Written by Mean Lean on Monday, 08 August 2011 00:06

The last pre season game before the big kick off is usually the time where you want to see your players at peak fitness and as sharp as possible. A positive result is great for the morale of the team and it is what every manager wants before the big kick off. Unfortunately for Arsene Wenger, the morale boosting victory was not on the cards as a classy Benfica came from behind to win the game 2-1.

Once again we started the game without captain Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri. Laurent Koscielny, Jack Wilshere and Theo Walcott also missed the game through injury so we started the game quite thin on the ground to begin with. We still managed to put together a pretty strong team which consisted of...

Arguably without five first team starters, the team that was sent out did a good job. Benfica are further along in their fitness and have even played competitive football this season. We soaked up plenty of their pressure and gradually imposed our game on them.

Gervinho was very impressive from the kick off, direct, hard working and positive in his play. Watching Gervinho is almost like merging Walcott and Nasri together and taking the average of their game. Gervinho is more multi dimensional than Walcott but loses the ball more often than Nasri.

His turning of a defender inside and out on the left resulting in a left foot shot that found the side netting was wonderful to see. Not since Thierry Henry have I seen a player in an Arsenal shirt be able to do that to a defender at that pace. The reports that I read about him all seem to be coming true. He will score plenty of goals and he will miss plenty of chances. He will make bad decisions in good areas but he will score important goals out of the blue that no other player can do in our squad.

Gervinho would love playing in the same side as Cesc. It would be a crime if we didn't get to see those two playing together for a string of games. Cesc had too many players running towards him last season, he would spot Gervinho's diagonal sprints continuously, and his passing quality would find him again and again.

Kieran Gibbs had a tough Asia trip. He was caught out positionally on more than one occasion but yesterday he was fantastic apart from one costly moment early in the second half.

Defensively for the most part he played very well. Winning headers, making crucial blocks and making tough tackles but what I loved was his offensive play in the final third. We saw many glimpses of this before his repeated injuries so we know he is very capable of making the difference in the final third. Gibbs grew up as a left winger after all and made his first team debut in the Emirates cup as a left winger.

It was his power run forward into the Benfica penalty box and cut back that allowed birthday boy Robin Van Persie the opportunity to score from close range.

The wing play from our full backs is so important to our attacking game given the fact that our full backs are often the only players in the opponents half that are not tightly marked.

I have little doubts about his offensive or defensive qualities, he will improve in both areas if he plays. The doubts continue to be his fitness. He picked up yet another injury and is the most likely to miss the Newcastle game according to reports.

Robin Van Persie had taken a nasty whack on his ankle and all fingers and toes will be crossed that he makes a full recovery before next weekend.

At half time we went in 1-0 up away from home against a very talented side who were closer to match fitness than we were.

Wenger rang in the changes and made five substitutions which is almost half of the team.

Arsenal started the second half the strongest and continued where they left off but Benfica scored with their first meaningful attack of the second half. Kieran Gibbs allowed his opponent too much space and was beaten down the side, Vermaelen's mistake was worse. He was turned too easily by little Pablo Aimar and the Argentinean slotted past Fabianski in goal.

Benfica then started to dominate the game, they improved and gained confidence while we got worse and lost belief.

Benfica soon scored the second goal and Sebastien Squillaci was easily turned before Nolito fired in a powerful low drive past Fabianski.

Fabianski kept the score down with a string of top saves which is good from his personal point of view after being out for so long. The rest of the team that played in the second half will not be able to take much comfort from the game apart from perhaps Emmanuel Frimpong who continues to show his ball winning skills even if sometimes his ball possession skills do not match it.

I still think it is worth taking a little step back and realising that the second half team was filled with plenty of young players who are not established first team players. Emmanuel Frimpong, Henri Lansbury and Ignasi Miquel were in the reserves not very long ago, Ryo Miyaichi is just starting as a professional, Carl Jenkinson was playing for a league one side last season.

Practically this first team squad did not play any part in that second half.

If Cesc Fabregas and/or Samir Nasri depart the club then I would imagine that Arsene Wenger will buy first team players to replace them. I suspect that the team above even with ten men would have beaten the Arsenal team of the second half.

Basically a good Champions League team at home beat a young team full of inexperience as the manager had to rotate before the season starts and a round of Internationals. If we ever have 13 first team players out at the same time then yes, we might be in trouble. Who wouldn't?

Before I get called out for being too optimistic, I would like to point out a few concerns before the season starts.

Sebastien Squillaci

The experienced French defender has broken away from his first team defensive team mates and now his performances stand out when he is in the side and that is not in a positive way. Not blessed with natural pace, he is often beaten to the ball, it doesn't help matters when he stays so tight and flat footed with his opponent.

