Jack has it; Vermaelen had it and will again. But Arsenal lack Presence!

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Presence!

I originally opined on this several posts back and made the point that from my favorite kids movie, Megamind, the only thing that differentiates villains and super-villains, is “Presentation!” For a reminder see the last bits of:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbkKVDVkFgY

One could almost re-quote the last bit as “Oh you’re a team alright but you’re not super. Oh Yeah! What’s the difference?!?” … Presence!

More specifically, there is quite a lot of grumpiness amongst Arsenal fans of late, and by late, I mean the last 2-3 years. While many bemoan a lack of cups that we all want anyway, it often moves on towards discussions of how we could be better if only we had the world’s greatest footballer: Cesc Cesar Isco  Wanyama Jovetic-Higuain.

Despite his rather long name, this footballer has one thing going for them compared to lesser lights like Mr Andrey Ryo Manone Santos-Squillaci, and that is Presence!

  • Presence (noun) = The state or fact of existing, occurring, or being present in a place or thing.
  • Presence! (noun!) = The state or fact of existing, occurring, or being present in a place or thing that causes fear or anxiety amongst ones competitors.

Not to be confused with:

  • Presence (noun?) = A person or thing that exists or is present in a place but is not seen: “the monks became aware of a strange presence”. This is Andre Santos on defense!

So what is Presence! Well, and this will appeal to Glic I am sure, the definition of ‘Presence!’ is a lot like that attributed to pornography. I can’t define it but I know it when I see it.

So, let’s call Presence! that fear engendered in opponents when a player has the ball, or is even near the action sometimes. From there, let me say who I think has Presence! and who is, shall I say, merely present.

Presence!

  • Cesc – at Arsenal the added creativity he brought made everyone else, even Nasri, better, and when he had the ball other teams tended to over focus on him. To our benefit and their detriment. Presence! makes others better and perhaps made Cesc appear better than he is!
  • RvJ – had no Presence! before last season really, but after that run, every time the ball heads towards him every other player on the opposing defense gets an immediate case of “pucker fever” … Presence! can be made or developed, you don’t have to be born with it.
  • Messi and Ronaldo – obviously! Keeping with our superhero format, with great talent comes great Presence!
  • Yaya and Kompany – the spine of Man City in recent years, and on form they make the middle of the field a place of fear, thus compressing the pitch to the obvious benefit of their entire team. To feel Yaya’s or Vincent’s presence (small “p”) while not even looking at them is to know that Presence! isn’t just about scoring it’s about influencing the entire pitch.

Negative Presence!

  • Santos – what teams don’t relish seeing him in our line-up.
  • Gervinho – either dominates the world or gets confused and goes out to lunch. If he’s not on, he can be ignored, and he’s often note quite on.

Historical Presence! And we had it in spades!!

  • Adams – had Presence! and then some as a defender, as does Verm on his day!
  • DB10 – perhaps a most obvious example.
  • Thierry – when he had the ball or was merely lurking around the left corner of the box, everyone knew where he was and was looking that way.

And many others we could all add, each of whose unique attributes and abilities, as well as consistency over time, made sure everyone knew they were about.

That leads to my next point that Presence! is a tangible but also transient thing. Rooney had it, and then bang this year with RvJ about, gone! One could almost define Presence! the consistency of the very best form that influences the entire game just by the players mere presence on the pitch.

For Glic, who is way more concise than I am, this is just Boing! when watching YouTube highlights… 🙂

Somehow, we lack that Presence! and to get to the next level need to find the people outside, or within our team, who can develop it.

So, who are the likely candidates! I would posit the following noting that these are merely my opinions and that anything free, like my opinion, comes with no guarantee…

At Arsenal:

  • Theo – if he can figure out how to be something more than just pace for goals, just like Thierry
  • Santi – may well get it this year with the right formation around him
  • Koz, Gibbs – with time
  • Vermaelen – has all the potential needs his head on square focus
  • Podolski – why isnt 100 caps and over 40 goals for Germany feared more …?
  • Jack – in spades and can do it already, needs to be healthy for a full season…

You will note there are many names missing and I may have missed a few.

And amongst our many targets and possibilities:

  • Jovetic – at the risk of TAs displeasure, not for me
  • Higuain – at the risk of HHs admiration, yes
  • Isco – only in Glic’s mind but he has the Boing! factor
  • Villa – yes, but only for 1-2 years

Arsenal have been blessed in past with many such players, who made all around them better while shrinking the pitch on defense and expanding it on offense. Just by their Presence! and the way teams were forced to consistently acknowledge them and hedge towards them…

I think we have several emerging talents with that potential, and that the right person in this TW will add to it. The real questions for you Gooners might be:

  • Presence! Fact or jgc professorial fiction?
  • Presence! Don’t need it, cuz we got it, or just don’t need it if we play this ___ esoteric formation and lineup
  • Presence! Who will bring it to us in this TW? Who won’t?
  • Presence! Do we need it on offence, defence or both, or will that one special DM solve it all?

I think we’ve discussed all the answers to all these really, already in past posts. So, let me ask one real question… What one change will give Arsenal the Presence! it’s quality players deserve. The Presence! to make other teams half give up on our arrival on the pitch.

I honestly think we are that close, it may not be players but simply time or formation, but we need Presence! Because…

Presence! (noun) = the small difference between fighting for 3-4th or 1st.

Written by: jgc.

140 thoughts on “Jack has it; Vermaelen had it and will again. But Arsenal lack Presence!”

  • You swine Totes, you did it again !. I had just got my chopper out on the previous post !. hahaha

  • That is a great post jgc and I know what your saying, as being the Monarch of Lesbania, I have presence all over the place, visiting dignitaries bring me them all the time !….there was them two Siamese Twins from the King of Siam !…..a couple of Mingers from Emperor Ming the Merciless ! and some dodgy batteries from Ethelred the Unready…if only there was a Duchess of Duracell !. hahaha

    Theo scares the shit of defenders with his pace and I think Gerv causes a few concerns in a tight box ( the football one ! ). Jack is class. Ox will scare a few aswell. Santi …obviously delivers presence !.
    Some presents of cash from the bod and Arsene will be able to buy some !.

    Fine post !.

  • jgc, top maiden post. 🙂

    We really do need someone with PRESENCE in midfield. Diaby has PRESENCE but is hardly in the team. The Podolski thing is really weird. Years before he came to Arsenal, Podolski had PRESENCE. He was in the group of elite finishers,guys who can shoot from distance with power and volley with great accuracy. For some reason he just does not look like the same player he was years ago. Same with Mertesacker who also had PRESENCE. Very strange considering how many international caps both and their relatively young ages in comparison to the number of caps they have for Germany. Remember not anybody gets caps for Germany.

  • jcg, Walcott certainly has PRESENCE. Messi himself has said Walcott is one of the most dangerous players he has ever faced.

  • It is a factor and had been a major part of Manu`s dominance over the last God knows how many years !. A lot of teams were beaten before they even got out onto the pitch at OT and the presence filtered down from the man at the top ( SAF ) right down to the team on the pitch !. Manu were a presence under SAF. I have no doubt they have had some great teams, but they also had a couple of not so great ones , but their ” presence ” carried them over the line. Sorry to say but they have it as a Club !. I`m sure having won so many trophy`s over the years has also helped !. We need to win some !.

  • For me Walcott has more PRESENCE than Wilshere mentally not physically of course.

  • JCG, we do need a DM/box to box PRESENCE and the PRESENCE in all of over areas of our pitch will come with time.

  • great first article, JGC, well done

    yes, we’re in desperate need of “presence ” as you call it…

    every decent team in the PL has it, for e.g

    Everton : Fellaini

    Spuds : Bale

    Liverpool : Suarez

    hell even WHU : Andy.C

    there are games when Theo is a threat and has that presence about him, when the opposition try to put 2/3 players marking him, it happened in a few games this season, however, he’s not posing a constant threat and showing enough of a presence for me really…

    so where do we go is the question ? i’m sure most of you will agree, we reach for the cheque book and get MR.Dick to land as a few quality signings…

    i hear Mario Gomez and Negredo are available for the right price (not gonna mention the names everyone else is doing these days or mentioned already in your post, but yes, Cesc/higuain/Rooney would be a no brainer, no doubt).

