The ONE Arsenal NEED to buy

June 21, 2015TotalArsenal

Hey Bergkampesquers. Long time no blog from me!

It’s been an interesting season for us (as always) but this is the first time I truly believe that barring a monumental strike of bad luck (vis a vis injuries) we are truly up there as title contenders. The reason I say this is, for the first time, I can’t really pinpoint a position where I feel we desperately need to sign someone.

When it comes to transfers, everybody will always have their own ideas, and 95% of the time there will be a general agreement of our problem areas. Not this time. I have had a chat with many Gooners about this and the only thing that seems to be common is that we need a super striker. But I ask, do we really? Last season we had Alexis who scored 25 goals in his debut season. Given what we saw, this number could very easily hit 30, and probably will. Wenger pointed out that Alexis wasn’t making enough off the ball runs, especially in games where we were dominating. He would rather get the ball from deep & run at defenders. Le boss continued to say that he is working on this particular aspect of his game, and once he does improve it, he will hit 30+ goals. Guaranteed.

Then we have Giroud, who despite missing 1/3 of the season through injury, hit 19 goals. If we consider his pre-injury form & his post injury form, I think it is fair to say that had he been fit all the way through, his return could have hit the 28 goal mark. Even though that statement is laden with ifs and buts, I think he is capable. Then we have Theo who missed virtually the whole season: played seven games and scored seven goals. Again, what if he was fit all through the campaign?

I’d love to see a Benzema/Lewandowski/Cavani join us but what I am saying is that we do not NEED them. This is the case in virtually all other departments. In goal I think Ospina & Szczesny are more than capable (even though I’d love to see Cech join us). In defence, I am fully behind Wenger when he says Gabriel is going to be nothing short of world class. All he needs is a run of games to show it. Numbers-wise I think we are covered.

Then at DM, we have Coquelin who was fantastic. Maybe we need another DM here for numbers sake, but not one to replace him. Schneiderlin/Kondogbia would be my choice. We should then sell off Flamini and, sadly, Arteta.

To conclude, my position is this: if we can find genuine world class players who are better than what we have, let’s go for it. I just don’t feel like we are in need, like we always were.

What are your thoughts?

COYG!!

By Marcus

Arsenal’s Best 11 in 2015

February 4, 2015TotalArsenal

Since Arsenal beat Manchester city, they look like a team capable of going very far this season.

There are many reasons for this change in fortunes, however, I believe that the key reason is that we now have competition for places. It has been well over a decade since we had this level of squad depth. Not only that, I can’t remember the last time when Arsenal had only two guaranteed first team starters (Sanchez & Koscielny).

At the moment, only those two players can walk into the team with their eyes closed. Every other position is being fought for, tooth and nail. Even at RB, Bellerin and Chambers have both impressed enough to make life uncomfortable for Debuchy when he recovers. At LB, Gibbs & Nacho are arguably equally as good. Sure, Nacho has been less than impressive at CB but when he plays at LB he really does play well, especially going forward.

At DM is where, at the moment, Coquelin is undeniably the best. Flamini has been appalling. In fact, in my opinion he was at fault for both goals against Brighton & HA. For the first goal Chambers may have had a poor touch but Flamini gave the opposition too much space. Same goes for the second one: he just offers no protection to our back four and I think his time is up. As for Arteta, he is past his sell by date unfortunately. It is the one position we are short.

From attacking midfield going forward, we have more quality players than the American flag has stars. I wonder how Arsene is to choose between TR7,Ramsey, Wilshere, Ox, Theo, Sanchez, Gnabry, Ozil, Cazorla, Welbeck and Giroud for only 5 spots. He could field 11 attackers! If only in that mix we had a truly world class no. 9, say Eddie Cavani or Karim Benzema.

Given this situation, picking a best 11 is quite the challenge. The only two players in the team guaranteed a starting berth when fit are Sanchez & Koscielny. Even then, the signing of Gabriel means that while he is undoubtedly first choice, Kos still has to look over his shoulder.

That said, only 11 players can be fielded at once. So given that everyone is fit and firing, what would be your best 11?

I’ve put weeks of thought into this and the only solution i came up with is this: there is none. Bear with me for a moment. I think the first choice should be chosen based on two things: our opponents & the form of our players. For example:

When playing opponents who will force us to defend (like at the Etihad), I would start Theo & ozil on the bench.

Based on current form, our first 11 should look something like: Ospina, Bellerin, Per, Kos, Monreal, Coq, TR7 Santi, Alexis, Ox/Theo, Giroud.

However you choose to look at it, we are on the path to EPL/UCL glory.

COYG!!!!

By Marcus.

The Future is Bright – The Future is Red and White!

February 3, 2015TotalArsenal

Steve, one of Bergkampesque’s favourite regulars and a recent Ozil-convert lol, posted a number of key questions late last night. I like to invite you all to respond to his questions, and in order to get the discussion going, I have added my responses.

Question 1:

Do we start the next season having retained both our loanees on the wing (Campbell and Silva) and let them fight it out for the chance to become a first choice sub, or do we grab the money and run choosing instead to replace them for one of the supposed transfer targets (Dybala, Draxler, Reus etc)?

