Gunning For Trouble

Exactly a year ago Arsene Wenger had reiterated time and again that his club was comprised of some of the best players in the world, and that they would not only challenge for the premiership title, but also the title of champions of Europe, a crown which has so far proved elusive for both club and manager. Arsenal did challenge, and competed for silverware on four separate fronts, however as the 2010 / 2011 campaign drew to a close, the problems which had been building at the club for the last half decade were made brutally clear; They had come close, even making a cup final, but as in previous years nothing had come of it.

During that cup final a ridiculous defensive mix-up had handed Birmingham City the trophy, and whether they deserved to win or not aside, it was undoubtedly the schoolboy error that cost the Gunners the silverware. Long periods of possession, exquisite ball control and elaborate passing are all fine, and make the game enjoyable to watch, in fact these are key traits of Arsenal, it’s how week like to play, however these things it seems are not enough to win competitions. 

                                                      Painful to watch.

In many ways that cup final summed up the entire season for Arsenal. They had progressed well, come up against opposition which they should have been able to beat, and yet threw it away under the most avoidable of circumstances. One couldn’t help but ask the question “How would the other top English clubs have fared under similar circumstances?” the answer to which is; - probably a great deal better.

The disappointing season it seems is not something that can be blamed on a single player, or even on one area of the team. Instead it was a result in a culmination of problems rooted throughout the entire squad. Arsenal’s reluctance to shoot in front of goal was something I found particularly frustrating, and several players who in the past have been inspirational and hard working seemed often absent minded and even lazy, Arshavin and Fabregas being two prime examples. Arsenal were indeed in trouble, more trouble than Wenger and the board would let on, but the players and fans called for a remedy; big summer spending was to be the answer, and Wenger bending under pressure lamented that the quality players that Arsenal needed, especially at the back, would come.

Yet as I write this, it is Sunday 7^th of August; and Arsene Wenger has so far failed to deliver. Whereas Manchester United have splashed out 16 million for Phil Jones and Liverpool 20 million for Jordan Henderson respectively, Arsenal in comparison, have strengthened their squad with 1 million pound signing Carl Jenkinson, a 19 year old with 8 appearances for Charlton Athletic under his belt. 

                                                        Million Dollar Man........

As a fan, the lack of quality signings makes me incredibly uneasy in relation to the forthcoming season, especially so close to the first game, and with apparently no progress made on the grounds of acquiring any of the impressive players that the club has been linked with in the papers. Christopher Samba, Gary Cahill and Phil Jagielka are three players who's names have cropped up several times over the summer, all of whom would be excellent editions to the team. Two of these players maintain that they have had no contact from Arsenal whatsoever, and the bid that Arsenal put in for Jagielka was so far below his real value I'm certain it probably offended David Moyes.

The departure of Cesc Fabregas seems imminent, and with one year left on Samir Nasri’s contract you can’t help but think an offer in the region of 25 million from Manchester City would be enough to send him packing. Thus midfield is another area Wenger needs to invest in new players. Valencia's Juan Mata seemed the likely replacement for Fabregas but recently this move seems to have broken down. Scott Parker's name has been mentioned a few times, and his strength, intelligent passing and leadership would definitely make him a more than welcome addition to the team, and the same in regards to Joey Barton who has also been tied to the Gunners, however with him I'm perhaps a little apprehensive......

Up front is the only place where Arsene has made any real investment, and that comes in the form of 10.5 million pound Gervinho, signed from Lille on July 12th. Gervinho is a promising player, scoring 28 goals in his 2 seasons at Lille, and playing well in last year's world cup. At the recent Emirates Cup he looked sharp, and his movement both on and off the ball was a worry for the opposition. He even managed his first assist for the club during the tournament, slotting a well timed pass straight in to the feet of Van Persie who did not hesitate to fire home.

                                                        A Promising Partnership?

At any rate the inescapable truth is that Arsene Wenger is running out of time. The disappointment of last season required immediate resolution, yet very little has changed. As a result Arsenal have just finished a run of pre-season games in which they performed very poorly, the loss on Saturday to Benfica once again highlighted key defensive errors and lack of discipline in front of goal. Of the 6 teams that the Gunners faced in the summer, they only won twice, and those victories came against the very poor Malaysia  All Stars XI, and a less than impressive Cologne, a very worrying statistic indeed.

With no hint of any important signings coming within the next 5 days, Arsenal are heading toward a difficult away fixture at Newcastle. A fixture which last season saw the Magpies set a premier league record by coming back from 4 - 0 down to snatch a draw. With and injury roster that includes: Fabregas, Nasri, Walcott, Gibbs, Vermaelen,Wilshere and Van Persie I can't say that I'm at all confident to a successful start to the new season.

Ooooo to be a Gooner indeed.

- Mark Butterworth