Time to get serious

Ok people. Its 2 days away before the start of the new season. Honestly theres never been a season which i anticipate as much as this one. Im sitting on the fence regarding our chances this season. On one hand I think we can surprise few ppl. What if Walcott finally fulfill his potential? What if Arshavin turn out to be the second coming of Bergkamp? And Cesc become the old Cesc again? But on the other hand I dont think we are ready enuff to be challenging for the title AGAIN this season. Quite how Wenger keeps assuring fans that he believes in the strength of our squad is beyond me. I dont see how the same squad which struggled last season can somehow improve dramatically to be a title challenger. While it is true that the other so called 'big four' are significantly weakened, that does not mean they are weaker than us. Though they have lost some key players (Ronaldo, Teves, Alonso), they didnt wait long to reshape their squad. And sadly for Arsenal, we havent doing nothing to overcome last season debacle. How in the world can we cope without Adebayor and Toure especially, without buying new players? The lost of Ade can be comprehended but Toure? Can Vermaelan replace him and be the gut busting defender Toure used to be? Or will Wenger sign Hangaaland? No one knows bar the boss himself.

Im gonna preview the new season now. Keep in mind theres still a little percentage in my heart that still believes that Arsene knows. A belief that will keep me supporting and cheering for Arsenal no matter how bad the situation we got ourselves in. Here it is

Goalkeeper :

I bet most of Arsenal fans cringed when Almunia step in as the new number one a couple of seasons ago. Whos complaining now? This guy totally saved our butts in a lot of occasions last season. Especially in the Champs. league semis first leg, which he produced saves after saves to give us hope for the second leg. I dont think thers many keeper better than him in the league now. Other than the declining Cech, hes on par with Van der Sar (whos old enuff to be Jack Wilshere's dad), Friedel and Reina as the best keepers in the prem. Behind him is a sure worry though. Fabianski had an up and down season last year. In some games he looked good, and in some he seem incapable of catching anything but air. This maybe down to experience so we shall see how he progress this season.

Defence :

As I have already mentioned the defence is a big worry. Silvestre is a disaster waiting to happen and Djourou is already injured ahead of the season opener. That leaves us with Gallas and Vermaelan, both of whom should be our main pairing this season. If either of them got injured we are doomed as nor Silvesre or Djourou are capable of performing week in week out consistently. They said we have problems with crosses but we cannot ignore the fact that we still vulnerable with straight through ball that open us up like butter. We had Toure to make those gut busting last ditch tackle but now hes gone and the hope is on Vermaelan to replace him. Moving from Holland to England is a big step up so I really hope that he is up for the challenge. The fact of the matter is the defence was shite last season and major reinforcements are needed. There are no two ways about it. We need tough centre backs and we need them now. Dont wait till the end of August please.

Left back is the least of our problem. We have 3 players (Clichy, Gibbs and Traore) who are experienced enuff to carry the responsibility whenever they are call upon. Clichy was at his worst last season, making costly mistakes time and time again. Lets hope he can recover his best form this season. Gibbs is still raw and was occasionally exposed last season, especially in THAT game at Anfield. However the experience of last season shall do him good though. Same with Traore, who although played mostly on the wings last season at Portsmouth, is still a dangerous full back. He needs to work on his defensive prowess though.

At right back, I have no worry with Sagna at this moment. The guy is fucking tough he gives the impression he'll kick anyone who come breathing on his neck. And then there is the guy called Eboue. Sigh. I do think the reason Wenger doesnt let him leave is because we dont have any capable right back other than Sagna. I have no problem with the right back Eboue. Its the right wing Eboue i despise.

Midfield :

If the pre season is something we can count onto we need to get used to a 4-3-3/4-5-1 Arsenal this season. When we look at the players we got it is a sensible move by the manager though. Song will be the anchor behind the pairing of Cesc and Diaby/Denilson/Nasri/Rosicky with either of these two can support the lone striker up front. Although I think we still need another defensive midfielder, lets see how far Song has come. He made a huge stride last season and if he continues to improve hes gonna be a big part of our team. However he will be gone for few weeks in January (ACN), so unless Wenger plans to put Denilson in that position, we need a new one. Denilson is more Fabregas than everything, so to expect him to put on performance on consistent basis is ridicule. So Arsene, get your wallet out and start spending. If Song doesnt progress as much as we hope we can forget about the top four, let alone the title. Remember the straight through ball that cut open our defence like butter? A good defensive midfielder can stop that from happening right?

Forward :

I dont know why some ppl question the manager decision not to replace Ade. Ok two years ago he was irreplacable but base on last season he has become an excess baggage on our team. With Arsene going more with Robin as our lone striker and Walcott/Arshavin flanking him, we dont need an Adebayor in the team no more. With Eduardo looking sharp again we now have at least 3 players with potentially 15-20 goals in each of them. I havent yet mention Vela (outstanding in GOLD cup final) and the now number 52 Bendtner, who themselves can bag a few more goals for us. Add the exciting Wilshere on the list, and we are looking at a massive potential here.


Overall, I think the manager is banking on some players to improve massively from last season showing. He decided not to spend more during the summer so the likes of Walcott, Vela, and the returning duo of Rosicky and Eduardo will have to contribute hugely this season. We have a difficult start to begin with, with Celtic and the Manchesters will all be facing us in the first month of the season. I believe we are a defender and a midfielder away from being competitive again, and with other teams weakened, everything is in our hands. Heres hoping for a joyous season ahead. Good luck Arsenal. I'll be cheering you on.