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Wenger moving towards a squad where players catfight for their place
Tuesday, 23 June 09, 09:43 AM · Comments(10)
That's the message I'm getting from Arsene Wenger, and it's a good message.
Over the past four years fans have had to witness a paper-thin Arsenal squad, where injuries have meant a discernable weakening of the team, resulting in points dropped and trophies inevitably discarded.
Certain players, too assured of their position have become lazy and/or complacent - Adebayor and Toure to name but two. And maybe a few others when the chips were down.
Wenger promises no players are leaving Arsenal, and that he will purchase one or two more.
If that's the case, Arsenal would be approaching what I would call a healthy-sized squad, where if you want to play you will have to be at your very best and give 100% or expect to spend the season sitting on the bench, or even in the reserves.
I have coined a new phrase for it, it's called being "Hlebbed."
Wenger has spent too long putting the message over that Arsenal are a mid-sized European club punching above its weight. It suits him that way, but it doesn't communicate well to the players.
It tells them that Arsenal is merely a stepping stone to greater things.
If you make it too easy for players to play, and give youngsters silly money, they think they've made it already and start taking you for granted. They get big-headed, sloppy, and then bugger off when what they deem to be a bigger club comes in for them.
That mindset really needs to be disturbed, addressed.
Arsenal are a massive club, bigger than Chelsea ever were or ever will be and should be winning trophies fairly consistently.
It's time the club acted big, had a big squad, and to hell with any players who aren't up to the challenge.
I also see Wenger trying new formations next season - he's hinted as much, and last year we saw the manager moving towards 4-3-3. Unfortunately, however, the lack of quality in the side, and injuries, meant that in the big games Arsenal were too often on the back foot. The two wide men were often playing too deep, so the formation became a defensive 4-5-1 rather than a attacking 4-3-3, with an inappropriately isolated lone striker up front and wingers who were stuck between defending and attacking.
This needs to be worked on pre-season, but it seems the right way to go because so many Arsenal players are suited to playing in an attacking 4-3-3 formation. The spearhead can be Bendtner or Adebayor, the wide players Eduardo, Rosicky, Arshavin, Nasri, Walcott, Vela, Van Persie.
The players are also highly interchangeable. Van Persie plays wide right for Holland, why not Arsenal? Eduardo can also spearhead - but he's so good he could probably play in goal.
Next season, the introduction of a top class holding midfielder (added to the steely Vermaelen) will allow the team to push further up the pitch, allowing the flair players to play knowing there is some sort of insurance behind them.
There seems little doubt that a holding midfielder will be purchased, but I don't think it should be Felipe Melo. I watched the Brazil vs Italy Confederations Cup game on Sunday evening and I was not at all impressed by the 25-year-old. In fact, ex-Arsenal man Gilberto had a much better game without doing anything spectacular.
Unlike Gilberto, Melo doesn't get tight enough to his man; even snail-paced Italian men.
He was good technically at receiving the ball in tight spaces, but his long-range passing was awful. Physically stronger than Denilson, otherwise much the same player - get it, give it, but completely lacking in creativity, with a highly dubious positional sense. It was only one game, but Italy were absolutely dreadful and Melo did not excel.
Regardless, there's no evidence to suggest Wenger is even looking at Melo. Nobody expected Vermaelen, and doubtless nobody will expect the player Wenger buys next.
In my last post I was a bit negative about the Vermaelen signing - a bit too negative. I'm pleased Arsenal have signed the player and hope Wenger's scouts have made the right choice on this one. I am not entirely convinced but have to be optimistic - he's got to be significantly better than Silvestre, Djourou or Senderos.
In fact, I remain unusually optimistic about next season, but still worried the transfer window will not pan out how I hope. I'm still worried Gallas will leave, and Adebayor won't.
Over the past four years fans have had to witness a paper-thin Arsenal squad, where injuries have meant a discernable weakening of the team, resulting in points dropped and trophies inevitably discarded.
Certain players, too assured of their position have become lazy and/or complacent - Adebayor and Toure to name but two. And maybe a few others when the chips were down.
Wenger promises no players are leaving Arsenal, and that he will purchase one or two more.
If that's the case, Arsenal would be approaching what I would call a healthy-sized squad, where if you want to play you will have to be at your very best and give 100% or expect to spend the season sitting on the bench, or even in the reserves.
I have coined a new phrase for it, it's called being "Hlebbed."
Wenger has spent too long putting the message over that Arsenal are a mid-sized European club punching above its weight. It suits him that way, but it doesn't communicate well to the players.
It tells them that Arsenal is merely a stepping stone to greater things.
If you make it too easy for players to play, and give youngsters silly money, they think they've made it already and start taking you for granted. They get big-headed, sloppy, and then bugger off when what they deem to be a bigger club comes in for them.
That mindset really needs to be disturbed, addressed.
Arsenal are a massive club, bigger than Chelsea ever were or ever will be and should be winning trophies fairly consistently.
It's time the club acted big, had a big squad, and to hell with any players who aren't up to the challenge.
I also see Wenger trying new formations next season - he's hinted as much, and last year we saw the manager moving towards 4-3-3. Unfortunately, however, the lack of quality in the side, and injuries, meant that in the big games Arsenal were too often on the back foot. The two wide men were often playing too deep, so the formation became a defensive 4-5-1 rather than a attacking 4-3-3, with an inappropriately isolated lone striker up front and wingers who were stuck between defending and attacking.
This needs to be worked on pre-season, but it seems the right way to go because so many Arsenal players are suited to playing in an attacking 4-3-3 formation. The spearhead can be Bendtner or Adebayor, the wide players Eduardo, Rosicky, Arshavin, Nasri, Walcott, Vela, Van Persie.
The players are also highly interchangeable. Van Persie plays wide right for Holland, why not Arsenal? Eduardo can also spearhead - but he's so good he could probably play in goal.
Next season, the introduction of a top class holding midfielder (added to the steely Vermaelen) will allow the team to push further up the pitch, allowing the flair players to play knowing there is some sort of insurance behind them.
There seems little doubt that a holding midfielder will be purchased, but I don't think it should be Felipe Melo. I watched the Brazil vs Italy Confederations Cup game on Sunday evening and I was not at all impressed by the 25-year-old. In fact, ex-Arsenal man Gilberto had a much better game without doing anything spectacular.
Unlike Gilberto, Melo doesn't get tight enough to his man; even snail-paced Italian men.
He was good technically at receiving the ball in tight spaces, but his long-range passing was awful. Physically stronger than Denilson, otherwise much the same player - get it, give it, but completely lacking in creativity, with a highly dubious positional sense. It was only one game, but Italy were absolutely dreadful and Melo did not excel.
Regardless, there's no evidence to suggest Wenger is even looking at Melo. Nobody expected Vermaelen, and doubtless nobody will expect the player Wenger buys next.
In my last post I was a bit negative about the Vermaelen signing - a bit too negative. I'm pleased Arsenal have signed the player and hope Wenger's scouts have made the right choice on this one. I am not entirely convinced but have to be optimistic - he's got to be significantly better than Silvestre, Djourou or Senderos.
In fact, I remain unusually optimistic about next season, but still worried the transfer window will not pan out how I hope. I'm still worried Gallas will leave, and Adebayor won't.
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