Squillaci went through a good early spell with Johan Djourou in the side last season but that now seems a long time ago. At his age I worry that the chance of Squillaci regaining a level good enough to be at the right level has gone. Although it is unlike Wenger to dispose of a player after only one season, it may well be a good option to sell him and allow him to play first team football elsewhere while bringing in another center back at the same level, mobility and competence as our other three center backs who in my opinion are all fully capable of playing at the highest level for Arsenal.

Marouane Chamakh

The form of Chamakh is very worrying, especially as we wait for further news about Van Persie's ankle knock. The player that hit the ground running last season is nowhere to be seen and hasn't been seen for sometime now. When on his game, Chamakh provides a wonderful link for the midfielders and his work rate was phenomenal but currently he is a shadow of that player. He is misplacing passes, giving the side no outlet and looks so far away from scoring goals right now.

The contrast of form between Van Persie and Chamakh must be the furthest away in any position in our squad and if Van Persie would have to spend any considerable time out of the team then it would be a problem.

Aaron Ramsey

Rambo is in a different position to the other players, he is not necessarily going through a bad run of form, the issue that Ramsey has at present is linked with his age. He is not consistently influencing games in the way that Cesc Fabregas can do which is hardly a criticism in itself but in the position that he is being played in, we need a player of the age and stature that will stamp his authority of the game more often and contribute more of a cutting edge. I think Ramsey will get there in a few years time and does produce bits of magic sporadically but sadly that is not enough.

These are the three areas of the squad that I would like to see reinforced. If Barcelona cannot come up with the cash then one of those positions will already be filled, although we are likely to miss Fabregas for the start of the season as he does not have any minutes under his belt. As it looks increasingly likely that Bendtner will be moved on and rumours have surfaced that Carlos Vela will follow suit, I would be very surprised if Arsene doesn't already have a move for a striker lined up and by that, I do not mean Joel Campbell as he is young and would need to gain a work permit on loan first.

Arsene has already spoken about his search for a center back so I expect to see one before the window closes.

Back to the result. I wouldn't pay too much attention to the final result as what could be a Carling Cup side gained some very important minutes and it gave them an indication of what level they need to be at to compete in the Arsenal first team.

The first team, missing key personnel won 1-0 and the kids lost 2-0. Work will be done in the transfer window to address other areas of the team, I just wonder if it will be those positions highlighted above.

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Comments (34)

• 08-Aug-2011 09:29 | | Subir Kumar Roy
  

  simply put we need a striker, midfielder and CB, don't we?

• 08-Aug-2011 09:38 | | John
  

  Good post.....at last sense has come through all the nonsense of other blogs and posts. Ramsey will come good he slowly getting back to the player before the injury but that will take time. Chamakh and Squillaci are the major concerns for me. We do need another centre back and Mata because he can take up three roles. Gervinho also can play all along the three attacking positions.

• 08-Aug-2011 09:49 | | irwin  - Lord
  

  I agree with most of your comments
  Our 1st team can beat anybody but our squad is poor and with our injury
  record it makes me very nervous
  He has to buy good back up players to stop the panic in the media and supporters

• 08-Aug-2011 09:49 | | brian
  

  Glad at last to see somebody pointing the finger at Vermalin as well as the usual easy targets such as Squilachi.
  Could not agree more with your comments about Chamakh and Ramsey but think that you under-estimate the potentially horrendous consequences of playing Gibbs at left back.I would even prefer Traore there at the moment unless we can sign a top left back like Enrique from Newcastle.
  Frimpong looks an incredibly promising beast of a mid-fielder but I suspect that if he does play in the Premier League he might become a bit of a liability for now as he will pick up loads of Yellow and red cards but I suppose even that is better than getting players like Diaby and Song committing stupid offences rather than those caused by Frimpong like aggression.

• 08-Aug-2011 09:52 | | Terry Mancini Hair Transplant
  

  Very good post.
  
  I agree about the need of another striker. Sometimes formations and tactics look after themselves but top strikers are priceless.
  
  The question is who?

• 08-Aug-2011 09:52 | | Savage
  

  I was personally disappointed with Frimpong in the 2nd half. I made the mistake of getting my hopes up, but I personally believe that the difference between the first and second half was Song vs Frimpong. Song kept his position better, held and distributed the ball much much better and gave us a solidity. I am excited about Frimpong, especially in a pressing game, but we finally saw how much work he still has to do.

• 08-Aug-2011 09:56 | | MeanLean
  

  Striker and CB yeah, I'd say so but the midfielder depends on Cesc I would think.

