Arsenal’s big choice for the coming season. Who’s left on the left in attack? « Untold Arsenal: Arsenal News. 800,000 visits last month

By Walter Broeckx

This is part of a continuing series of articles on Arsenal in the new season: position by position.  Today, we move to the left hand side of the attack.

Last season the player that played most of the games on that position was our then new signing Gervinho. Joining us after winning the double in France he came at 24 years old.

Gervinho had 19 starts in his first season and he scored 4 goals. And if you look at some missed chances this should have been more. That is something he has to improve on. He gave 6 assists in the PL from which other team mates could score. I also would urge him to raise that number this season.

As it was his first season we can forgive him a few things. Well I can. I thought he started all right in the first games. He made a few great runs but the end product was not always there. That was a bit disappointing. Sometimes it looked as if his team mates didn’t know what they could expect. I hope they work on that a bit. I think the longer the season went on the better he became. And when he left for the ANC he looked good.

But back came another Gervinho. After missing the ultimate penalty kick for his country his confidence was broken. And it took him very long to recover from that.

Another player that was involved at the left side of attack was Andrey Arshavin. He mostly sat on the bench at the start of the season. When he came on it didn’t work for him. When he started it also didn’t work for him. Only 1 goal but also only 8 starts.

The lowest point came when some part of the fans started booing when he came on against Manchester United. I think that signalled the end of Arshavin. I do think that he as a Russian didn’t accepted to be treated like that. At whom it was aimed the booing I mean, doesn’t matter. I had the impression he felt it was aimed at him and that was very unfair for any Arsenal player to come on to the field and have to start with hear some fans booing. He then was loaned to his former club and won the league with them.

Another player starting on the left flank on occasion was Oxlade-Chamberlain. “What £15M for a kid?” was shouted by those who know better. Halfway the season they booed when the manager felt he had to be replaced to save his legs and his future. 6 starts for Oxlade-Chamberlain and 2 goals for him in the league.

So in total those 3 players had 34 starts and only 7 goals. In total this is not enough I feel for the left side of attack. So this has to improve. I’m sure that if Oxlade-Chamberlain gets ,ore starts he will score a lot of goals in the future and most of all will give a lot of assists also. He is still very young and when growing up he will become an even better version of Theo Walcott. Not the same speed maybe but much better skills. So sit back and enjoy watching him grow. I will anyway.

But it might be that Oxlade-Chamberlain will not play on the wing anymore. And I think Gervinho will have a lot of trouble to keep his place over there. Because watch out for Prinz Poldi aka Lukasz Podolski.

The youngest ever European football player to reach 100 caps for his country and not for some obscure country like Letland but for Germany, one of the top teams in Europe and the world in the past decade. He can play a few positions but he mainly plays or as the deepest striker or for Germany on the left hand side.

Some supporters are already out with their knifes ready to stick in his back at the first occasion. Some seem a bit too eager to point at the fact that the “failed” at Bayern Munich. I think if that is a fear he has chosen the right manager and the right club to put that straight. Henry was a big failure at Juventus, Patrick Vieira and Dennis Bergkamp were even bigger failures at Inter.

So I’m not that bothered that he “failed” at Bayern Munich. Maybe the system didn’t suit him, maybe he had a problem with the manager or with a team mate. All the more because he kept on producing for the German national team, even while being a “failure”.

So if Wenger wants to play him on the left hand side he will do his job. He will score and most of all: he is one of the best defending attackers you can get. A big (German) engine that keeps on running. He is not the one to let a team mate do the job on his own and I have seen him come back to help the defence on many occasions. So maybe he will not just bring something to the attack but also bring something to the balance in the team. The balance between attacking and defending.

I think a possible battle for the left hand side in attack between Gervinho and Podolski will bring the best from both of them. They will know that they will have to produce. Gervinho with his dazzling runs or Podolski with the German efficiency. Two different types of players but I’m glad they are wearing the Arsenal shirt.

————————-

If you think you know your Arsenal, think again.  Never before has one football book overturned so many myths and revealed so many forgotten and ignored truths.  Woolwich Arsenal: the club that changed history.

————————-