I reckon Arsene will sign one to two super quality players every summer, as he started to do so two summers ago. This is what we always wanted: hold on to our key players and add quality gradually. This will also allow us to have a bit of space for new talent and youngsters into the team.

Campbell did not get many opportunities to show us how good he is, but when he was on the pitch he was underwhelming. I have a feeling this will be another Carlos Vela situation and he will get sold eventually. Wellington is harder to predict.

Not sure whether we will buy a (super) quality winger this summer. It depends on where Wenger wants our width and wing play to come from. A super quality left back with a great assists ratio could also be an option… I would love Reus, who can also play centrally I reckon, but the young Dutchman Memphis Depay is the one to go for I reckon.

Question 2:

Do we buy one more CB to partner Gabriel and provide complete top choice cover in every position within the team (Kos and BFG could both be injured at the same time, crazier things have happened just look at this season) or do we leave the position vacant for one of the youngsters to fill after all Chambers didn’t do himself any harm there this season?

I reckon Wenger will have a good look at his internal options in the next few months. With Bellerin developing so strongly and Chambers having had such a strong start as well, he might look at Debuchy as cover for the CB positions. The Frenchman reads the game well and could be a good organiser and leader of our defence. I also feel that Chambers could become a solid CB but this will take time as he is still so young.

Question 3:

Do we make every effort to grab the one that got away this transfer window and sign Schneiderlin to replace our captain as the first choice DM and in doing so probably resign Arteta to a fringe role?

Arsenal have, apparently, been in the market for a DM for a few years now. Yet we never sign one. I don’t know what to think about the Schneiderlin rumours but would love to see him in red and white this summer. You would say he is exactly what Wenger would want in a modern DM and he would combine well with Coquelin as well, if and when we need steel and ingenuity in front of our back four. Arteta will keep playing a role in our team and the captaincy seems to mean little to Wenger. Only time will tell how it will work out exactly, but if Coquelin does indeed sign a new contract we might not see a new DM at the Groove for quite a while.

Question 4:

And who will be left in the fringe player group come the start of next season, will it be the mass culling that a few think it may be or will Wenger continue his unwavering faith in the surplus resources he has, Coquelin has surely shown the benefits of this approach to player management evolving from surplus to requirements into absolutely vital?

The core group, which will be about 18 players, will stay the same other than the addition of a super quality player. Some will be let go off, both old and young, and Wenger might sell one of his creative midfielders to make a bit of room for up and coming talent. But this will not be dramatic at all and just business as usual. The formula of: 1 to 2 SQ players (like Ozil, Alexis) + 1 to 3 young players breaking through + 1 to 2 solid quality additions (like Debuchy, Monreal) and letting three to six players go from the squad, is likely to continue imo.

Question 5:

Do we selfishly hoard the young stars we have at our disposal providing excellent cup match options and injury crisis cover or will most of that team be loaned out for proper game time gaining the experience they need to continue up the Arsenal conveyor belt of talent to the first team?

A mixture of both. Loaning out players is a brilliant way of fast-tracking a player’s development or testing them properly, so we will see more of this. Some players need Arsene’s and the coaching staff’s direct attention and will be ‘nurtured’ at home. Just look at Jenkinson and Bellerin: one is developing fast at West Ham and the other one is doing so at home…. Another example is Sanogo and Akpom: one is getting a chance under a manager who believes in him, Pardew; the other is now given a proper chance at home. It is all about making the right developmental decisions and at the moment we seem to be getting it right.

Strengthening the team bottom upwards and with quality buys, whilst holding on to our top players, is a great strategy of building the best team in the country, and hopefully, Europe.

The Future is Bright, The Future is

Red and White.

COYG!

Written by: Steve and TotalArsenal.

Paulista: More Koz than Mertesacker?

January 28, 2015January 28, 2015TotalArsenal

The new Martin Keown? :P — The new Martin Keown? 😛

Still no official news re the signing of Gabriel Paulista which is a bit worrying given the comment by Arsene on the 25^th January, saying the club was close in completing the deal: ‘”It’s on the line and I think we’ll get over the line tonight and tomorrow”.

But let’s assume Paulista will join the club, and ask ourselves what sort of CB he is and whether he is more of a BFG or Koz type of defender.

A good defensive pairing is of course crucial, and so are the triangular relationships: backwards with the keeper and forwards with the DM(s). Furthermore, the partnerships between the CBs and their nearest FB, as well as the whole line of four, are equally important. A good fit of skills and balance are paramount for a well functioning defence.

In an ideal world, we play one CB with strong organisational and leadership skills and one ‘first soldier’ type of CB. Adams, Campbell and Mertesacker are excellent examples of the former and Martin Keown, Toure, Vermaelen, and of course, Koz were/are all brilliant first soldiers. Two BFGs do not work, but neither do two Kozs…

I am a big fan of the BFG. He is a world cup winner and plays for the best team in the world by focussing hard on his strengths rather than letting his few weaknesses grind him down. This takes a lot of strength as it is so easy to succumb to the critical voices out there and inside your head. And in our society: at school, in families and at work, we love to focus on (improving) weaknesses rather than building strongly on core strengths and talents, and this is so often holding people back left, right and centre. In this respect alone, Per is a hero to me.

