Attack – Page 5 – Bergkampesque

Who should Arsenal go for if we miss out on Higuain?

July 7, 2013July 7, 2013TotalArsenal

It takes a very philosophical Gooner to not be frustrated by Arsenal’s lack of progress in the Torture Window, so far. Many fellow Gooners got themselves excited by the calibre of players we are being linked with this summer, and I am one of them.

It looks like Arsene wants to add established quality players, who can hit the ground running. We all welcome this but it seems to be a lot harder than expected. Is the club negotiating too hard, or are other aspect throwing a spanner in the works? I don’t know, and the lack of information by the club is frustrating, although to some extent understandable, as they have to protect our negotiation position as well as our transfer targets.

Of course the TW has only been open officially for a week, but it is clear that the club have been working hard to get their transfer targets during the last six weeks. It looks like Arsenal are unwilling to pay the full clause release sum in Fellaini’s contract, and as it is only effective till mid-August, it’s most likely that a deal, if at all, will happen towards the end of the TW. A risky strategy and I would not be surprised if we are to lose out on the Belgian midfield beast (which for me remains the most important position to recruit for this summer).

The lack of progress regarding Higuain might have less to do with money and more to do with pride. Letting the Argentine forward go without an announcement by Real Madrid of their purchase of a star new player, might be holding things back right now. Buying of the super-rich comes with its own dynamics, it seems.

The brain tells me to remain patient and trust the club is doing everything to make the deals happen. But I cannot deny feeling restless and a tad frustrated right now. Part of me wants us to tell RM where to stick Higuain and move on the more realistic and achievable targets.

You see, I feel to some extent that we should stick we the current strike-force, as they are all likely to progress further in the coming season. Theo (14), Pod (11), Santi (12), Giroud (11) scored 48 PL goals between them and except for Santi – who quite frankly has been sublime last season – I reckon all players can improve their goal tally by 33-75%.

Giroud’s second seasons at his previous clubs have seen a dramatic improvement of around 100%; I am not banking on a similar improvement by I reckon he will improve by 50% next season. The Pod has done well on the left wing this season, but I reckon he will be fitter and more adjusted to the PL next season, and a productivity improvement by a third is not inconceivable. And then there is Theo who is getting more prolific every year, and we should see further improvement next season, somewhere between 33-50%.

Therefore, I believe our current four main attackers could reach a total tally of around 62 goals next season, an improvement by 14 goals. If our remaining midfielders (from whom we need more ‘open goals’ next season), defenders and squad players in attack (Gerv, Ox), can at least match their total goal tally of 24 last season, Arsenal could score in the region of 86 goals, which would match the Mancs total of last season. That would surely be enough to become champions (if accompanied by a lean and mean defence next season).

I reckon we need more strength in depth, though, as those four attackers will have to cover three positions in all games we play. Ox should improve further and hopefully will start scoring more regularly, and there might still be a role for Gervinho; but we need a bit more quality/lethalness in the squad.

I am not going to say no to the likes of Higuain, Jovetic or Rooney joining us this summer, far from it; and I hope the club will give everything to bring one or two of them to the home of football. But I hope we’ll draw the line at some point and move on.

As per the above, I would also be happy to see the likes of Michu or Benteke join us. The most important thing is to keep our attackers together and give them a chance to improve further next season, but add some strength in depth that we can rely on.

Arsenal had the third highest goal tally in the PL last season, and that with three players who had their first season in the PL, and one player who was unsettled until January. More is to come, one way or another. So let’s stay patient and hope Gazidis and Wenger do what’s best for the club.

But as always, let us know where you stand on the Higuain situation and who you beleive Arsenal should buy to improve our attack further.

Written by: TotalArsenal.

Five Sporting Incentives for Rooney to Join Arsenal Now

July 1, 2013July 1, 2013TotalArsenal

Unlike the links with Jovetic, which seem to have disappeared completely now, we continue to be linked with Wayne Rooney. Apparently the club have made an offer for Rooney somewhere in the region of £20m, but I am not sure how much truth there is in this.

There are many Gooners who do not want us to sign Rooney: they say that he is ‘past it now’, does not fit with Arsenal’s values, or would simply cost too much / be on too high wages compared to the rest. When I spoke a Spud mate of mine about the desperate-for-hair Englishman possibly joining Arsenal this summer, he laughed and said ‘I really hope you get him, I really do’.

