If The Arsenal make it through the Champions League qualifying matches they are guaranteed to play 48 matches of competitive football this season. Reasonable form and a bit of luck with Cup draws would see that up to about 54 games. That’s a lot of football – and when every game matters and is keenly contested it puts a lot of pressure on the squad.
At times matches come thick and fast: August alone is pretty congested.
Charity Shield against City.
Crystal Palace (h).
CL Qualifier.
Everton (A).
CL Qualifier.
Leicester (A).
Six games in three weeks, all of them important and one involving a trip overseas.
There will be time enough to analyse each of those games, but for now I think it’s fair to suggest it’s unlikely the same players will feature each time, as tactical requirements, injuries, possible suspensions and simple rotation will all play their part in selection, as indeed will be the current form of each player. Substitutions, both tactical and forced will also come into play, so as we are constantly reminded (when pundits want to put us down) squad depth is as important as the starting XI if realistic title challenges are to be considered. If you were setting the spread on the amount of players who’d kick a ball in anger in those August matches you’d probably set it 15 to 17 -and I think I’d be a buyer in that market.
Which is why all the talk about who’ll make the best XI, while a great topic over a couple of pints, ever so slightly misses the point.
There is more than a hint of hypocrisy in the air too, as many who spent last season saying that Arsenal had no chance of winning the title because of lack of depth and the unwillingness of the manager to rotate are now only too ready to consign Jack Wilshere and Santi Cazorla to the scrap heap.
Jack interests me because his situation can be used both ways by the Arsenal haters outside the club and the Arsene haters among the fan base. This is how it goes: “when we sign (let’s say Khedira for argument’s sake) Jack won’t make the team, and this proves he isn’t really top quality and this is because he was over-rated by AW, or not developed by AW, or AW has caused him to have so many injuries.” Or, alternatively, “when we sign Khedira Jack won’t make the team and this is a classic example of a foreign manager acting against the interests of the national side.” Either way, it is Arsenal and Arsene’s fault and the disappointing thing to me is that I don’t hear this comment: “When we sign Khedira, it will be excellent because at various times during the season (and perhaps even at various times during the same match) Khedira will play alongside Jack, and he will play alongside Ramsey, and this will take the pressure of all three of them and they will benefit and learn from each other. “ How many games is it realistic to hope a player starts in – 30, 35, 40? Not much more than that I think, and there will be plenty of opportunity for Jack and Aaron whoever else is signed.
The role of the substitute in the modern game is also interesting, and is worth a brief mention. I am guessing that statistics suggest that the optimum time for a tactical substitution is around 65 minutes on the basis that there is less time for injuries across the field to occur (at least one player needs to be kept for emergency) but enough time for the substitution to have an effect on the course of the game. If used efficiently it can either give a sense of the cavalry coming to relieve a beleaguered situation or of a coup de grace being delivered when the opposition has been softened up and just needs to be dispatched with a killer blow. Both of these scenarios were in evidence in the recent Cup Final, and it almost felt like bullying when Jack and Tomas injected match-winning pace in the closing stages.
I am not suggesting players be only used as substitutes because few would be happy with just that role, but do feel that any talk of squad composition should bear substitutions in mind. A clever manager will make his players very aware of why they are on the bench and will have rehearsed the various scenarios when they might be called upon to make a contribution. I like the thought of a fully fit Podolski coming on with 20 minutes to go, scoring a goal, starting the next match and then perhaps making way for Campbell after 65 minutes. It is never as simple as that of course but it illustrates a general point.
There was dismay among the Twitter ranks yesterday as various speculations became hard fact among the doubters.
First of all came the news that Thomas Eisfeld had left the club to join Fulham, and this was seen by many as an act of gross stupidity on behalf of the club. Despite not many having seen him play that much, he had become a something of a fan’s favourite, and he did have a magnificent match against Reading in the astonishing game two seasons ago. But he was older than many thought (21) and was increasingly unlikely to make a breakthrough into our first team. I suspect it will be a good move for him and for Fulham and I hope it works out.
Hot on the heels came an article by John Cross in which he speculated that both Wilshere and Diaby could play a holding role and that therefore the search for another midfielder was not absolutely essential. Of course any mention of Diaby is likely to get certain supporters incensed (I always see him as human litmus paper, there to reveal a fan’s true allegiance – the acid test, if you like), but I was a little disappointed to see so many come out so strongly against Jack, especially as some had been railing against the decision to transfer Eisfeld only hours earlier. And so mischievously I thought of the following scenario, which while unlikely has some logic behind it, and wondered what the reaction would be.
