Arsenal Season Preview ’11/12

I’ve been meaning to write a blog post for sometime. Since around September 2007 in fact.

A lot has changed at the Arsenal since my last post back then in 2007. Our season kicks off tomorrow and we look ill prepared due to our usual inactivity in the transfer market and a summer of speculation about two key players impending departures. I don’t want to dwell on either of them leaving. I want to talk about the future and our season ahead.

Of course the problem is, we don’t yet know what our team will be for the season. There is still much business to be done, we hope. With such key departures, we have to invest in new players. We already needed to invest based on our squad last year, so now we need to more than ever before.

I have never seen Arsenal so unprepared at the start of a season. The next 20 days will probably shape Arsenal as a club for the next few years, it’s that important.

We need new players to make up for the usual shortfalls of last year and replace those leaving. We need them to convice our other key players to sign their contracts which will run out next year. We need them to avoid a backlash from fans at any loss or poor performance. We need them to boost morale at the club and for the fans.

We need them to win something.

Every year we are written off for making the top 4. Yet, this season it feels like they might just get it right. I still have belief that we will stay in the top 4, but only with changes. Before we talk about what positions we need strengthening, let’s take a look at our current squad by position.

Goalkeepers

13 Wojciech Szczesny
21 Lukasz Fabianski
24 Vito Mannone

Defenders

3 Bacary Sagna
5 Thomas Vermaelen
6 Laurent Koscielny
20 Johan Djourou
28 Kieran Gibbs

25 Carl Jenkinson
18 Sebastien Squillaci
30 Armand Traore

Midfielders

2 Abou Diaby
7 Tomas Rosicky
16 Aaron Ramsey
17 Alex Song
19 Jack Wilshere
23 Andrey Arshavin
27 Gervinho
14 Theo Walcott

31 Ryo Miyaichi
15 Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
35 Emmanuel Frimpong Emmanuel
40 Craig Eastmond

Strikers

10 Robin van Persie
29 Marouane Chamakh

Sold Or Likely Departures…

1 Manuel Almunia
4 Cesc Fabregas
Emmanuel Eboue
8 Samir Nasri
52 Nicklas Bendtner
46 Henri Lansbury
11 Carlos Vela
Denilson (loan)

New Signings

So what gaps in quality or numbers are there in the squad?

Goalkeepers – I believe Szczesny is the right choice for number 1 spot. We could of considered Friedel or Given as cover for Szczesny and Fabianski. But perhaps for once, this is not our main area of concern.

Defence – Yes we still need a centre back. Squillaci has not been good enough. We also need better cover for Gibbs at left back. Will Traore step up? I doubt it. 2 players required here at least.

Midfield – We have two players departing, so we quite simply need at least two players coming in here, one who can play centerally. With Wilshere injured for tomorrow (oh and Diaby obviously), our midfield looks to be Song, Ramsey and Rosicky. Which is simply not good enough. We have no cover for a defensive midfielder when Song is injured.

Strikers – Van Perise is a class act, but often injured. Chamakh looked fantastic at the start of last season, but since then has looked half 1/100th of the player he was. We need at least one striker upfront. Yes Theo and Gervinho can help, but we still need more.

So that’s at least 5 players in my view. How many will we actually sign? I’ll guess at 3-4.

Support

So lets get behind the team and support them tomorrow. We still have plenty of quality in the side (I won’t mention ‘young’). We still have time. Wenger is still the best coach in the world at finding talent and he should not be underestimated.

It’s going to be a big game. A big week for Wenger with the Champions League game following next week. And a bigger month for the future of the club.

Ooh To Be.