  • jgc – I love this sort of post, as it touches on something that is of the biggest importance, and you have written about it with flair and depth. Superb stuff! 🙂

    When our team went through the motions against the Mancs away this season, only Jack was not willing to accept the simple, easy dominance of them. That day I became a fan of Jack forever. I liked him before but he showed a personality trait you only see with the very best: it is not the same as your definition of Presence, but without that ‘not over my dead body’ attitude, a player will never have/develop it. And no team will win anything without a decent number of players with Presence!

    Presence also needs reputation and for that success is required. Thierry, Patrick, Dennis, Tony, Martin, Robert, and even Freddie all had Presence! and it certainly increased the more successful they became!

    It works everywhere, not just in football. A colleague of mine did not get a senior HR job because, as the CEO of the sub-division put it, nobody looks up when he enters a room. The CEO was an absolute wanker but he had a point: no Presence! no senior jobs!

    Some ambitious people go on courses to learn how to have Presence, but you either have (talent for) it or not.

    For me the players with presence – of varying degree – are Sczcesny, TV, Sagna, Gibbs, Jack, Theo and Podolski.

    And I return the sorry re Jovetic – I reckon he has great potential for ‘Presence’. 😛

  • HH, Kos will most likely leave next season if we do not win any trophies. He is not getting any younger.

  • Daily Mail linking us to a move for Michu. Sounds more likely happen as opposed to the Rooney rumours.

  • HH,

    i wouldn’t look too deeply into that, it’s a case of people interpreting it as they see fit from french to english and taking it out of context, he’s a gooner and will remain a gooner, i have no doubt about it, but yes, winning is essential as well in keeping, building and enticing quality names…and attracting them.

    no good players wants to play for lack of silverware and settle for less, so what he said and expressed is normal.

  • i don’t really want Michu at Arsenal, tbh.

    doesn’t do it for me.

  • I would not mind if we signed Jovetic and Michu. Jovetic playing a SS role behind Michu, Giroud, Walcott and Podolski would be good.

  • Michu to replace Chamakh and Bendtner and Jovetic to replace RVP. Those two players could easily score 25 or more between them.

  • TA,

    haha, no, that’s not true either, Rooney will be an intent signing in more ways than one and a very very good one, i don’t deny it however, there are other names i have mentioned as well which i would be happy to see at arsenal (that’s not saying i wouldn’t be happy if we got Jovetic per se

    😉

    AFC,

    how about David Villa to replace Chamakh and benterner with Cesc/Higuain playing up front as the no.9’s ? ; )

  • Glic at 21:10 and AFC at 21:14 – thanks for the comment. I think for Theo though he needs another string to the bow beyond pace. One that with ball at feet doesn’t let folks simply play a little off him so he’s shut out. Right now I think he relies too much on pace and not enough on other tools.

    Glic at 21:21 – Arsenal also had it around the Invincibles year, and hence all the tunnel clashes with ManU at the same time. One could posit that:

    –>2 sides with Presence! = Boom!

    cheers — jgc

  • JB, we would not be able to afford Villa AND Higuain. They would both want a lot of playing time and Villa’s wages are too high in my opinion.

  • Cesc’s presence didn’t make him appear better than he was. His stats speak for themselves. On the other hand, Vermaelen’s presence truly has disguised his lack of defensive ability and has really ever since he joined. Good footballer but he’s never been a great CB imo.

  • James, I know! 🙂

    When desperation sets in you take anybody in the end hahaha 😛

    The terror window will get us through many highs and lows this summer and we can only hope there will be real positive news soon, as the inaction will drive Gooners crazy.

  • AFC later:

    About the Germans… It’s weird. Maerts doesn’t have it. Highly effective, great organiser, makes us very solid, BUT, no one seems to fear him. At the end of last year I think teams began to fear what he enabled, the entire defense, but not him… Get the difference? (at least in my mind)… weird!

    Podolski, I think may be due to something around formation or support, or simply nagging injuries this year. Once those get into the back of your head, they can really derail you just that little bit off edge.

    In counter to that about Pod, one reason for Ronaldo’s and Messi’s greatness is their apparent durability! It gives them the consistency to gain that Presence!

    cheers — jgc

  • only thing jack wilshere has is a big mouth one off the most overrated arsenal players in recent years

  • TA at 21:31, as you know I left out some players deliberately to see what would get said. As above, I think Theo needs another weapon to develop further and then LOOK OUT!

    All agreed otherwise, and Scz has the temperament also. Jovetic, if he comes, will be interesting. I wont be at all sad, great player, but what he turns into at Arsenal will be interesting. I think, as you know, that Higuain is the “safer bet” for my 20m in that dept.

    cheers — jgc

  • Also Jack’s presence hasn’t really helped anyone this year. We’ve not looked half as good with him in the side. We need to figure out his role in the team and recognise that he’s still not the finished article. You know who really is developing a real presence? Ramsey! His run of form at the end of the season was extremely promising and if he can take that into the start of next season he won’t look back. Potential great IMO and ahead of Jack currently because he has found his position.
    Arteta also has a strong presence on the pitch…

  • OK All,

    I deliberately didnt mention some players and have now read all the comments that came up about 5 mins ago.. thus,

    Why has no one mentioned the Ox!!!???

    All the potential is there. And, in my comparison, unlike Theo at the moment, he may have more weapons at his immediate disposal?

    Where is the chant of Ox! Ox! Ox! ??

    cheers — jgc

  • AFC,

    there is nothing we can not afford, people tend to forget that we have broken the 200,000 wage per week barrier before in England (Henry), no reason why we wouldn’t be doing it for the right type of player.

    if we can’t afford it now, then we will never be able to afford it nor attract big players or be linked with many, this is exactly what i do not want to see.

    i like it when we’re linked with top quality players even if we don’t get them in the end , it’s just nice to see big names associated to Arsenal once again.

    just look at West ham utd, they got a bid rejected for a very good spanish striker (negredo), why ? because the player himself didn’t want to do it hence the club wasn’t keen either and came out with a load of tosh really, imagine if a player had such an attitude towards us ? do you think Negredo would say no to us if we went in ? highly unlikely i reckon 😉

  • Davi

    Interesting point. I thought a lot about Ramsey. He is certainly a great emergence story for this year. I think he does a hell of a job in his current role, and his work rate is an example that inspires and infects *his* team.

    That said, he doesnt do the same to the other team. Highly effective, yes, impacts other team, no, or not yet… I.e. would you rather have Ramsey or Yaya starting? Perhaps in a few years that will develop for Ramsey but not yet, I think

    that said, it’s just my very low cost opinion! 🙂

    cheers — jgc

  • Hi jgc

    Theo has a knack of scoring against the big teams and besides his speed he has that fearlessness/confidence about him. He does not get quickly intimidated either. It is also remarkable that a lot of non-Arsenal supporters really rate Theo and would like him to come to their club…

    Higuain is a very different player than Jovetic for me. Jovetic would be an ideal nr10 were Higuain is a typical nr.9.

  • Hahaha Jgc, fantastic maiden post on BK my friend :). Perhaps you should change your name to Presence! since you enjoy discussing it so often! Glad to see you finally pop your writing cherry and I hope this is the beginning of many more articles to come.

    Of course I agree with you that we lack Presence. Whether it be the physicality or individual skill, we just lack Presence and teams do not fear playing us. There is the potential for players to have Presence for sure, but I think we’re lacking a catalyst to kickstart others to start asserting their “Presence!”.

