Predicted Line-Up:
Strengths:
Pace - With Walcott and Oxlade-Chamberlain on the wings, Arsenal have a lot of speed out wide which will allow them to get to the byline regularly, especially with Mesut Özil supplying the passes. Alexis Sanchez upfront also gives them runners behind the defence. This makes Arsenal a dangerous team to play against, especially on the counter attack.
Fluidity - Oxlade-Chamberlain is capable of playing in midfield and Özil can play out wide as proved by his performance in the World Cup. Sanchez and Walcott can interchange too, giving Arsenal a lot of unpredictability going forward. This may help them break down teams who sit deep to counteract the pace of their front four.
Central Defence - Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny make a superb partnership in defence, with Koscielny's pace offsetting Mertesacker's inability to sweep up. This allows Mertesacker the freedom to play his natural game. Flamini helps protect the back four and is very adept at winning the ball back.
Experience - Arsenal have a team that has played a lot of Premier League games, but importantly, many of them have now won a trophy or two. The FA Cup may be the kickstarter for the team to go ahead and win more trophies. Also, Arsenal have three World Cup winners in their squad (though Podolski may be leaving) which could really stand them in good stead.
Weaknesses:
Leadership - Whilst it's a cliche that Arsenal lack leadership, it was apparent in the games against the big teams that once they went behind, they capitulated. They don't seem to have addressed this problem so it may rear it's head once again.
Depth - Again, another cliche, but one that is true. People may argue that they do have depth but the replacements are not to the required standard for a team with aspirations as high as Arsenal's. Wilshere and Arteta are not good enough to replace Flamini and Ramsey if they get injured. Rosicky is a great player but he's getting older and doesn't have the pace of the other attacking midfielders. Cazorla is a good player too and on his day is unplayable, but he struggles occasionally to find form. Vermaelen may be leaving and even if he doesn't is not good enough to cover Mertesacker or Koscielny should injury or suspension occur.
Signings:
Alexis Sanchez - Fantastic signing from Arsenal and it's one that maybe is indicative of a changing time at Arsenal. They rarely spend so much money on a player, and when they do, they do it very late. Sanchez is hard-working, quick and a deadly finisher. He's almost guaranteed 15 league goals a season in Arsenal's team and I'll be massively surprised if he scores less than that.
Mathieu Debuchy - Debuchy is a good player but £11million is a lot of money for a 'good player'. Arsenal had to replace Bacary Sagna and Debuchy is a decent replacement, but defensively Debuchy is not great. Arsenal have an attacking right back who struggles with the defensive side of the game, which might be useful against the so-called lesser teams but might come unstuck against better left-sided players.
Who They Should Sign:
A Centre-Back - Mertesacker and Koscielny are a fantastic partnership but when one is missing Arsenal might struggle. Signing a good young centre-back as cover, such as Matija Nastasic, would be a good move. Unfortunately for Arsenal, there is a lack of world-class or exciting young centre-backs on the market.
A Central/Holding Midfielder - Flamini is a very good midfielder but he's prone to suspension, so finding cover for him would be a good idea. Ramsey is superb so he's going to be first choice, so any cover for him would be second choice. This means that signing Khedira as has been reported would make him the holding midfielder, which would inhibit his attacking game. Schneiderlin would be a fantastic signing but he also may want to push forward, so finding a balance is key.
A Left-Back - Monreal has been found wanting against good teams so Arsenal need better cover for Gibbs. Alberto Moreno would be a solid if expensive choice, whilst signing a young left-back such as Declan John who impressed at Cardiff would be solid cover too.
Final Words:
Arsenal look set to finish in the top four for another season, but with a few signings for cover they could make a real challenge for the title. They have some quality footballers, such as Ramsey, Sanchez and Özil. They have the ability to destroy teams with pace and fluidity and have the option of Olivier Giroud off the bench or for a different style should they need it. Giroud is a massively underrated player who helps link the attack and the midfield and hold the ball up if they need him to.
Arsenal's season rests on the bigger games as I think they can consistently beat teams below them in the league, but in the games against the top 5 or 6 teams they will struggle due to the lack of leadership. Teams have learned how to beat Arsenal but their quality carries them through against the teams below them in the league.
If Arsenal can learn to adapt and overcome the better teams in the league, they could be outsiders for the league. I personally think they will fall short but make the top 4 again, as I feel Chelsea and Manchester City are better equipped to win the league.
No comments:
Post a Comment