Friday, August 12th, 2011 « Untold Arsenal: Arsenal News. Supporting the Lord Wenger; coach of the decade

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By Phil Gregory

So it’s a new season but the story is very much the same as what has gone before: a smattering of injuries, and a “will they, won’t they” around Cesc and an attacking midfielder. Such is the life of an Arsenal fan, but we’re a courageous lot, we’ll put up with our cracking football and financial stability and plug away in the title race once again.

In an entirely unrelated note, Arsène is looking very dapper in his Arsenal anniversary shirt. The bigger talking point however, is the ongoing saga around both Nasri and Fabregas. The first thing to bear in mind with these situations is that we know very little, and have to rely on what is said to the media, which in itself could be smoke and mirrors.

Nasri featured in pre-season, unlike Fabregas, but due to the nature of the latter’s injury that dogged him most of the season it wouldn’t surprise me if he genuinely was recovering. If that is the case, the biggest concern must be his fitness for the upcoming season: even if last season’s injury problem is sorted, the lack of a pre-season will leave him at risk of the minor muscle pulls and tweaks that we know all too well he is vulnerable to.

Nasri on the other hand seemed more of a clear cut case until the last few days. Originally, it was “he will not leave this summer, even if he goes on a free next year” but with apparently City upping their interest to £23m, Nasri is not in the squad for Newcastle despite playing over a half for France in midweek.   He could be ill as stated, but to me it doesn’t look positive.

At £23m, City are overpaying: £23m with one year on his contract, what is he worth with four years left? You’re getting into £50m, “best player in the world” territory and while Nasri is a dangerous player, that is an exaggeration. With £23m pocketed, I feel confident Wenger could replace him with a player of similar ability, capable of slotting into the first team fairly easily, with just the usual integration and adaption issues to work through but a long term deal to show for it.

The key issue here though is one of value. We all know Wenger looks for value in the market, and I think he is lambasted for it when he should be lauded, though that is a debate for another time.

The fact is that any club that Wenger approaches will know he is over the barrel of a gun. If £20m is quoted for someone like Hazard, I feel Wenger would have to pay it, whether or not he feels the player is quite worth £20m.

Normally I would be against this overpaying as if you do it once, in the future you have a weaker bargaining position – the selling club know that you have a precedent of caving in, so dig their heels in. Here though, I feel some lip service needs to be paid to the fans (a course of action I again disagree with) and a signing would be needed to improve the frankly dire atmosphere at the Emirates stadium on match days and more importantly, instill some positivity into the dressing room.

Such a signing could bolster morale and turn a negative situation into a positive. Even though the course of action taken (overpaying, bending to the fans a little) is something I’m completely opposed to, if Arsenal were to lose our two most creative players and not replace them we’d be looking at another 08-09 season, which wouldn’t be evidence of the club constantly moving forward.

Anyway, enough on the transfer saga, let’s move on to the Newcastle game. We all know what (who) happened there last season , so I’m quite keen to know who the referee is this season. No doubt our resident referee analyst will have all the info and numbers for us to digest. Wenger said that “we conceded two penalties in very special circumstances” which is an interesting way of putting it, to say the least.

(Note from the Editor – Dogface and I have been desperately trying to find out who the ref is.  It looks as if the EPL is deliberately holding back on this information.  Maybe they are more afraid of what we were doing last season than we imagined – Tony)

Anyway, back to where I started, injuries. Jack Wilshere is in a protective boot which is a worrying sign for an injury that seemed minor. Hopefully it’s purely precautionary: Wenger said in the press conference that it is a short term one, so fingers crossed.

Diaby is expected back in September, and will offer welcome depth to our midfield. Everybody else is described as more or less match fit, with key names such as Walcott, Van Persie and Vermaelen back. Kieran Gibbs too is fit, and I hope he stays that way this season as he could establish himself as Arsenal and England’s first choice left back if he fulfils some undoubted promise. Remaining fit is surely key for the young man and indeed Arsenal this season.

Szcznesy

Sagna Koscielny Vermaelen Gibbs

Song

Ramsey Rosicky

Walcott Van Persie Gervinho

Once Fabregas is removed from the midfield equation and Denilson’s loan is taken into account, we find ourselves short of numbers in the middle of the park. While Diaby is expected back soon, the talented Frenchman’s fitness can never be taken for granted, especially without a pre-season behind him this year. Rosicky is an able and experienced stand-in – I much prefer him in central midfield to further forward, on the flanks – but the drop in quality is there. The Czech international however is someone the fans seem to have turned on in recent times, so it could be an opportunity for him to remind them of his quality.

Szcznesy is surely going to remain as number 1 until Fabianski gets an opportunity to stake an alternative claim, which is a very healthy state of affairs. I’m hugely keen to see the central defensive partnership of Vermaelen and Koscielny. The former fits the role of our Vidic (he comes from Serbia, he’ll f*****g murder ya, goes the chant, though exceptions are made when he is marking you in the recent  Community Shield, of course!) in our defence whilst I hugely rate the intelligence of Koscielny’s play, the young Frenchman is ideal to tidy up behind our angry Belgian. Gibbs and Sagna are the likely fullbacks.

Song holds the midfield, with Ramsey and Rosicky in front. Gervinho comes in for Nasri on the left, with Walcott on the opposite flank and Van Persie through the middle. This evening, every Gooner should unite and say a small prayer for the continued fitness of Van Persie (I’m only half kidding…). The Dutchman is, for my money, the best striker in the Premier League and he’ll show it this year if given a fully fit season to rack up the goals and assists.

We’re already at a million words so I’ll be brief now. Newcastle seem largely in disarray, though they probably say the same about us. Half the squad were barred from the USA for their tour, and they seem to have sold or are trying to sell all of their best players. I don’t think that they’ve got a leftback now either, so you can only imagine what the spirit is like in the dressing room.

Arsenal are depleted, but we have enough to get a good result. Three points is the best remedy to an uncertain  pre-season and I’m travelling up to the game so woe betide any away fans who aren’t behind the team!

Newcastle v Arsenal is the repeat of our very first ever league match.  Read the match report and player details here

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