Mertesacker also loves playing for us and always gives his all. He reads the game very well and organises his defence excellently. We rely on this heavily, as was demonstrated again against Brighton & HA last weekend, when our defence looked brittle without him. Wenger of course knows about Per’s ‘lesser strengths’ for which he needs to compensate within the team. He will always need a fast, energetic, yet composed, strong in the air, and brilliant tackler of a CB next to him (and good protection on the flank and in front of him). Koz is such a player and together they make a bloody brilliant pair. Without Per Koz often looks out of sorts, lacking composure and control to some extent: together they are awesome.

We have missed Koz this season when he was injured, and let’s hope he will play most of the remaining games this season. He is a very fine first soldier as we saw once again against Citeh, when he played an absolute blinder next to the BFG, who also had a very good game. Monreal has been Koz’s main back up this season and he did okay, with clear room for improvement. I reckon Nacho has potential to become a decent back up, as I agree with Wenger that he reads the game well. But surely, this is a work in progress and we need him as our (back up) left back…

We also need a good back up for the BFG and maybe we could/should even improve further on him in the long term. This is easier said than done, as good CBs with leadership and organisational skills are hard to find, especially if we also want them to be fast, great tacklers and a beast in the air. I reckon Debuchy has quite some of the required skills and Chambers has good potential too; but ideally, we strengthen our squad for this key position this year.

So, what sort of player is Paulista and for which position has Wenger bought him?

Well hard to tell at this stage, and I welcome bloggers to give us their views if they have seen him play a lot in either Spain or Brazil. The ‘Whoscored?’ stats give an interesting picture.

Paulista compared to Mertesacker and Koz on key defence stats:

	Paulista	Mertesacker	Koz
Games Played	25	21	14
Total Minutes	2147	1890	1196
Tackles per Game	1	1.1	1.3
Interceptions per Game	3.9	1.9	3.7
Fouls per Game	0.8	0.2	0.6
Offsides per Game	0.6	0.8	0.6
Clearances per Game	4.2	6.8	4.9
Blocks per Game	0.4	0.8	0.6

These stats are interesting and indicate that Paulista might be closer to Koz than the BFG as type of defender. Gabriel has slightly fewer tackles per game but also slightly more interceptions than Koz, and he has fewer clearances and blocks per game, but this is not significant. There are quite a lot of similarities between the two.

Paulista has double the number of interceptions per game compared to the BFG, but commits more fouls per game – an area in which Per excels – and has significantly less clearances per game – Per is a lot taller than Koz and Paulista (185cm). Another important stat is that this 24 year old Brazilian has remained fit this season, already clocking up 25 games and 2147 minutes of first team football.

Of course, stats are just stats and we need to see Gabriel in action, if indeed his signing is completed and he is granted a work permit. Wenger might also have other plans with him: DM or even LB/RB, who knows?

But from what I can tell, Paulista will be Koz’s first replacement and might be used in other positions as well. I cannot wait to see him in action, and we should be all happy that the club has now strengthened in central defence: Bring on the rest of the season! 🙂

What do you think, fine fellow Gooners?

By TotalArsenal.

The one player Arsenal still need

January 21, 2015TotalArsenal

Krystian Bielik has been confirmed as our latest signing and a big welcome to the home of football for him. With only a handful of senior appearances in the Polish league for Legia Warsaw and at just 17 years old, we can safely say this is one for the future.

It remains to be seen whether Arsene will add anybody else before the TW shuts. Of course lots of names are being prostituted on the horny-for-hits sites, but as we know from many previous TWs, 99% is made up and will never materialise.

I am convinced Wenger is looking, but only for a particular position which appears to be CB. There is also a small chance that a great player becomes available for a (relatively) bargain price: somebody that is nearing the end of their contract and who ‘desperately’ wants to play at the best club in the world. Rest assured that Arsene and his negotiators will be looking towards the last day of the TW to strike such a deal. That is when the pressure is really on and clubs who, for whatever reason, have to sell can be pinned down.

We know that Wenger is prone to changing his mind regularly on what and who he needs, and it is fair to say there is plenty happening within the squad currently to justify some caution:

The squad is getting stronger with the returns to full fitness of Ozil, Theo, Ramsey, and Jack back in training now.
A number of youngsters have been taking the bull by the horns and are fighting for more first team starts (Chambers, Bellerin, Coquelin);
A number of senior, wider squad players have been putting in fine, first class performances (Rosicky, Monreal, Santi, Ospina);
There is currently a great team spirit and things are coming together, with a number of strong performances in the bag. This momentum needs to be harnessed and further build upon.

It is of course always nice to spend money on new things, but Wenger will want to make sure that whoever he adds to the team will make us stronger straightaway and fills an actual hole in the squad.

So, taken the above into account, and assuming that Wenger might buy one quality, senior player this TW, I have a few questions for you for discussion:

On a scale of 1-10 how likely is it that Wenger will buy a (super) quality player this time round?
For which position(s) will he buy?
For which position do you want him to buy now and why?
Who is the one player you feel we need to buy before 1^st Feb and why?

Over to you FFGs! 🙂

By TotalArsenal.

