Talking Transfers in the EPL!

First of all, happy 2009 to you all! Let's hope that 2009 is a much better year for our beloved Arsenal than the past few years!

A lot has been said and written about exactly what we need, or indeed, who we need, in order to bolster our squad and maintain something that resembles a bit of consistency.

Talk of strength, power, experience and quality frequently resonate in the Emirates, radio phone-ins, the Internet and so on, attributes that we have been direly lacking, especially when compared to our direct rivals.

And so, going into the New Year in fifth is neither a surprise nor an anomaly at all, but a direct reflection of our strengths and weaknesses when compared to the teams above us.

Despite maintaining my belief that several players do not have the necessary attributes to cut it as an Arsenal player, it does not take a genius to realise that we have undoubtedly been hit by a severe wave of injuries to key men on a regular basis.

With Rosicky out for a year, we have dearly missed our main attacking outlet from the midfield, a winger-cum-attacking midfielder who would've brought a lot of experience from his Dortmund days and international exploits into the role.

The signing of Nasri has been hailed as a great buy by many fans and critics, though, as a 21 year-old acclimatising to the physicality of the Premier League, he is yet to star as consistently as Rosicky had begun to before being mysteriously crocked.

We are all desperately waiting for Eduardo's return to full fitness, Wenger's supposed trump card up front, our "fox in the box", something that we crucially need in tight matches against so-called "lesser" opposition. Again, this was a player starting to find his feet in the full rigours of English football, before his career-threatening injury at St. Andrew's last February. Thankfully, Eduardo's response to treatment and rehabilitation has been remarkable, and his return cannot come soon enough!

The injury to Theo Walcott, the club's most-improved player this season, with his true potential finally beginning to be realised, has been a bitter pill to swallow, especially considering the freak circumstances in which it had happened, and during an England training camp prior to a useless friendly match (yes, even matches against Germany can be useless at times). And then, of course, came Francesc Fabregas' turn, following what seemed to be an innocuous challenge in our recent draw against Liverpool.

These are all key injuries that have ultimately left us humiliatingly decimated, and in that respect we have been very unlucky, particularly due to the nature in which these injuries had occurred. However, none of these long-term injuries are in defensive positions or to players who have a particular onus on defensive duties. And that rings many alarm bells.

Andrei Arshavin's name has been widely mooted in gossip columns and football forums over the past week. Whilst creativity and flair might now be needed following Fabregas' setback, this, in my opinion, should not really represent our main pressing priority as we head into the transfer window, particularly in light of the economic recession, and especially that we have been in our own little "credit crunch" since relocating to Ashburton Grove, or so Wenger has had us believe! It would be wise to address other, more pressing issues, whilst leaving the likes of Nasri and Walcott; upon his return, to take care of the creativity side of things.

The presence of a strong, towering, almost "boring" if you like, defensive central midfielder must be our top concern as an adequate replacement for the departures of Gilberto and Flamini last summer, an issue that Wenger must have finally realised needs to be addressed.

The likes of Denilson, Diaby and Song have all had opportunities to show what they can do in that role, and, despite glimpses of potential from the latter, it is fair to say that they have not performed to the expected level, a key reason why we have been left exposed on many occasions in counter-attacks and set pieces.

Strength-in-depth in defence is another issue that clearly needs some urgent action. We might be covered in numbers at the back, but, the lack of true leadership and certainty has left a lot to be desired.

With Djourou emerging as a possible contender for being a regular starter, the inconsistency of fellow centre-backs Gallas, Touré, and Silvestre has been stark, not to mention the former Captain's public outbursts that have cost him, and the team, dear.

I have recently stated that I am not Manuel Almunia's number 1 fan, and views on him have certainly been mixed. Ideally, the acquisition of a top goalkeeper is important for success nowadays, as you will see from Manchester United and Chelsea's trophy count over the past four seasons.

Nevertheless, with Shay Given being touted as the only potential reinforcement in that particular area, it is highly unlikely that Newcastle United will part company with one of their star performers, and so, it is therefore unlikely that we will land a new goalkeeper this month, particularly if our economic resources are stretched.

So, it seems likely that we will possibly sign a maximum of two players during this transfer window for various reasons; with Wenger acknowledging how "short" we are in the midfield, whilst not wanting to completely destroy his young fledglings' desires to succeed at the top level, not to mention that we are not exactly awash with cash, despite the board's insistence to the contrary.

We all have our own wishes as to who we should sign, our own "dream teams" if you like. Nevertheless, realistically, we must hope that the bare minimum in terms of strength-in-depth is achieved, with the spine of the team in the centre of defence and midfield urgently repaired. Plus, of course, the possibility that Wenger might indulge in splashing half a million quid or so on a sixteen year-old striking sensation!

And, with the returns of the aforementioned absentees from injury, the return of each and every one of them will surely feel as a new signing, another crucial point to consider, as we will desperately require their services for the final run-in, with an eye for 2009/10.

The title is certainly out of the question, but there is plenty to play for, not least retaining our status in the top four, a real challenge with the emerging consistency and power of Aston Villa. A good FA Cup run, something that we have missed since our 2005 triumph, would be very welcome, whilst the Champions' League is an absolute lottery.

But we should be confident in our ability in reaching the last eight, as Roma have been blessed with the same sort of inconsistency that we have suffered from so far this campaign, and so the tie is nicely poised at "fifty-fifty".

Finally, I leave you with this question. Just how well can we do if we strengthen the spine of the team?

A very simple formula for success, highlighting that we do not actually need "radical surgery" in order to compete at the top again, despite it looking that way so often throughout 2008. With the right buys and better luck in terms of injury, we can hope for a more successful 2009, a year in which we can be truly proud of Arsenal FC and prove the doubters wrong.

And, as I wish you a very happy 2009, we must all wish Arsenal a very happy transfer window!