I have always been a reluctant admirer of Rooney-the-footballer. I like his drive, his physical strength, his technical skills, his football intelligence and, most of all, his winner’s mentality. His diving and occasional indiscipline, although the latter is less of an issue now, go against him, and he also seems to be mainly motivated by earning as much money as possible.

If the latter is really still the case, I don’t want him at Arsenal.

But if he is looking for a new opportunity to leave something behind once more, and become once again a pivotal player in a new team that is going places, Arsenal would be a great team for him right now.

What would be key for me is: he needs to have an intrinsic desire to come to Arsenal and win things with us. I have no doubt that Arsene would be the best judge of this, and if he was to go for Rooney, I am sure the Englishman would join us with the right motivation.

I cannot see it happen myself, as his wage demands are hard to meet; not necessarily financially, but more in terms of wage discrepancy between him and the rest of the squad, and the potential impact on team morale. I also much prefer Fabregas to return to us, or Jovetic to join us this summer.

But let’s say, for the sake of debate, that Arsenal will sort this out somehow; the question is then, what could be the sporting incentives for Rooney to join us?

Rooney would become the pivot of the team, and most likely positioned in the ‘hole-position’. Whether he would work with Giroud, Podolski or Higuain up-front there is little doubt in my mind our attack would become far deadlier. With Theo and Cazorla (or Pod) on the wings he would be able to add another attacking dimension to our play, as he can redistribute the ball and assist as well as he can convert chances himself. Very few other top teams would be able to offer him such a guaranteed, pivotal role.
As per above, Rooney would really enjoy himself in this free role: he would be able to display his full range of skills and, once again, get the recognition he is craving for. If playing proper football in which he can express himself to the full is what he is really after, Arsenal are his best option right now.
The five time PL, and one time CL, winner would be a great mentor to the rest of the team, and especially to our young, British core: Gibbs, Ox, Jack, Rambo, Jenkinson and Theo would all benefit from his experience and guidance on and off the pitch. If Rooney would crave for such a responsibility/role, Arsenal is his team.
One of the additional benefits of the third point is Rooney will be able to be directly part of what is likely going to be the very core of the England national team going forward. In the next few big tournaments, England’s (attacking) core will likely be built around Jack, Ox, Theo and Rooney (with likely gradual bigger roles for Jenkinson and Gibbs as well). It would be of great benefit to Rooney if he can work and play with these players in the same team week in week out. If he really craves for international success with England then moving to Arsenal would be a shrewd thing to do.
The captaincy role is up for grabs at Arsenal. TV5 is very likely not to continue as our captain, and it remains to be seen whether Arteta will remain as central to our team as he was during the last two seasons. If Arsene, and I realise this is a big IF, is convinced Rooney would come to Arsenal with the right mentality/motivation then Rooney would be a good choice for captaining the team.

I have to say, a part of me still feels uncomfortable with the possibility of Rooney joining our beloved Arsenal, but if he would really want to come for the reasons mentioned above, and Arsene would sanction it, I could see it work out really well.

What do you say, fine fellow Gooners?

Written by: TotalArsenal.

With the possible arrivals of Higuain and Fellaini, Gervinho should be kept at Arsenal.

June 24, 2013June 24, 2013TotalArsenal

Gervinho is a player who always gives his all. He is also a safe pair of hands when it comes to holding on to the ball and breaking through a defensive line from the wing, in order to make it to the by-line. He possesses skills that nobody else, except maybe The Ox, can offer to our team. He makes clever runs into the box, with or without the ball, as he reads the game better than most of us give him credit for.

This season, he played just 18 PL games for us in which he scored five goals and produced three assists: not great, but not a bad return either. He also played in six CL games, in which he scored two and also had two assists: a record he can be satisfied with.

Gervinho offers a good alternative to the likes of Podolski and Cazorla on the left wing, and he can also play on the right wing. He clearly needed time to settle in, and playing in two successive ACN tournaments since joining us from Lille, has not helped him much in doing so.

However, there is every reason to believe he will improve further next season.

It is fair to say, a number of bad, painful misses, against the likes of Bradford (away) and Blackburn (at home) for the cups, have done a lot of damage to both his image – and, subsequently, the support levels by the fans – and his confidence. Some fans are always looking to vent their frustration with anything Arsenal, and just like bullies do, they focus on the (perceived) weakest member of the squad. The season before last it was Rambo, and last season it was the Gerv. If there is anything I loathe about fellow supporters, it’s this.

