Who will be Arsenal’s Defensive Midfielder? Xabi Alonso Perhaps?

By Richard Popple

With the likely sale of Gilberto Silva this week following hot on the heels of Mathieu Flamini’s exit, it would seem that Arsene Wenger is running short of defensive midfield options. Surely Wenger didn’t recruit Samir Nasri and Aaron Ramsey to sit beside Cesc Fabregas in the centre of midfield? Neither are renowned for their defensive qualities, with both preferring to attack with pace. So who will be playing along side the little Spaniard?

Here’s a look at the possible candidates from the current squad for this key position:

Abou Diaby

A player hyped as the ‘new’ Viera when he arrived. He’s a tall, powerful player but has so far looked more comfortable and competent attacking than defending. Due to having more options in past seasons he has never really been given the opportunity in the centre. He has instead been deployed more on the left where he has on occasion cut in with strength and pace to score some impressive goals. Although he shares a similar physique to Viera, he has a far less intimidating presence. If he could turn this weakness around and work on his tackling and distribution he could be perfect for the role but at the moment lacks the discipline of a Flamini.

Alex Song

Wenger is a huge fan of Song, who has struggled to win over the Arsenal faithful. However a loan spell at Charlton in the 2006/2007 season saw him gain confidence and more importantly, gave him regular playing opportunities. Last season he looked a different player. He reminds me of a young Kolo Toure, sharing the same desire and will to put his body on the line. Against Blackburn last season in the Carling Cup he was immense, throwing himself into tackles, hurling himself forward to join attacks and he defended every ball almost as if his life depended on it. He needs to improve his ball control and distribution to make the midfield slot his own. At the moment he is probably viewed as a back up defensive option, but Wenger is well know for developing players into other positions. I think he could provide Arsenal with an option there, but not this season.

Denilson

Of all the young players who took Arsenal to the Carling Cup final in 2007, Denilson was the most impressive. I couldn’t quite believe how calm and balanced he was on the ball and his passing is both accurate and penetrating. However, he flattered to deceive a little last term and struggled with injuries. This is a big year for the Brazilian. He has been with the club for two years and will be desperate to play more and develop his game. Unfortunately his physique is not the best. He looks a little light weight and his tackling can be erratic and has cost him in the past. A very talented player though and if he could improve his tackling, he could well take up his hero Gilberto’s mantle.

Samir Nasri

I believe he will be deployed as a wideman or just behind the striker/s. From the little I have seen of him, I would be very surprised if he was brought to sit and protect the back four. A very exciting player who really suits Arsenal’s style of play and will hopefully be more of a goal threat than Alex Hleb.

A New Signing?

If you believe the newspapers then Arsenal are waiting for Hleb’s transfer to be completed before adding further to the squad. Judging by the experience that the above possibilities lack, it may not be surprising if the money was used on an out and out replacement for Gilberto and Flamini.

Of all the rumours that have been circling, my personal preference would be Xabi Alonso. I don’t think the cost would be too much for Arsenal and he would certainly be cheaper than Gareth Barry, who at a reported 18 million is out of Wenger’s price range. Alonso would be a superb foil for Fabregas and would enjoy linking up with his Spanish colleague. He has premiership experience and would be a calming influence in the middle of the park. More importantly, he seems to have become surplus to requirements at Anfield, with Liverpool looking to raise funds to compete for their own transfer targets. The question however remains; if Liverpool would sell a player like Xabi Alonso to one of their top four rivals?

Time will soon tell. Stay tuned.

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Wenger In For Arshavin To Reassure The Fans?

By Richard Popple

Bacary Sagna’s recent interview hits at every Arsenal fan’s worst fears…the club currently don’t look like challenging for the premiership next season. Sagna also hinted that losing Hleb would not be such a blow as the possible departure of Adebayor. The Togo striker has said some very intriguing things this summer, but as always with the British press, it is hard to gauge how much is the truth. So with Hleb’s transfer to Barcelona imminent (well it wouldn’t be the summer if at least one Arsenal player didn’t move to the Catalan giants), it looks as if AW will be using the funds to generate a deal for reportedly Andrei Arshavin.

Arshavin has been built up hugely by the media after his performances in Euro 2008. His current club, Zenit also seem to have gotten a little carried away by it all, having slapped a 24m price tag on his head! Surely AW will not spend anywhere near that much money on a 27 year old who has yet to play in one of Europe’s biggest leagues? Well maybe, just maybe, the gaffer is realising that his current Arsenal squad is simply not strong enough to challenge the wealth of Chelsea or Manchester United. Wenger knows that some fans are starting to get frustrated not only by the lack of trophies, but by his stubbornness to buy potential rather than established talents. I myself am very sceptical that a deal for Arshavin will take place. It would simply be a complete policy change from Wenger and nothing over the last 12 years of his management suggests that he is ready to throw in his morals and opt to take on the big boys by investing as heavily.

