It seems that a mere couple of weeks has passed since the end of the 2006-07 season, limping into the close season for Arsenal in much the same manner that the forward line did from February onwards. The coming season though is lurching toward us with optimism and pessimism slugging it out amongst the support. Personally, I hope optimism takes note of the words of Muhammed Ali when fighting Richard Dunn in 1976, “I saw this chin walking towards me in the centre of the ring, so I hit it”. In the back of my mind I have a doubt this was actually said, perhaps it’s an Urban Legend but the sentiment stands.
So what of 2007-08? I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again; unless Arsenal attract a smidgen more than their fair share of luck, second is a realistic outcome for the coming season. That does not preclude a certain Lady smiling benignly in the direction of The Emirates, indeed she may be doing so already if injury reports from West London are anything to go by. Certainly, if nothing else, they are getting a taste of the situation Arsenal faced last season.
Back to Arsenal. The squad is a year on, experience wise and that counts for an awful lot in the Premiership game. The talent has rarely been in question, more the mental strength has been the source of concern. Yet when the questions are asked, the answers given always missed the point somewhat. Yes, we failed at places such as Fulham and Sheffield United, grounds where Champions and Challengers do not fail on a regular basis. But the inclusion of words along the lines of ‘they were kids what do you expect’ always did them a disservice. There has been only one instance of ‘kids’ being held up for inspection on the big stage yet even then they were never faced with the adversity of the current Arsenal squad. I cannot recall a squad in thirty five years of watching football that has been put under pressure for such a sustained spell and definitely one where the replacements have been young players who have held onto a fourth spot in the top flight, once by fortune, once deservedly. Add in two finals, one where we were undone by a (correct) refereeing decision, once by a loyalty to the players who had achieved reaching the final. No-one takes these harsh lessons into account, that they have given the players more than the physical two seasons of experience. Rarely on the football field has growing up in public been that ‘painful’.
Much of the attention on the new campaign is on the new signings, how Eduardo is no replacement for Henry. The truth is that he is not meant to be his replacement. Henry’s departure has to be the catalyst for a new way of playing, a new mental focus. No longer is there one single player upon whom reliance can be placed; they all have to chip in. No longer can sloppy goals be conceded with the hope that a moment of magic can bring about a change in fortunes, not that for 2007 that existed anyway; more concentration at the back is necessary. The pre-season has shown signs that both of these capabilities exist but it is not certain, not the finished product that a dominant team requires. Yet still you cannot say that they will not adhere to that sort of mantra, only that the perception is that they won’t.
As a squad, it is however the older hands who have a large part to play. In the spine of the team, there is a requirement for Lehmann, Toure, Gallas and Gilberto to lead by example, to ensure that they concentrate. Many people, myself included, were surprised Gallas was handed the Captain’s Armband but maybe that is what he needed; perhaps to draw the best out of the man, he had to have responsibility thrust upon him. His performances indicated that this is what may happen. Moreover, it gives the defence a focal point, enabling one of the centre backs to become dominant in organisation which is perhaps something that was missing last season.
Individually, the three of them are amongst the top players in their positions, in the Division. As a unit, they were found wanting last Season. The introduction of Sagna may enhance that trio as he looks more solid defensively at Right Back than either Hoyte or Eboue were. Clichy on the other side, is coming on leaps and bounds. He is at a similar stage that Cole was four or five years ago, well on the way to becoming one of the best left backs in World Football. Certainly, his part in RvP’s goal in Amsterdam showed maturity in his passing and from a similar position earlier in the game, he showed a decent willingness and ability to force the opposition custodian to work to prevent a goal.
At set pieces though, there are justifiable concerns about the marking. Huntelaar and Suazo both got some return out of Gallas when challenging him in the air but it has to be said, not on every ball and it is difficult to assess a player fully in what is effectively a glorified training session. In each game, a striker is going to get a chance, win a header or two. It is up to Gallas and Toure to ensure that their positional sense overcomes any aerial disadvantage that they may have.
In midfield, the concern is that there is a lack of width. Whilst there is some merit in this, to have an out-and-out winger now would change the dynamic of the Arsenal set-up. Certainly, it would be good to have that option if a tactical change is needed but there are plenty of players in the Arsenal midfield who have the ability to deliver from wide positions. The fluidity of forwards in the modern era also negates the requirement for a specialist wide player although if a Robert Pires Mark II were to become available then you can be pretty certain that Arsene would accommodate him. Yet therein lies the problem; a wide player at Arsenal needs to be a Pires, someone who can comfortably move inside leaving space for others.
Equally, there is another way of looking at the problem. van Persie and seemingly Eduardo are comfortable operating on the wing so if they occupy that position, the problem is getting the bodies in the box to latch onto a cross or loose ball. That to me has been a fundamental flaw until now, a willingness to hang back on the edge of the area when you needed an almost Platt-esque run to take the chance of connecting. There were signs that this may be coming to fruition towards the tale end of last season and during the pre-season we seemed to have players in abundance at times in the opposing penalty area. Crucial though for this to work is the delivery. To be honest some of the quality of delivery from wide positions and set-pieces has been inadequate; allowing others to take set pieces, particularly Rosicky, from the left brought about a marked improvement in the pre-season, the timing of runs needs to be worked on now.
A change in positioning brought the best out of Alexander Hleb recently so that is another option, particularly for away games. Essentially a 4-5-1, whatever fancy titles pundits may put on it, this gives a more solid look to the defence when required. Attacking wise, his distribution was a step up from being played out on the wing. By no means is it certain he will occupy that role either. If Arsene feels more adventurous, then van Persie can play that role equally as well as that of a lone striker. Rosicky can be placed there as well which gives more than the 4-4-2 we were too often left with last season due to injury.
Perhaps though the major area for concern is goals. Last year chances went begging that should have been buried. This has to be a blip, Arsenal simply cannot afford such profligacy in front of goal in 2007-08. At the outset, the three main strikers must have a target of fifteen Premiership goals each; add in five from Bendtner, that takes you to fifty. A title-winning side will score in the region of eighty goals, leaving the rest of the squad to come up with thirty. That total does not seem unreasonable but it requires more decisiveness from the midfield. You cannot rule out passing to a better placed colleague but more often than not, the opening seven months of last season saw the pass as the route to go; selfishness in front of goal needs to be developed, certain players will have to work harder at this than others.
All in all, this season though does not fill me with the apprehension that others hold. The team is vibrant, brought about by a mixture of youth and confidence in their own technical ability. Transferring that to the pitch is a tough job but one that these players are eminently capable of achieving. With that, anything might be possible. Yet I still think gaining the twenty odd points to overhaul both Chelsea and United will be one step too far for 2007-08; 2008-09? Now there’s a different story.
As Muhammad Ali said, ‘He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life’. Let’s hope that the coming rollercoaster ride shows such bravery from those in an Arsenal shirt.
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