Liverpool are in the process of building a new side, and under Brendan Rodgers are very much a work in progress. It is no doubt heresy to say this on an Arsenal blog, but I think he is a good manager and it amuses me that my local club, Reading FC, let him go because they simply didn’t understand what he was trying to do. Rodgers knows he will need to replace Gerrard soon (and England need to replace him immediately). Fuelled by paper talk and awareness of fan disaffection expressed through social media he senses that Wilshere would be willing to leave Arsenal and take over that holding role at Anfield. And if that were to happen, would the Arsenal fans still be saying that Wilshere couldn’t play anymore, or that he needed to do this or that if he were ever to play the deeper role, or would they realise that they had yet again contributed to a great player deciding to leave The Emirates behind ?
You see, Jack is good enough to play in a variety of midfield roles, just as all of our players are: of course he could be a DM, or a B2B, or an AM, or a WM, or a faux 9, because he regularly takes up all of those positions, and several more besides that as yet haven’t been given names, in most of the games he plays. It is The Arsenal way for players to switch positions, and that is one of the joys of following the team.
So with regard to transfers I think we are in the privileged position of not needing to sign anyone new (apart from a reserve GK), because with even average luck with injuries we have enough players to rotate successfully throughout the whole 54 game season. But we also have the money (quite a lot of money, actually) to be able to add to that highly-talented squad should the right top quality players become available. And if we do add a Pogba or a Cavani, then who knows we might just be looking at a 60 game season, which would see all of our very best players more than happily occupied, and perhaps even bring a smile to those fans who apparently have already forgotten we have signed Alexis Sanchez.
Today’s piece was by @foreverheady .Thanks Tim.
Positively Arsenal 
Morgan Schneiderlin is gathering pace.
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What a breath of fresh air well written. No one ever gives us any hope and a few of the Richard Cranium’s we have as so called fans always make the most noise; I really wonder if its just for hits on the blogs.
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thank FH
jc can say or write whatever he likes. and the fans can choose to believe jc for all i care, but i can bet that the guy doesnt know shit about what wenger’s plans are. wenger has been quoted severally, saying wilshere will likely end up a deep lying midfielder. but that does not translate to a defensive midfielder or holding midfielder. the purchase of someone like khedira can only fast-track the plan rather than hinders it. when i think of a deep lying midfielder, i think of pirlo. and he is not a holding midfielder in my book, niether does it stops pogba and vidal from starting most games.
so, as far as i’m concerned, jc’s article is mischievous at best.
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I would like to believe that I could write such sensible piece. Many thanks FH
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on twitter you mean george?
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I could be wrong but I thought that is was fairly obvious that Wilshere was Stevie Me’s cover in the WC for England. That is where uncle Roy sees him playing. After Arsene told him!
I wrote at the time I didn’t agree simply because of the lack of quality midfielders for England, they needed him further up the field in my humble opinion. I mean, Bartley plays like Sturridge three seasons ago, like a selfish immature idiot. He needs the games, no way he was ready to play. Far too greedy and stupid to be a consistent ‘playmaker’ at the moment.
I suppose if LJW is gonna do a Schweinsteiger better sooner rather then later? No idea.
I’m just looking forward to seeing the uber squad in action. As Jogi showed the world during the World Cup rotatation is fairly important these days!
I wasn’t so keen the Sputhampton midfielder, he’s not the quickest *coughs*. But I have always enjoyed the pronounciation of the names of top top CMs. Dunga (the Barry Davies version), Gilberto Silva, Paddy Viera, Emmanuel not so Petit, the original one and only D**Mer Makelelelelelele, Schweiny, and so many others. Schneiderlin is not bad.
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Break the bank for Pogba, please. Best footballer after Messi.
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Old timer
“I really wonder if it’s just for the hits”
Easy money.
Those that don’t groan for the hits and “are against modern football” as the phrase goes and have unwisely chosen to take out that ire upon one of the most respected coaches in the game, who consistently shows more then most others in his position his undeniable love for the game, who winds up agents and oligarchs for fun, well, they are even worse!