• 08-Aug-2011 09:57 | | MeanLean
  

  Gervinho can indeed play all three positions, he looks a really good player. Ramsey will get there slowly.

• 08-Aug-2011 09:58 | | MeanLean
  

  If anyone can find a player who is of quality but is under performing somewhere else only to turn into one of the best at Arsenal then it is Arsene.

• 08-Aug-2011 09:59 | | MeanLean
  

  The great thing about Frimpong is that he has the tools to be a top player. Not there yet as you say, but stuff like positional play and distribution will improve with games and experience. Love his energy and tackling though.

• 08-Aug-2011 10:01 | | MeanLean
  

  As I said to Brian, I don't think Frimpong is that far away. He has stuff to learn but considering his age, he will get there.

• 08-Aug-2011 10:03 | | Savage
  

  I do like his mobility across the pitch, and I think it will really aid us in a pressing game. Unfortunately his mobility is taking him out of position right now. All stuff he can learn of course, but how much learning time can we afford?

• 08-Aug-2011 10:05 | | Savage
  

  I'm surprised we're being linked again with OC - surely we can't accommodate both him and Ryo?

• 08-Aug-2011 10:05 | | MeanLean
  

  It would be interesting to see how strong we would be defensively in midfield with Frimpong as the second midfielder with Song sitting. Although our passing game would suffer, we would be bloody tough.

• 08-Aug-2011 10:07 | | MeanLean
  

  The impression I have got is that his best position will be in the center of midfield in the future. I don't see him as a short term solution but maybe he looks to have a really bright future. Man U and Liverpool were both very interesting in him until he made his mind up that he wanted to join us. Apparently

• 08-Aug-2011 10:17 | | Savage
  

  I think he would be great in games where we're struggling to get hold of the ball, but for the majority of our games it isn't so much possession that's a problem for us, but creation. He would be fantastic against Barcelona I think (sent off pretty early though!), but what could he contribute to breaking down a 10-man defence?
  
  Perhaps his mobility would give us a greater recovery pace against break-aways, allowing more men forward?

• 08-Aug-2011 10:38 | | mystic
  

  Like most I am very worried about the squad depth, how many of us are sh*tt*ng ourselves that RvP/ Wilshire....... won't be fit? What the hell is Wenger feeding us about Cesc not being fit - what better time to get match practice than pre-season friendlies! The 2nd half against Benfica showed our weak underbelly and I'm afraid that players such as Squillachi / Traore & Frimpong clearly aren't up to the mark. Myachi looks a good player and with time I imagine that Ramsey & Chamakh will be ideal, but all need to be pushing for a position, not automatic introductions because others are injured.

• 08-Aug-2011 10:56 | | Tom
  

  Interesting article - more critical than usual and I agree with the analysis of our squad.
  
  If we bring in another wide attacker (Mata? Oxlade of the Chamberlain?) then I am happy for Walcott to be used as an emergency striker in Van Persie's absence.
  
  We definitely need a new centre half and a quality central midfielder - I believe our defensive shortcomings and tendency to capitulate are due to the lack of a solid base in the centre of the park.
  
  If Fabregas leaves, Ramsay and Wilshere should compete for the attacking midfielder role and the money should be spent on a dynamic and experienced player to partner/compete with Song.
  
  Diaby is too unreliable and after 6 years at Arsenal his time is running out. Frimpong is far too young and needs games out on loan and Lansbury is interesting but unproven.
  
  I don't know where Nasri features in all this but I'm resigned to him leaving. I don't see the point in retaining a player who intends to leave at the end of next season. Might as well cash in while we can.

• 08-Aug-2011 11:14 | | piken79
  

  If RVP gets injured we are in a bit of a mess and I don't think we are as bad as everyone is making us to be..not sure we can win the league with the current team but wenger must now know squallici should be kept away from the pitch as much as possible. I would rather play someone from the reserves as CB than squallici, yep he is that terrible.

• 08-Aug-2011 11:30 | | Terry Mancini Hair Transplant
  

  Very true.

• 08-Aug-2011 13:46 | | John  - Perspective.
  

  Talksport had a very frank interview with legend Frank mcClintock a few hours back. He sounds a bit depressed like most arsenal fans at the current state of our club and aw lack of buying and his denial of our weak defence. But what the hell, forget about all the doom. Come on to this site and read the usual over the top optimism of everything Arsene and the Arsenal.

• 08-Aug-2011 13:53 | | MeanLean
  

  Sorry if it wasn't gloomy enough for you John. I did add some negatives for you to chew on. Was it not angry enough?

