Is Carlos Vela's Arsenal Career Over?

Carlos Vela

In November 2005 the father of then 16 year old Carlos Vela announced that his son was on his way to Arsenal, having signed a 5 year deal, commanding a transfer fee of around £2m. Albeit not really starting at the club until 2008, due to work permit issues. Five years after originally signing, his Arsenal future was in doubt. A year after that it appears to be non-existent.

In a question and answer session at the Emirates today, Arsene Wenger had this to say about his strikers: "We lose players like Chamakh and Gervinho to the Africa Cup of Nations, so hopefully touch wood we do not get any injuries to our strikers. But if an opportunity turns up in that department then we will buy." Vela is undoubtedly a talented striker, a glance through his goals in an Arsenal shirt show that much, but he has never seemed to be able to put in the right performances at the right time. Arsenal fans have often only seen his best when he has been wearing a Mexico shirt. Currently on loan at Real Sociedad, Vela seems to have found his feet in Spain, with two goals in three games, including the fantastic overhead kick against Malaga, pictured below. 

Vela scores a stunner on loan at Real Sociedad

Capable of playing through the middle or wide left, Vela still is an exciting talent, but things have never really clicked for him in N5. A hat-trick against Sheffield United and numerous cheeky chips have shown the Arsenal fans what he can do, but he's never really had a run of games to prove himself. With such a talented player on the books, I can't help but feel that Arsenal would be better placed to look to recall Vela from his loan spell, rather than looking to splash the cash on a new player. Prices are, of course, always inflated in January.

With Marouane Chamakh being reported as increasingly unsettled at the club, Niklas Bendtner wanting away and Park unproven there may be opportunities for Vela through the middle at some point soon. Andrei Arshavin also seems increasingly likely to leave, being well and truly behind Gervinho in the pecking order - though he will have the ACN period in January to prove himself - there may also be opportunities for Vela on the left of the front three in 2012/13. Personally, I feel that it would be a real shame to see him leave, I have always liked him as a player and still believe that he can make it at the Emirates; so long as he gets a run of games. If he doesn't get the chance to succeed at Arsenal, I can definitely see him becoming a top player somewhere else, another one that might get away.

Should Vela be given another chance at Arsenal? Comments or Twitter as always!!

The Arsenal Back 4

Santos clutches his injured right ankle vs. Olympiacos

Yesterday Arsenal confirmed that summer signing Andre Santos will be out for around three months, following the decision to send him to Brazil for surgery after damaging ligaments in his right ankle in the Olymipiacos game last week. This news compounds Arsenal's defensive problems, with Kieran Gibbs and Bacary Sagna all out injured too. Both Jenkinson and Gibbs are around two to three weeks away from any return to first team action and Sagna is unlikely to return before January - although he tweeted yesterday that he expects to be back running soon.

In the 1-0 victory over Everton, Arsenal fielded 4 centre backs and it showed. There was a real lack of width, the Gunners struggling when attempting to work the ball wide. Many are also unconvinced by the pairing of Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny in the centre of defence. It must be said that they played much better as a duo on Saturday than in their last outing together. Koscielny had been providing cover at right back in recent weeks, but was shifted into the centre of defence to allow Thomas Vermaelen to provide cover at left back. This combination worked alright, but Johan Djourou did not look comfortable at full back. I personally feel that reverting back to the centre half pairing of Mertesacker and Vermaelen with Koscielny at right back would be a sensible move. Koscielny definitely is more comfortable going forward and providing the width to work with Theo Walcott in attack. 

In order to do that, the issue of who plays left back comes to the fore. From an attacking perspective I think that the solution is simple and is Ignasi Miquel. From what we saw against Olympiacos he is comfortable going forward – he provided the original cross in the build-up to Arsenal’s goal – however he is an inexperienced player. If the game this weekend was not against Manchester City, then I would have no issue whatsoever with starting the young Spaniard. He has had some game time this season, getting a good run out in the 2-0 reverse against Liverpool and some good performances in the Carling Cup. All these things suggest that he is ready to be given a chance at the weekend, his assured performance against City in the League Cup can only count in his favour, and I feel that he would help to provide some of the width that Arsenal will need to create chances at the weekend. It will be a very tough ask to work opportunities on goal if everything is going through the middle of the pitch.

Looking beyond this weekend though, I believe that it would be sensible for Wenger to look to bring in some cover in the full back position for the second half of the season. With two capable left backs in Santos and Gibbs a loan move is probably most likely and most sensible. I have seen suggestions that Wayne Bridge should be brought in from City temporarily, and I feel that this could well be a sensible option. With a sizeable amount of Premier League experience, and some in the Champions League he may well represent the best short term solution with Gibbs unlikely to be fit until January (and an unconvincing injury record) and Santos now out for the majority of the season.

Who do you think should be brought in as cover? Is it even needed? Let me know on http://twitter.com/#!/Goonernl or in the comments below.

Mixed Messages from the FA

On a day when many have screamed hypocrisy at the FA about Wayne Rooney, this isn't really about that, this is to talk about some of the other things that the FA is saying one thing about, and doing another. Like coaching.

