Pre-Season Musings Part II
Posted by Young'un in Arsenal | 3 August 2010
So we now have a clearer indication as to how good this Arsenal squad is following the trip to Austria and the fourth Emirates Cup that the club hosted last weekend, with The Gunners winning their third title. Having said that we won't know for sure until we really get going, until about November when we have about 10 Premier League games under our belt and are well into the Champions League group stages. But until then, here's a much more in-depth analysis for you to feast on regarding the goalkeepers and defence; a third part will follow featuring my thoughts on the midfield and attack.
Manuel Almunia
A lot of speculation about the shaky Spaniard. Will he be replaced between the sticks? If so, by a colleague within the Arsenal ranks? Or by someone else, ie Mark Schwarzer? Not to mention the infamous quotes allegedly from Wenger himself, whom has since dismissed the story as media garbage. He has done his cause no harm during this pre-season. He started once in Austria and, unsurprisingly, was not troubled and was handed the armband as he played 90 minutes on Sunday against Celtic. He could have pulled out a deckchair and basked in the Emirates sunshine during the first half as Arsenal ran riot, but the second half was a different story as The Gunners became complacent at 3-0 up and allowed Celtic back in the game. Almunia made a handful of smart stops, and frankly if it wasn't for him, the Scottish side would probably have drawn the game and ultimately taken the Emirates Cup home themselves. I still don't trust him, but he was very good yesterday and if he can produce that sort of performance every week without the poor judgement of set pieces that also comes as part of the Almunia package, then I'd be happy to have him between the sticks on a regular basis. Unfortunately, I don't think Manuel has that sort of consistency in his locker.
Pre-Season Rating: 6.5/10
Lukasz Fabianski
Another keeper who has been heavily scrutinised, the Pole appears to have become Wenger’s first choice as he has featured the most in pre-season. Like Almunia, he wasn’t tested against poor opposition such as Barnet and the Austrian sides but Milan are a different kettle of fish. And to be fair, Fabianski did well. A couple of times he showed good anticipation and awareness by rushing off his line to smother the ball or clear it from danger. It is this fearless demeanour that makes me believe that there is indeed a quality keeper in there. He just needs a string of games, some self confidence and some support from his peers, and more importantly, the fans. During the Fulham game at the end of last season, ironic cheers echoed around the stadium every time Fabianski touched the ball, as a way of demonstrating their surprise at him not making a mistake. But on Saturday there was genuine praise for the Pole. I’m still not convinced by him and would be at much more ease if a new keeper is brought in but I think with time on his side, he’s a better asset than Almunia. Whether the boss feels the same remains to be seen.
Pre-Season Rating: 6/10
Bacary Sagna
The French fullback got himself a goal against Celtic which is something of a collectors item as he has previously netted just the once as he enters his fourth season at the club. He was everything we have come to expect from him: solid and remarkably consistent defensively, with his crossing fluctuating from poor to threatening. He seems to link up well with whoever it is playing in front of him, be it feeding balls outside for Walcott to race onto, or short 5 yard passes to Nasri to twist, turn and create space. If Sagna’s crossing can be more efficient then we’ve probably got the most complete right-back in the world.
Pre-Season Rating: 7/10
Gael Clichy
Sagna’s fellow French fullback, and best friend, received some criticism from many Arsenal fans, myself included, for some indifferent performances after returning from injury. Towards the end of the season though, he seemed to achieve a return to form. Les Bleus’ disastrous World Cup campaign, including an awful personal showing from the Arsenal number 22 against South Africa, has not affected Gael’s pre-season performance as he has indicated that he is getting back to his very best; the level he produced in the 2007-08 season that earned him praise from all corners, a place in the PFA Team of the Year, and resulted in Gooners forgetting all about Ashley Cole, who had left big boots to fill. I personally do not think there is any fullback better at reading the game and nipping in with interceptions before starting attacks than Gael Clichy. Like Sagna his crossing is not nearly consistent enough but his pace causes a threat and there is no doubt that the 25-year-old is approaching becoming the finished article.
Pre-Season Rating: 6.5/10
Thomas Vermaelen
The Belgian enjoyed a hugely successful debut season at the club, but with the departure of his partner in crime, William Gallas, as well as several backup players, there is incredible pressure on Vermaelen not only to emulate last season’s performance, but to better it and become the commanding figure at the heart of the Arsenal defence. The impressions gained from pre-season are promising; he has been handed the armband on a number of occasions which shows Wenger trusts the 24-year-old to handle responsibility, and he looked solid in both Emirates Cup games while continuing his habit of driving forward from the back and starting offensive moves. However, Vermaelen may well take the blame for the goal conceded against Milan which suggests he needs to concentrate more and get tighter at set-pieces, which is ironic considering he is excellent at freeing himself from a marker and attacking balls at the other end! But there is no doubt he is a quality defender, and it is imperative that Vermaelen stays fit because Arsenal are hardly a rock solid defensive unit anyway, but without him, The Gunners are an accident waiting to happen, especially with almost no backup whatsoever waiting in the wings.