• 08-Aug-2011 14:10 | | John
  

  It wasnt realistic enough ML. A bit of realism and maybe a bit of anger would be perfect.

• 08-Aug-2011 14:30 | | MeanLean
  

  The thing is, John. Your version of realism isn't many supporters view. It seems as if you think you know it all but I and many others do not agree.

• 08-Aug-2011 15:33 | | pika
  

  if realism is what youre looking for here it is buddy
  
  1) arsenal - never a rich club
  2) arsenal - never a big club
  3) arsenal prior wenger - a dysfunctional club of alcoholics and junkies allowing the team to end the season 10th , 7th and 12th.
  4) hardmen 'legends' who abandoned us to go sort their addictions in clinics
  5) unknown in europe
  6) seaman lobbed from 60 meters out in a bloody final in the 94th minute
  
  
  arsenal with wenger
  1) never dropped below 4th spot domestically and 16th in europe
  2) from 30k highbury and a joke of a training ground to a 60k ultra modern jewel and facilities that make ajax milan real jealous
  3) consistent challenge on all possible four fronts
  4) consistently overachieveing with always the smaller budget than our competitiors
  5) 13 minutes away from winning the champions league with ten men, in our sole participation in a champions league final or champions winners cup for the old.
  
  
  here is another shot of realism for you
  
  1) arsenal = works an operates and SPENDS, with money made out of their football activity
  2) manutd = milks 3rd world continents selling them sympathy for munich
  3) chelsea - russian tyccoon with dubious fortune laundring money in epl
  4) city = arabs with uncontrolable purchasing power
  
  
  and another
  
  1) wenger has a very fast very mobile and highly technical squad of players
  2) chelsea has overaged mercenaries
  3) united can not match arsene's wengerball and relies on webbs and sky
  4) city - a mix of clueless managers and rotten professionals
  
  
  here is another realistic ..thing .....to question, doubt, critisise and boo arsene wenger in the manner that some of you do is clearly the sign of peopla who are weak, manipulated and afraid and of course UNGREATFUL

• 08-Aug-2011 16:15 | | john  - .
  

  I wish...

• 08-Aug-2011 16:19 | | john  - You defy belief Pika
  

  I dont take you serious Pika, all the AKBs reading your comments must be embarrassed. And its UNGRATEFUL

• 08-Aug-2011 17:13 | | red boy
  

  Arsenal just sign a 17 year old m/fielder come forward just what me need when were letting goals in for fun.What is wenger doing for f**ks sake he,s realey as gone mad

• 08-Aug-2011 17:17 | | op
  

  Wasn't it McLintock who said we would finish 5th in 03/04?? I don't give much time to our ex players when they talk about the current team. Footballers don't always know football that well

• 08-Aug-2011 23:27 | | pika
  

  no its just that you are blind to realism and think arsenal is some kind of madrid for their fans to demand a title per year as a minimum.
  
  theyve built a stadium, going with youth, still repaying it ..so what titles did u expect in this period? especially with the competition he faced? he knew it and compensated for that with nice football. money rolls in everything is working. now titles are another matter.you need investments for that. and arsenal has invested in infrastructure rather than spending with no logic on established experienced winners simply cause they couldnt afford them.
  
  when they repay the stadium and can attract the players that win stuff things will improve in the title front. after all trophies are just statistic, yes weve done bad lately in this stat but weve come close a lot of times therefore we are getting there.
  
  and if what they say is true about supporting the team through thick and thin ...well these last few years with the transition have been the thin part and we havent ever dropped below 4th , consistent chams leageu exposure... essentially we have grown in stature without winning a god damn thing and all that with untested 17 and 18 yearolds. 3rd richest in the world ... not too bad for thin.

• 09-Aug-2011 07:44 | | indian gunner forever  - another gem from pika.........
  

  Awesome pika..........
  Reality seriously bites and bites hard. Well done...

• 09-Aug-2011 12:30 | | Andy Mack
  

  If your 'letting goals in for fun' comment refers to the pre-season games, OK, but it is pre-season.
  Last season (without Vermaelen) we didn't have bad stats at all. The problem was that they let in really stupid goals at exactly the wrong time. Our 'goals scored against us' wasn't as good as the top 3 but wasn't far off.
  We do need another calm head in defence for when TV is injured.

• 10-Aug-2011 01:53 | | PMB
  

  When you write this:
  "At half time we went in 1-0 up away from home against a very talented side who were closer to match fitness than we were."
  
  Are you aware that 7 or 8 of Benfica starting 11 were subs?

• 10-Aug-2011 09:56 | | MeanLean
  

  That just puts into perspective what the young team were up against in the second half.

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