His decision making and finishing are not always at the required level, and in general, he finds it difficult to gel with his team mates, and vice versa. With regards to the latter, it cannot have been easy for him last season, with new arrivals Podolski (German), Giroud (French), and Nacho and Cazorla (Spanish) all needing to settle into the team, as well as the PL in general. The Ivorian ball wizard appears to be an introvert person anyway, and he probably has limited command of English, let alone German or Spanish.

But once again, after a transitional season, there is reason now to believe that the (telepathic) relationships between all these players will improve significantly next season. The Gerv should benefit from this tremendously.

There are quite a few fellow Gooners who would instantly swap him for Nani of Manure. Nani, who played this season just 10 PL games, managed to score only two goals, and he scored none in four CL games. Nani scored a meagre 51 goals in 288 appearances, compared to 75 in 284 by Gervinho – that is about 50% more. They are of the same age, but if I had to put my money on who will make more progress in the PL next season and beyond, it would go to the Gerv.

Do I believe he is the best LW around? No. Could we improve on him? Yes. Do I believe Nani is the player to do? I doubt it very much!

It would be a big gamble by Arsene, and sticking with Gervinho for another season might be the far better gamble. I would like him to stay another season, in which he hopefully improves significantly.

With the now highly likely arrival of Higuain, and possibly another central midfielder/nr.10 – Fellaini, Jovetic, or Rooney (?) etc – we will see the likes of Cazorla, Theo, Ox and Podolski, or even Gibbs, playing a lot on the left or right wing. There will be no space in the squad for a top level classical (left) winger – which Nani clearly isn’t anyway – even if we were to sell Gervinho (a point which was made very well by fellow blogger AFC only a few days ago).

But when we play the ‘park the bus teams’ and we are just not getting through, there are very few players who accept sitting on the bench a lot during a season, and yet can come on and make a difference – a plan-B if you want – by breaking through the lines and feed the likes of Higuain, Giroud, Pod, Theo and Cazorla, etc.

To have such a player – at least on the bench – is a necessity for a silverware-winning squad. That player is Gervinho and for me he deserves at least one more season at the home of football.

Written by: TotalArsenal.

RVP’s departure: Can we finally say it was a blessing in disguise?

June 23, 2013June 23, 2013TotalArsenal

No one ever believed that RVP’s treachery would end up benefiting the team, but we are here now.

Nobody likes to admit it, but Van Persie’s departure from Arsenal last year was one of the lowest points in any Gooner’s season. It doesn’t help that he left to one of our fiercest rivals and helped them win the league, scoring in both our encounters with them. That said, his departure may just have bucked a trend that may have been standing between Arsenal and silverware for many years.

At some point in the season, Arsene said that RVP’s departure was a positive because it facilitated a sharing of goals around the team. That statement barely scratches the surface. You see, during the Invincibles era, Thierry Henry was undoubtedly our talisman. However the team did not rely on him. Sure, having him in the team meant that there was an easy path to three points, but that did not mean that the team would crumble in his absence. On top of that, the team was not built around him, in the sense that Thierry had the luxury of playing anywhere across the front, but that did not come at the expense of another player. Nobody was ever asked to perform a role that was not in their nature just so that Thierry could express himself.

In that squad, everyone played their game and Arsene found a balance of players who complemented each other to produce the kind of results that they did. Even their style of play wasn’t just to hit the ball to Henry and wait for him to score, as tempting as that was. Thierry thrived off the team and not the other way round. Vieira and Parlour would command the midfield, Bergkamp would dazzle and create, and so on and so forth. I hesitate to say that we had ‘leaders’ on the pitch because that is not my point. This all changed after these players left.

After the invincible season, Wenger changed tactics. He decided that from then henceforth, he would build a team around one player. First it was (obviously) Henry: in the 2005-2006 season he virtually carried the team. Then he left, and it was Cesc’s turn: this was even more shocking given his age and experience levels. He proved everyone wrong and made the team tick for many seasons, to the point where an injury to him spelled doom for the team. Then he left and for a season, passed the baton to RVP. During the 2011-12 season, he literally singlehandedly dragged us to 3rd spot.

It doesn’t matter how good a player is, these tactics do not work.