DM hunt is over: And he’s not here to take part…but to take over!

January 16, 2015TotalArsenal

He is the definition of tenacious.

It’s fair to say Coquelin’s career has never really taken off at Arsenal (as shown by his appearance stats below):

Games total:

2014/15 – Arsenal 5 (4 sub)

2013/14 – Freiburg 16 (8 sub)

2012/13 – Arsenal 11 (11 sub)

2011/12 – Arsenal 13 (4 sub)

2010/11 – Lorient 13 (11 sub)

2009/10 – Arsenal 2 (1 sub)

2008/09 – Arsenal (1 sub)

Could Arteta’s injury woes open the doors for Coquelin to get more game time?

He has a robust style that endears him to the supporters, and he loves the nitty-gritty. But why has he never succeeded in the mighty red and white? I could understand if you said he doesn’t fit our style of play or he has a poor range of passing. But in my opinion he ticks both boxes. Coquelin has had some ripping performances in the past too…the Man U game that didn’t exist (perhaps the only positive to come out of that game) and a game against the spuds come both to mind. Arsene likes a bargain so what better deal than a player already on our books?!

Coquelin’s biggest hurdle appears to be our manager’s perception of him…and it appears once his mind is made up there is no going back. Arsene has praised Coquelin recently but they’re the type of quotes that lead you to believe he’ll be on his way out at the end of the season. We’ve heard it from Arsene before “He’ll have a career and hopefully he’ll make it here…which in Arsene talk equates “I don’t want to hold him back so I have allowed him to leave”.

I agree with our manager most of the time but I disagree with him greatly on this one. What does Flamini and Arteta offer the team that Coquelin doesn’t? Experience you say. Yes that may be so. Coquelin has played in a number of different teams and has been in the Arsenal system for some time now (not to mention he still hasn’t hit his prime), so I think he’s got enough experience. What else? Arteta may have better passing skills but does he use them at Arsenal? Even then, Coquelin is no slouch. Flamini may be tough and fight tooth and nail but one could argue the young Frenchman is displaying more of a desire to succeed. Can Arteta play in the full back position if needed (red card or terrible run with injuries)? Flamini can and so can Coquelin. Flamini played as a full back during our terrific Champions League run in 2006. Unfortunately for Flamini he was never born with blistering pace but it appears to be dropping off rapidly.

It just doesn’t make sense that Arsene would splash the cash when he has the right person for the job standing in front of him. When we’ve needed a DM in the past this is who Arsene has turned to:

Gilberto rested -> Flamini (already an Arsenal player) is given a chance
Flamini leaves for Milan -> Denilson (already an Arsenal player) is chosen
..my mum taught me that if I had nothing good to say that I should keep it to myself -> Song (already an Arsenal player) given the go ahead.
Song departs for Barcelona -> Arteta (already an Arsenal player) is selected to play their despite playing as an attacking midfielder for large parts of his career.

Notice a trend there?

So Arsene, forget splashing 25 million on a DM. Spend it on a CB and/or another attacking player. We’ve got the defensive midfielder we need already, plus a couple of younger ones developing in the reserves. I know he’s not the highly fashionable “gorilla DM” that everyone cries out for, but he’s one of our own and he deserves the chance. Don’t agree? Well watch this and then make up your mind.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9BUENWNwZw

It was written in the stars…

By Oz Gunner

0.38 goals per game, lethal as hell: Why did Wenger let him go?

January 9, 2015January 9, 2015TotalArsenal

It is a new year, and to us football fans that means it is transfer season. Uncharacteristically, we have started our business before everyone else albeit a departure. Podolski, who has endeared himself to all Gooners through his thumping goals when he did play and, more prominently, through his social media endeavours, has been loaned out to Inter Milan until the end of the season. Something tells me that this move is more permanent than the deal suggests, but we will have to wait and see how things pan out.

So the big question is, was Le Prof right to let him go?

Lukas Podolski is one of the most lethal finishers in world football. There aren’t many players who can strike a ball with as much ferocity & accuracy as Podolski can. He is always a scoring threat when he gets anywhere within 30 yards of the goal. Plus this is the kind of player who was willing to bleed for the shirt. In fact, I believe that if circumstances were different and he had the kind of impact on the club that Alexis is having now, he could have very easily inherited the Mr. Arsenal title from Tony Adams.

However, that was not the case and I would like to determine why. Poldi’s biggest undoing was his one dimensional nature. His best and arguably only attribute was his finishing/shooting/scoring, which presented a serious dilemma to the coach. Poldi is the kind of player who would be anonymous for 90% of the game but then finish the match with a brace. He did not influence games.

Poldi is not an out and out striker. He lacks the movement and awareness to be trusted with the CF role. In fact, I will go a step further and say that he was wanting in this respect. The few times he was played as a CF he was almost completely anonymous. He lacks the awareness to read the game and therefore doesn’t make telling runs or position himself in scoring opportunities. He also lacks the pace to run past defenders or the skill to beat them one on one. This, effectively, ruled him out as a winger.

