There has been a lot of talk of Arsenal being in a poor situation with Fabregas and Nasri leaving, the poor start to the season and then the beating by Utd. But how does our squad actually compare to last season? Are we stronger, weaker or about the same? GK - Last Season: A mix of Almunia, Fabianksi, Lehmann and Szcezney. No-one held down the number one spot long enough to stabalise the back line. This Season: Clear improvement with the obvious number one being Szcezney - should keep the back of our team more solid. Verdict - Improved. RB - Last Season: Sagna, with Eboue as back-up. Sagna was great, Eboue is Eboue. This Season: Still Sagna but with Jenkinson as back-up who looks as though he will be a suitable replacement for Eboue. Verdict - About the same. LB - Last Season: Clichy with Gibbs as back-up. This Season: Andre Santos Brazilian International to replace Clichy which hopefuly will turn out well. With Gibbs still as the back-up. Verdict - About the same, possibly slightly improved, time will tell. CB's - Last Season: Koscielny, Djourou and Squillaci. Kosc and Djourou made a good partnership but overall there was a clear lack of depth with Miguel and Song being used at points and Squillaci getting too much game time. This Season: TV back in action, Koscielny and Djourou have another years experience and it looks like we may be signing another CB, possibly Mertersaker? Verdict - Improved. CM/DM's - Last Season: Fabregas, Song, Wilshere as our starting line with Denilson, Rosicky, bits of Diaby and a couple of youngster appearances. This Season: Song, Wilshere, Ramsey back from injury, Frimpong, Rosicky, Diaby. Looks like we have made some enquiries but no signings as of yet. Verdict - Weaker. Wingers/Wing Forwards - Last Season: Walcott, Arshavin, Nasri, with Rosicky, Bendtner, Vela and Chamakh all filling in as well when needed. This Season: Walcott, Arshavin, Gervinho, Miyaichi, Oxocube. So we have added extra depth to these positions, whilst losing Nasri we have gained some different and more direct players. Verdict - About the same, improved slightly due to added depth. Strikers - Last Season:RVP, Chamakh, Bendtner. RVP had a great season, Chamakh had half a good season. This Season: RVP, Park Chu-young, Chamakh. With Walcott and Gervinho also able to play down the middle and Bendtner still as back-up if he doesn't manage to get sold. Verdict - We will have to see what this Korean is like to know if we have improved, but i'd say yes we look like we have better options up front this season. (Had we got the work permit for Campbell i think we would of had a great strikeforce). So overall i think we actually look quite good compared to last season. I think provided the transfers go through we have more depth than last season but clearly lack a creative edge which in the middle has not been replaced but on the wings has been replaced with pace and directness. If we were to get a top quality midfield signing as well we will be looking much better than the beginning of this season would have us believe. -----------Szcezney--------------- Sagna-----TV---Koscielny---Santos -------------Song----------------- ------Wilshere-----Ramsey--------- Walcott-------RVP-----Gervinho Bench: Flappy, Mertersaker, Jenkinson, Frimpong, Arshavin, Miyaichi, Park Chu-young Or something like that, there are several options of how to set the team up - not quite sure which is our best starting line-up yet. The point being we look to have a more experienced and solid defence and a more direct attack with several options of style of players. The problem being in the middle we are looking thin on flair. I think people have gone overboard with the doom and gloom though and if we bring in some creativity in midfield which it sounds like we are trying to and we complete the signings currently underway, we will be looking like a strong team once again. We just need a top quality midfield player to step into the gap left by Fabregas (i wouldn't say no to more signings though!) So - Improved, About the Same, or Weaker?
In: Miyaichi, Oxocube, Gervinho, Park Chu-young, Mertersaker, Andre Santos, Jenkinson, Campbell (but work permit faield so not for this season) Out: Fabregas, Nasri, Clichy, Eboue, Denilson (loan), Vela (loan) Don't think i have forgotten anyone.
Chesney / Fabianski - Almunia / Fabianski = Upgrade Sagna / Jenkinson - Sagna / Eboue = Downgrade Vermaelen / Mertesacker / Djourou / Koscielny - Vermaelen / Squillaci / Djourou / Koscielny = Upgrade Santos / Gibbs - Clichy / Gibbs = If he knows the Offside rule, Upgrade Song / Frimpong - Song / Denilson = Upgrade Ramsey / No-One - Fabregas / Ramsey = Severe Downgrade Wilshere / Rosicky - Wilshere / Rosicky = No Change Theo / Gervinho / Arshavin / Miyaichi / Oxo - Theo / Arshavin / Nasri = Upgrade RvP / Park / Chamakh - RvP / Chamakh / Bendtner = Unknown!! Overall, if the rumoured players taking their medicals pass them, the team needs a creative midfielder desperately, and then they're set and better than last year in my opinion.
