Ok, right off the bat, I’m going to make this well known – I do not for one second believe we will win the Premier League next year.
This year has been a sort of rodeo, where the bull is the top four. Next year in the league for us should be a consolidation season, cementing our place as a comfortable top four team.
This seems counter productive, and some people will say ‘ we’re Arsenal, we shouldn’t just settle for top four,’ to this my response would be – get with the times.
As it stands, we are not good enough to win the league, and we don’t have a god given right to challenge just because of our history. With a fully fit Jack Wilshere and a season where we actually have the luxury of full-backs, I believe we can have a fairly successful league season next year, especially since I truly believe Robin van Persie will sign a new contract.
However, in a sense, I do agree that we need something. Some small victory to restore faith in our abilities. We’ve come close several times in the last few years, reaching finals and semi-finals, to be undone, mostly by our own shortcomings. However, the signing of Lukas Podolski can be the catalyst for some cup success next year.
Here’s why:
One of the main reasons for our lack of success was because of our lack of depth in the squad. We simply didn’t have enough quality to compete in four competitions at any given time and this led to injuries which, because we didn’t have the depth in the squad, led to us losing those various semi-finals and finals. Think back to Birmingham last year, we lost Van Persie during the match, and were missing Fabregas, Vermaelen and Walcott from previous injuries. This meant that four of our best players were missing, and for cover, we had an out-of-form trio of Bendtner, Rosicky and Arshavin and the inexperienced Djourou. We don’t need to recount what happened next.
However, imagine ourselves in the position next season. Van Persie gets injured, and we have a capable replacement in Podolski. If Walcott gets injured, we again have Podolski or Chamberlain to call upon. Vermaelen injured? Mertesacker steps in. If the signing of Yann M’Vila goes through, this means we essentially have enough cover to replace our entire midfield. We already have enough cover for every defensive position (Vermaelen/Mertesacker, Koscielny/Djourou, Sagna/Jenkinson and Gibbs/Santos) and if the signing of Podolski goes through and we don’t loan Miyaichi out, then we have the same depth up front. And the cover is of good quality. This essentially means that we could field an entirely different side in cup matches as we do in league and European matches. Although, due to the inevitable injuries, it never works out this way.
So injuries permitting and dependant on form, our first choice XI could look a little like this:
Szczesny
Sagna Koscielny Vermaelen Gibbs
Song Arteta
Wilshere
Walcott Gervinho/Podolski
Van Persie
That is the team (apart from Jack) which has managed to recover from its abysmal start to the season to being right in there in the battle for the top four. So with Jack back, and Podolski joining and hopefully not starting a season like that ever again, we should be able to do the same next season.
In the cups however, we have a chance to rest our ‘league team’ in the earlier round, and could potentially play a completely different starting XI which would look something like this:
Fabianski
Jenkinson Djourou Mertesacker Santos
M’Vila/Coquelin Diaby
Ramsey
Chamberlain Miyaichi
Podolski
Which I think most of you will agree is no shabby team and, depending on the difficulty of the draw, could definitely get us at least into the quarters/semi finals of the Carling Cup and the F.A Cup.
This will also benefit our endeavours in the league, as it allows more rest to key players, such as Van Persie, reducing the risk of injury.
So with the signing of Podolski and the development of some of the youth players, we should be able to field a side stronger than most other Premier League sides ‘second’ teams, and maybe, just maybe, end our trophy drought.
Visit and Join our Facebook page, click HERE to do so.
Gunnersphere is currently looking for new writers to join the squad. Contact via twitter or at Gunnersphere@snack-media.com for further details.
Where as I agree with a lot of points, namely the we deserve to be in the top 4 challenging with our history (for point of reference look at Liverpool)no team deserves to be top 4 its something you have to work on to achieve.
I also agree that a cup run is more than likely if it be FA, Carling or Champions league (the latter being less likely with Barca and Real Madrid playing like they are) however I disagree with the statement to say we will not win the league.
I’m not saying we will but I do believe that we will be pushing for it a lot more than we have done this year or previous years. With a fully fit and full strength squad (with some added Polodski for one) I see no reason why we cannot challenge for the title. The injuries have been serve this year and the loss of players (sold) has been huge, the late signings and new players time to gel cost us dearly. This team has now had time to gel and look how we’ve been playing, include 1 or 2 signings and a few players back from injury and a full pre-season I see no reason why we cannot push for the title.
Top answer the headline….sadly No, one signing never won a trophy, persuasive as though the ruddy-faced jock can be about Cantona. He may help but key to our trophy drought ending is the return of Wilshere….
I still suggest arsenal to sign pordisk, veltogon, mivia, arsenal should offload djorou, squallica and bring veltogon,
Yes i think if arsenal should sing dis man he is going 2 make a change
The team we have the moment is ok buying exprence player will make it stonger if wenger can manage them well. I believe the 3 point loss to QPR was wenger fault you Forget Rosicky in your information is the. Best midfilder at Arsenal at the moment. Good luck
Szezcney
Koscielny … Vertonghen … Verminator
Song … M’vila
Walcott … Wilshere … Chambo
R.V.P … Podolski
Bench:
Gervinho
Rosicky
Ryo
Gibbs
Santos
Mert
Martinez
Loan: (contract for only 1st half of season, then in Jan
consider if we need them or can loan back yo gain
more experience)
Afobe
Aneke
Ozyakup
Dench
Le Coq Sportif
Lansbury
Miquel
Ttp also loaned.
Arteta in his place on bench(ryo)
Sagna? Ramsay? arteta?
why do people expect Jack to come straight back in and play attacking mid? He is a gifted player but he has never played that role.
What about Frimpong and Diaby?
You can see a combination of tiredness and fatigue creeping into Van Persie’s game since late early the start of march and he could be running out of steam.
Podolski will not be enough to end our trophy drought. Another striker is needed to rotate or combine, I really do like Olivier Giroud.
We also need two link-up playmakers like Younes Belhanda, Eden Hazzard, Shinju Kagawa. Jan vertonghen to shore up defence as central defence or in front of back four. To bring the ball out from defence goes to Stephane Sessegnon and or Yann M’Vila.
Yah….poldoski will help…but we nid one more striker to help both poldoski and van persia…..striker like..ba,cavani…..at d defence is good wenger also bring in ajax defender…..d midfield is ok but we nid sum1 to hlp song like m villa….we also nid creative midfielders like harzard and goetze…..dis will really b a great team 4 arsenal…..and can lid them to end there trophy doubth…can also b d champion of england….
Forget about the CAM signing,if reports are true,then we have already signed an amazing playmaker in Holtby.Heres to hoping we have signed him.
How often are reports true?
M’vila & vertonghen + poldi,my choice always