Relying on one player means that you create a dependency mentality in the squad. Not only that, more often than not to accommodate this player, others are sacrificed or moved around to find the balance that best suits that player. Look at how Rosicky was played on the flanks to enable Cesc to have that free role in the middle. At Man utd, look at the fate that befell Rooney when RVP arrived. Even the mighty Barca have felt the negative effects of this.

Last season, though, we were left in a position where we did not have a clear talisman. This meant that everyone had to step up. In the end, Walcott finished as our top scorer, Santi as our best player, even though Wilshere was widely expected to take this honour, and had he been fully fit throughout, it would have been near impossible to distinguish between the two. All of a sudden, players’ positions in the team weren’t guaranteed and big names, such as the skipper, were dropped from the starting-11. These were moves which were unthinkable in previous seasons. The consequence is that we finally (after years of despair) have a proper defence.

It is good we had the season we had last year, because now everyone knows what everyone in the team can do. This means, that even if we bring in top players the squad will not place any pressure on them. Now everyone knows that Santi, Theo and Poldi are scorers, so a new striker will not have to shoulder the goal scoring burden alone. It has created an atmosphere where each player has a greater desire to contribute to the team, as they know that the platform is there. It also ensures that everyone gives 110% on the pitch rather than hide behind another player’s brilliance, because the focus is now on each and every one of them.

We now, after a long time, can truly say we have a team. No one ever believed that RVP’s treachery would end up benefiting the team, but we are here now. Football is a team sport and therefore we should never encourage the influence of certain individuals to determine the direction of the team, otherwise we ruin the essence of the game. Can you name one player that Bayern depends on?

Written by: Marcus.

Payet, El sharaawy, Nani, Jovetic, Cabella or Nani: who is the perfect foil for Higuain (potentially) and Theo upfront?

June 20, 2013June 20, 2013TotalArsenal

Will Jovetic or won't he join Arsenal this summer, and is he the answer for the LW? — Will he or won’t he join Arsenal this summer, and is Jovetic the answer for the LW?

With each passing day, it seems more and more likely that by the time the squad convenes on July 4th and heads off to Asia, Higuain will be among them. Recently BBC reporter David Ornstein via his twitter account confirmed that not only are Arsenal looking at the Argentine, we have made him our top priority. Given his track record, you can take that to the bank.

He seems to have a connection very high up in the Arsenal hierarchy. I remember during the Arteta transfer (which was one of the most dramatic to date) he knew and reported everything that happened, when it happened and how it happened. To refresh your memory, this was a transfer that was sanctioned six hours to the transfer deadline. A bid was made but Arsene changed his mind and called it off. He then changed his mind again and decided to go for him until finally, he signed him. Ornstein also reported the transfers of Santos, Per, Ox, Gervinho, Park, Santi, Poldi and Giroud well before the club confirmed them.

Anyway, given the imminent arrival of Higuain, our attack is looking as potent as it has ever been. Ornstein also reported that on our priority list is a DM and an attacking midfielder. I think he meant a left sided attacker, and the reports linking us to Dimitri Payet of Lille, El sharaawy and Nani confirm this – sort of. This is what I’d like to discuss.

With Theo and Higuain we have a mobile team of goal scorers who can create for each other and support each other, generally forcing opposing defenders to earn their keep to the very last dime. On the left though, we lack a player of the same calibre as the aforementioned two.

We have Gervinho who the less said about him the better. Then we have Poldi who when played on the left has produced mixed performances. His defensive contributions and crossing ability are commendable but he lacks the kind of pace, movement, speed of thought or dribbling skills that make players such as Di Maria such a pain to play against. As a result, for large chunks of the season he has looked lethargic. I believe his best position is at the centre of the park, and his performances in Giroud’s absence seem to have convinced Wenger of this. His two goal performance against Wigan being proof of this. Given an extended run in that position would reinforce my point, however, unfortunately for him (but fortunately for us), it is looking likely that this will be a position that will be fiercely contested for.

Which brings me back to my subject matter. This leaves us with Gervinho and the Ox as the two contenders for the left slot. Obviously, Gervinho is not a player who Arsene can hinge the success of his team on. The Ox to me seems as the perfect solution, but Wenger seems adamant on his plans to develop him into a central midfielder. This means that we do not have a player who could adequately complete this devastating attacking trinity. The ideal player should have pace, should be technically up to par, should have good dribbling ability, should be mobile (and versatile), must be strong in his crossing and most of all should be a goal scorer.