@Bonstar Yeah that's right its the loss of Fabregas which will hurt the team more than anything else if we don't bring some creativity into the middle. I'm hoping we will though and the team will look in a good state for the season ahead. @mrgoldenballs Cheers I think Wenger clearly did see the holes in the team that we have all noticed and these signings all seem to fill the positions we lacked depth in. I'm pretty happy with what's going on so far and have said constantly that we should wait until the transfer window closes before we say AW has failed to bring players in.
Disagree with you on CB's, AM's and strikers. CB: Djourou is a shadow of the player he was in the 1st half of last season and is absolutely pitiful at the moment. Squillaci is pretty much the same as he was but Koscielny seems to have improved. Overall I don't agree that Koscielny's improvement equals out Djourou's depreciation. AM: None of the players we have signed are Nasri's equal, Arshavin is terrible nowadays and Miyachi + Chamberlin will take a while to settle in. Striker: RvP is in worse form this season, Chamakh has been useless for about 6 months and Bendtner is leaving. Haven't seen Park before so can't comment.
I know you rate Kos but surely if we are bringing in a 75 cap German international and his current clubs captain he has to get the nod over Kos who i agree has some good attributes but as a pairing is not 100% compatable alongside Tommy V. I'd have Per in there with Tommy for added height and non nonsense defending. Midfield is vastly weaker, losing Nasri and Fab although hard to avoid is a massive hit. Good article though, and we still do have options once we get people fit and stop getting stupid suspensions. Discipline needs major improvement, all our card are usually petty handbags stuff.
@robin_van_ fiberglass CB's: Even if Djourou is worse this season (which is hard to judge since we are onyl a few games in), Koscielny is better and your missing the key factors in the improvement of our defence. Vermaelen is back from injury (and is our best CB) and it looks as though we will sign Mertersaker. Clearly that is an improvement on last year imo. AM: Nasri has been replaced by Gervinho. Not sure as to how this will work out but Gervinho seems more direct but maybe not as technicaly capable. We have added depth to this area though with Oxocube and Miyaichi. Arshavin is Arshavin and he always blows hot and cold. Like i said i think we are about the same in this area, maybe slightly worse as Nasri is quality, but the added depth is very important. Striker: It's a few games into the season and RVP has scored a couple already, his stats are quality whether you look back over his last 5, 10 or 20 games. He truely is one of the best strikers in the EPL and i don't think it's fair to say he won't be as good this season... As for Chamakh he had half a good season last season so if he can put in some decent back-up performances that will not be an improvement or loss from last year. Bendtner may go, but park has been added. Think your view on our team maybe slightly negative. Not sure many people would use RVP as a reason our strikeforce has gone downhill...
@gunnersuprisepeople Aye i do really rate Kosc. Like i said though - not sure what the best starting line-up would be. Maybe Mertersaker and TV as you say. I agree the midfield is where we are looking vulnerable and in the past where we have had our strength. We need to bring in a top quality addition to the midfield still this transfer window - thats the signing i'm really hoping for at the moment. And yes, we could do with not getting all these red cards
I wonder what Wenger does about these things, take Songs pathetic little swipe/stamp on Barton, he cost his clubs massively as he is missing 3 games over it and there are many other examples. Does Wenger give him a rollicking? or even say dock wages for stupid things like this. I dont know what the solution is but there is clearly a problem and Wenger has never been able to instil a correct level of discipline over the years sadly. We cannot keep going through season and losing key players for periods, look as how Fergie has handled and even improved Rooney in this area, something tells me if he was an Arsenal player he would still be behaving like he was a few years back. Wenger needs to take a firmer line and get the ship in order.
I take your point on Vermaelen, completely overlooked him. However I still don't agree with you on the AM position, we need strength in depth not just many people who can play there, miyachi and Chamberlin are not ready for this level yet. Moreover Arshavin just gets worse and worse every season and from the games so far it seems there has been no change in that. As for strikers you cannot deny that RvP and Chamakh have been in worse form this season than they were in their first few games of the last. I think your view of the team may be overly-positive
Maybe slightly overly positive - but it makes a change around here to have a bit of positivity I do agree Nasri was quality and will be missed but i'm pleased the correct areas of the team at least are being reinforced. I would not worry at all about RVP though, he has scored a couple of goals and only played a few games and is just pure quality. He was at 20 goals in 22 games before Udinese wasn't he? Something like that anyway. He will be brilliant. Chamakh has not regained his form from his first 6 months at Arsenal, but i do think he is fine as back-up striker to give us a slightly different option and to give RVP a break. But the signing of Park Chu-young also adds depth to our strikeforce.