It remains very interesting however that AW is waiting until after Hleb’s proposed move has been completed, before he himself announces any transfers or indeed completes any. Sagna also mentioned in his interview that Samir Nasri is still expected to complete his move to the club, which I expect would be announced early next week after Hleb’s departure. I should also mention Gilberto Silva, who looks like he is on his way out of the club. Flamini has already left and now his first choice back-up looks set to leave. I personally don’t think Wenger will bring in a defensive midfielder, but in Gilberto he will also loose another defensive option as the Brazilian as often played centre half for the Gunners. This worries me greatly and has always been my own personal barb with Wenger. He consistently seems to neglect improving our defence. It is fairly evident that we need further options at the back, if anything to keep those in the team on their toes. I think our lack of defensive options could ultimately be our downfall next year if we don’t improve them over the next two months.

So will Andrei Arshavin be an Arsenal player next season? I for one doubt it, but then I am still waiting for the signings that will reassure the fans (something Wenger mentioned in May before Euro 2008). Signing Arshavin would certainly reassure me that the club are intent on challenging next season. Letting Flamini, Hleb, Lehmann, Gilberto and possibly Adebayor go, makes me worry that our glory years under Wenger are a thing of the past and that we have become, as Le Professor said, ‘a selling club’.

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Exodus? - Hleb To Move For £3mil To Inter - Adebayor Wants £80k p/week

By Richard Popple

What is going on?

The season is yet to finish, champions are yet to be decided and relegation places are yet to be filled and despite all of this the rumour-mill is not only in full flow, it’s bursting and Arsenal seem to be coping it’s force the most. I still try to dismiss the newspapers and television when they talk of a player exodus. But it is becoming increasingly difficult to do so. Unfortunately it doesn’t just seem to be the players, who are seeking a new challenge. Keith Edelman mysteriously left the club saying he wanted a new challenge, however other reports suggested that he was pushed out of the club. There have been other reports that Gary Lewin will leave as well. A man who has been part of the Arsenal staff for a long time. It might all just be a coincidence, but why is the club having such difficulty keeping its staff together.

Obviously a lot of these stories are exactly that: stories, with very little truth and a lot of conjecture. But the fact is that these rumours and departures are happening at the moment and with alarming regularity. The most widespread one at the moment involves Alex Hleb. His agent has stated that the deal is almost done and that Hleb will be an Inter player within a couple of weeks. The player himself has been reported as saying that he is disillusioned at Arsenal and is worried by what he perceives as a lack of ambition by the club. I presume he is talking about the small number of players that have arrived over the last two years, coupled with the dwindling numbers in the squad.

Arsene Wenger has again played down these rumours about Hleb, just like he did in the Flamini situation. But increasingly it seems that events are happening involving players that the manager does not seem to be in complete control of. I think there are two reasons for this:

1) The finances of the club are very well documented, in fact too much so in my opinion. The salary caps are very rigid at the club which they are infrequently prepared to break. Sol Campbell used to earn a lot of money at Arsenal, as did Vieira and most famously Thierry Henry, who earned £130,000 a week, following the move to the Emirates. It seems due to the cost of the stadium, we simply can’t offer players huge wages anymore, which might offer another explanation as to why Arsene never buys established stars – he simply can’t afford it.

2) Faith is being lost in the manager after three seasons without a trophy and an unwillingness to part with money. I personally hope this is not the case, but I’m starting to dread that it is. Flamini moved to Milan for one of two reasons. Either he wanted more money or he felt that the squad would not be sufficiently strengthened at Arsenal to mount a challenge for honours next year. It is very likely that Man Utd, Chelsea, Liverpool, Tottenham, Man City and even Newcastle will spend a lot of money in the summer. Depending on the quality and success of these signings, Arsenal without recruiting could face challenges from not only the big three but Spurs and Man City. Hleb also has been reported as saying he is worried by a lack of ambition.

I don’t care if we have another summer of people writing Arsenal off. It happened last year and despite not winning anything, the team have given a very good account of themselves this season. But Arsene Wenger’s philosophies are beginning to go hand in hand with his stubbornness. If he continues to ignore most established players and continues to buy inexperienced foreign players who need time to adapt, then Arsenal could be in danger of falling behind the other clubs, who have more spending power. I don’t envisage that happening next season, but depending on who leaves this summer, certain parts of the team will have to be improved.

Another aspect of this equation is player greed. Flamini might have gone, because he will earn more at Milan, Hleb might follow suit. I am hoping that Adebayor is not really demanding £80,000 per week, and that his agent is speaking out of turn. Quite frankly Ade is not worth that. He has had one good season, in which he has been given a wonderful opportunity by Wenger to prove himself. I think it would be disgraceful from the player if he ignored all of this for money. Wenger can’t reward the players with huge contracts because of the strict wage structure at the club. His rewards are a chance to prove themselves, to establish themselves even if they are 18,19,20 years old. Perhaps this alone, without trophies and money doesn’t appease players anymore…

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