Persie is simply too good to play as a striker who sits in the box and waits for chances to be made for him. He has the ability to create chances for himself and for the rest of the team.
2. Radamel Falcao Is a Strong Aerial Threat and Very Committed.
2 of 5Radamel Falcao is a player who is well known for his superior heading ability, and at 5'9'', he still manages to beat big defenders to the ball. This is due to the fact he has a huge leap, which takes him above defenders, mostly because he is committed. He will throw any part of his body to ensure that the ball will get in the net, even if it risks getting a boot to the face.
Arsenal have Marouane Chamakh who is a very good header of the ball and, in my opinion, was a good signing, as Arsenal needed an aerial threat. But he is not as committed as Falcao, and Falcao also has natural finishing ability to score with both feet and head.
Falcao has scored 72 goals in 85 appearances for Porto, because he is a striker who will get in the box, and convert 90 percent of chances available.
3. Karim Benzema Is Quick, Skillful and a Clinical Finisher.
3 of 5Karim Benzema was once dubbed "The next Thierry Henry." Although I believe there will never be someone as great as Thierry Henry, but Karim Benzema sure does have the characteristics to give it a good go.
He contains electrifying pace which can take him past defenders within a blink of an eye, and if set through on goal, very few defenders can catch him. This is a quality which is highly useful in the Premiership.
His technique and ball control allows him to get out of tight situations or to wiggle his way through defences and set up scoring opportunities. Defenders are scared to tackle players with such ball control as more often than not, the striker will touch it past the defender, and then the defender will concede a penalty.
And most importantly, he has tremendous finishing ability. He has enough ability to convert 90 percent of chances, although maybe not as good of header of the ball as Falcao, he still has the ability to convert almost any chance into a goal.
4. Arsenal Will Finally Have a Plan B.
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Arsenal like to take the more attractive route to goal and play their way through the defences with intricate passes, but so many times this season, they've had the possession, dominated the ball but didn't get the goal. The games against Blackburn at home and Stoke away were the two games this season that I think shows Arsenal need a second route to goal.
In Falcao or Benzema we would have a striker who is willing to sit in the box and wait for their chance to come, then finish it. But they are also not afraid to take a shot from distance, which it seems so many of Arsenal's players are.
With either of these in the box, it allows the players to get balls into the box, along the floor or in the air, and they will try and get on the end of it. Arsenal could bring on Chamakh, move van Persie further forward and then they would have three players in the box, eventually a cross would be converted.
A change in tactics would allow Arsenal to be able to win these games against the teams who are so insistent on defending.
5. Arsenal Won't Crumble If Van Persie Gets Injured.
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We've seen it happen in both of the last two seasons. In 2009-10, van Persie was in red hot form and scoring for fun, then got injured for almost the whole season. And, at times, we had Arshavin playing as centre forward—Bendtner is not worth even talking about.
This season, van Persie got injured early on, missed half a season, then returned and has been the best striker in the league without a shadow of a doubt.
Imagine if he had been fit the whole time across these two seasons. We wouldn't be watching Chelsea and Manchester United picking up the trophies that could so easily be ours.
This is why if we had Falcao or Benzema when van Persie got injured, they could take the centre forward role, and Arsenal would still score the goals needed to win games and win the league.
This would give Arsenal the ability to win their first trophy at the Emirates.
