Well, we took care of Rangers pretty tidily today. We never looked too out of control except the couple times when they broke us down way way way too easily. We continued with the 4 3 3 with Almunia playing 90 minutes in goal, Eboue playing 90 minutes at right back, Gallas and Silvestre playing in the middle and Clichy on the left. Cesc, Song and Merida were the center mids with Arshavin, Eduardo and the north London Messi were the three up front.
The game started out pretty quickly with both teams playing nice football. We scored a nice goal, the move starting in our own box with Clichy. He moved it up the line to Arshavin who cut inside and played it across the pitch over to Fabregas, after a dummy by Fran Merida. Fabregas ran inside the box flicked the ball in to Arshavin who was central, he flicked the ball back for Cesc to run on to, but he was tripped. Wilshere was there to finish off the move with a confident finish. It was very nice attacking play, hopefully we'll see more of it in the season.
We continued to play nicely with Merida and Cesc running the game while Song was efficient in his role as DM. We scored again in the tenth minute with good work from Merida, after an awesome header back by Arshavin, to play in Eduardo nicely, who finished like you might expect him to, with perfect precision into the far corner. It was good play again, we went forward nicely and with good directness. It makes me think about Eduardo and what he's gone through. His break was bad and it must have been traumatic and the recovery must have been gruelling and all that, but what a bad time in his career and for Arsenal.
We bought him in the summer of 2007 after sellling Henry. He didn't play all that regularly right away, playing in the Carling Cup and coming off the bench in the league. Injuries to our forwards, namely Robin, saw Eduardo coming into the team more often towards the end of the year. His form was spectacular, he couldn't stop scoring, he was the best finisher in the league. Then in February his leg was snapped by a clumsy tackle in the 3rd minute (or something like that) and the rest is the rest.
Had he not suffered that injury I think Eduardo's form would have carried on and we would have won the league. Maybe Flamini would have stayed and Eduardo would have gone on to score 30 goals last season. We would have had a good all action defensive mid and maybe would have won the league again. Eduardo would now be one of the best strikers in Europe and we wouldn't be unloading players like we stole a truck full of them.
Anyway, we played well for the rest of the half and never really looked under pressure. In the second half we played Song and Silvestre at the back with Traore on the left and Denilson moving into holding mid. Song looked pretty good at center back, even if he was along side bulbus head Silvestre, who was poor, as you'd expect. Ramsey came on at some point and looked alright and Watt came on with Bentner and looked very exciting. I think if Walcott or Vela were available Watt wouldn't have been seen at all, but he looks a good prospect and did good work for the third goal. He ran down a pass that was being ushered out by some Rangers defender and tackled the defender, passing the ball back to Ramsey, who was cool and found Wilshere running in who smashed a half volley into the top corner. He's a good little finisher.
I think that we look good going forward and I'm excited about this coming season but I still worry about shipping goals. Senderos looks like he's going to Everton, which is a shame and isn't going to do us any good. It means that a couple of injuries will put Song and Silvestre together, not only making us weak in the back, but putting us one holding mid short.
Replacing Senderos doesn't look likely though and neither does the arrival of another center mid, but it does look like we'll be keeping Eboue, who has had a fine pre season showing. He's looked good both in midfield and in defense and I think we'll see him take back his spot at right back at some point this season. He brings more going forward and will relieve pressure from the midfield to have to drop back in wide positions, which our formation doesn't really suit. He also wins a lot of free kicks, which will give us more posession and some goal scoring chances.
Everyone has an opinion about our need for players or lack there of. As I've said before I think we need a center mid and without Senderos, a center back. I think our boys up front will deal with the goals we'll miss in Adebayor and that we'll be fine up front. In fact, Wenger's going to have a head ache with his choices for attacking players. Cesc will be the first name on the team sheet, but besides him immediately we've got Walcott, Bentner, Arshavin, Eduardo, RVP, Vela, Ramsey plus Merida and Wilshere. Wenger will work Rosicky in easily over the next couple of months and Nasri will be back around then as well.
There's a lot to talk about here. People have spoken about our starting line up and I think in the beginning of the season it'll look something like this. Almunia in goal, Sagna, Djourou, Gallas, Clichy across the back with Cesc, Denilson and Song central, Wolcott, Arshavin and RVP up front. l'Boss has talked about working Eduardo in with some caution and I think he may gain a starting role later on along with Eboue and the others coming back from injury.
Now, without the injured guys this means that Vela, Bentner, Ramsey, plus Merida and Wilshere and I suppose even Diaby (although he may be battling Song and Denilson to fit into the central trio) will be working for time off the bench. Then in a few months time there will be Rosicky, Eduardo and Nasri fighting too.
Wilshere and Merida will be last on the list, although Fran Merida may be coming on for Cesc as they are more like for like, and I think he'll be capable of doing a good job there. Wilshere is exciting, but he's 17 and with this depth in those positions I don't see him playing more than a dozen league games. This is a tricky situation because he really has some talent, some serious potential. He dribbles sideways too much, but once he turns that into forward running into the box or down the line, he's going to be the next Messi or Pato. Cesc was the same age when injuries to Vieira and Edu forced Wenger to play him and he succeeded and we have the Cesc we now know. I think Wilshere would benefit, and Arsenal, from the same treatment. We'll see what happens but I think his development may be slowed by depth in his position.
Should Wilshere get the nod to be one of the first off the bench it may be at the cost of Carlos Vela. Vela played 19 games for us last season, most off the bench, I think all his starts came in the Carling Cup. He scored a fabulous hatrick in the Carling Cup and a good goal in the next round. He played up front and wide left and was quick and skillful and a very good finisher. He had a few sub par performances and never really made an impact in the league but showed his talent. I watched him play for Mexico in the Gold Cup and he was awesome. He's got great potential, the type of Henry potential, the potential to really be something special, something world class. Having said all that it's hard to see him break into the team regularly, since we've been collecting skillful left footed, short, quick guys for fun. There's been talk of loaning him out to Fulham in a deal that would see Hangeland come over to us. This may be a good idea but I don't see it happening. He was loaned out to Osasuna for two years where he became a full international, what more good would a loan move do except drive up his value in the market should we decide to sell.
Without adding any players we look deep with talent and attacking force, but we're still missing that hard man I think we all would like to see. If Song, Denilson and Diaby can step up and turn that around and with some extra intesified leadership I think we're up for a shot, but we'll have to do something about shipping goals. The defence hasn't been wonderful and it starts in midfield but our goalkeeper isn't any superhero either. He had one fantastic game against Man U last season and made some very good stops here and there throughout, but he never made those special saves, those match winning saves that Lehmann got us. That Seaman in his day go us. That even Manninger got us. I think we should have bought Jaskelinen when we had the chance.
I've spoken about our likely line up in the beginning of the season but I think we'll see a different one, and maybe a different regular formation at some point. I think we'll see Vermaelen come in for Djourou and Eboue come in for Sagna with some rotation up front. We've got Valencia next and then Everton in the league. I think the game with Valencia will be a bit more competitive and involve more senior players, maybe Vela and Walcott.
Come on you Arsenal! Back tomorrow.
Highbury86
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