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It is good to see the warm weather has not fried your brain FH.
One strange thing about the interminable debate on who is a good player i.e. “fit to wear the shirt” in the phrasing of the Groaners and who is not, is the necessity that he MUST be an automatic first team regular. He must somehow nail down a position every single game. If not well …… ! the player is dismissed as inadequate, a failure, deadwood and the Groaners clamour for some new exotic replacement, the more expensive the better. Jack is a current victim, and Mikel, Aaron used to be a constant target.
The difficulty with this simplistic view is WE DO NOT HAVE A FIRST ELEVEN SIDE – It does not exist.
There I said it.
We have a squad of very talented footballers who Arsene will bring in and leave out as he sees most advantageous for the upcoming game to be won. It is not just a matter of fitness and energy but of the technical skills required to dismantle an opponent. Some matches require handbrake on, others no handbrake at all. That a player is not the first chosen on the team list for the game at Stamford Bridge does not mean they will not be picked and perform just as valuable a job at home to Burnley, and vice versa.
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E.g.
I’ve written the past of my respect for some at AFTV.
If their mission was to give a voice to the fans that you don’t see on the twenty four hour football news cycle, which they did do to a degree, then why are they interviewing that corpse hacking media monster The Moron? Absolutely uncredible. A tragic state if affairs. They blew it!
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Yes on Twitter Layksite
LB , well that an opinion at best
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Yeah “Paul Pogba” is a good ‘un. I would not object.
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Finsbury,
For the uninitiated in AFTV, could you reveal the real name of the corpse hacking media monster aka The Moron.
(I think I would like to avoid him).
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Piers The Parasitic Moron.
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They could interview Paul Davies. Follow. On that scoop last season that GG benched him for two years.
They could interview, I dunno, the lovely old oirish family that now have a pie restaurant near the ground and discuss the connections between Eire and the Arsenal.
Anything.
But no. They chose to interview a twat of many faces. So that he would re-tweet them. *facepalm*
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roy tried to use gerrard to play the pirlo role for england at the world cup but he failed because he clearly doesnt have the skill set. everything credited to gerrard and henderson last year was all because of the genius of suarez and to some extent coutinho. i wait for them both to repeat the feat this season.
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Sorry, FH, I should have said immediately what an excellent Post that is.
On a very small matter, you say that you were amused that Reading let Rodgers go because they did not understand what he was trying to do. But isn’t it the case he was taking them into relegation trouble after 6 months in charge?
I also recall that before joining Reading, he left Watford after 7 months, breaking his contract and causing a great deal of ill feeling because he baled on them mid-season to take a ‘better job’ at a bigger club?
After he joined Swansea, he eventually left them too, in mid-contract, for a ‘better job’ at a bigger club?
There’s a repetitive theme in there – and he seems to be out for No.1, with ‘better job’ and ‘bigger club’ being his raison d’ être.
OK, I admit it — on top of that – I don’t like him. [smiley whatnot].
Anyway, that’s largely irrelevant – just had to redress the balance, but I have no doubt that every EPL club would want our Jack – whether he would want any of them is doubtful – but then look at what Fabregas did.
Again, that was a lovely Post. Thank you.
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Ah.
Thank you Finsbury. He is a twat indeed.
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PG,
You said, “Morgan Schneiderlin is gathering pace”, well I saw him play 3 or 4 times last season, and he certainly needs to.
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We have seen in CM (first name is notional D**M, second is more box to boxish):
Arteta – Ramsey
Arteta – Flamini
Flamini – Ramsey
Rambo – Rosický (Early game last year against Fulham, a personal favourite, I think they were with Wilshere. Phwaor. Martin Jol could only praise the Arsenal midfield. I hope Arsene is reading).
Arteta – Wilshere
Rambo – Wilshere (at the moment my least favourite, only because I feel that Wilshere needed more games. But after a steady pre-season and training at the WC he could be well set for it?).
The Ox – Rambo (the infamous “1-1” at Newcastle where he came on early for the injured skipper. They still had Cabaye etc. fair to say that Chambo wasn’t playing against training cones. After that warm up he then went on to destroy Spurs new dodgy Brazilian in that summer, waltzing past him and three others from CM to score a better goal then any other England player in Brazil could manage these past twelve months).
