Havard Nordtveit has put himself forward as the solution to Arsenal’s defensive lapses,

Training with the first team has helped me a lot. Everybody there has so much experience, like Kolo Toure and William Gallas. I need to see everything and learn what I can. They tell me to be patient, not to rush it, do the right things every single time and stay focused on what we do… I have definitely improved because the pace of the football here is much quicker than in Norway. I have become more of a team player, my passing is getting better and I am becoming more professional all over the pitch and off it. I have improved in almost everything

I hope that one of the first things they say to him every Monday morning is, “You know that mistake I made, that led to them scoring? That is how not to defend”. Yet Nordtveit shows in his own words that he is not ready yet for first team action, he is still improving. The other problem that I would have is that unless he is almost freakish in his physical strength, the seventeen year old will not be able to match that of his opponents. The position of centre back requires many attributes but key is the ability to match the strength of your opponents and have enough in reserve to impose yourself upon them. If you cannot do that, then reading the game is going to be vital and the lad is still learning. Perhaps a Carling Cup spot might be in order but the Premier League? Not next season.

The question of experience has long been raised with regard to the current squad. Indeed, it has been used for such a long time that surely the opposite holds true. Arsene used the word ‘immaturity’ to describe recent defeats and that is not far from the truth. There was a comment a while back that suggested these players are not going to return in the summer as new men and suddenly take on the world and beat all-comers.

That is to mistake the nature of experience. It does not particularly matter if the individuals have played twenty or two hundred appearances, they will have learnt from the season’s adventures.

Technically, there is no doubt that the current squad can hold their own. Indeed, they can play any of their peers in the Premier League off the park and have proved this. Visiting Old Trafford, Stamford Bridge and Anfield, dominating matches and having the paltry return of one point is gaining experience. That they dominated all of the games yet failed to score more than one goal on each occasion in the Premier League is part of the process. Failing to keep a clean sheet in any of those matches is the same. To learn from these defeats / draws is the key.

The problem with experience is that there is nothing immediately tangible to hang your coat on. Players do not look physically stronger for their experiences merely have the knowledge of what happens when the situations arise. Whilst there are no guarantees about outcomes, it would be a major surprise that given the same set of circumstances in twelve months time, if the team were to exit the Champions League having secured their passage with seven minutes to go. If that repeats then the concerns about inexperience will be replaced with those about the mental attributes of any culprits should be questioned. Habitual repetition of mistakes suggest that the individual lacks the ability to move one stage further.

The knowledge of how to handle a situation is crucial to the desire to win trophies. Certainly, the defence have shown over the past two seasons that concentration is an issue with the number of clean sheets at home in particular being a cause for lost points. The understandings that are evident in eighty minutes seem to go missing for crucial seconds. Part of that is down to the number of changes required in the team with rotation. It is not just a new, less ‘experienced’ player coming in, it is the loss of understanding between the two incumbents that causes problems. Gallas and Toure both knew what the other was going to do before Christmas. When Senderos came in during the African Cup of Nations, it took a couple of games before Gallas understood and could anticipate what the Swiss international would do in certain situations. When Toure returned, the understanding between he and Gallas had been lost, causing a number of lapses in concentration.

Arsene has issues to deal with regarding the players’ mental strength this summer. Key to it will be ensuring that the strides made this season continue next season when to my mind at least, the rebuilding phase will have ended. The core of the squad is there; the spine of the team is comparable to the rest of the Premier League. They need goalscoring support from midfield and for the rest to stay relatively injury free, particularly in the front-line. No doubt that and the left of midfield will be positions Arsene looks to strengthen in the summer but that is his job, not mine. Vela might add options but will be a squad player next season unless he sets off like a runaway train.

Toure meanwhile has re-affirmed his intention to stay at the club. Kolo said,

I believe in this team, this club, I love this club. I see Arsenal as part of my life now. It would be difficult to leave this club, but in football you never know. The best thing for me would be to stay at Arsenal and win the Premiership again and win the Champions League. I really want to do that for the club as the club has never won it and to be the first people to win the Champions’ League you would be heroes, that is what I am looking for and if I have to spend my whole career at this club and win this trophy that would be amazing for me

Well, OK, he did not pledge himself indefinitely and this shows an awareness of the nature of his manager’s policies toward older players but at least that is one player happy rather than another future being speculated upon.

‘til Tomorrow.

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