Like mentioned earlier, we’ve been linked with Payet, El sharaawy and Nani. I’d like to add Jovetic, Cabella and Isco to this list.

With Payet we have a player who only bloomed recently and at 26 is entering his prime. He has tremendous pace, crossing and dribbling ability and has a very good shooting technique. He would come cheap but his main con is that being a late bloomer, he has very limited top flight experience and his ability to adapt to the EPL is very much in question (remember that Gervinho was at one point in time ahead of him in the pecking order).

Then we have El sharaawy, who would be perfect. He ticks all the boxes above and is a prolific goal scorer. The only concerns about him though, are his slight build, loyalty to the Milan cause and his price tag. Although with the arrival of Balotelli and the Milan president’s comments that he is not ”unsellable”, a bid of around 30 million would be enough to bring him over to the emirates.

Then we have Isco whose abilities I have discussed at length before. With him, however, we are at a disadvantage because Man City and Real Madrid are both after him. They both have unlimited resources, with City even having the edge, as their coach is Isco’s footballing father figure. It would take enormous effort and funds to land him but he is well and truly worth it.

We have Jovetic, who we’ve been linked with all summer. He is also one who ticks all the boxes above. He is the most versatile and mobile of the lot. He would cost around 25 million, but given the fact he has been vocal about his desire to leave, this amount can be negotiated to between 20-22 million. Not only did he speak fondly about Arsenal, Fiorentina prefer to sell him abroad if he is to leave, so I doubt that the transfer would be a complicated one (if we were to embark on it).

There’s also Cabella, whose club president said that he would cost around 80 million, although this is a hyperbole used to scare off any suitors. Cabella is fast, skilled, extremely enthusiastic and young. My issue with him is that he is a diver. He also is a bit raw, but just a bit. He is not as prolific as we would like but his talent is there for all to see, and we Gooners saw first-hand what he can do when we played Montpellier in the UCL. He is nowhere near the finished article, and I have no idea how much he would cost, but I think he is worth a look.

Finally there is Nani, my least favourite. He has top premier league experience and has won many trophies. My concerns about him are the same that Man Utd have. He is inconsistent and selfish. He is a player who places individual success above that of the team to the point where it affects his game (he has repeatedly said that he wants to beat Ronaldo to the ballon d’or; he also recently said that he is too good for a return to Portugal.) Nani is a player who would rather do it all himself, and quite honestly, that is the opposite of an Arsenal player. If Arsene thinks he can manage and bring out the best in him then I think he should go for him because despite all this he has the talent.

However Arsene decides to go, I hope that whoever he brings in to fill in the final attacking position is of the same ilk as Theo and Higuain. This would make our attack fearsome and with the kind of midfield and defence we have assembled, we would reacquire our status as a European footballing giant.

Written by: Marcus

Five Reasons Higuain should join Arsenal this summer

June 18, 2013June 18, 2013TotalArsenal

Higuain: in order to shine properly, he needs to find the right podium.

We have discussed in various posts what Higuain has to offer to Arsenal, but why should he choose for us? Here are five excellent reasons:

Arsenal are going places again. It is a great time to join Arsenal now, as any proper agent who looks into the club’s current financial and strategic position will tell him. We are perfectly positioned to make the final step towards winning silverware and become a force in the UK and Europe again, and I am sure Arsene and Gazidis will have been working hard to put this message across to him. Recent comments by the latter regarding our ability to spend big now, and Arsene to sign a new contract soon, were most probably meant to convince our transfer targets that the club is going places again.
Higuain clearly wants to have a pivotal role in a team. Despite all his talent and many fine performances for RM, he is yet to move away from the periphery to the very core of the team. He has had enough of that now and wants a central role at a big club. He will have to compete with Giroud for this and the Frenchman won’t make it as easy as many believe it would be for the Argentinean. But with hard work and dedication, his superior technical and finishing skills should make him top dog in our attack. On top of all of that, Arsenal can play the sort of football in which Higuain will get great service and is able to shine properly. With the likes of Cazorla, Wilshere, Theo, Rosicky and Pod – and maybe one of Cesc, Jovetic or Rooney as well – on the pitch, he will get Michelin Star service, and who would not want to be on the receiving end of that?!
He will find three fellow ‘Spanish mother tongue’ speakers at Arsenal: Nacho, Zorro and Santi (and maybe Cesc if our dream is to come to full fruition!). This will help him tremendously with settling into the team and not feeling isolated on the pitch too much. At Arsenal, as at any proper team, effective link-up play and getting towards telepathic on-field relationships are prerequisites for successful football; and for that, good communication between the players is paramount. Having fellow Spanish speakers on the pitch is therefore a big bonus, and not something many (if any) non-Spanish clubs can offer.
Robben and Sneijder left RM and became very successful. The Dutchmen were unceremoniously pushed aside by the club through an act of sheer desperation to kick Barcelona of its throne, by buying Ronaldo, Benzema, Alonso, Kaka during one crazy summer in 2009. Los Blancos failed to dislodge the reviled Catalonians, despite all the hundreds of million Euros they spent, but Sneijder and Robben have been able to win top silverware in the meantime. Leaving RM, especially when you are not part of the core of the team, can be the best thing to do, and Arsenal are just the club to do a ‘Sneijder-Robben’ on RM.
Gaucho at Canary Wharf serves up some awesome Argentinian steaks! Joining Arsenal in London would definitely not be a misteak! 😛