Arteta – Diaby (What. A. Performance. Only ten games like that from Abou this season and we’ll be laughing!).
Probably a few combinations that could happen.
The Flame – Diaby
Diaby – Ramsey (starts to tremble with excitement)
Diaby – Wilshere
Wilshere – Chamberlain or is it Chamberlain – Wilshere ?
Ramsey – Chamberlain or is it Chamberlain – Ramsey ?
Anyone – Rosický. Please Arsene. Please.
Gnabry? More of a striker with the U21s I think.
Probably missed a few others. Yeah I did! We definitely saw a few games where Saint Cazorla sneaked his way back into CM, the cheeky bugger! There may have been others.
It’s not bad, is it?
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Haha , look at what some thick cunt just tried to post.Talk about shit for brains?
“Wilshere is a waste of space. A hyped up Englishman who has been rubbish for Arsenal and England.
He’d be better off selling cigarettes at the Emirates.
Some of you bloggers define “drivel”.”
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Obviously a bitter Jock bored with the Commonwealth Games
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Oi Jock – Parliamo Glesca ?
“Watch an no fa doon that open cunndy”.
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“AA 13m
There is also no need to call a fellow Arsenal fan a ‘cunt’ just because he just does not agree with me or you.”
I didn’t ,I called him a “thick cunt” which he clearly is.
And since when did being a so called Arsenal fan exempt someone from being categorized a cunt ? They are not mutually exclusive.
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“AA just now
I suppose I have been censored as well for speaking up.”
No, it was for speaking up on behalf of a thick cunt.
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“It doesn’t however calling a fellow fan a thick cunt shows a lack of respect.”
AA , I have no respect for someone as stupid as him.
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BTW, AA if you want to engage me do so on twitter @Blackburngeorge or the Author who is @foreverheady.
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So there is still sanity and common sense still left amongst Arsenal bloggers. Thanks FH for restoring my faith. If you think I am exagerrating just take a gander and read the absolute garbage Peter Wood seved up today to the imbeciles who flock to his site. Speak of another “thick cunt” among the Arsenal-sphere.
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The hate stupid fans give to Jack is unbearable and makes me want to punch them. He is a quality player who has been plagued by injury. People need to give him a chance.
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Hello Jason, have you seen the manager’s comments on Ramsey. They echo your sentiments! *coughs* I may have added a little text:
Towards the end of the 2012/13 campaign, Ramsey was criticised by some fans, but a timely meeting with Wenger put him back on track.
You have to do basics, basics, basics, and then slowly you get into the zone where it becomes easier
“He went through a bad patch, and I couldn’t play him any more at Emirates Stadium, (because some of our fans are thick cunts easily led by some nasty idiots who may or may not have an interest in obtaining a spot into the board, which would explain why they know sweet FA about about the footy, just like the FA then),” explained Wenger, speaking at an Emirates Business Breakfast in New York.
“I sat down with Aaron and I told him, ‘I don’t think people don’t like you, but they don’t like your game at the moment’. It was in his hands to change that.
“He had to come back to a more simple game. When you go through a bad patch in life you always go back to the basics. In football you slowly get confidence back and then you play naturally again.
“The problem is that if you play a great shot in golf or tennis, when you go to your next game you want to play the same shot again. But it doesn’t work like that. You have to do basics, basics, basics, and then slowly you get into the zone where it becomes easier.
“You have to get back to basics to gain confidence. Aaron accepted that, he did it and he gained confidence again. Then you saw a different player, because he is intelligent, and when I came out of the meeting I knew this guy would come back.
“Aaron listened and he realised he had to change his game. That’s why he came back.”
“…you slowly get the confidence back…” Not just in football. Any doubters out there have a butchers at A.Cook, England cricket captain and the only England batsmen who made it at test level at the age of 20/21 for a long long time. Have a look at the Wigan and Hull games. The biggest expose of these consistently disingenuous self-declared experts and their hangers on is there glaring inability to acknowledge such things.
It’s obvious!
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It’s why they were incapable of understanding or admitting to why it would take a season out two, if lucky, to rebuild after blowing up the squad built around the f Word after he F’d off. Job well done. Except most of these self-declared experts failed to even acknowledge what the job was at the time. Which was odd.
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This post lacks logic at times and some of the views expressed by the writer are just so wrong, in my opinion. I’ll explain why.
