Arseblog season/squad preview 07-08

So another season is just about upon us and it's time to take stock of the squad we're likely to go into the first game with. There's still plenty of time before August 31st to bring in new players but I can't see anything happening before the Fulham game. Based on those players here's a review of the squad and some thoughts about the season ahead.

Keepers: Well, Jens will start as the number one but he's got competition now. Almunia looked pretty good pre-season and tellingly played far more than Fabianski so we can assume he's going to be the main deputy. It'll be interesting to see how long the young Pole takes to get himself into contention, remember he's been capped at full level by Poland and he won't exactly be happy at being 3rd choice at Arsenal and seeing his rivals selected ahead of him because they're playing first team football. I'm quite happy with the options we've got and I believe the pressure on Jens, especially with Euro2008 on the horizon, is very much a good thing.

Defence: I think we're strong at centre-half. Toure, Gallas, Senderos and Djourou gives us good options. There are concerns that the Kolo - Gallas partnership doesn't work and that we lack physical presence and aerial power in the centre.

Both Senderos and Djourou can provide that but both have their faults, which is only to be expected for young players. A young midfielder or forward learning his trade doesn't make mistakes so costly as a young player at the back. I'm sure Senderos, having come close to establishing himself during the CL run the season before, will be busting to have a better season and both of them have the other to compete with for first team football. I like that.

At right back we're chock-a-block. Sagna looks like he's going to be first choice but Eboue, Hoyte, Djourou and Flamini can all play there. On the other side we're looking for Gael Clichy to add to the attacking side of his game and maintain the good progress he's made with his defensive work. It's time for him to show that he's ready to push on and if he can provide a better final ball that'll add so much to his game and his effectiveness. Armand Traore is almost the opposite. He needs to be stronger at the back and work on his positioning when facing an opponent. At the moment he gets beaten too easily but again he's one you'll hope will progress.

Overall: We need to be stronger in the air and we need to make sure that we're a more stable unit than last year. As well as cutting out the annoying tendency to concede first the defence to provide the kind of base that allows us to attack better. Last season, no matter how well we were playing or how on top of the game we were, we were capable of conceding at any moment. That has to stop or we're going to have problems winning matches again. Still, I think there's good competition for places, good talent and we have to hope that the mistakes of last season have been learned from.

Midfield: We have a large collection of midfielders and on paper it doesn't look too bad. In the middle we have so many options. Cesc and Gilberto, of course. There's Denilson, Diaby, Flamini and Alex Song who appears to be part of things at this moment in time. That's 6 players and I can't possibly see the need for any more. Out of those you'd be looking for more goals from Cesc, same again in terms of leadership and example from Gilberto, steady progress from Denilson, Flamini as a handy squad player who will come in and give you 100% all the time and the odd goal and I'm not quite sure what to expect from Song. Perhaps he's just a late developer but even with his loan spell away he looks short of the required quality. As 6th choice he's probably ok but you just wonder would Wenger cash in to allow someone like Mark Randall to get closer to the first team squad and some Carling Cup time.

Abou Diaby is a player that now needs to show us what he's made of. He's got all the attributes needed. He can tackle, he's decent in the air, he's good on the ball and he is capable of driving us forward in the way no other midfielder since Vieira can. However, he does seem to have a tendency to let games pass him by. I really like him but this is a big season for him too.

It's wide where we have problems. It think it's fairly obvious that neither Rosicky or Hleb particularly like playing there. Hleb in particular showed in pre-season he's much more comfortable in a role just behind the striker but I'm not sure how often he's going to get to play there. Rosicky showed towards the end of last season that he was getting to grips with the left hand side a bit better but the question mark of injury hangs over him. He appears to have been given Michael Owen's hamstrings and this has never allowed him to get a good run of games together so his form has been stuttery. I don't think it's unfair to expect more from him this season both in terms of appearances and goals.

