With Gervinho currently injured and due to leave us at the start of the new year for potentially the best part of two months, in order to play in the African Cup of Nations; and Theo’s refusal, until now, to sign a new contract – and therefore likely to be sold in a couple of months, Arsenal are running the considerable risk of not having adequate cover on the wings from January onwards.
Podolski has played mostly on the left wing, but he is not a proper winger, and he suffers significantly when Gibbs is absent and is left too much to his own devices. The Ox has had a few games on the right wing and I personally believe it is his best position at this stage of his career, but I don’t think he is ready yet to become our first choice team player in that position. Ramsey has played on the right wing, but more as a right midfielder and he clearly has not the skillset to be effective in this position.
The big question is: do Arsenal still need ‘classical’ wingers, or do we need multi-skilled midfielders who are capable of taking on players when needed and are fast enough to trouble the full backs of opponents occasionally?
For me, it is a question of which system of football we play. In a 4-5-1, I would be happy for Arsenal to play with multi-skilled midfielders, and a single striker up-front. This formation and system of football has my preference, but ever since the traitor took over from Chamakh, back in January 2011, Arsenal have not played with this system anymore.
In Arsene’s current 4-3-3 formation, I reckon we need traditional wingers –well, one at least – who are both fast and good at taking on players. They should produce a large number of assists as well as score a respectable number of goals themselves. Gervinho and Walcott are such players, and we could come to miss them badly, come the start of the new year.
I would love Theo to stay and sign a new contract. He has got something to offer that is hard to find in the PL and he is entering the best period of his footballing career now. With Giroud still struggling to establish himself as our top CF, I would be prepared to start playing Theo more in the middle. He showed again against Reading what he is capable of and with either Gervinho, Ox, Podolski on the wing, Wenger has options to make it work.
However, we could do with another right winger, and I reckon Arsenal should go for Luciano Narsingh of PSV Eindhoven. The new Dutch International offers everything needed to make it at Arsenal. He is the classical winger: fast, likes to take on his opponents and gets past them easily, he has a good first touch and he is strong with a good balance.
Narsingh is known in Holland as the king of assists, but he also scores himself regularly. He is still young, but he is very good at deciding what the best option is when in full attacking flow: a quality so rare with the majority of wingers in the PL and across Europe.
I reckon Narsingh would fit into Arsenal without a problem, and although he won’t be cheap – PSV only just signed him this summer – he should be affordable. A strike-force of Podolski – Giroud – Theo –Ox- Gervinho and Narsingh would leave us with a number of attacking options which makes this Gooner lick his lips in anticipation.
Good right wingers are hard to find, and I reckon Narsingh could be the missing part in the attacking jig-saw for us. Sign him up Arsene!
Total Arsenal.
Bergkampesque 