The author said:
‘You see, Jack is good enough to play in a variety of midfield roles, just as all of our players are: of course he could be a DM, or a B2B, or an AM, or a WM, or a faux 9, because he regularly takes up all of those positions, and several more besides that as yet haven’t been given names, in most of the games he plays. It is The Arsenal way for players to switch positions, and that is one of the joys of following the team.’
Wilshere can play those positions but can he play them in all of them positions very well, no. Wilshere certainly cannot play as a false 9 as he lacks the attributes forwards have to play this role. A false 9 has to do the jobs of a striker and of a no.10. He does not have the finishing ability (long shots and poacher instincts), the attacking positionig to get himself into goal scoring positions etc, to excel in this role. His best positions are CM and AM. He can also play in DM role but will not effective in this role against the better sides unless he paired with a destroyer in the double DM pivot.
Playing Wilshere next to Ramsey (our main starter in one of the DM positions) would be a disaster. Wilshere lacks the necessary attributes needed to compliment Ramsey in midfield like strength, tackling ability, defensive positioning, the ability to read the game from a defensive perspective etc, but most importantly he lacks Presence! Our midfield would get over run and overpowered against the best opposition. A Ramsey and Wilshere combo for the double DM pivot might work against some the smaller teams but not against the big teams, which we need to beat in order to win the league.
That is why we desperately need to sign a new player for the DM role. Someone like Khedira who can compliment Ramsey. Flamini has Presence with a small p but is not mentally disciplined enough to be the beast of a DM we need. He also does not have the attributes that the top midfielders who play in the double DM pivot have like Yaya Toure etc, or least in the same amount. For instance he is not strong enough and doesn’t really boss the midfield. As for Arteta, he is good at keeping possession of the ball but lacks the pace and strength to really excel in his role next to Ramsey. He often gets bullied by opposing players and left trying to chase back attackers when we have been hit on the counter which he is too slow to often do. He also cannot cover for Mertesacker and our fullbalcks when they get caught up field.
Finally you said:
‘So with regard to transfers I think we are in the privileged position of not needing to sign anyone new (apart from a reserve GK), because with even average luck with injuries we have enough players to rotate successfully throughout the whole 54 game season. But we also have the money (quite a lot of money, actually) to be able to add to that highly-talented squad should the right top quality players become available. And if we do add a Pogba or a Cavani, then who knows we might just be looking at a 60 game season, which would see all of our very best players more than happily occupied, and perhaps even bring a smile to those fans who apparently have already forgotten we have signed Alexis Sanchez.’
You could not be more wrong. We do not have enough players to successfully rotate our squad through an entire season of being in four competitions (EPL, CL, League Cup and FA Cup). We still need to reinforce the CB area of our squad. We need to have four CBs. So Wenger still needs to buy at least one CB and another one if Vermaelen leaves. We still need a top quality DM as explained above.
You then go on about the possibility of signing players like Cavanil or Pogba. Are you dreaming? The wages Cavani is on are insane (well over £200k a week), to sign him and match his wages demands would mean smashing our current wage structure and would send ripples throughout the entire wage structureat AFC. All of our top players like Ozil, Walcott, Sanchez etc, would want their wages increased. Buying Cavani would have a negative impact on our squad.Wenger will never spend £60 million (the price being floated around for Pogba) on one player, let alone a young prospect like Pogba, so you can keep dreaming.
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The author then said*
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I can’t recall a single uber blogger using the words “rebuild” in that period. Perhaps they thought the Tottenham method of turning over everything in window was the course for the wise. In fact, remembering the frenzy that they helped to feed last summer, it was exactly what they thought. The opposite of what is best practice in such circumstances. Ooops.
I think I’ll pay no heed to what they have to say about Jack Wilshere. I’d recommend that to everyone.
When they get upset with the James Rodriguez (see Brazil vs Columbia) type hacking he receives in every other game (yes he has been running into fouls or falling over but that will stop. It is what it is. Hacking.) then I may consider reading their comments.
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Jason Jason – do stop going on about the DM position
You are out of date – no such position – very mid Noughties
Used to be admittedly
But even then AW was not interested in signing one
He is interested in flexible, talented midfield players – look at our present complement and tell me I am wrong ?
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Anicoll5, outdated loooool.