With all this in mind, it is fair to conclude that his best position is as a second striker. This is the position where he excelled at Koln and Germany (occasionally). Unfortunately for him, that only works in a 4-4-2 formation which was long ago phased out at Arsenal. This means that as hard as Poldi tried, he was never going to fit in at Arsenal and at 29 years old, changing his game is out of the question. So as much as we love him, it was time he tried his hand elsewhere. I wish him all the best at Inter Milan.

COYG!!

Written by: Marcus.

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A new CB, DM and Goalkeeper, or…..: What will the TW bring?

January 7, 2015January 8, 2015TotalArsenal

There is a lot of hope amongst some fellow Gooners that the boss will splash the cash and bring in a shipload of new signings this January. We have been here many times before of course, and we never quite know what the boss will do. I really do not have a clue what will happen but past January transfer windows (TW) tell us that:

He regularly buys nobody or surprises us with a largely unknown player for cover of a particular position;
Very seldom will he spend the cash on a star player;
He is a tough – some say tight – negotiator and will often wait till the very last minute;
Although he sets transfer targets, he appears to change his mind regularly.

Arsenal tend to buy their players during the Summer TW and only use the January TW to stop a gap, or to get a bargain. If it is the latter, we definitely will have to wait till the last day(s) of the TW, as the negotiators need the pressure of the deadline to force through a deal with those clubs who need to sell but are holding out for the best possible price.

Will we get a 'Monreal style' signing? — Will we get a ‘Monreal style’ signing?

If it is about stopping a gap (like Monreal two Januaries ago), Wenger tends to change his mind a lot, and recent developments might well delay or postpone transfer activities during this TW.

We need(ed) a CB, but with Debuchy, Chambers and Monreal doing decent stints in that position and Koz getting back to fitness, he might decide not to bother…. unless he can get a bargain. There is also a problem here in terms of getting somebody who wants to play third fiddle to the BFG and Koz when joining us, as nobody should be under the illusion that Wenger will drop either of them mid-season.

We also are desperate for a quality DM who can release the shackles of our attack minded midfielders. But out of the last chance saloon comes Le Coq who has been playing very well in his last two games, giving solid protection to the back four and allowing his fellow midfielders to let it all hang out. Wenger might be tempted to give Coquelin one last opportunity to play himself into the team…. It would not surprise me at all if we will not see another DM join us before 1^st of Feb.

Some believe we will buy another goalkeeper and they might well be right. I reckon Ospina will not have accepted a permanent nr.2 role when he joined us; and if Szczesny is to be replaced imminently, which is highly unlikely in my opinion, it will probably be with a new nr.2 (with Ospina making the promotion).

So, glass brimming half full Gooners, half empty ones, and seekers of balance, out there: given the above, do you believe we will buy (a) senior/quality player(s) at all this January? And if so, who? Gives us your predictions! 🙂

Written by: TotalArsenal

Arsenal’s Youth Policy: Does it Serve Our Needs as it Should?

December 17, 2014December 18, 2014TotalArsenal

Discussion Post–Arsenal’s Youth Policy; Does it Serve Our Needs as it Should?

Thanks, in advance, for reading…As an “incentive” for getting through all these words, I’ll preview the conclusion… A shift towards a more aggressive (in my opinion) youth recruitment policy might be a chance for the club to move Arsene Wenger OUT of management and into a new role…

Here at Bergkampesque, a more “participatory” blog than most, there’s been a large drop off in, well, participation. In part, I think, this can be attributed to the frustrations many Gooners are feeling with the very disappointing start to the season after a reasonably promising summer. Our depleted squad has been tested–repeatedly–and found wanting. Now we face a week off before our next make or break run of fixtures. Will we go on a run and get back into sniffing distance of the league leaders (if they stumble), or will the couple of nice results before this little break be just another false dawn for the Arsenal? The recent convincing wins–both by the same 4-1 score lines–albeit in a meaningless Champions League group match, and against a not very motivated looking Newcastle team, perhaps overly chuffed with beating some other London club the week before…may have dulled the points on the pitchforks, but certainly haven’t mollified the masses…

On this site, although there is a diversity of opinion about the manager, there is also an acceptance that nothing will change quickly, mostly because the board and the principal shareholder seem perfectly pleased by financial results. Additionally, we have a small cadre of writers (including myself) who do not have a great tolerance for the usual arguments and highly repetitive one-liners trotted out after each disappointing result. As such, those would-be new members of the BK community who come here to “blow off steam” or otherwise rant about our “woeful” situation are sometimes challenged. It doesn’t mean we’re a happy lot but just that we attempt to take a wider view.

