Stripped

I was going to begin this blog by saying something about Ronaldo and Madrid- and thanks for the responses to yesterday's blog, people- but it's Ronaldo and Madrid and to be honest, do we give a monkeys? £80m quid though, there can be one word, and word only, for it and that word is "obscene". Meanwhile, our own Iberian superstar has reconfirmed his commitment to our great club. That must the be 428th time now, yes Cesc Fabregas is staying at Arsenal. So there.

And so begins the final Tales From Gillespie Road. The final blog before my summer break, anyway. Yes, The Online Check In is done, the tickets for Depeche Mode at the Stadio Olimpico are in the bag- actually, they're not, but they will be- don't worry, I won't be wearing my Arsenal shirt up there and we fly out to Rome early tomorrow morning.

We've spent, or I've spent a lot of time over the last week trying to assess the squad, the best players, the best partnerships and so on. One of the players I guess I've looked at and come to the conclusion that, with everyone fit, isn't quite good enough to be starting regularly is Theo Walcott. And one of the players I haven't looked at because I don't consider him to be a genuine first team option is Jack Wilshere. A couple of months ago I was considering an article for The Gooner based on the premise that young Master Jack is going to find it extremely difficult to break into this Arsenal side. That article never got written, but with a bit of patience, I can see Jack being alright here. Rosicky won't have much more than a couple of seasons left here (you would have thought) Arshavin is bursting to play centrally, Walcott may yet make that move to a central position. In a couple of years Jack'll be fine, but will this undoubted talent have the patience to wait?

It seems he does, he's been talking about how Theo's been "helping" him with the difficulty of playing in a game and then not playing for 6 months. Only at Arsenal would a 20 year old end up in a mentoring capacity! Seriously though, Jack talks about wanting to do what Theo has done, I think the majority of Arsenal fans who have been watching Jack closely, will be hopeful of Jack superceding him. And isn't it great to be talking about two young englishmen?  

So, before I go off to buy my Euros and sun tan lotion, we come to the defence. The other area of the pitch causing palpitations this season gone.

Let's go with tradition and start at right back and Bacary Sagna, the unflappable one. A touch of second season syndrome afflicted his performances this season. Nothing major, I didn't think, but something seemed to missing this season. Not one for undue speculation, but perhaps this year has been so difficult for him following the death of his brother. Perhaps he has just been afflicted by the Silvester effect. I don't remember him making many mistakes apart from one panicked clearance at Anfield, when he was clearly not 100% fit, that led to a goal. He's still solid and still the man at right back for me.

It came to something, at home to Chelsea, when the quality of Sagna's crossing led me to hoping he would be replaced by Eboue- of course, it was a cross from Sagna that Bendtner eventually headed in- but that is the only way I think Eboue could be said to have anything on Sagna. Quicker, maybe. But in all other ways; defensively, mentally, Eboue is clearly inferior. Mr Wenger might have told Eboue that the right wing is now his position, but I don't think he's got a future there. The only future I see is as Bac up.

Kolo Toure, what do we make of young Kolo? Kolo the Invincible, Kolo who spat his dummy over the winter and asked for a transfer, Kolo who two weeks later led the side out in the absence of Fabregas. Kolo who, having struggled for form for what seemed like a year belatedly turned it round, but still managed to produce such magnificent moments of headless chickenry like the one at Old Trafford? Five months ago, I think the majority of Arsenal fans would happily have taken him over Gallas. I wonder now whether the years of goodwill Kolo has built up have been eroded to the point where we can now look at him objectively and unemotionally and say, you know what? He isn't good enough to be first choice centre back. What? Well, in my view, he isn't.

William Gallas has had a hell of a season. This we know. He began it as captain and finished it on the treatment table, deposed, humiliated but having produced possibly the best football of his Arsenal career. Now, I know a certain Arsenal blogger has been advocating a move away from north London for Big Willy, but look at this guy's character. Isn't it something good, something that too many player in our team seem to lack? Gallas took a look at our squad and didn't like what he saw, so he said so. Of course, he didn't go about that the right way, but what he said was something we all could agree with and something, apparently what the squad took on board. He then, having been playing like a pub player when stripped of the captaincy, produced some exceptional football. Strength in adversity. For me, it is emminently possible that the two semi finals may well have turned out differently with Gallas involved. Suffice to say, not only do I not want him to go, but I consider him centre back number one come August. 

Johan Djourou has had an interesting season. Probably a frustrating one, for him. He began the season in the team, as Kolo recovered from whatever fuckery he was involved in over the summer. Despite clean sheets being kept in that time, Kolo was restored as soon as he was available and Djourou had to wait until the centre back melt down began and he was brought into the team to add a physical, aerial strength at Stamford Bridge. Despite the own goal giving Chelsea the lead, he put in a towering performance and stayed in the team until undone by a Liverpool long ball- like he's the first Arsenal centre back to have suffered that fate. A key to strengthening the defence, he played a bit part in the latter months of the season, seeming to suffer injuries whenever called upon. Most notably, in the game after Gallas was ruled out for the season. Perhaps he is not quite good or, for that matter, robust enough to be considered centre back number two, but for me he is a better bet than Kolo and certainly a better bet than...

Mikael Silvestre. Who has been a disaster. It can not be a coincidence that every time we've conceded 4 goals, he has been in the side. And that is all I want to say about him.

Alex Song acquitted himself well at centre back against Manchester United in May, but he isn't so good that he can play in two positions at once and, squad as it is, I see him partnering Cesc, so that brings us to left back and Gael Clichy.

I've said it before that I'm a big fan of his, at the same time, it wouldn't serve to say that he has been faultless this season. His slip at home to Tottenham was punished harshly and it has been this kind of thing, allied to slips in concentration that have led to his reputation being dented somewhat this season. Again, I think he's still the man, but he will have to do much better next season, especially with a new kid on the block.

Keiran Gibbs began the season playing in the Carling Cup, by the end of it, he had been our best player in an FA Cup semi final, even setting up our goal, one of the best on a bad night in a Champions League semi final first leg and then brought back to earth with a Clichy like slip proving fatal in the return match. It would be ridiculous to hold that against him as one thing holds true for this young man and that is the fact that he has not looked out of place at all in this Arsenal side. Nobody has made him look the raw 19 year old he should be, it's clear to me, at least, that the sky is the limit for this youngster.

 So, 90 minutes later, and before I head off to the post office, here is my idea of what our first XI should look like next season:

Substitutes; Fabianksi, Toure, Gibbs, Denilson, Walcott, van Persie, Bendtner.

As you can see there is no room for Eboue, Ramsey, Wilshere or Vela, but then this assumes everyone being fit and available and we all know that hasn't happened at Arsenal for about 3 years!

Talk amongst yourselves and I'll be back next Thursday.