Season Review, Keepers & Defence

by Block19er on May 17, 2012

It that’s time of the year where we all pause and reflect, I spoke to a couple of NEW season ticket holders today, and they are all positive for 12/13 and the arrival of Podolski. Excited to see him play and praying he’ll partner RVP!

Thought I’d give you my thoughts on the squad as I see it.

Goalkeepers:- Arise Sir Wojciech Szczesny, love the guy, great character, years at the top ahead of him, and you can see Wenger’s view on him, playing him for weeks at the end of the season with injuries. That also shows you what Wenger thinks of the rest, Almunia and Fabianski are well on my chop list. Mannone managed to embarrass himself on his only appearance of the season. All 3 need to go. A keeper with more experience is needed to, work with Chesney and give him the experience, aswell as providing realistic cover.

Clear out:- Almunia, Fabianski, and Mannone
Get in:- Experienced Keeper, Jussi Jaaskelainen, Craig Gordon, or how about Marton Fulop?

Defence:- The back four on paper is great, Bacary Sagna, Thomas Vermaelen, Laurent Koscielny, and one of Kieran Gibbs or Andre Santos. The trouble is those options were available, especially in recent weeks, and they’ve still flopped. Koscielny has been immense and Vermaelen is a top class defender. Sagna has it all too. Perhaps the left is slightly weaker defensively but they give a great option going forward. Hopefully if they can go into the season fit they can get some rhythm and forge great partnerships. Defensively we seem to be nieve and I’m not sure how we can combat it, rumours of NO defensive training seem farcicle, and hopefully Steve Bould is allowed to stamp his type of defending onto the back four.

Mertesacker still needs to prove himself for me to call him a real first pick centre half. He is slow on the turn and against the very best or the very quick I think he will be found wanting. His professional nature and experience though will see him through and I think he’ll be good first cover for TV5 and LK6.

The other senior defenders, Djourou and Squillaci, they have been a joke! Luckily Squillaci has been away from the team and only really played in the Carling Cup. For me both need to go!

The younger lads, Jenkinson has been excellent, rocky at the back, but experience will see him right. He has great pace, great determination, and you can see he is one of us. Ignasi Miquel looks the real deal. Really like him and if we can’t buy a centre back I’d rather see him in as fourth pick that the other two numpties. Nico Yennaris has also made a break through at right back, again I’d rather see him get the chance than Djourou treading water out there. I think the kid has a great future!

Clear out:- Djourou and Squillaci
Get In:- A centre back, maybe a punt on Steven Caulker or Angelo Ogbonna, or revisit the Jagielka link!

More on our midfield and forwards tomorrow, today the press are making as much of they can out of the Wenger/RvP meeting and the silences that has followed it. The bollox they come out with hey? RVP talks crisis, Van Persie’s Arsenal future hangs in the balance as talks end in deadlock, outgunned!, ‘Ambivalent’ Van Persie’s contract talks with Arsenal break down, PURE SPECULATION! Don’t believe it!

Young jack is also to go under the knife again this week, this time on his knee, sorting out one of those niggles, but apparently he is still on target for 9th July when the squad get back together. The team as it stands already excites me for next season, if fully fit, and midfield three of Wilshere, Song, and Arteta, it could destroy a lot of teams. Get well soon Jack!

Wilshere has been fighting Arsenal’s corner as Talkshite tried to dull down yet more of Wenger’s achievements, calling The Invincibles just another team, this was after Arsenal’s unbeaten title-winning team were voted as the Best Team in the Premier League’s 20 Seasons Awards. The fact of it is, Cit£h won’t do it, you can think they will all you like but they won’t, that shows you how good these boys were. This Durham guy is a joke, giving him air time is what he wants, but can you imagine being a puppet for a radio producer, arguing to a script every day, poor lad, one day he’ll get his own voice!!

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11/12 SEASON GOALS

Van Persie 37

Walcott 11

Arteta 6

Vermaelen 6

Benayoun 6

Gervinho 4

Chamberlain 4

Ramsey 3

Henry 3

Santos 3

Koscielny 3

Arshavin 2

Rosicky 2

Gibbs 2

Chamakh 1

Song 1

Ju 1

Sagna 1

11/12 SEASON ASSISTS

Van Persie 17

Walcott 15

Song 15

Gervinho 7

Ramsey 6

Sagna 5

Arshavin 4

Rosicky 4

Chamberlain 4

Benayoun 3

Arteta 3

Jenkinson 2

Vermaelen 2

Chamakh 2

Koscielny 2

Ozyakup 1

Terry 1

Djourou 1

Coquelin 1

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