    However, I do not think the catalyst for Presence! will come from a player with an abundance of skill (it can but those types are few and far between these days), but one who can instil fear in the opposition and force coaches to change game plans simply by being on the pitch. For me, it’s this spine, steel, passion that we are lacking in the heart of the midfield that would make us much, much harder to play against. Wanyama has it, Capoue has it and Vieira had it. Unfortunately, the former two are nowhere close to the level of Vieira technically or offensively, but both are great defensively and still have room to grow (even more in the case of Wanyama).

    We could really benefit in many ways from a proper, beast of a DM (unleashing creativity by having confidence in a stable defensive presence, protecting the back four and by making his Presence! contagious). Any way, perhaps I added to/changed your definition of Presence! but that is what is lacking in the current squad for me ;).

  • JGC,

    we didn’t wanna put heaps of pressure on a lad young as 19, he has the X factor and aura about him , no doubt

    but he still needs to keep his head down and learn a wee bit more i reckon..most of all, he needs to keep things simple for now, whenever he got the chance at arsenal, i thought he was trying a bit too hard which didn’t help his cause.

  • Hi davi

    Jack was brilliant until he got injured again, absolutely brilliant. He brings drive, structure and penetration to our attacking play when played in the hole. Of course he is not the finished article but did you see him against Brazil a few months ago? Now that is presence!

  • Hahaha how predictable TA is the lone individual standing up for Jovetic yet again! You’d be led to believe that he was already a current Arsenal player with how much he defends him ;). Perhaps Jovetic is TA’s BOING!

    To be fair, I think Jovetic would be a top quality addition, but I cannot see it happening at this time. Arsenal had their chance to acquire his services, but simply do not want to fork over £25 million for him (imo it is an overpayment and better players can be had for that amount of money).

  • well said and all agreed, TA.

    Terror window is a classic 😀 i like it!

  • Agreed jgc – Ox has potential.

    Question to you: how much does presence come naturally and how much is due to being successful?

  • TA,

    Good point. To be more specific, I would love to see Theo use the ball at feet more. Imagine Theo with a moderate fraction of Gerv’s ball at feet skills!!

    Players couldnt play off and fear the pace because allowing him to turn would be a disaster too! That in turn would mean someone always hedging over so he doesnt use pace to get in behind his defender. Suddenly, space, for OG, Pod or Santi et al, just from twisting the entire defense that extra step because they have to respect him (heavily) with both speed and ball at feet.

    That help make my point?

    cheers — jgc

  • good question, TA

    Presence comes naturally for me, however, success gets you noticed and then that instills fear and intimidation int he opposition hence they take notice of it .

  • jgc – I thought he was extremely effective at the end of the season. His energy was vital to our play. The number of times he chased people down and actually turned the ball over really reminded me of flamini and I don’t think we would have made the top 4 had he not been there. Everyone knows he needs to improve his effectiveness in attacking positions but he made sure other teams couldn’t get at our defence and he helped get the ball forward quickly. Arteta needs a player like that next to him and they looked an extremely powerful combination. The real test was in the last game when Arteta had to go off and we still looked strong in the centre with Ramsey there. Obviously I could be wrong as well but I’m expecting big things from him next season, assuming we don’t do what Ramsey wants and sign someone like Wanayama who would probably usurp him and set him back a bit (I don’t think signing Wanayama would hurt the team however, he is more proven).

  • TA – presence is one thing, and no one would deny he has that, but I just don’t think we have found the right role for him and I don’t think it was coincidence we improved soon after he lost his place. I don’t know why tbh, but he just wasn’t that effective in the CM role this season and it seems to me he will either develop into an Arteta-like deep-lying DM/CM or he will need to be moved out wide for us to get the best out of him. He throws himself into tackles I think at the wrong times, and I don’t agree that he provides the penetration required to play that central AM position at all. Rosicky is better for that role, but we really haven’t had the answer since Cesc left. Song was more penetrative being honest.

  • HH,

    I will always stand up for what I believe is true and that is one of the reason I started BK. 😉

    It looks indeed like Fiorentina are asking too much from Arsenal for Jovetic and we should never pay too much for players.

    But the question is does Jovetic have presence, and when I saw him taking on England recently, I knew he had it! 🙂

    I also believe he is an ideal nr.10 but not brilliant nr.9. As long as people think of him as a nr.9 he will not come out favourably compared to the likes of Higuain…

  • jgc – If Theo had that ability he would be awesome, agreed! 🙂

    Maybe he can still develop it, but I doubt it. However, with the qualities he has he is still a force, and the main reason for this is perhaps his attitude/fearlessness. I can really see him score the winner in a big final one day, if you know what I mean..

  • All good points davi, and I can see where you are coming from.

    The right role is a work in progress and let’s just hope he has a fully fit (or there about) season now, and that he has kept that touch in his foot…

  • Exactly Jambo! How many of the Mancs have natural Presence!? But once they win something, Presence! goes up significantly.

  • Davi and TA,

    All agreed on JW, I am hopeful we find the right combination. Which, for all, leads to teh point made earlier (apologies) by someone that Presence! can be a factor of the team as a unit.. Re: Mancs RvJ + Et al

    However, while I agree, I think in that case for ManU this year, it was about RvJ **and** SAF … SAF on the sideline means you always fear their success. Add the momentum they have over the last 2-3++ years and …

    It will be VERY INTERESTING without SAF there, will they fold up a bit?

    cheers — jgc

  • JB and TA,

    JB, first apologies, it was you on about the Mancs..

    Second, I think Presence! is about confidence as well. It projects, but it requires **consistent** successs. Our young players havent done it yet, because, well, they are young… and need the time..

    Our older ones, well perhaps not enough consistency at a dominant level?

    cheers — jgc

  • TA and others,

    About Theo, this is perhaps my point. We have VERY VERY GOOD players, like Theo. Many top teams would love to have them..

    To move the next step to AWESOME requires that added bit of success and consistency. There were games where Theo was more absent, and shut out, likely because teams played off and/or compressed the pitch by parking the bus.

    To get there then, **I think**, Theo requires a skill that deals with that and doesnt require him to always rely on pace. That goes from VERY VERY GOOD to AWESOME and likely 5-6 more goals per year in EPL… and Presence!

    I guess it is this fine distinction I am trying to draw..

    cheers — jgc

  • Excellent point about a manager having presence which reflects onto the team, opponents and supporters, jgc.

    Without Rednose it will be different, I reckon, although we probably will not see it straightaway. But if we could take Rooney of them… 🙂

  • WOW! Great article! What a topic….presence…hmmm…Firstly, Szczczcczcz(however u spell his name) is like a character from an American highschool drama, the geeky one. This isn’t a bad thing because people underestimate him(not having presence =gd thing?).Only problem for me recently, he’s been throwing the ball out too quickly, to the point that it goes out for a throw in, and I don’t see how Cesar is much better, his throwing/kicking was just as bad. Whomever said Wilshere is overrated, that is the mos ridiculous thing I have ever heard. He’s got the same presence as Cesc, you see how many times he’s been targeted in matches? On signing, what exactly are we getting for £25m for Jetovic? It’s certainly not goals! Although you do have to take into account the whole Italian casualness, but then will he have to adjust like Giroud? :-/ Higuain is fantastic, we should go after him with every we’ve got, but I can’t see him coming to us, why would he? Benteke has ‘presence’ and has played in the league already, so no bedding in period really, huge bulky player, will do wonders. I think being a football manager in a top 4 team in the Prem. is like playing the ‘game of thrones’ Wenger seems to be drawing attention to certain players to draw Man City’s and Chelsea’s attention away from the players he’s actually going to buy – Higuain and Jetovic =smokescreen, Benteke, Wanyama, Williams=real deal. And Michu is wonderful and all but he plays in midfield…..where we going to put him exactly?

  • Agreed jgc – Theo has off games / goes absent and maybe he can improve on this. He is not awesome but indeed good to very good right now.

    I genuinely think that, per your definition of Presence!, Theo has a lot of it, and not just because of his speed.

