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Making the Arsenal

By Tony Attwood

OK, I know, Wilshere won’t be playing for Arsenal in September, but sometime in late October he will be ready for some experience, perhaps first as a sub and then as a starter in the games.

Which is great – but let us suppose (and of course it is a huge supposition) that we carry on with the good luck in injuries and don’t get many.  (Or maybe it is because, as Anne pointed out last season, things have changed.  Last year  certain players were being targeted for injury by a few opposition players, seemingly with the connivance of the ref, that tactic has come to an end).

So we have

 Mikel Arteta, Abou Diaby,

Santi Cazorla

all fit and continuing to work as an impressive unit.

Lurking around we have Aaron Ramsey and Francis Coquelin.  Now I know that there are lots of Ramsey haters among the AAA, and I know that Coquelin is still learning his trade as a young player, but I would bring these two into the reckoning because I do think Ramsey does have enormous potential, and he is learning not to take any notice of the AAA, and Coquelin although at an earlier stage, is the sort of player we need to have;  a player who can step in at a moment’s notice, in defence or midfield and who grows in confidence in every game.

But there is more.  Because we also have Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain who can do all sorts of things in all sorts of places.  We’ve seen him in central midfield as well as an attacking mid-fielder as well as a wide-man in the front line.

And it so happens that Frimpong is back as well, and although we might not be seeing him at the moment with such a strong midfield as getting a place, he is there, ready and willing and hopefully a little calmer than he was before he went to Wolverhampton.

As a diversion from all this we have the Alex Song saga.   Do you remember all the “Arsenal is a selling club” stuff from the AAA, and the “just like last season” and the “Arsenal are braced to lose yet another star player” and on and on.   Now suddenly the reason for losing Song is clear.   We had too many players for the positions.  If any of the rumours about Song not turning up on time, not following orders on the pitch and all that sort of thing are true, there’s another reason for flogging him.

Sadly for Alex, if he follows the Flamini Fallacy, things won’t be so good.  Certainly he did not start in the last Barca game, being an unused sub.  He has actually been on the field just once this season.

Barca are top of the league and for tomorrow’s match Eurosport has him predicted once again as being on the bench.  Incidentally in that last game against Getafe, Fabregas actually played all the way through the match.  I believe that is the first time that has happened in the league this season.  Maybe for the occasional player there is life after Arsenal – but if so, that is still the exception.

But maybe Alex Song likes benches.

Anyway, back to Arsenal’s problem with midfielders.

• Mikel Arteta,
• Abou Diaby,
• Santi Cazorla,
• Aaron Ramsey,
• Alex Oxlade Chamberlain,
• Jack Wilshere.

Not enough to choose from?  Add Rosicky in two weeks time.  Want an outside bet?  Andre Arshavin.  And a totally outside bet: Tomas Eisfeld.

So, it is yet another crisis time at Arsenal.  Yet another total balls-up by the incompetent manager Wenger at the selling club Arsenal, doomed forever to die in the shadows.

And the problem?

We’ve just got far too many midfield players.

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