Emmanuel Eboue looks like he's going to spend more time in midfield than in defence, which is probably a good thing from the defensive point of view. Further up the field he's strong, quick, gets beyond defenders and is capable of getting a good ball in. I can't help thinking we need better quality than Eboue if we really want to challenge for the league but perhaps the competition for a place between him, Hleb and Theo Walcott will enable one of them, at least, to perform consistently. Theo is still very young and I think there's far too much expectation around him. I also don't really think he's a right winger and would probably do better as a striker where he can use his pace more. Still, I hope he can improve this season.

Overall: I think we need to sign a winger and I think we need it to be a left winger. I read somewhere that Sagna got 12 assists for Auxerre last season so obviously Arsene is looking at getting him to overlap as much as possible with whoever's playing right midfield and providing good balls into the box. It's hard to see where the contribution from the left is coming from at this stage so a good signing there could make a big difference.

As well as that the midfield in general needs to contribute more in the way of goalscoring. Rosicky, Hleb, Cesc and Diaby need to finish off their chances better this time around.

Forwards: Obviously Robin van Persie is the name on everybody's lips at the moment and he's certainly got the talent and ability to be a 20 goal striker, at least. He's still fiery but a bit older now and hopefully a bit more able to control the flashes of rage. We badly need him to be fit for the majority of the season and if he is I think he'll prove to be one of our most important players.

Adebayor is just as young, remember, and if he can keep up the same attitude and workrate as last season I think his game and his goal return will improve. Eduardo looks like a real poacher but the step up from Croatian football to the Premier League is a big one. I can't say I know what to expect from him but if we got 15 goals you'd have to think that was a reasonable return.

Nicklas Bendtner scored some goals in pre-season but by AW's own admission is still to 'raw' for Premiership Football. When you consider 17 old Theo is only other option up top you have to think we need a striker. Last season our options were Henry, van Persie, Adebayor, Baptista, Aliadiere. Now they're van Persie, Adebayor, Eduardo and Bendtner.

It's not exactly a forward line that's going to make too many boots quake across Europe. That's not to say these lads aren't up to the job but just that we're very, very short of options if we happen to lose a couple of to injury or suspension and we all know how easily that can happen.

As well as that Ade is more than likely off to the ACN in January (I'm sure whatever differences he has with the Togo national squad will be settled before a big tournament) so that's something else to bear in mind when you count up your personnel.

Overall: I think van Persie is going to be a superstar, I'm confident Adebayor can do better than last season, Eduardo certainly knows where the goal is but it's how quickly he adpats to English football and Bendtner gives us another kind of striker. However, we really do need another one, in my opinion.

I think the manager will be looking for the players to share the goals around more, to not be so reliant on one player to make the difference, as we became a little like that with Thierry Henry, so we don't need to try and find another Henry who can bang in 30 goals a season. We need someone who can definitely score 15-20. There's been talk of Anelka and Martins but you'd have to think those would have happened by now if there was anything in them. Despite the lack of immediate targets I can't believe there isn't someone out there who could come in and do the job required. Benny McCarthy? Roy Makaay? Not typical Wenger signings due to their age but experienced goalscorers who could make a real difference without the kind of shelf life to get in the way of the younger options. I dunno.

Summary: I thought pre-season was encouraging. The lads will be full of confidence having won two trophies and the spirit and togetherness on the pitch is easy to see, especially in comparison with last season. I think there are some wonderfully talented players in this squad and I think they are all hungry for success and trophies.

I also think the squad is just lacking a little bit in the kind of quality required for the big prizes. I think if we sign a winger and a striker we've got a really good chance of challenging. Either way, I can't see us finishing outside the top 4 and I like the way we're being written off in some quarters. Arsene has always loved that siege mentality and his teams have always performed under those kind of circumstances. So there's lots to be encouraged about but you just can't help feeling that another couple of canny additions to the squad would help them achieve things sooner rather than later.

From the fans point of view I think it's important that everybody starts the season with a clean slate. Yes, even him. And him. It's a brand new season, it's possibly the most exciting time of the year apart from Nude Christmas and let's try and remember football is there to be enjoyed and not always so relentlessly and minutely analysed.

Come on you reeeeeeeeeeeeds!