So, there is every reason for the France born Argentinean to join the French-Spanish-Anglo Gunners at Arsenal. You won’t regret it Gonzalo the (almost) Gunner! 😉

Written by: TotalArsenal.

Theo – Higuain – Nani up-front with Santi in the hole: it could work a treat

June 16, 2013June 17, 2013TotalArsenal

It looks more and more that Arsene is very keen to bring Higuain to the home of football this summer. According to various reports, we are preparing a lucrative offer for the Argentinian. Nothing will happen though, it appears, until Madrid appoint their new manager. Whoever that will be will have to decide whether he wants Higuain to stay or let him go. Unfortunately, until then we’ll have to remain patient.

We are also being linked again with Nani of MU. The Portuguese winger has a goal scoring record of one in five, both for MU and the national team, of which some have been simply superb. However, he lacks consistency and after two full on seasons, Ferguson has benched him mostly during the last campaign – allowing him to play in just ten PL games all season, of which some as a substitute.

Nani appears to be a player who needs a lot of trust by the manager and Red Nose’s management style did not do him much good. No doubt, Wenger could do a better job here, but I am not sure whether the signing of Nani would be good business for us. At times he can be mesmerising and deliver that bit of extra quality our team often needs, but I cannot get overly excited about him joining us.

However, he has PL experience and will relish giving his career a second life, and with Wenger’s coaching he could become a very useful player for us. Our apparent interest in him could be an indication that Theo is to be moved to the middle next season. Nani, who can play on both wings, would allow the Englishman to play centrally with receiving good service from a proper winger.

But, with our strong interest in Higuain, it could be that Arsene is thinking of a front three of Theo – Higuain – Nani. With Jack or Cazorla in the hole, this could become quite an attractive formation for us. It could actually work a treat!

Nani offers good close ball control and dribbling and lots of speed, and we know what Theo has to offer. Higuain, but also Giroud, would really benefit from proper wing service, and the likes of Santi and Jack would have plenty of options to conduct their multi-faceted attacking play – and often get on the score sheet themselves.

Although I see a DM and nr.10 as our biggest priorities right now, I would love us to sign an experienced, quality winger as well.

The question to ask fellow Gooners is: would Nani be a good singing for us and how would you see him fit best into the team?

Written by: TotalArsenal.

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Ox, Jack, Santi, Gibbs, Theo: all capable of igniting Wengerball, but is it enough?

June 16, 2013TotalArsenal

How can we get back to sexy football?

17 Highbury Terrace wrote during the previous blog: ‘Unless we change our personnel in MF I just don’t see us able to play anything pretty.’

I fully agree with 17HT’s statement: for pretty, sexy football changes have to be made to the midfield. The key questions are whether we have enough talent in our squad currently to do it and how long it will take to get there.

For me the current first team is a combination of a number of engines – hard workers who motor our team along: Arteta, Ramsey, Koscielny, Giroud, Jenkinson; a number of specialist – quality players who perform their roles really well in most games: Sagna, Rosicky, Szczesny, Mertesacker, Nacho, Podolski; and a number of players who have (the potential for) that little bit extra quality and magic: Santi, Ox, Jack, Gibbs and Theo.

The problem, and simultaneously the exciting thing, is that those who can offer the magic, which is a big – but not the only – part of pretty football, are still mainly young. As fans, we do not have much patience anymore, and with money burning in our pockets, it seems right to now go out and add the sort of quality players who can deliver straightaway.