    It would be great if he could further improve and become omnipresence!

  • Welcome to BK Robin, and yes jgc has written a very fine post today 🙂

    Good point about game of thrones. Wenger knows that he won’t win if the Oilers want the same player as him, so he will have to play it very cleverly. Unfortunately, the selling clubs and agents also want to maximise their options….

    I guess Michu would be a great one for the bench / strength in depth and all that (initially).

  • Interesting comment Robin,

    Thanks for the kind words. You, me, TA and others will disagree over Jovetic-Higuain, which is why I hyphenated them in the post! 🙂

    I suspect we will get someone strong. My best bet for a super striker, I suspect, is within the club already with Theo. Per my ongoing debate with TA, I think he has Presence! but the disappearances are perhaps less due to him then to other teams shutting him out of the game.

    If I augmented my definition, I’d add the difficulty of shutting someone out of a game without leaving a gaping hole elsewhere. Which really matches what I am on about players who attract/inspire attention and fear.

    Anyway, time will tell. I too like Michu but it would depend on fit for him I think. Like many fans, I would like a signing of intent somewhere on the park, if only to signal that to other teams, but who that might be remains a mystery.

    That said, the TW doesnt open for real for another few (3?) weeks or so. And AW has always been one to play close to the vest and maintain privacy and confidentiality. I doubt this year will be different in what we know to be true, until it happens!

    cheers — jgc

  • HH at 22:57

    sorry for delayed reply. I wouldnt disagree about Wanyama or Capoue. Defensive Presence! is critical. Again, I think ManCity have it in spades down the middle with Yaya and Kompany. Now, both add a lot to the attack as well, BUT, …

    if you are attacking you must always always think about where they are lurking on the pitch. I have seen teams play almost entirely up the sides against them, perahps not even realising it, just from avoiding that middle third of the field in the ManCity half or final third.. That makes defense so much easier and a low goals against easier as a result…

    Wasnt enough for them this year with no consistent striking presence (Presence! ?), and a lack of complete offensive support, but… Defense and defensive Presence! take you a long way home.

    that said, I also agree, whether you call them a beast DM with good attacking skills, or a B2B, it’s all teh same effect. No one enters your turf without thinkig thrice and everyone gets out of your way on attack..

    cheers — jgc

  • Jgc @ 0:38, all excellent points mate :).

    Seeing Wanyama completely force Barca and Juventus to play to the perimeter against Celtic was outstanding. That is the sort of Presence! we need to begin with imo. Make us a tougher team to play against defensively – not a defensive formation or a Park the Bus strategy, but one with a real anchor that instils fear in the opposition and can actually play football to boot.

    From there, I believe the Presence! in other areas of the pitch will undoubtedly follow. We’re missing a catalyst to lead the way for the rest of the squad, as we are often too timid and conservative as a result of lacking this so called initiator of Presence! Jack occasionally brings this Presence!, but as you said he is too injury-prone and needs to be able to stay fit for a longer period of time to cement his Presence! status.

    Santi is another that has Presence! and commands the respect of the other team. Just imagine how much more dangerous he becomes with so much of the attention focused on the Presence! of a DM like Wanyama.

  • TA @ 23:12, I never said there was anything wrong with you sticking up for Jovetic or what you believed in ;). Just was pointing out that I love that you always rush to Jovetic’s defense when no one else believes in him!

    I do believe in him to a degree as well, but not at 25 million. He’s worth 20 million at best right now imo. And to correct your statement, it’s not that we should never pay too much for a player, but only pay a lot if it’s for the (italics)right(italics) player.

  • Cheers for the welcome, I’ve commented here once before but then forgot to check back! I think Theo definitely has presence! Didn’t he embark on an 11-game-scoring-spree? I think his inconsistency is like Reyes starting off as a striker n then being put on the wing, or Vermaelan starting off v.strongly at CB and then being put out at LB, it messes up the positioning in their heads. Maybe we need another right winger then? I know AOC can play there, but we obviously need a bit more cover. And still not sure what Jetovic would bring? Benteke has raw power n presence! Wanyama is a big rock but not sure about his passing, not heard any stats. Jetovic seems to bring culture to the field, but that’s it. He’d be creative but not sure how much of a goal threat he truly is…..

  • JGC,
    Great post and what a debate that you have started.
    For me, some of our players have presence. Jack and Santi have presence. Jack for not taking crap from anyone and Santi for the threat he poses with his skills.
    I know there will be a few people who won’t agree with me but I think Theo does not have presence. He has pace but gets bullied off the ball a lot. To me that is a lack of presence.
    Our past few captains haven’t had the presence of a true leader like Adams. That’s what is lacking in our core.
    A natural leader will bring out the mongrel in others and giving them the presence

  • JGC.. Wow.. what a great post.. my brother..
    Presence = present..
    For me.. Present could mean Gift and also could mean be there with all your heart and mind..
    A player who can bring his heart and mind everytime he walk in.. is really a gift.. hahaha..

    I think We lost the presence of a solid GK.. and a deadly CF..
    If We had a solid GK.. then our defenders will play more stable..
    I love Szcseney.. he is a real gunner.. but not solid yet.. not Presence.. hehe..
    As I often said he must learn how the catch the ball better.. He can block but often bound it back to the field.. that made us some lost..

    And if We got a very good CF.. off course with solid midfielders also.. that we already had.. then everytime We move forward.. our rival will be on pressure.. hehehe..
    I also love Giroud.. but he missed so much good ball.. that can bring us victory..
    Playing Podolski for CF maybe a good option.. but bring another deadly CF will help us more.. and surely not Jovetic.. Higuan would be nice.. eventough I still believe Bony is diamond.. hahaha..

    This new youngster.. Mitrovic.. look very promising.. better than Sanogo..
    We will have a better youth team now.. haha..

  • Robin, in the CL, Wanyama averaged about 31.1 passes per game and has a 80.7% success rate. Not overly impressive, however when you consider that four of those seven games were against Barca and Juve, it makes those statistics very meaningful and indicative of his ability.

    It’s also largely not just about passing accuracy from Wanyama, but the presence! he’d add to our squad that we largely lack in the center of the pitch right now. He’s fearless and makes others feel his presence and they largely avoid him as a consequence.

  • HH

    If Wanyama (or anyone else) could do that for us, as he did vs Barca, then yes we would have a major catalyst, which is a huge part of my point. We are just those small bits away from everyone being better.

    That said, no signings count until July 1, I believe, until then yes, likely, but so what if they spend heaps. They need a new team, we only need a catalyst for Presence! 🙂

    TA and HH: As for Jovetic, at #10, for 20m is ok and he might be very great for us with the right support. At 15m a huge buy, and at 25m I begin to get twitchy… To be fair though, I would say much the same for Higuain, but slightly less twitching at 25m if only because he is more proven.

    Cheers — jgc

  • Alex (and Robin)

    IMO, you are both right about Theo. I think he’s a huge threat when not handled properly by the opposing team. He does well in big games vs big teams because they play us out and his pace can have an effect. Park the bus and it’s much harder. Hence, the streakiness we see I think!

    That said, in my debate with TA earlier, I think if he had some ball at feet skills like Gerv (but with a brain too! 🙂 ) then he would be **remarkably awkward** for other teams to manage. You cant play off and you cant play close either. What to do but double up and over play him.

    The best example I can think of is Thierry. He had:

    1. very good but not great great ball at feet skills,
    2. huge finishing polish,
    3. very good positioning and field sense
    4. an explosive first 2-3 steps with good pace (not huge pace, but when you are only 25m away from goal or less who cares after 2-3 steps, you’re by and away …)

    From those 4 things he scored heaps. When #4 left and he was older he was still very good and we made good money from RM….

    Theo has #4 easily and beyond, #2 and #3 are developing very very well for him I think. Give him some more #1 and LOOK OUT…

    So, for me, TA and Alex and Robin (and others), this is why I say not now for Theo, but maybe soon.

