Time To Put My Money On The Table
Sep 2nd, 2010 by 'holic
Come back when the transfer window has closed and we know who we, and everybody else, have on board. It is my stock answer when people ask me to follow the trend for pre-season predictions.
I’ll try and keep this mercifully brief because you will be able to hear some of my thoughts on Friday’s excellent Arsecast, where the host is joined by Gilberto Silver from Gunnerblog, Rotor Goat from East Lower, and Goodplaya, as well as yours truly, for a round table discussion on what lies in store.
As you will hear what I think will happen depends on the question being asked. Can Arsenal win the Premiership? Oh yes. Will Arsenal win the Premiership? I fear not, but you won’t be surprised to hear I cannot accept we will lose our status as a top three club.
Those who argue that will happen point at the failure to add a goalkeeper to the squad, and I cannot disagree vehemently. I would argue we have the same four we started last season and they were good enough to secure the third place finish for us, despite widespread criticism, sometimes warranted but with the benefit of hindsight sometimes hysterical.
I still believe that Schwarzer was not the answer, and I am persuaded he became the only actively pursued target when Ajax qualified for the Champions League and our interest in Maarten Stekelenburg was thwarted, but that is based on nothing but decidedly dodgy (yet common sense) hearsay.
Indeed all of the question marks about Arsenal’s challenge for honours this season are in defensive areas. Will Squillaci provide the experience and leadership lost when Gallas, and particularly Campbell, went elsewhere? Will Koscielny add consistency to promise, or will his vulnerability to balls played in behind him remain an issue? And what will we do if we lose Alex Song from the holding role for any length of time.
I do understand when people use these as reasons why we may again fail to lift silverware. Even if I disagree on the degree of handicap it burdens us with, I will accept that I am surprised we did not appear to make a greater effort to add a couple more faces.
Now if I concede that our defence is likely to see us fall short of the biggest prize, I have to balance that out by saying I believe we have a richer array of attacking talent than any of our domestic rivals, bar none. When, or more realistically I should say if, we get everybody fit then how will we accommodate Fabregas, Nasri, Rosicky, Ramsay, Wilshere, Diaby, Arshavin, Walcott, Vela, Denilson, Eboue? Of course we cannot, but what a fabulous problem for Arsene to face should it happen.
I’ve left out the big men up front. The uncertainty surrounding Nicklas Bendtner’s fitness right now would have been a real body-blow last season. When he was ruled out at the same time as van Persie, Eduardo, and Vela, and we were forced to play with Arshavin up front some significant points were surrendered. Now we have Chamakh.
We haven’t had a player with Chamakh’s qualities since Alan Smith was in his prime. Great control with his back to goal, able to bring supporting midfielders into the game, comfortable on the flanks with the ball at his feet and a threat in the box, particularly in the air. I have said before I think he will score a lot of goals with this Arsenal midfield providing the ammunition.
Then there is van Persie. I still believe we have to find a way of playing him and Chamakh, not him or Chamakh. I’m sure they will end up sharing the central role and one of the wide berths, interchanging to disrupt opponents defensive organisation. This assumes of course that Robin can spend more time on the pitch than in the Lewin infirmary.
That array of attacking talent will make us a threat in knock-out competitions, and of course chief among these is the Champions League. I’m starting to dare to dream that having played our Champions League fixtures at Wembley at the turn of the century, we are destined to return there to put the record straight. Get to the knock-out phase, and go for it. Are we likely winners? Perhaps not, but can we win it? Oh yes, I have absolutely no doubt about that.
Roll on March, April, and May, for that is when the arguments will play out to a finish. Those who blindly swear we cannot win anything with this squad have a distinct statistical advantage. It is odds on they will be right. However, I’ve never been afraid to take a little punt on an outsider, and three ‘holic pounds are invested. (No, not the Carling Cup, sorry.)
Cheers ‘holics.