DM refers to the position on the pitch. That position is a very important part of the 4-2-3-1 position and of other formations. There are four types of players who play in the DM position. The regista, the volante, the destroyer and the box to box midfielder. The destroyer is seen to be outdated by some people but the rest are very often used on modern football.
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I am sorry mate but you are wrong. Even destroyers are still commonly used in modern football. The likes of De Jong, Barry (when he was good), Mascherano (when he plays in the DM position) have all been used in the last few years in the DM position and have been very important to their team’s success.
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Saying the notion of having a destroyer in your team is outdated is like saying the notion of having a traditional number 9 like Giroud or Mandzukic is outdated.
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I don’t follow you Jason
In your first message you say DM is a position on the pitch – I don’t agree but at least I understand your description
In your second message you discuss the “destroyer” and appear to describe a players or players who you say play all over the pitch – ‘ destroying’ presumably even lobbing the generally employed as a midget centre back Mascherano as evidence !
You see what I am unclear about is a) is DM a position ?
Or b) is DM a function ?
And irrespective of a) or b) have you ever known Arsene to show the slightest interest in signing one ?
The third message says Giroud is a traditional number 9 – Traditional in what sense – Tall dyamean ?
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The notion of Arsene wasting a shirt number on the likes of John Obi Mikel
(Slaps thigh hard while holding sides)
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Good trick Jason. So I’ll pretend not to have noticed.
Arsene stated categorically that the roll of a DM is a thing of the past.
Jack got Player of The Year while playing deeper.
Here ,:-
“The time Arsène said Jack would play as a deep midfielder in front of the defence…
http://www.arsenal.com/askarsene ”
So unless you know better than the great man himself ? Well? do you?
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The number of people who simply regurgitate the old thinking, gives us an idea who innovators are so well paid.
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Jason,
I don’t want to critise you for having a preference. I like quick players! For some reason, I don’t really know why. Probably because I know nothing.
Verratti writes the D**M for PSG
Alonso has cbeen doing his thing at Real Madrid.
Juve have a nice midfield, for the moment. Vidal, Pogba, Pirlo I think? I don’t know how Juve play, but I can’t really call any of those players a “destroyer”. They can play.
Munchen had Martinez but he was relegated to the bench this year, which didn’t make sense. Probably the closest thing at a top club to a “destroyer” and unlucky not to be playing for Spain ahead of out of form players at the World Cup. Thing is, he can play! Not a “destroyer” like de Jong for me because he can do crazy things like pass the ball. A bit like:
Busquet’s at Broke & Bungtastic Barcelona, although I’d say he hasn’t been in the best of form of late. Still, he’s like, the master of this role, whatever it is.
United won a dubious and dodgy title with Carrick and no one else in the midfield apart from Ryan Giggs’ zimmer frame.
And the list goes on.
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Schweini is a ‘destroyer’ – a great big fucking panzer that runs all over the pitch, passes, tackles, shoots – 6 yard box to 6 yard box
I want one
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DM is the position on the pitch.
Destroyer, Volante, Regista and the box to box midfielder are roles.
The role of the destroyer is to sit in front of the back four, shielding the back four while breaking up play by using his strength and tackling ability.
Giroud holds the ball and relies on his physicality. Wenger himself has pretty much said that Giroud is a traditional number 9 and could have played in the EPL 20 years ago.
Pedantic, no Wenger said the role of the destroyer was outdated and finished. He said DM as that is what people wrongly say when referring to the traditional destroyer.
Besides it doesn’t really matter what Arsene thinks. He is one coach. He does not say what goes and what doesn’t in football. Other coaches like Van Gaal and Simone as well as Mourinho have proved him wrong by using destroyers in their teams recently.
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Tim Sherwood had that Brazilian chap? Well two actually
The one who luckily did not go to the World Cup
And Paulinho
Tip of my tongue tip of my tongue
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I don’t have a preference as long as the midfielder signed top quality and can compliment our other midfielders like Ramsey and Wilshere.
Question to George, does Wenger know more than some of the top tacticians on football like Van Gaal and Mourinho? Probably not as Wenger is a technical manager. He doesn’t really believe in tactics, roles etc.
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“He doesn’t really believe in tactics, roles etc”.
Fuck my old boots
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Now THAT is a tricky one Jason
As an ecumenical matter it is one for George I believe
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Ah – I was a little slow there
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