Pre-Season Rating: 7/10
Laurent Koscielny
The French centre-half enjoyed a comfortable first few games where he was rarely challenged, and consequently, failed to stand out. However during the AC Milan game, he provided the fans with a first glimpse at why Wenger shelled out around £10million for his services. He made a couple of brilliant challenges, demonstrating good strength in the tackle. His positioning was often very good, while he also won some aerial balls and looks quick enough to recover should he or one of his teammates make an error. Vermaelen said afterwards he was “the complete defender” and he certainly did his case no harm with that performance. However, he made one poorly timed challenge against Celtic leaving the defence vulnerable which was the only blot on a near exemplary Emirates Cup performance. I would like to see him spend some more time in the gym because I’m not comfortable with his slight frame coming up against Didier Drogba, the man who has single-handedly bullied Arsenal on numerous occasions.
Pre-Season Rating: 7.5/10
Johan Djourou
I personally have always rated the Swiss International because I think he’s got a bit of everything, pace, height, strength and ability on the ball. The injury that saw him miss all but one game last season was therefore a massive blow to his development. In the games we have seen Djourou play in he looks like he hasn’t fully recovered, and to be honest, he had a very poor game against Celtic, his positioning was very suspect. Another centre-half has to arrive because Johan is the only backup to Koscielny and Vermaelen with Premier League experience, and when one of them inevitably gets injured, I’m not confident a half-fit Djourou can step up. Not yet anyway. We couldn’t expect much from him during pre-season, and the sole purpose is to get players fit, iron out any problems and prepare the players for the campaign ahead. Hopefully the training camp in Austria and the experience of the Emirates Cup has done this for Djourou because one way or another, he’s going to play a big role this season.
Pre-Season Rating: 5/10
Havard Nordtveit
As I stated in the last piece, I was impressed with Nordtveit against Barnet and he was also excellent against the Austrian teams. He did not get to feature during the Emirates Cup despite being named on the bench for both games which was disappointing. The games he did excel in were obviously against poor opposition so it’s difficult to judge how much of an impact he can have in the first team once the season begins. But he appears to have a rugged edge which Arsenal are often criticised for lacking. Especially with the squad being desperately short of personnel in defence, the Norwegian could get his chance at centre-half despite being deployed at right-back during pre-season. He has experience in the Bundesliga but none in the Premier League. Is that enough to be 4th choice for a club as big as Arsenal? I fear not. Mikael Silvestre was probably the man who was 4th choice at centre-half last season and although he wasn’t everybody’s cup of tea he had so much experience of playing at the highest level and despite his flaws, I think I’d prefer him to the young, unproven Nordtveit. Another player must come in, surely? However, if he produces several commanding performances at the heart of the defence, I will happily accept my slice of humble pie.
Pre-Season Rating: 7/10
Emmanuel Eboue
Due to his World Cup exploits, the once maligned utility man only got his real taste of pre-season action in the Emirates Cup where he was decent without being spectacular. I don’t like him in midfield, I’ve always preferred him at right-back and feel he would be best as Bacary Sagna’s understudy. There was one moment in the Milan game when, facing his own goal, he outmuscled Clarence Seedorf, if memory serves me correctly, turned away and played the ball out of defence. This is an example of the confidence he has gained since earning back the respect of the Arsenal faithful. We’re all beginning to love him if we didn’t already, but he’s not just around to dress up in tiger costumes, eavesdrop on Korean instructions or produce some ridiculous dance moves, because he’s also a very talented footballer. I hope he can become more consistent this season.
Pre-Season Rating: 6.5/10
Kieran Gibbs
A hugely talented prospect, Kieran could easily have disappeared into the shadows following his slip in the Champions League semi-finals, which allowed Park Ji-Sung to score and end Arsenal’s hopes of winning the trophy. But he has dusted himself down, picked himself up and responded with some terrific performances. He was on the verge of making the left-back spot his own, until a broken foot ruled him out for the remainder of the season. However, during the pre-season campaign, Gibbs has once again bounced back by showing a solid, mature defensive ability whilst also possessing the attacking attributes he gained during his time as a winger. He has also been consistent. Several times he has nipped in with crucial tackles and interceptions, including one against Celtic on Sunday at 3-2, while I recall he also made a terrific last ditch tackle against Portsmouth in the league. I really do rate Gibbs and if he can keep on progressing then the sky is the limit. An England call up can’t be far away, especially with Capello insisting he’ll turn to youth following a poor showing at the World Cup, and Clichy’s improvement in form may be because of the fact that Gibbs is hot on his heels, waiting to get his chance and cement his spot in the first team once and for all. Clichy and Cole were both promising young left-backs at a time, but I don’t think either demonstrated the consistency and mental strength that Gibbs has shown during his short career at Arsenal so does this mean he can go on and be even better than them? It’s a big ask, but seriously, why not?
Pre-Season Rating: 8/10
Comments
Footballer William Gallas really doesn't need defending despite what some might say - his football continues to make its own point. He rules!
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