After all, how many different ways can we point the finger at the manager and suggest that all would be solved with a new man at the helm? A lot, it appears…

The winner this autumn has been the myriad variations on the criminal activities of the manager at the rear positions. Despite spending 16 million pounds on Calum Chambers and 12 million on Mathieu Debuchy (not to mention 4 million on David Ospina in goal), “Should’ve bought defensive cover” is the mantra of the I-know-more-than-the-manager brigade. It replaces that chestnut of the past few years, “Fire the physio,” even if the new guy in that arena, Chad Forsythe, is walking a tightrope as twangy as Aaron Ramsey’s hamstring or Laurent Koscielny’s achilles tendons. Good public relations work, in naming dates for a couple (of kissing?…) French fellows (Debuchy and Olivier Giroud) may yet save the German as they both came back early and strong. If his countryman, Mesut Ozil, comes back on schedule (or ahead) and makes a good contribution in the New Year, those Gooners looking to blame the boss may have to buck up their ideas and find a new way to aim invective at the manager. Already, however, the twin tines of “We didn’t (or we won’t) spend enough (in the Summer or January),” seems on the tip of many a Gooner’s (pitch) forked tongues…

What’s interesting, around these parts at least, is that a small group of writers with a heavy interest in the development of young players and especially the development of young English players, has emerged. Despite the troubles we’re having meeting the club’s expectations this seems a very good time to take an interest in Arsenal, if you enjoy watching these sorts of players and trying to predict who will make it on the big stage.

Arsenal’s overt recruitment of young British talent, even at oftentimes inflated prices, has yet to truly yield tangible results–both in our first team and for the National set-up–but the signs appear promising. Clearly, finishing 3rd or 4th in the league is tiresome for Arsenal supporters, much as merely qualifying for the International tournaments is not enough for supporters of the Three Lions. Still, players like Walcott, Gibbs, Welbeck, Wilshere, Oxlade-Chamberlain and Chambers are already, or likely will be, core players for both club and country. Guys out on loan, notably Jenkinson and Aneke, are huge contributors at their current clubs, while very young guys like Chuba Akpom and Dan Crowley are pouring in goals in the U-21 and U-19 matches. A real favourite amongst many (see the proposed starting line-up mooted for the Newcastle match) is Isaac Hayden, a guy who surely would’ve made his league debut given injuries to our back line, but for one of his own.

Of course, many Arsenal watchers don’t limit their support of the youngsters to Englishmen. 19 year old Spaniard, Hector Bellerin, with 90 minute outings in the hostile environs of Dortmund and Istanbul, and a great display Saturday vs Newcastle, which included a 60 yard run capped by a stunning assist, will surely see more time with the first team despite his age. 17 year old Gideon Zelalem (who has yet to declare at full International level but seems to be leaning towards the crowded group fighting to play for the world champion German team) got another run out in Turkey after last year’s league cup debut. Other international players are doing very well at the academy, including Semi Ajayi who took up a bench seat on a couple of occasions even if he hasn’t made his full bow yet.

All of this, of course, is merely review for the guys who watch the coverage of the reserve team or follow the excellent blog “Jeorge Bird’s Young Guns.” And it is to you fellows I’m reaching out.

Arsene Wenger, who sometimes has been ridiculed for his, er, use or support of young players in the songs of opposing crowds, has also been skewered by his own for statements along the lines of, “We don’t buy because it would kill (insert name of player)…” or “We were a bit naive because we lack experience,” etc., etc.

Playing young players, especially too many all at once, can be a double edged sword which cuts deeply. Additionally, the acquisition of young players (and then sending them out on loan) and the building of academies is a real frontier in the Wild West of football finances. Benevolent owners can hide losses in such policies and projects under current Financial Fair Play rules while developing their own future stars AND a revenue stream from sales of the ones who don’t quite make the grade. Moreover loan rules, which (in my opinion) desperately need reform, allow clubs down the financial pecking order to employ and develop players away from the (often harsh) floodlights of their home clubs’ stadiums. This spares those who spend the relatively lavish sums to buy a seat at places like the Emirates or Stamford Bridge (Princes and Emirs themselves, at least relative to the more working class wages of the football fans of yesteryear) from having to watch young players “learn on the job,” as it were.

Chelsea are stockpiling talent and working the loan system at an unprecedented level. Their group of players out on loan (26 in total, including some older guys, like 50 million pound purchase, Fernando Torres) could probably compete adequately to win the English Championship or other less powerful leagues. Manchester City are augmenting their buy-him-to-try-him system (with a shadow squad of Bridges, Barrys, Rodwells, Johnsons and Sinclairs, etc.) to this: http://www.mcfc.co.uk/The-Club/City-Football-Academy/Our-Vision

In the decade since our last league title (won in spectacular, invincible style) and the move to the new stadium, Arsenal have endured a period of relative financial austerity, especially when compared to the lavish spending in South London or up in Manchester. In this period our focus on youth development has been a bit of a bright spot. Things looked especially good in the first season after the stadium move with an appearance in the final of the league cup and a narrow 2-1 loss to Chelsea.

Since then, however, things haven’t seemed as rosy and the second time we made that final, and also lost by a similar score line, it was to a club (Birmingham City) which would soon be relegated. That one may have actually been a sizeable set-back, given that would-be young leader Szczesny, and Koz, were at fault for the loss and left the pitch in tears, respectively, surely not signs of maturity, in deed nor action.

This season has been a further test as injuries to experienced players like Ozil, Giroud, Debuchy, Koscielny and Arteta have given extended chances to many a young Gunner. Results have been mixed (at best), and Arsenal approach the festive period in 6th position in the league and already eliminated from one of the kids’ best venues–the League Cup. Even a moderately kind draw in the Champions League group stage didn’t result in substantial opportunities for the younger players.

