Written by Mean Lean on Tuesday, 24 May 2011 13:15

So here we are, my first blog of the close season. Well it isn't quite the close season as the Champions League final is looming around the corner but as far as we are concerned this is the end. During this time there is usually nothing to say but right now I have loads of articles that I want to write or continue writing. Time hasn't been my bestest friend of late but nevertheless I shall try and get some stuff done in the next week.

The silly season is well and truly here now but after Wenger's comments recently, perhaps some of the news may not be as silly as has been the case in the past.

Wenger said:

The market will be hyperactive because everyone believes financial fair play will happen soon. So we are quickly doing the last buying before the stores will be closed. And for the first time for a while, I will be very active, too.

Interesting words from the manager and it will be intriguing to see who comes in over the next few months. Now that our stadium debts have lowered and cash seems to be more available than in recent years we could see Arsene doing what he does best, picking out great talent. When Arsene spends on players, he doesn't often make many mistakes and the prospect of Arsene finding another Overmars, Petit, Pires, Henry, Sagna, Nasri, Vermaelen etc is quite exciting. You would imagine that he will be acquiring players for many positions as well.

Before that happens, I suspect that Arsene will be putting much of his energies into keeping the players he wants at the club.

Samir Nasri should be first on the list, he will have one year on his contract so he should be the priority. I have said this a number of times but I would be very shocked if Nasri decided to pack his bags and look for another home especially given his development and improvement since he joined the club.

He would certainly find it difficult to find another club and manager that would allow him the freedom of expression on the pitch.

Imagine having to work under Jose Mourinho? Granted he may wrestle a Copa del rey away from Barcelona but he would probably spend most of his time playing as a second full back. Slight exaggeration perhaps but how many coaches get the best out of players more than Arsene?

Nasri speaking to Canal plus gave an indication of where his head is at right now.

“Arsene Wenger played a big role in me coming here. I believe in the project. We'll sit down and talk it through [contract negotiations].”

With only a year remaining on his contract, he has the power, almost having the club by the balls so you can understand his choice to leave his decision until the last minute. Any agent worth his salt would advise the same and that is fine, as long as his intentions are to get his best deal with the club but ultimately his goal is to stay at the club and not to force Arsenal to pay Manchester City wages otherwise he will jump over to someone who will. He strikes me as a person who cares about his football more than the money. Fingers crossed on that one.

Another player who is coming to the last year of their contract is Gael Clichy and the rumours are that he will be departing for pastures new. Apparently Arsenal and an Italian club have been talking so we shall see how much truth there is in that. Personally I love Gael Clichy and despite his flaws I think he is a top class left back who provides so much energy and dynamism. He rarely gives the ball away and there are not many better sights at the Emirates than Clichy nipping ahead of his man to pinch the ball and drive forwards at speed with the likes of Nasri, Van Persie and Cesc running into space looking to receive his pass.

We know what his deficiencies are both offensively and defensively and it will be easy to find a replacement who has the complete package. In our 4-2-3-1 formation, the full backs are vitally important as they often end up being the extra man in our attacks. Clichy's delivery over the years has not been good enough and considering the fact that we often have far more possession than anyone else during the course of the season you would hope that whoever takes the first choice left back slot will be able to contribute more effectively to our attacking play in the final third.

Many fans earlier in the season have been asking for Kieran Gibbs to replace Clichy in the first team but I am not sure if he is quite ready to be the number one for the whole season. He might have been the answer but injuries have certainly halted his progress massively. He had to hobble off once again against Fulham and is struggling to stay fit. He is not far away but he will need more time.

Nicklas Bendtner has joined Denilson in announcing his desire to play first team football elsewhere. Well at least that is according to his agent, also known as his father.

After his comments early in the season about being frustrated about not playing, I knew he would look to move away from Arsenal, especially given the ridiculously good form of Robin Van Persie later in the season. Playing out wide is certainly not a position that utilises his best attributes and at his age he needs to play every week so he can develop into the player he wants to be. I totally understand his desire to move away from the club.

Nicklas Bendtner gets a lot of unfair stick in my opinion. A young striker with confidence in his abilities shouldn't be ridiculed, it is a great strength to have as a professional footballer. I don't think our style of play suits him, at least it doesn't get the best out of him.

I can picture him being the focal point in another team, the classic number nine. A penalty box player who slides in at the far post to knock in a wingers cross. Or turning in the box and thumping in his 25th goal of the season for a top European outfit.

While he will never have the touch of Van Persie or Dennis Bergkamp, arguably he could have more goals in him than both those great strikers but we do not cross the ball well and we do not play with a penalty box forward so Bendtner has been frozen out. At his age we should fetch a decent amount of money for him and he would be a very good buy for his next club.

I suspect that we will wave goodbye to Manuel Almunia and certainly a few of the younger players who will not make the grade will be moved on or to continue the football speak.. shipped out to add to Arsene's war chest.

