Arsenal News: Arsene Wenger To Promote Chu Young Park and Others in 2012

Tuesday, October 25. The Emirates. Carling Cup. The second half.

Four of Arsenal's fringe players shine: Chu Young Park, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Andre Arshavin and Yossi Benayoun. Andre Arshavin scores to equalize for Arsenal after Bolton threaten to run away with victory by scoring first.

Three minutes later, Arshavin provides a well-worked assist to Park's deliciously curved ball that lands in the far left corner of the Bolton goal. It's as fantastic a goal as you'll see anywhere. Chamberlain and Benayoun don't score in this match, but both are on song.

See the goals here.

After the performance of each of the four players in this match, you'd expect to have seen them feature more for Arsenal, but they didn't.

Now Arsene Wenger, the Arsenal manager, says they're about to be promoted. They are to feature more in the Arsenal lineup in the coming year. The difficult of month of January, usually tasking for English Premiership League teams, necessitates this promotion.

Two of Arsenal's strikers—Gervinho and Marouane Chamakh—will be away from Arsenal in January to play in the African Cup of Nations. They'll both miss about six weeks, so Wenger needs back up strikers to cover for them.

Although January comes with a brief window within which managers can sign new players to cover specific areas of need, the brevity of this period makes it difficult to find the right players.

Even when they are found, many are usually overpriced, owing to the circumstances under which they are sought. Possessing teams try to use the opportunity to cash in big.

The chance of getting the right players at the right price, therefore, may not be very high for both Arsenal and Wenger.

The big option being clamored for by fans and the press is Thierry Henry, the Arsenal legend. Many think he'd be an adequate cover to Arsenal's main man, Robin Van Persie.

Wenger says he will make a decision on this in the coming week, The Telegraph reports:

"

The problem is that we have a big squad. To add players, we will have to see how we can balance our books. Then we lose Chamakh and Gervinho for January. Chamakh has not played too many games but he is still a security that we have.

Park has to step up. The adaptation period for him is over now, so he has to show he has the quality to play for us. I believe he has. We also have Arshavin and Chamberlain, who is now ready to play.

"

After that fantastic debut goal, Wenger said fans would see more of Park.

He tried to make good on that promise on two occasions, but Park was unable to recreate the magic of his debut goal, which is why Wenger says he has to step up.

A fortnight ago, Park himself said he was ready to step into the limelight.

Reflecting on the situation ahead of Arsenal's match against Wolverhampton Wanderers, Wenger says.

"

It has been difficult because I have not given him [Park] the chance to play. It takes you time. You see a player like Koscielny last year. He was sometimes surprised by the physical demands of the game and, this year, he is dominating.

"

Speaking of Chamberlain, he says:

"

He will play games. He is not far. He is a talented boy. It’s all there. He just needs that toughness in the game. I could have brought him on the other night [in the 2-1 win against Aston Villa]. He is ready. He is just missing experience at the top level.

"

Wenger does not talk about Benayoun in this interview, but if the way the Israeli international has been playing in the limited opportunities he has been given is anything to go by, one would expect to see him get more playing time in the coming year.

Wenger will explore the options of whether or not to sign a left back to fill in for Kieran Gibbs and Andre Santos who are both out with injury.

He will furthermore decide whether or not to loan out Ryo Miyaichi, so he can get first-team experience in the coming year.

Since the option for signing long-time strikers such as Lukas Podolski in January is likely to be difficult, Wenger may settle for Henry, the easier short-time option. Many fans would definitely want to see him in the red and white again.

For Arshavin, although he's not at present the favorite of Arsenal fans, when I compiled the 44 goals of Robin Van Persie (see here), snatches of vintage Arshavin could be glimpsed in the videos. More playing time could do him and Gooners a lot of good.