There is good reason to believe that in two years from now Santi, Ox, Jack, Gibbs and Theo will make us play scintillating winning football. They need to be lucky with injuries so they develop their talents to the max in the next 24 months. If we had been winning silverware in recent years, I would argue more vigorously that we need to be patient, as I strongly believe that these five players will be among the very best in Europe in the next two to five years (and Santi is very, very close to being there right now).

It is really important now to add to the squad in such a way that the development of those five (potentially) extra-quality players is not held back, and yet instant progress is made during this and the following season. I know that many are in agreement that we need to add that extra bit of defensive steel in midfield in order to free up the more creative minded players in midfield. We have discussed this more or less to death, and the links with Fellaini, Wanyama and Capoue are at least good signs that Arsene is looking to recruit for this position this summer.

But the more difficult issue is what to do with the ‘hole’ position. Jack has great potential for this one, and so does Ox, and many will argue that Santi is the right player to hold the biggest role in Wengerball right now. If we get Rooney or Cesc, which remains a half decent possibility, the team would make a big jump forwards, but at what price in terms of development of Ox and Jack, and Santi?

Santi can play in a free role on one of the wings, Jack can play next to the beast of a DM Arsene is going to get us, but what about Ox? He could play again on the wing next season, but this just does not seem to do him much good at Arsenal.

It would be some gamble by Arsene but what if he started him in the hole next season? Just imagine AOC getting the freedom to make things happen in the middle of our midfield, whilst being supported by Jack and Santi behind and next to him! Would that mean the start of the rebirth of pretty, sexy Wengerball? Or is Ox still too young for this, and should Arsene look to add an experienced, quality player right now; and if so, who should it be?

Written by TotalArsenal.

How much is there still to come from late developer Oliver Giroud?

June 15, 2013TotalArsenal

Giroud has often disappointed many Arsenal fans this season. — Giroud: will he once again improve significantly during a second season at a club?!

I like Oliver Giroud. He works hard, plays with passion, is a late developer and combines a strong ego with the willingness to sacrifice himself for the greater good of the team. He is not born with natural composure, something which only the very best strikers possess (Van Basten, Henry, Bergkamp, Messi etc). Giroud will always have to rely of his key strengths: stamina, hunger, power, decent technique and team play.

I reckon Arsene prefers his central striker to be a team player. Somebody who is happy to do the most unnatural thing for a striker: playing with his back towards the opposition’s goal for large parts of the game, and sacrificing himself for the team. He tried it with Chamakh and the Moroccan played his role a lot better than many have given him credit for. Before he was unceremoniously dumped for the recovered Van Judas, after Christmas a few seasons ago, Arsenal managed to score 2.4 goals per game: many goals came from our midfielders, and our 4-5-1, with the likes of Fabregas and Nasri enjoying themselves as they never did before, worked a treat.

Van Judas is a far better striker than Chamakh and Giroud: no argument there. But the problem with such a prolific striker is that slowly but steadily more or less all attacking play is narrowed down to the one and sharpest arrow. This quickly results in both an overreliance on that top striker and a reduction of goals per game. On average, Arsenal never got above 2.0 goals per game when the grey-haired broody woman led the line, which is not really enough to win the league.

I reckon Arsenal made progress last season by spreading the goals between all our attackers, and there is good reason to believe Giroud’s claim today, that more and better is to come from him, Pod and Cazorla, next season. I have no doubt there is more to come from Cazorla and a fit Podolski, but what about the Frenchman?

Ollie is a late developer and it looks like, every time, he needs a season to settle in at a new club, after which he makes a steep improvement. At Tours he went from 9 to 21 league goals in his second season, and at Montpellier he went from 12 to 21 league goals. If he could go from 11 league goals to 20+ next season, he will have done really well.

Moving from the French Alps to rural French towns and cities will not have been too taxing on him, but playing and living in cosmopolitan London and for a top European team, is a different ball game. All his overeagerness is not going to compensate for this instantly.

But, as per the start of the post, he has the characteristics to spur himself on and push himself to the top, and I reckon he will make that ‘second season improvement’ once again. His success should not just be measured through his goals and assists though; it is just as important to judge him on all the work he does to allow others to shine.

Written by: TotalArsenal.