    FWIW — jgc

  • Jgc, I would even hesitate to spend 25 mil on Higuain, but as you said would be less comfortable with doing so on him than Jovetic. However, if the rumours are believed to be true than Rooney at 25 mil would be the best bit of business, contingent on wages of course.

    There are only a handful of strikers actually worth 25 mil plus and Rooney, RVJ (age aside), Cavani, Falcao, Aguero, Messi, Gomez, Suarez and Ronaldo/Neymar (if you consider them ST’s), are it for me. Lewandowski would be close to this valuation, but the BD effect is very real and he’s an unproven entity outside of that organization, so it’d be a large gamble to take at 25 mil.

  • HH

    Fully agreed. Of course, I spend 25m on so many things anway! 🙂

    cheers — jgc

  • All and JB and TA in particular,

    Regarding teams having Presence! well, I reckon Chavs had it, then lost it, yes, even though they won all those cups, then just bought it back for the GDP of a small African nation (or medium sized one without revolution, take your pick).

    Yes, I am speaking of their returned oh so special one and dear leader – which oddly makes it sound like he runs North Korea.. hmmm…

    I rate him as a manager for the short term impact, but not the long term. Still, he may well put some fear in others just by his presence with that team.

    Hence, a good quick balloon popping 2 goal win in our first match against them would do us (and them, but negatively) wonders! 🙂

    cheers — jgc

  • With so many new players coming in, there undoubtedly has to be some players going out at Man City. My guess is that Scott Sinclair is as good as done with the Navas signing, while Milner has been rumoured to be a target to be sold for quite some time and Fernandinho could be his replacement. Just interesting to think about, especially if there are any good, undervalued players that City will be looking to get rid of that we could undoubtedly pounce on.

    City’s the gold standard for a club who’s academy we should not follow. I can’t really see them ever having the patience in promoting their youth players and will instead, buy the best from around the world. Their academy would be a great target to poach players from as well!

  • JGC…..I don’t think it was your rather mystical and hard to define ¨presence¨but rather the more visible determination and self-confidence that the team as a whole developed after beating Bayern at the Allianz, against all odds. IMHO, once they beat the best in Europe in front of their fans and in a very hostile environment, they realized that nobody is better than a unified, committed team that has belief in themselves and their manager. They never lost after that victory and showed what a real sense of unity, perseverance and winning attitude can do, regardless of how good or poor other people think they are.

  • The OX and a fully confident and hard challenging Rambo, who is nearly mentally recovered will all have it. We really are not far away at all, I also am not bothered if Sagna wants to be sold as i feel gunners fan Jenkinson will be better then him, being English and loving the club and the energy he has shown running up and down the flank has been awesome, Let’s not forget Monreal also him and Gibbs are fantastic , we really missed Gibbs when he was out, Wenger realised this and instantly brought Monreal . I think Gibbs could even play left wing.
    I would love Wenger to but Victor (Celtic) Begavic, the most potent striker Wenger see fit, and the return of Cesc
    We are blessed with midfielder’s but them too add something, but the balancing act is to not make the up and coming feel they can’t get a look in. Don’t forget Diaby Rosicky, you know them all but we must have a D-Midfielder (Victor) and i can’t see Cesc going to another English club Podolski ? Walcott
    imagine Wilshere Cesc, Corzola sitting behind Victor Gibbs/ Monreal? Koz BFG Jenkinson in goal Begavic i need a spot for the OX though may be rotating him and Jack. The bench would also be full of talent Rosicky, Diaby, TV, Rambo, Gervinho who i rate he has the ability to go around players for fun we have seen no where near the best of him , im backing him.

  • Hi ProudGooner

    Not a bad lineup. I would also wonder if Monreal could cover both sides as start or cover if Sagna left, leaving Gibbs, Monreal and Jenkins as outside backs with TV in a pinch if needed…

    cheers — jgc

  • HH,

    Youve gotta love a team with lots of money and no patience! 🙂

    I think that what they may replace these people with may well turn out no better, and is almost a coin flip. Newer is better I guess…

    cheers — jgc

  • Weedonald

    I wouldnt disagree in some ways. I think confidence is a big part of it. But also:

    a. having it consistently

    b. earning it, i.e. not over confident without results, a trap Theo occasionally hits (tho he is a striker so it goes with the territory)

    c. holding it in the face of adversity, something I think Ramsey and Arteta do very well, and Wilshire perhaps…

    somehow we have to maintain and keep what we had in those games, and take a step up offensively… If we do, we as a team will have the mystical Presence! But, not yet, I dont think… not quite yet.. Just my 2p tho! 🙂

    cheers — jgc

  • Hello JGC, i think Gibbs and Monreal could do that, i have seen people suggesting playing KOZ as a defence-midfielder too and i like that idea, we know he has an eye for goal as well. But why unsettle the defence when its just starting to click.? so again Victor as DM’r. I don’t like seeing TV on the bench but compatition for places is good and great back up. e are very close a good start tp the season and just 2-3 strong signings.

  • good point on Arteta , how could i over look him, i really respect him, he is captain material.

  • ProudGooner,

    Arteta is a weird case. I personally like him hugely. But, in terms of Presence! Not there, but always very very solid and consistent, just not dominant or fear inducing.

    Presence! here is not to be confused with effectiveness. Take away Arteta and the stats tend to tell an ugly story over the last two years. Yet, other teams dont “fear” him, even as we fear his absence. Weird…

    As for who I would like. A true beast DM even if they are more D than M, if you get my drift. I want someone who makes everyone consider passing wide to be the best choice 🙂 … I suspect he fits the bill, as might Capoue from all I hear.

    From there, hmm, I would want a pure ST who is good with ball at feet. I think this would make Theo more effective by attracting defenders inward. Perahps partnered by OG to do this more. That frees up space for Theo’s best capabilities.. That said, if we go with 2 up front it could also be Podolski and we buy another winger… I guess it depends on who is the best deal available perhaps.

    The debate here on BK on who that someone is, is of course wide. I prefer Higuain, but site-meister TA is still pulling for Jovetic.

    I think we will get who is most affordable for the price as some prices are inflating dramatically. Currently, that seems more likely to be Higuain, Villa or perhaps some “out of form” type like Dzeko… But, rumors change faster than the speed of light, so if you dont like those choices wait a day or so… 🙂

    Finally, if we can, a top, older GK who would provide solid backup, good competition for Scz, perhaps taking the role for a year or so. In that line, what about a Friedel who still seems to be ageless enough?

    cheers — jgc

  • I totally agree with you about Arteta presence i suppose i went a bit of topic, it his team ethic and his footballing brain that i love. he see’s the gaps we leave and has sacrificed his offensive play for us.I hoped Frimpong could have done this role, maybe he can but like the vibe i get from what you are saying that few more years of expirance is important. I would be very happy with Villa as a quick fix, spend the money who cares if we lose a few million he is just the kind of man we need.
    Like you say news changes every day, Julio Cesar, and Remy Loic would both be good.
    If there is one thing i know though it’s that Wenger always finds and makes great players , lucky for us AFC and to be fair CFC have the best manager apeel now,

  • ProudGooner,

    I think we are totally agreed re: Arteta. As for others, be it Loic, Remy or my mythical persons created in the post. Well, I agree AW is always quite good at finding the real talents (bar 1 particular mad shopping spree at the end of the TW). So, we will see…

    Re: Mourinho vs AW. I think you are right on appeal to top players. I think also that they are very different sorts of Presences! 🙂 … And will thus appeal to very different top players. Thus, barring ridiculous money, I think we wont necessarily compete for some of the same players.

    That said, I have to note that Abramovich and “ridiculous (Torres!) money” go hand in hand.

    cheers — jgc

  • jgc- Ah! Yours is the post I’ve been hoping to see … Not disappointed either. Brilliant.

