Premier League: The Defensive Options for Arsenal and Manager Arsene Wenger
Last season, one of the major problems for Arsenal was the lack of defenders in their squad. A season ending injury to Johan Djourou, and troubles with Philippe Senderos and William Gallas, saw Arsenal short of defensive options in their side. Due to the lack of depth in their defence, Arsenal was humiliated by the big teams, especially Chelsea. Even Mikael Silvestre of France proved to be quite an average player for the Gunners. Therefore, Arsenal did not pose any threat to the title last season, as it was hard for them to win their matches away from home in the absence of quality at the back.
Things have not improved for Arsenal this season; rather, they have further deteriorated. Philippe Senderos left the Gunners for Fulham because he did not get enough playing time in Arsenal. Also, William Gallas, Mikael Silvestre and Sol Campbell have left the Gunners on free transfers. Arsene Wenger did not try to keep the first two defenders, despite the quality provided by Gallas; however, he tried to offer Campbell a new contract, but the central defender preferred to join Newcastle United for the new season.
Last season, Wenger bought the Ajax captain, Thomas Vermaelen, who proved to be better than expected. He not only played a good role in defence, but also scored a number of field goals for the Gunners. Right now, he is the only established defender in the team who can play at the centre-back position. On the other hand, Johan Djourou has returned from injury, but he is not expected to be a quality player, as his lack of concentration leads him to make a number of mistakes during the course of the matches.
However, Wenger did try to improve his team by signing Laurent Koscielny, the 24 year old Frenchman from Lorient. Now he might possess something special, as Wenger does not make a lot of bad decisions; however, he has not been playing any top level football. Therefore, there are no established defenders in Arsenal’s squad, and during an interview, Wenger even admitted this problem with the team. Arsenal’s head coach said that he would need at least four defenders for the new season, although last year at least five were present. He assured the fans that the squad would be strengthened by signing a new centre-back before the closing of the transfer window.
Arsenal’s expenditures are very strict, as they follow a very tight financial policy. Therefore, it does not seem that the Gunners would sign the ‘big names’ in football, as this would cost them a lot more than what they would be willing to pay. Thus, only a little known player, like Thomas Vermaelen, but with good qualities, would be signed. Previously, it seemed that the prime target of Arsenal was Jan Vertonghen, Vermaelen’s old partner from Ajax. However, Vertonghen has declared that he would not be leaving Amsterdam as the club will not let him leave this season.
Wenger did not give any other names during the interview, but he said that the possibilities are numerous. However, he said that he would have to keep an eye on the budgetary constraints as well. Wenger also mentioned that there are some other players in the team who can play the role of a part-time defender. This time, he was probably hinting at the presence of Alex Song in the team. The youngster has developed into a fine young player in the Emirates Stadium, and has already played some matches in the central defender position. Also, there are some youngsters who can be entrusted with the job, like Cedric Evina and Kieran Gibbs.
However, the problem is still there as the gap left by William Gallas’ departure from the Emirates would not be easy to fill. Wenger will have to make sure that he spends his money in the right place; otherwise, he and The Gunners would not be able to pose a threat for any title during the next season.
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