In my opinion, we’re actually getting the worst of all worlds. We spend big (relatively) on young talent but still spill points or otherwise sacrifice immediate results in the hopes that the young players we are using can come good. We’re forced to use players who are too young or are hopelessly below Arsenal standards and we put them in situations which probably carry too much pressure given the demands of the fans who sit in the (famously) “highest priced seats in all of Europe.” Now, even our travelling support have grown tetchy. Hostilities on difficult trips no longer end at the final whistle. Recent video footage, amidst shameful treatment of our manager, contained the hilarious warning to a young player, Joel Campbell, to wise up and leave the club.

That warning (“Get out while you can”) begs the question: what should Arsenal do with its youth players?

Some here (notably a writer named “Steve”) seem to favour playing many of them, most all the time, no matter the results. Others, including our own man of the horses and dogs, Gerry, scouts them like a handicapper and sees opportunities as the first team is challenged with injuries. Still others demand that we recall players from loan spells as individual positions are depleted. With the recall of Coquelin (and his appearance late on vs Newcastle this past Saturday), it appears management concurs. As we’re not privy to the individual deals made with other clubs, it’s difficult to know what’s actually possible.

Certainly, between transfer windows, at least, bumping up kids from the under 21-s IS the way to go and sometimes, if they’ve got the inherent quality and they’re given enough support, a player can make the step up. Given the success–and versatility–Hector Bellerin has shown in his last two outings, I’d expect him to be a regular presence on our bench (and in the FA Cup matches). Given continued development he seems a very plausible back-up and successor to Debuchy (28 now) at RB. (Calum Chambers, a young but expensive player, has by and large made the most of his opportunities, too, and may be Debuchy’s long term successor, if not used more in other positions.)

Bellerin and Chambers, however, I think, are exceptions to the rule. Arsenal, if we aspire to become a world class club will likely need world-class players in every position, or as Jose Mourinho famously stated when he was awash in money during his first stint working under Russian Oligarch owner, Roman Abramovich, “I (we) want two world class players at every position.” If Arsenal aspire to such heights, we likely need to buy or otherwise develop our players to the point that they are world class on the day they make their Arsenal (first team) debut. If that means loaning out our most promising youth players, at the highest level possible and to clubs who might buy them, then so be it. It’s not a sign that we don’t support our guys by suggesting that they must make a career elsewhere.

Personally I love to see guys like Seb Larsson–a guy who never played for the first team at Arsenal–find success at a club like Sunderland. I much prefer his story to that of guys who played for us, but ultimately didn’t make the grade, and quietly moved on. Where, for example is Larsson’s fellow Scandinavian, Nicklas Bendtner, this season? This is only my opinion, of course, and others may have very different views. This is a discussion post, after all.

Overall, until loan rules are changed, using other clubs (who have more immediate first team needs) seems the best way to develop and vet our best young players. It’s a balancing act, of course, and an act of speculation on the player in question.

Buy low and sell high is the mantra of Capitalists and our owner (one of the best, in this realm at least…) and managers must try and follow this course. We need to play this game at the highest possible level and also assume that our money allows us to treat almost all players at almost all clubs as if they’re on loan. Yes, to get adequate players we may not get our exact favourite. We may have to play one potentially world class player off against other would-be recruits and, be willing to lose them to offers from the clubs willing to pay (waste) even more money to hoover them into their shadow squads. Still, I think we can likely improve upon options already at the club or among the small group of players we have on loan.

We need mature players, ready to take their chances. No more “learning on the job” or making allowances for players simply because of their youth. We shouldn’t have one standard for youth players and one for older guys. If Mertesacker (or Arteta or Flamini) can’t race back or rise up and make a decisive intervention why do we cut him less slack than we do a guy like Bellerin or Chambers? (It’s called age discrimination, if you’re wondering…) Time to “bed in” and get used to the league and its players, is one thing. Playing young guys who clearly lack the physique or stamina or technique to play at the appropriate level is just as bad (or even worse, perhaps) than playing guys who are clearly past it.

Moreover, this type of player acquisition seems an ideal way for a great man, with a great eye for young talent, to travel and find future world class Arsenal players. Arsene Wenger is surely already trying to do this while he does his off season commentary work for French television. If he were to continue this work (and perhaps–while he continues as our manager–brings a younger manager our way who might succeed him with the first team…) it might suggest a way he might continue to contribute to the growth of his–and our–club.

As such, youth policy might (indirectly) suggest a direction for management policy or for handling the inevitable retirement of our iconic manager. Sorry, if that’s not really the Wenger Out conclusion I promised, but there you go… 😆

What say you, fellow Gooners?

Written by; 17highburyterrace

Inadequate CB-cover? Wenger might disagree!

September 5, 2014September 6, 2014TotalArsenal

A different perspective on Arsenal’s apparent lack of CB-cover!

Many Gooners, including yours truly, have highlighted the risk – or should that be sheer irresponsibility? – of not recruiting additional CB cover in the last transfer window. We can consider ourselves lucky that our CB-duo of Koz-BFG stood strong more or less during the entire 2013-2014 season, as they gained us many a point with their well-organised and expert defending. But it was also good to know we had nobody else than the Verminator warming the bench in case one of the two would get injured; and of course there was also Sagna who suddenly had turned into a half-decent CB.