    For me, thinking back over the years, players that summed up the definition, in footballing this football reference … you know, the one player that the opposition would look to see if he was playing …

    FRANZ BECKENBAUR – He was ‘IT’?

    Zidane and Henry more recently. I then thought who would the opposition look out for, and be dismayed when they saw the name, on our finishing 2012/13 squad?

    Bald truth? Nobody? At least as far as the top four sides are concerned. Theo commands attention, yes, as does Santi, but both can be nullified because there is no ‘presence’ elsewhere.

    Unfortunately, ‘weedonald’ has stolen my thunder with thoughts on a ‘collective presence’. I will leave him to take the plaudits on that one, given as his name implies, he is probably 6’6”
    ha ha

    I like your line on Cesc too. We need a player or two to make the others look better. For TA’s benefit, I think Jovetic could be one such player. In the similar way Per makes Kos better, or vice versa? It is about players having a good understanding with each other, and that all over the pitch is what the ‘collective presence’ can do.

    I have been banging a lone drum for Aubemayang, as I think he would have a ‘presence’, AND make Giroud look(and play) brilliant too. Despite a desire to go to Inter, I think if their interest in a particular Brazilian, if it is true, then he might still be available?

    We also need a gifted creative midfielder. Theo suffers a lot from the wrong ball at the wrong time, not to mention badly played balls that can wear away at your enthusiasm? Cesc would have been top of that list, but I think without positive encouragement from AW, he’ll stay put. Grenier I would really like to see as the alternative here. He is young enough to ‘grow’ with the team, and at the same time has the potential to be a real presence in an area where we need it, Santi and Rosicky not withstanding.

    Pepe was a name I saw in the gossip columns, not allied to us, unfortunately, but there would be a DM ‘presence’ worth forking out £20m for? Realistically, a quick move for Capoue is more likely? That is despite Toulouse working the media angles to get a bigger price? I haven’t forgotten the ‘TG’, Rode either, who BM have yet to sign?

    I get the distinct impression Pep G has a thing about weakening Arsenal? You have Cesc last time. Rode before he was officially appointed. Jack for no reason whatsoever, having signed Goetze? and now Kos? The Ox next no doubt? I cannot see us buying anybody from BM in the near future!

    Final word on the Rooney thing. I am sure most fans would overlook his past if consistently put us on the winning side. On-field I can see him slotting in quite nicely. In the dressing room though I think he might be a little more isolated. He most definitely has a ‘football brain’, but I get the feeling the ‘boy within him’ hasn’t really grown up?

    I wait to see that happen before worrying about how corruptive he could be to our youngsters? Perhaps Colleen would prefer Paris?

    Top post and top responses. You can ask for no more, jgc. I say again. Brilliant!

  • Superb overnight comments by all of you 🙂

    jgc – thanks again for a fine, fine post that got minds thinking and fingers tapping!

    I think bloggers are thinking of two types of ‘Pressence!’: one that the very best players have out of respect from opponents and team mates, and one that comes from the players themselves, as is in something they are born with. The latter often leads to the former but this does not have to be the case.

    Anyway, got to go, catch you later.

  • Gerry

    Thanks for the kind words! I agree we have great players but not that fear imposed. Very succinctly put. I suspect the other top 4 have some. RVJ, hate to say it, Yaya tho he was a touch off this year, Lampard, didn’t get the goals so much as in past, but everyone was looking at him anyway..

    Agreed about Cesc but AW is old school, so I don’t see him encouraging anyone else’s players. Cesc would likely have to call in triplicate to get AW moving that way. If its one area he is out of date compared to the Guardiolas and others, its in his lack of ambition in tapping others up. Personally, it’s a very likable point but Arsenal may not be better off for it. Cups may gain him glory but class is forever. Klopp seems cut from the same mold…

    As for Rooney, I think hed be fine. How he would fit in on field though would be interesting. More directly, he’d have to convince AW he was willing to put in the serious effort. If he did there’s plenty good football left there.

    DM, rare beasties so we will have to wait and see. Yesterday’s rumors were all Wanyama, today it’s all Capoue. Tomorrow it will rain and we will all have a day off. That’s about as certain as I am…

    I confess I don’t know much about Aubamayeng (spelling?) but up front I’d take any of the jovetic Higuain or Villa trio, frankly and figure AW will sort it out.

    And finally, yes, Beckenbauer, a hero to young defenders of my era ! Nothing got by the guy and look out coming the other way. Offensively around then you’d add Pele perhaps, and maybe Carlos Alberto on defense too?

    Cheers — jgc

  • I was starting to think we weren’t going to get anyone when news started coming up with stories about Jetovic not being interested and Higuain…I just couldn’t fathom coming to us. But it seems loads of players are interested! I really like Aubameyang from St. Etienne, very Henry like, big player, lots of presence but then he’s a top African player and I’m fed up of our players being shipped out for a tournament 1/2 way through the season every 2 seasons. Also Capoue, Belhandra -very cheap option and he’s pretty damn good, but also African and would go to African Nations. I hate to complain, I feel like I’m against African players, but I’m not, just wish their cup wouldn’t clash so much!

    Harmony, thanks for the stats on Wanyama! I’m totally sold on his presence because I was mesmerised when I saw the Barca-Celtic game, he was a rock and just outstanding. Passing was the only thing I wasn’t sure about but *tick*.

    I’d just like to ask, which players do you reckon are a smokescreen and which are the real deal? Because I’m pretty sure 1/2 the ones we’ve been linked with are just bait for scum(spurs), Chelski, Juve etc.

  • great post.. and good points from Robin too .. i would like to say about the possible signings being discussed– if we sign Michu, it says a lot about us, and I think it makes us feel the same way– not so exciting (though he may turn out great) what it says is, that we can take someone from lower teams, players that the big boys are not really pursuing hard.. Maybe the same about Benteke, but I prefer his upside.
    It says we cant or wont splash cash like the BIG teams for a guy like Higuain. people throw around the phrase “showing intent” — if we really wanted to do that, we would get him or die trying. He is a bargain for world class talent. he is exactly the type of player we need for that position, his proven skills….. available and in his prime. Cheaper than the Cavanis or Falcaos, because of Madrids and his situation. and he is all we need in that position, because we have ok guys to back him up, Giroud, Pod.
    If we keep with the same level, we will not be considered ambitious enough for the great players…great players who we want to come here, or greats who are here will be disappointed and want to leave. Cesc, rvp, Koz examples.
    we will be the leaders of the Middle of the pack, fighting for third or fourth at best. Now for a change, we need to pay the asking price for a great player or two—……not lose out because we waste time haggling for a bargain.

  • Good comment Johnnie. Unlike many, I am not that excited about Higuain joining us and also believe we will not buy a first class nr.9 this summer – just some back-up is it all it is going to be imo.

    Agreed though on showing intent. However, does this mean to we should pay over the odds as the ‘asking price’ could simply be unrealistic. The longer it takes before we sign a top player the bigger – and darker – the black box will become, and let’s hope that we will hear something soon. I am hoping that Arsenal’s negotiators are ‘haggling with intent’! 🙂

  • Hi Robing85

    I can see your point re the ACN. The good news is there will not be one till Jan 2015 and it all remains to be seen whether the player’s country would qualify / last long in the tournament. But it is still a disadvantage, agreed.

    Wanyama’s passing is good and he really likes to get involved in the attacking part of midfield play as well (if required). At Arsenal he can quickly pass the ball to players who are comfortable with it which will make a difference as well.

  • Jack – in spades and can do it already, needs to be healthy for a full season…

    LOL HAAA your killing me.HA

    Really you would compare this KID to Bergkamp? or in fact ANY Arsenal Number 10 of the past?
    Jack = Hype! not Presence.
    Please tell me in what game did Jack’s “Presence” change a Tie into a WIN or a Loss into a Tie, ONLY 1 a Cup match. Hardly a force to be FEARED.