We will wait to see what happens with Cesc Fabregas, I cannot guess one way or the other. I guess that Arsene and Cesc already know what the situation is and when it unfolds then we will know more. Obviously I hope he stays at the club but if it has been decided that he should move on then so be it. It just better not drag on and on like it did last season.

Personally I would like us to keep hold of Rosicky and Eboue, both can be useful players. I look back at Rosicky at the start of the season and he was fantastic. I don't believe he has turned into a complete disaster within months. He obviously has been short of game time and if the squad is rotated better this time round then I would bet that we would see more from him just as we did at the start of the season. We need a squad after all.

I would love to see a return to the right back rotation between Sagna and Eboue, mainly against bus parking teams. It worked very well the previous season and I am not quite sure why Arsene put a halt to that. I am thinking of those draws against Sunderland, Blackburn and others where we just couldn't penetrate. Sagna often found himself tossing crosses into the first defender when a more direct and offensive minded Eboue may have opened up spaces for other more creative players to have found the extra space needed to get that vital first goal. We will never know but I would like Arsene to keep that injury.

I am not even going to mention Abou Diaby as I believe he is an important part of Wenger's plans, the only thing the lad needs is a break from injuries. While it is bloody frustrating to see him play two games and then spend three games out injured, I only hope that his record improves. It happens. I remember when Steven Gerrard was completely injury prone and spent weeks and weeks on the treatment table and then he grew out of it.

While we will be selling some players from the first team, I very much doubt that we will end up with losing all the players that some expect to leave.

Almunia,

Eboue Squillaci Clichy

Denilson

Nasri Cesc Rosicky Arshavin

Chamakh Bendtner

That is a team of players who various people expect to be leaving the club this summer, that would be madness. Imagine trying to replace a whole team of players and then expecting all the new players and promoted players to be able to gel and compete for the Champions League places let alone compete for the title and Champions League trophy.

It is likely that a few will leave but the clear out that some expect/hope is unrealistic me thinks.

As for players coming in, well I have no idea of our targets. I think I may write about which areas we may invest in tomorrow or something. What I will say is that don't get too hung up on the Parker, Samba, Cahill noises that the media keep banging on about. Their thought process is a little limited and it only goes as far as the obvious and the ones close to home. Our scouting system goes a little further than the Sun newspaper.

In other news Jack Wilshere has told Stuart Pearce that he will not take part in the pointless England under 21s tournament which is fantastic. Why do I gets the feeling that someone has been advising him because he has done a u-turn since he last spoke about wanting to represent his country.

There is no doubt in my eyes that he is doing the right thing. Aaron Ramsey must be banging his forehead with the palm of his hands because Ramsey or Diaby could well have started the season if Wilshere had gone away with England. I suppose anything could happen with the summer coming up so I shouldn't be so presumptuous.

Ok, gotta make tracks. Enjoy this sunny Tuesday. Well it is in my neck of the woods.

Back tomorrow.

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Comments (15)

• 24-May-2011 14:01 | | Kenny
  

  Rotation with the best right back in the country and the worse Eboue.Are you drunk?

• 24-May-2011 14:04 | | MeanLean
  

  Do you not think that a more offensive overlapping full back would be more beneficial against teams who only defend?

• 24-May-2011 14:26 | | hector
  

  Excellent Analysis mate. I am with you on this one

• 24-May-2011 15:15 | | Jekyll
  

  Gotta hand it to you, you like to swim against the tide: Clichy is great, keep Eboue and Rosicky. The Arsene you're talking about who gets the best out of players and doesn't often make mistakes when he spends I recognise from a decade ago, not now.

• 24-May-2011 15:19 | | Zama  - Well Written
  

  Well written and thought out piece there ML, as always.
  I absolutely agree with you vis a vis the squad changes. But the problem we have is that there are far too many unhappy players out there and most of them want out. For starters, I cant envisage Almunia staying on, he knows he's behind the Poles in the pecking order. Clichy - from all the noises in the media (sure we can trust 'em ) he's almost out. Nasri - Has us by the balls as you say. So anything can happen and I'd be severely disappointed and hurt if he goes. Lets hope its a storm in a tea cup like the RvP contract situation last time around. Denilson, Rosicky, Bendtner - I would understand their desire to leave, they are not playing enough & if that does not sting a pro-footballer, they have no business plying their trade at the top of English & European football. Eboue - No matter what people think about him, I would want him to stay. He is perhaps the best utility player in the team. He divides opinion like no other either people are booing him or they have this cult of Eboue shit . For me he is required becoz he does his job just well enough. Arshavin - He hasn't enjoyed his time in England, especially after his fantastic first half season. I would really like him to stay but if he wants out then we have a problem. I don't even want to mention Cesc and the shena****ns of last year. Of course I want our best players to stay and win with us but the reality of football is that players come and go. As long as we don't lose too many influential players and those who leave are suitably replaced it wont be much of a problem.

