Arsenal - Midseason report
Thursday, 17 Jan 2008 12:42
Arsenal In Focus
Good, bad or just the same old, same old? What the fans made of the 2007/08 season. Full Story
A look back over the first half of the 2007/08 season, and a look forward to what is still to come.
The season so far
Gunners fans really can't complain - top of the Premier League for most of the season, in the knockout stages of the Champions League, undefeated in both the domestic cups. All in all it should all be rosy at the Emirates. And it is.
But there is that inescapable feeling that it might not be enough. Manchester United look as good as they have done for years and with Cristiano Ronaldo scoring as many as he does there are few teams who can compete.
With Arsene Wenger's unwillingness to spend in the transfer market, despite the fact that he has more money at his disposal than ever before, there is just a small sense of unease.
January summed it up.
Arsenal lose three defenders in Kolo Toure, Emmanuel Eboue and Alexandre Song to the African Nations Cup, but Wenger refuses to enter the annual player carousel. Instead he brings back Johan Djourou – who leaves Birmingham City having largely unimpressed – and puts his faith in Senderos – which really is a phrase no one should use when sober.
But let's be honest, bearing in mind all the negativity surrounding Thierry Henry leaving in the summer, things could hardly be better - particularly when you take a look at our friends up the Seven Sisters Road.
The new signings
Bacary Sagna – settled in as if he's known the Arsenal team all his life (and with the number of French defensive players at the Emirates these days, maybe he has). The guy has been a revelation. He has slotted in perfectly and looked calm and collected on the ball. His impact was summed up at half-time in the first Carling Cup semi-final against Spurs. First half without him – we are at sixes and sevens. Second half with him – we're a cohesive defensive unit again and he's the classiest player on the pitch.
Eduardo – took a while to settle in but is starting to find his feet now. The Croatian has an incredible eye for goal, and is surely the long-awaited 'fox in the box' we've all been hoping for. He's not a replacement for Henry by any means. He does the simple things but does them well. Arsenal haven't had an out-and-out goalscorer like this since the days of Alan Smith.
Lassana Diarra – what looked like it could have been the deal of the summer just hasn't worked out. £2 million for a French international midfielder from one of our biggest rivals looked like a snip, but no one accounted for the incredible upturn in form for his countryman Mathieu Flamini. With Cesc Fabregas, Alex Hleb, Gilberto Silva and Abou Diaby all also above Diarra in the pecking order it was inevitable that he would look for pastures new. A real shame though.
Star man
Had this been written in November then no one would be able to compete with our little maestro in the middle – Cesc Fabregas.
But the Spaniard's superb start has stuttered a little during winter and his place as the man all fans hope is in the starting lineup has been usurped by Alexander Hleb.
The Belarusian has this season done everything Wenger promised he would when he signed him for £10 million a couple of years ago. He's got a glue-like touch on the ball, is much more direct and has bulked up and no longer gets hustled out of possession.
The question is, will he be able to continue this for the rest of the season or will he get found out by opponents? After all, his style is all about being on the ball and if he's kept out of the game his impact is lost.
Manager approval rating
Arsene Wenger: 9.5/10
Wenger never, ever fails us.
The phrase around the Emirates is 'trust Arsene' and that is never more true than now. While others – those poor folk in Tottenham included – spent wildly in the summer, Wenger kept his counsel and his wallet closed.
He told us the youngsters were ready to step up to the mantle and oh, how right he was. He's now even promising to bring English players through, and there are signs of that in his selection of Mark Randall, Gavin Hoyte, Kieran Gibbs and Henri Lansbury in the Carling Cup run.
He's quite simply – along with Ferguson – the best manager in the Premier League and it's no surprise the buffoons at the FA wanted him to tell them what to do when Steve McClaren was sacked.
But whereas Sir Alex has always spent big, Wenger has done it the old-fashioned way – by bringing in kids with talent and then teaching them the Arsenal tradition. And few can argue with the results.
January wish-list
It's only really in defence that we look light. Senderos just isn't up to it and Justin Hoyte is not going to be the answer, despite what many Gunners fans hope. Unless Djourou suddenly realises his undoubted potential, a centre back is needed to support Toure and William Gallas.
There is also always the question of the keeper. Jens Lehmann's Arsenal career is obviously over and in his absence Manuel Almunia has done admirably. But if we are to consider ourselves one of the best teams in the world then we need one of the best number ones in the world – and the Spaniard-soon-to-be-Englishman has some way to go before he can make that claim.
Martin Ashplant
Club history, honours and statistics
Return to club news