    When I see Bergkamp style flare or Henry style finishing Or Cecs finishing AND passing skills, OR Vieira style domination in midfield. Then maybe I might jump on the Jack W band wagon. But frankly I only see a decent player NOT anything special Jack’s quality is a at the Minimum Required level to be in the Arsenal first 11 NOT a amazing talent that will make him a legend. I do not think he is a BAD player no he is good But hardly equal to the players below

    Zinedine Zidane, Henry, Seedorf, Bergkamp, Messi, Ronaldo, (Ronaldo Luís and Cristiano), Ronaldinho, these are Names of players with Presence that single handed can win you a matches and over a season who’s skill can win you titles.

    Jack well he is just a decent midfielder nothing more.

  • TA, I would rather see us sign a DM like Gustavo from Bayern who is more experienced than Wanyama.

  • Mike, I see your point.

    So who would have more PRESENCE in your opinion. Seedorf now or Wilshere?

  • Mike Mike Mike 🙂

    Jack is only just starting, and just his performance against Barca at their very best should have been proof for you that he is a ferocious talent!

    A decent midfielder? Always at least a decent midfielder and there would be nothing wrong with that. But he is more: he gives shape and purpose to a team, finds the throughballs and can make the switch-over from defence to attack better than most players.

    Clearly, he was carrying an injury recently and let’s hope he will come back singing and dancing next season to show doubters like you what we all have been missing. 🙂

  • Hey Boys….TA–I was away from the computer taking a long weekend of skiing/camping with my boy….It was very nice–good weather, enough snow, challenging lines, etc. I had hoped for some sort of announcement from the Club, but alas, only the transfer madness of the papers…

    I’ve now caught up on the posts and the comments and, what can I say?….Great job, jgc and Alex with maiden posts….I really do think this distribution of labor (labour?) thing is great and creates a higher level of respect and community. TA should get all the credit for tending the herd (and writing some great ones himself)….

    On the current topic….Presence is that ability to maintain confidence in a situation where failure is the norm and luck plays such a huge role. I’m with weedonald and Gerry that our best (current) bet is a collective presence–that we can get the needed result (by hook or by crook). Somehow, over that last stretch, we did it and, come August, we need to pick up where we left off.

    IMO there were multiple failures of “presence” over the course of the past season. Vermaelen and the captaincy ranks #1 on that list. Diaby looked to have a bit early on, but went down (to injury) all too quickly, while Jack showed some good spirit (to match all that “potential”…) but was never a reliable source. He showed some real drive in that Cup match at Swansea (where I think he wore the armband down the stretch) but that was about it. Likewise, Theo had glimpses–enough to get his contract, and those key early goals in the run-in. the next step is doing it over a whole season and getting that goal tally into the higher realms. I actually think he could scare the crap out of opposing teams if he did the (side) shifting with the other winger, which is something he and Gervinho would do on occasion. With the latter frozen out of the squad, Theo needs to try it with some of the other guys (probably Santi, Poldolski I’ve never seen on the right…or maybe with the new forward we might be buying)…. It’s one thing for a defender to be standing off Theo with one eye on him and one on the ball–but it’s a whole other thing if he has to be telling his mate on the other side to do likewise as Theo switches sides….

    Sir Chesney got a bit of the presence thing going down the stretch and it’s really great that we didn’t concede from any corners. His height. plus that of the BFG (and Giroud), almost equals a bit of the precious thing (presence). That we were able to score a few at the other end with the BFG doing his near post run and creating havoc is pretty cool as well. If we could get that routine down (and improve the kicks themselves) it could be worth a lot of points over the course of the season….

    As always, I think our real trouble stems from the center of the pitch. Arteta is athletically limited but technically strong while Ramsey is (nothing but) hustle. Rosicky runs well for a guy his age, but certainly we shouldn’t count on his contribution. How can we add to this area with somebody who can really get the job done? The names I hear simply do not inspire me, nor do I see us being able to continue with the personnel on hand. Those guys were able to persevere against the (already) relegated, the (already) safe and the (already) champions, but they looked distinctly poor in many instances (Everton at home, with no ref support, was particularly bad…) and we cannot ride our luck all season as we did in those 10 matches. Somehow we need to create “presence” in this area or we’re looking at another long season worrying about CL qualification (where, sadly, the easier route to it is dropping out of the other competitions)….

    Anyhow, nothing new from me (sorry)…so maybe time away from the ‘puter is where I do my best work….

  • Hi 17

    Good to have you back and to hear you had a fine time with your son. 🙂

    Agreed on most, and yes we could do with adding some quality in midfield this summer. Although, as I have said before, I think you, and quite a few others, undervalue what we already have in midfield, as well as how the team performed in those last eleven games.

    Who would inspire you if he were to join us this summer?

  • I just realised, 17, that the time gap between you and jgc is 19 hours! You will have to wait a while longer before he responds to you on his Thursday morning hahaha 🙂

  • 17ht, I am not really happy with the names we are being linked with. City have got Navas, Bayern have got Gotze and we hsve got no one. Still early

    For me Walcott is really underrated, underestimated and is not appreciated enough. It really makes me sad when Wilshere gets all the plaudits and not Walcott. Walcott has been miles better than Wilshere this season and has been more important to us than Wilshere in the last two seasons. To score around 20 goals this season is very good considering he was not even starting/playing matches in the first part of the season and he still quite young. Scored more goals than any other English player and he does not get recognised. Wenger would have sold him for around 15 million. He is worth much more than that. I would not sell him for any less than 25 million. People often remember RVP getting us 3rd but without Walcott’s assists and goals we would not have got 3rd. He done it again this season and was our best forward. A proper talent.

  • John Cross says the same as me, with the likes of AA, Denilson, Squillaci and more to go off the books, we will be saving £300k – £400k per week, so the £70m will be on players, not their wages included as some on BK were saying !.
    So as I said ( I know someone is going to say they will have players knocking on AW`s door for the same amount ! ) previously, we can afford a couple of SQ ” PRESENCE ” players and pay the wages !. Now now, none of that….” but Rambo will want £175k per week aswell !….f**king tough !. Manu pay their Top two players ( I wonder who they can be ? ) big money and plenty of the rest are on a lot less than most of our players…eg Bendy !.

    http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/arsenal-transfer-news-football-spy-1933464

  • Glic, good new about the transfer budget. 🙂

    Could we have got Navas before City with affordable wages? If we could have, I am really disappointed.

  • Passionate comment about Theo, AFC. Loved it, and would be a great intro for a post dedicated to the (still) young Englishman! 😛

  • Hi AFC 🙂

    F**k Jesus ( I mean Navas !, I don’t want any of you BK Jehovah witness types bashing on my door ), I want Isco !.

  • TA, I might write a post dedicated to Walcott, using my comment as a basis. 🙂

  • TA, what more can Walcott do to get the respect he deserves from fans and pundits? End next season as the EPL’s top goal scorer and highest number of assists from the RW. Even if he done that fans would still fault him.

    Next season he could actually end as top EPL goal scorer if he put his mind to it. 🙂

  • I reckon there`s a lot of smokescreens and double ( maybe even treble ) bluffing going on and I would not be surprised to see two or three players out of Rooney, Cesc, Isco and Capoue starting our first game of the new season !.

    Right off to pick up the Glicmobile…it runs on fairy dust !. hahaha

  • Hello, people! 🙂 I was busy lately, sorry I didn’t drop by earlier.

    Very, very, very, very fine debut, jgc. 🙂 I like texts about dimensions of football that go beyond putting 11 players on the pitch in some sort of formation.

    Glic – as usual – read my minds when he wrote about Ferguson and United success recently which leads us to the question: why Wenger doesn’t have that presence on our opponents anymore?

  • Admir, maybe Wenger is seen as weak now. A pushover allowing his best players to leave. SAF tells players when they are leaving meanwhile players tell AW when they are leaving.