• 24-May-2011 15:36 | | russ  - nasri
  

  What the f@ck is these stories about nasri and those stinking manure utd

• 24-May-2011 15:47 | | Omglol
  

  He need to solve Fabregas/Nasri problem in the first weeks. So we dont have some panic signing in the late transfer period. The rage from supporters is huge and they just pick target to unleash it. But we do need to drop someone so we make room for fresh blood. And he need to sign someone with name, i will take for example Hazard or Benzema (names that go around the media) to satisfy one part of the fans that carve fo this kind of signings that they see in Chelsea. He bring Nasri and Vermalen for 10 mil and it look like some dont appreciate that kind of signing. Big numbers roll the world now.

• 24-May-2011 17:26 | | goonerbegood  - WENGER WILL NEVER CHANGE.
  

  STOP GETTING YOUR HOPES UP WENGER WILL NEVER CHANGE.
  THIS HAPPENS EVERY END OF SEASON WITH ARSENE WENGER.
  
  THE MAN WILL NEVER CHANGE HIS PHILOSOPHY.
  
  THIS IS A PLOY TO COOL DOWN THE FANS.

• 24-May-2011 17:29 | | MeanLean
  

  Serious question. Wenger is going to be our manager next season and there is nothing you can do about it.
  
  Are you planning on writing your 'Wenger Out' in capitals all next season?
  
  It seems a little pointless to me regardless of your opinion of the manager

• 24-May-2011 17:36 | | redboy  - lets start defending again
  

  lets get in newcastle left back Enrique and blackburns samba two proper defenders

• 24-May-2011 20:17 | | Omglol
  

  Who said Wenger need to change his philosophy ? That part is fine, we just say our opinion about changes with known facts we have at this moment about the transfer period.

• 24-May-2011 22:34 | | goonerbegood  - WENGER OUR MANAGER NEXT SEASON
  

  I FULLY AGREE WITH YOU MEAN LEAN ,THERE IS NOTHING I CAN DO.
  
  I WISH I COULD BUT I CAN'T.
  
  I WILL LET IT GO BUT TRUST ME,THE MAN WILL NEVER CHANGE.
  
  IT WILL BE THE SAME STYLE OF PLAY,PASS PASS AND NO SHOOT,
  
  BUT I WILL TRY AND BE POSITIVE AND I HOPE HE CHANGES .
  
  
  LONG LIVE THE MIGHTY ARSENAL FC.

• 25-May-2011 07:29 | | Waterboy
  

  Great Article ML! I enjoyed your analysis of potential departures.
  
  As I posted following your Post Match Thoughts relating to the Fulham match, I fully support Wenger's concepts of buying young kids and developing them into a title winning team and not drowning the club in debt inorder to recruit already established stars. I think this approach is particular well suited when you consider these elements in conjunction with Wenger's technical coaching skills.
  
  Unfortunately, I think Arsene's decision to move away from his previously successful 442 structure and partial failure to recruit young players with similar physical attributes and natural inclinations to his previously successful teams (still a big believer thou in Diaby, Song, Walcott, VP, Chamack (as Plan B striker)) has made it difficult for Arsene to add additional premierships to his list of achievements.
  
  Given the physical and fast paced nature of the Premier League, Arsenal could actually prosper if they returned to their previously successful 442 formation and the likes of Fabregas, Ramsey and Rosicky are replaced with two DMs with similar physical attributes and defensive inclinations as past greats such as Vieira and Petit (there is a couple of young French Players, who play for PSG, Le Harve and Djion who come to mind but I'm sure Arsenal's scouting network would be able to identify a plethora of other candidates of a similar nature).
  
  I have purposively left Wilshere off the above list as I think he has the innate tenacity, acquired technical skills and most importantly a willingness to be direct and make attacking runs off the ball, that would mean he is suitable to play on the left wing.
  
  As much as I (as a lounge room manager) would love to see the above happen, I think Arsene has adopted a different tactical direction.
  
  Interested to hear your thoughts?

• 25-May-2011 13:53 | | Aman
  

  Great analysis but a few places i beg to differ, do we really need Rosicky and Eboue?? I mean seriously these players have cost us points this season, Rosicky for missing that penalty against sunderland, and for his handball against Newcastle for the 3rd goal, really those were awfull schoolboy errors and has been non productive in the carling cup and FA cup games, which a player like him shldnt be making, and eboue for him costing us 3 points against Liverpool in like the last kick of the game.. Come on seriously we do not need those 2.. Clichy i will still agree because quite frankly speaking Gibbs has been awfull, and the worst of all the choices is to keep Diaby, how on earth can you have such a player who is either injured, or gets sent off, and scores the most greatest of own goals.. He is still wengers pet but seriously when tries to dribble and looses possession of the ball it really is frustrating.. Have a look at all the players at arsenal the least they know to do is keep possession of the ball when they have it and not loose it, but diaby always and always looses that possession from good positions and thats where the opposition counters..

• 26-May-2011 13:08 | | Danny
  

  Totally agree we are carrying to much bagage in our squad.What do Eboue Denilson Diaby Rosicky Bender bring to our team.When they play we are a worse team.Just look how that lot performed in the FA cup against lower league teams.We need hungry players not those who are there for an easy pay day

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