The latter two have gone and we signed a young, albeit very promising, CB/RB in the name of Chambers. Any decent organisation nowadays holds a risk-register, and the potential of either BFG or Koz getting long-term injured, or god forbid both of them joining Arsenal’s cosy sickbay, is surely somewhere on there.

So is Arsene/the club acting irresponsibly by letting two giants go and not recruiting appropriate, experienced CB cover?

I say yes and no, at about 30/70. The Dutch have a saying: ‘iets doen met de Franse slag’, which means something like ‘doing something the French way’, as in not very thorough or thought-through. Arsene’s approach to managing risk reminds me sometimes of how French cars used to be: looked great, fun driving experience and full of luxury inside, but not the most reliable, if you get me (and I drove a few of them…. but all company cars hahaha 😉 ).

Arsene inherited a solid defence when he first joined us, and by signing Sol Campbell – one of the very best he ever made imo – he ensured the continuation of it for quite a while. But once Sol left – how bizarre was that, hey? – we have not seen the same solidity to our defence we once were so used to.

I want to say last season’s defence came very close, but then I think back about our mega-defeats again and I am not so sure whether that would be fooling myself. We did not buy a DM either and it all remains to be seen whether Wenger has done the right thing. I hope he has but have my doubts about it nonetheless.

But Arsene has a plan, although I cannot state that I know what it exactly looks like.

He is always evolving our style of play, and I reckon he has decided to go with two ‘footballing midfielders’ in the two deep midfield positions and he will not continue with 4-1-4-1 for long. He has many a midfielder to accommodate and will feel he has great options for filling the ‘2’ in his 4-2-1-3 with real quality, and I fully expect him to play Ramsey and Wilshere there more and more from now on, but either of them can be combined with Arteta (the captain after all!), Flamini, Cazorla or Rosicky, etc.

So, although I would have loved to see us getting a proper, footballing DM, who can defend and boss the area in front of the defence like no other, I do understand Wenger’s apparent hesitation to finally get us one. This season we will see whether our soft-underbelly in the heart of our midfield will come to cost us or not.

But what about our defence? Why did he let TV5 go before a replacement was signed; why did he not buy another one before the TW shut? Is he that stupid or irresponsible?

Of course he is not stupid and neither irresponsible. But maybe the classical approach of having at least two quality players for each of the four defensive positions does not work anymore; and Wenger has come up with what could be a very effective alternative: less defenders but with more rotation and, in the process, less dissatisfaction within the team.

Last season, the likes of TV5, Monreal and Jenkinson were largely spectators: managing just 24 PL starts between them, an average of just eight. And although Wenger should probably rotate his players more, this is inevitable as long as there are no major injuries. But football careers are short and players (need to be) hungry and ambitious: they want to play rather than just collect a payslip every week… and we don’t want those sorts of mercenaries at the club anyway… we sell them to the Northern Oilers hahaha.

And come to think of it, with Debuchy, Koz, BFG, Gibbs, Monreal and the brilliantly multi-functional and skilled chameleon that is Calum Chambers, Wenger might just have got the balance right between playing enough football by everyone AND having decent cover for all key areas. Say we play 55 games in all competitions this season: that is 220 games in total for all four positions – if we divide those by the six players mentioned above, we come to a fine average of about 37 games per player.

Of course there is more cover in the team as well, as Flamini can help out and the young and promising talents of Bellerin and Hayden can also be used (and there is Coquelin as well). But the older Frenchman will be used mostly in midfield and the talents will still be patient enough to accept their roles within the team.

I still think Wenger will not rotate a lot as he likes to play with a consistent back-four as much as possible: and who would not?! But suspension and injuries occur regularly during a season and this should ensure the aforementioned balance to remain effective. Debuchy, Koz, BFG and Gibbs are likely to play most of the games, but I bet both Monreal will get stints at LB as well as CB, and Chambers will do the same at RB and CB (and maybe even midfield).

We have enough cover for the full back positions, as in the classical approach of two quality players per position. And as both of the cover players can also play in the centre, Arsene might have found the perfect balance now. I hear you say, but what if both Koz and BFG get injured: we will be fecked! Well, in that case we play Chambers and Flamini or Monreal at the back, with Debuchy and Gibbs or Monreal as the FBs. Even if all first-choice players get injured or suspended, the line up of Bellerin, Chambers, Flamini and Monreal as our back four is not the worst one I can think of by any stretch.

Alternatively, we could keep pressing Wenger to buy us one or two top quality CBs to warm the bench and wait for their chance – as if they are readily available and willing to accept such a role. We only have to look at TV5’s desperation to leave us – one of our most hungry and Arsenal-loyal Gunners, and club captain in the process! – to know this is far less realistic than many of us think.

Will there be no defensive signings in the foreseeable future then? Well, I reckon Nacho is on his last chance (and he has really impressed me this season) and Wenger is watching him closely till January; and in the meantime he is keeping the nr.5 shirt and a suitcase full of cash ready to pounce, if so required.

Wenger might well have out-thought us arm-chair Gooners once more! 😉

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Written by: TotalArsenal.

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