  • AFC/TA, Like jgc says, Theo looks bad because he just doesn’t have the same confidence with the ball at his feet in a static one v one situation and (like HH says) he tries to do things so quickly that he’s often running at his feet. At 24 those things are probably not going to improve all that much… I think he should work on using his running to open up spots on the pitch for others (like I was saying above, by switching wings, etc.)…. It’s possible that the exigencies of the past season (getting his contract and then us getting the results down the stretch) brought out the selfish streak. He’s made his stand at Arsenal and now could really push on to being a leader in the squad. To do so he must use his pace to show desire–on defense (occasionally, when people aren’t looking….) or by clearing out spaces for better placed teammates. The high angled pull back (from the byline with the keeper committed) could yield some easy assists… A full season of fitness + big production (goals + assists) + a real eye to helping his teammates and fighting for the cause and Theo will emerge as a fan favorite and the great English hope in Brazil… (That’s not too many planets that have to align, is it?…)

    The problem we have (I’m repeating myself, as per usual) is that our safest play out of our half is the long ball to Giroud. Sir Chez is just a little iffy with the shorter stuff and PM4, MA8 and AR16 just don’t have the “presence” all the time to create things as they play it out (LK6, I think, does have “it”)…This is all fine and good against the attacking sides and I expect better interplay between Ollie heading it on (or drawing in defenders who let the ball bounce…) and Theo getting on the end plenty of breakaways. Against the more timid sides, however, Ollie (and Poldi) can get very static so they can only do the 1-2s with the midfielders (Santi, Sicky or Jack). Theo needs to get in on that game, but it’s tough if the CF won’t then go out and occupy his original space. This is where the notion of Higuain or Jovetic gets very appetizing…

    Further back, to solve the bigger problem of starting our attack from deeper (and helping on the defensive side), I feel a whole lot less confident. Yes, Wanyama looked good vs Barca but not quite like Javi Martinez. I gotta say, I haven’t seen much at all of Capoue nor Gonalons. Doing that sort of work in England (poor ref protection) seems very thankless but rewards the likes of Carrick (or Ramires or Essien) and, on balance, Arteta has been very, very good for us. Still, his defensive playmaking (closing speed) won’t be improving and it’s hard to expect better fitness from him. If I were to engage in pure fantasy I’d stump for Kos getting converted into a DM. No matter who has to do the job it is easier if we’ve got good outlets on the sides. Keeping Sagna (for me) is getting to be a bigger issue with each passing day (and no new signings)…

    So, there you go, another spin on my usual themes (worries)….

  • Need that edit function….Theo looks bad because he takes off running before he’s got the ball under his feet, is what I meant to say…)

  • TA, thanks for the title. 🙂

    17ht, Walcott certainly has flaws and will improve but as I said some fans act like Theo is totally useless. By 2014 I think Walcott will be England’s star forward and will be scoring 25 or more per season. Hopefully. Also, if Theo is really a striker he has done really well playing on the wing assisting our main striker and defending (although he is starting to do less of that) considering this not his prefered position.

  • Maybe we will see the best of Walcott playing in a free role on the right similar to the role that Bale plays on the left at Spurs.

  • AFC, that article is almost completed mate :). Just putting on the finishing touches!

  • Good to hear HH. 🙂

    Too add to my last comment I feel Walcott does not have enough freedom to fully express himself. I would like to see him used in a free role where he can roam around causing problems for defenders.

  • I agree AFC, however, Walcott largely has been playing in a free role on the right, abandoning his wing play altogether, which is an issue when Santi is also given a free role on the left. I would prefer to have one winger in a free role, Santi in the hole and a dedicated winger on one of the flanks.

    We lose a lot in our link-up play when both Santi and Theo operate in free roles, creating our fullbacks to do much more work than needed. I reckon Pod and Gibbs on the left would be ideal with Jenks doing the bulk of the work on the right, with Theo in a free role would work best. Jenks has the pace and stamina to work at both ends of the pitch, and just needs to continue working on his composure and defensive play where Sagna has the advantage. In either case, I think Jenks is ready to take the starting RB position next season.

    Also, the article will be a three part piece comparing our three of Walcott, Ox and Gnabry to Bale.

  • OK, last comment on an interesting topic before I gotta run….

    Theo can improve his on-the-ball skills but what he really needs to do is show that he’s got that “footballing brain” that the pundits talk about. All the things I wrote about above would indicate that he’s got it, but we’ve yet to really see them. HH is right that he moved central a lot this past season and I think a lot of that was selfishness in trying to solidify his value and get his contract. If we’re playing route-1, I’ve got no trouble with this “free role.” If a team is parking it, however….

    During the run-in his early pounces were key (United, QPR) and he was slightly more disciplined working with Poldi while Giroud was suspended. It’s fine if he abandons the touchline, but someone else should head out that way so that spacing is maintained. I just don’t see Theo working those combos with other guys on the pitch yet. It’s an area, however, which offers a lot of potential for improvement…

    On that same note I really think this idea that Jenkinson will slot in for Sagna without a hitch is misguided. Jenks did well enough in those early matches and he’s got a booming right foot, which, if he learns how to control the height of his crosses, will become an assist machine. If you watch him, however, he “chokes” a lot of open crosses, either placing them too high or too low. Additionally, all the goonerish passion in the world doesn’t make up for being an over-striding runner and far less precise defender than Sagna. With the pressures that come from the (weak) Arteta-Ramsey axis in MF and Theo going AWOL a lot (and otherwise being quite average in possession play) the current demands on our right-back position are massive. Of course, this is just my opinion, and I confess to being a Sagna apologist. Still, I think a lot of folks who say we won’t miss him are dead wrong. If he goes, I think we need to buy a starting right back. Jenks is good, but he has to have competition and rotation at the position. Give Sagna a multi-year contract and Jenks will find some good spots to contribute. He’s still very young and has quite a ways to go before he slots right in….

  • HH, fully agreed. Two wingers in a free role does not really work. Wenger earlier on in the season had Podolski on the LW and Walcott on the RW with Giroud as a withdrawn striker in a false 9 formation. That was working quite well as Podolski is a false 9 but Walcott is not really a false 9 so Wenger opted to give Walcott a free role and then Santi came into the team for Podolski and he also was given a free role. We switched from playing two false 9s on the wings and switched to playing two wingers in free roles which was not as effective. I feel this isolated Sagna and often left him playing RW and RB. In our final game against Newcastle Walcott was playing upfront which meant Sagna was basically playing RW which left slow Mertesacker to play RCB and RB.

    If Sagna is playing RB then Walcott should not be free role. Maybe Walcott could be played on the LW or even behind our main striker. I think Gervinho is our best dedicated winger.

  • 17ht, agreed. Jenkinson is far from ready and if Sagna leaves we should be looking to bring in a RB between 25-28 years old.

  • 17ht, I ask you this though, what did Sagna contribute to our offense? Despite Jenks’ crosses not being accurate right now at least he attempts them and pushes forward unlike Sagna this past year!

  • David Villa stating that he was happy to stay at Barca but now they have signed Naymer and have Messi, surly in his last 4 strong seasons he will want to play even more so with the world cup coming up.
    He has presence in my eyes he is a goal machine an Eduado , Ian Wright type finisher.
    He can also team up with Monreal, Santi and if we get Cesc back even better ,at worst Cesc would highly recommend Arsenal to him.
    A man with great talent and a point to prove , i think he would fit in with ease just like Santi. He is world class.A proven winner.
    It’s time to start think about winning the PL and Champions league seriously.
    Losing to Barca in the final with 10 men still hurts badly.
    Or Jevanavic he has it you could see that when England faced Montonegro.
    Giroud will improve
    Does anyone know why Jenkinson was not named at all in the England under 21’s squad?

  • Sagna lost his edge last season , the double leg break must have had something to do with it ,I think Jenks can do the job just as well in future even better , but competition for RB is needed so we should keep him.

  • ok thank you will do, i subscibed great topics again Total Arsenal

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