A Closer Look at Gonzalo Higuain: a striker with 30+ goals a season potential

June 13, 2013June 13, 2013TotalArsenal

It’s that time again when we get linked with every single player the media can think of. Most are usually baseless unfounded rumours but some might have substance to them. We have been linked with players from all corners of the globe with different status levels. From the top stars such as Cavani, who would command transfer fees that could run a small country for a day, to unheard of raw talent.

This time round, though, we are in a position to discern whether the rumours being peddled around have any substance or are just fabrications by the media, in order to create stories. This is because the players themselves, their agents and the clubs they represent, are much more involved in the media, and therefore are able to quickly publicly quash or confirm any stories concerning them which have been published. Case in point, examine the Cesc Fabregas saga.

My focus for this post is on Gonzalo Higuain. He is a 25 year old Argentinian striker who plies his trade in the Spanish capital with Real Madrid (for those who may not know). The main reason why I am taking a keen look at him is because I believe there is a very real chance that he could be a gunner by the time we head to Asia for our preseason. Higuain (fondly known as ‘el pipita’ by his Argentine fans) has spent 7 years at Madrid having mixed fortunes. He signed on as 19 year old from River plate but never really made his mark in his first season. Madrid fans were calling for his dismissal from the club but Pellegrini stuck by him. His second season was a bit better but still not good enough (for a player at Real Madrid). The following season, however, was his breakout in which he scored over 20 goals for the club. Unfortunately for him, that is the season that Ramon Calderon and Manuel Pellegrini (the two men who brought him to the club) left.

When Florentino Perez was elected the new Madrid president, he brought in Ronaldo, Benzema, Kaka among others, which would see Higuain marginalized. He, however, continued to play well and even ensuring that to date, Karim Benzema has never finished higher than him in the scoring charts. In fact in the first season when Ronaldo, Benzema and Higuain played together, the Argentinian finished as Madrid’s top scorer. Perez has marginalized him, seeing him as a symbol of his predecessor’s (Calderon) reign. This is despite his obvious talent.

Higuain is a goal scorer, pure and simple. He has proven this by ensuring that beginning his 3rd season at Madrid, he has never finished with less than 10 goals regardless of his appearances. The recently concluded season, 2012-13, was one of his lowest in terms of appearances for the club (with Benzema preferred as the main striker alongside Ronaldo), yet he managed an impressive 16 goals, beating first choice Benzema yet again. To put it into perspective, it is like if Podolski had outscored Walcott.

Higuain is a world class striker and at 25 years old, he is at the prime age to join us. One thing that stands out about him is his mightily impressive shooting technique. He scores goals from all angles in front of goal you can imagine. (Have a look at this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjCDyoGSVTQ).

Also impressive, is his ambidexterity (Santi Cazorla anyone?). He is primarily right footed but can shoot and pass as well with his left foot. Higuain is fairly pacey but his speed of thought, reading of the game and general movement are the traits that make him so lethal. His ball control is also superb. He is also very strong in the air and is deceptively powerful. I say deceptively because for someone with his average frame he depends a lot on his physical strength to hold off defenders which he does very well.

The only weaknesses I can think of are: he may not be as skilled with the ball at his feet or as fast compared to his fellow striker Benzema. He used to be quite inconsistent in front of goal and his ball control at times looked suspect, but those are demons he laid to rest a long time ago.

At the end of the 2011-12 season, he handed in a transfer request but Mourinho convinced him to stay by promising a more prominent role at the club. This never came to fruition and now he is more determined than ever to leave. The two clubs after him are Arsenal and Juventus. Asked about this interest, he said that he wouldn’t mind either, even saying that Arsenal would suit him.

And I tend to agree with him. Not to say that Madrid’s midfielders are average but at Arsenal, where he would be our main man up front, his goal haul could easily pass the 30 goal mark given the calibre of players playing behind him. At Madrid, Ronaldo is the player everyone looks towards to score, which means that it is him who everybody is expected to create for.

My verdict is that we should do what is needed to bring him in. We have the advantage anyway. Perez says that 25.5 million would not be enough, but I think that he is just trying to salvage the best he can in a hopeless situation. For a player whose agent, father and he himself have publicly stated that he’s leaving, the stated amount is a very tall order. Juventus on the other hand are evidently financially inferior to us. Therefore, this should be a fairly simple transfer to pull off, IF Le Prof was to go for him.

Personally, I’d love to see it happen. Would you?

Written by: Marcus.