To start this, I need to give you some of my own background. I am 17 years old and a Level 2 football coach. Almost all of my coaching is on a voluntary basis, though I occasionally do some paid work for my local football league club's community department. I give up my Saturdays to coach at my local grassroots club, my lunchtimes to coach younger kids in my school and I give up any afternoons I have free from lessons to coach kids at my old school. I do this for nothing, yet it has cost me nearly £300 to get to the level of qualification I have. Some people will be thinking that that is a lot, which it is, but my county FA offer courses to under 19s for half price. The reality is that with a Level 2 you're not going to be coaching much more than grassroots football, but will have spent £500 or £600 to get there.

I can understand the cost of these though, the need for administration fees, the need to pay for a course venue and for a course tutor. Where it becomes ridiculous though is when you look to progress further up the ladder, to get your UEFA B Licence. That will cost you somewhere in the region of £1000. The FA talks of how it wants to increase the number of grassroots coaches there are in England, yet the UEFA B costs that much. To put things into perspective, until January 2011 the UEFA B equivalent Level 3 Certificate in Coaching Football could be completed with a county FA for less than half the cost by an adult, and for me, I would have been able to do it for £200. What justification can there possibly be for that increase? Not only is the course now far beyond what I and the vast majority of grassroots coaches can afford, but I am no longer able to go on the course, because of new age restrictions. You must now be 20 years old, rather than 17 a year ago.

The FA says that there is fewer than 10% of the number of UEFA B qualified coaches in England than countries such as France, Italy, Spain and Germany. I can't understand why. The cost in Spain is almost exactly the same, so it's not that. The FA must be getting something else wrong somewhere though for there to be such a significant difference.

Another cast that has gone up recently is for the re-branded FA Coaches Association. In it's new guise as The FA Licensed Coaches Club, it costs £20 more than last season for the same package, with nothing really different other than the look of the website. The website is - by the way - woeful, it looks nice, but the content leaves much to be desired. I read part one of an article on the guided discovery approach to coaching, which was informative and interesting, and promised part 2 next week. A month and a half later part 2 still hasn't materialised and my email moan 2 weeks ago hasn't even been acknowledged. That is poor.

Another issue with FALCC is the necessity for CPD. I was of the opinion that this was a really good idea, but then I saw how much it was going to cost to do the relevant CPD each year. As with everything else the FA does, it's not cheap. Last weekend it was the FALCC's annual coaching conference at Wembley, for which tickets were originally on sale for a mere £69.95 for Level 1 and 2 coaches or over £100 for UEFA B, A and Pro licence holders. Cheap. Obviously not a best seller either, as halfway through last week I received an email offering me a ticket for half price. For the FA's big grassroots coaching event, that should be the envy of everyone, the top ticket in town, to be offering the tickets at half price, six days before the event, something must be going wrong. It's not like the conference had a bad line up either, with speakers such as Sir Trevor Brooking, Gareth Southgate and Stuart Pearce. I think that the FA have gone wrong with the pricing. Again.

In the world we live in, life is more and more expensive. I've been making a loss even when I've been doing paid coaching paying for my petrol to get to work and back, yet the FA has increasing revenue streams, with their foreign TV deals being renewed for a reported £48m this week. To me it seems that they have the resources to be able to offer the likes of the FALCC conference to members for nothing, to provide free CPD opportunities - after all, it's the FA that will benefit in the long run, with better players coming through the ranks and into the England set up.

So I really do think that what the FA is saying is all posturing, sounding good for the press. I'm yet to see any evidence to back up their claims over how hard they're trying to improve grassroots football. They're all about making money. I just think that it would be nice for the press to start asking the FA what is actually happening to improve the quality of coaching at grassroots level and the number of qualified coaches at grassroots clubs. It would be interesting to see what they could come back with.

BREAKING: van Persie enters contract negotiations

van Persie has 104 Goals for Arsenal

Arsene Wenger has informed BBC Sport that the club has entered negotiations with star striker Robin van Persie.

The 28 year old Dutchman has hit nine goals in 13 games so far this season, and 30 goals from 36 games in 2011. With just 18 months left on his current contract, speculation has been rife that Arsenal's latest talisman would be on his way out of N5 at the end of the season - or possibly even in January.

The news will be of great comfort to Arsenal fans, since his return from injury after Christmas last season, van Persie has been truly on form, reaching 100 goals for the club just over a month ago.

Following the sales of Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri over the summer, speculation over his future intensified, numerous papers suggesting that he was wholeheartedly dissatisfied with the situation, and would be refusing to sign a new deal. Arsenal's #10 has been linked with moves to the likes of Real Madrid and Manchester City.

If he does resign, this will be a major boost for Arsenal fans, especially following Thomas Vermaelen's recent decision to extend his contract and Theo Walcott's indications that he wants to do the same. According to the BBC Wenger said of van Persie's contract: "He has 18 months to go and I'm confident he'll sign a new deal. I'm always confident." All that now remains, is for Arsenal fans to wait nervously to see that he does put pen to paper.

How long should Wenger try and tie van Persie down for? How much should we be offering? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below, and through Twitter; @Goonernl

Arsenal 2 - 1 Bolton Wanderers; The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

Arsenal yesterday made it through to the last eight of the Carling Cup for the ninth year in succession. A Gunners side with 11 changes from the weekend managed to overcome a strong Bolton side, with goals from Andrey Arshavin and Ju-Young Park cancelling out Fabrice Muamba's opener.

Newly resigned, Thomas Vermaelen made his return from injury, lasting 84 minutes before being replaced due to a slight calf problem. And Nico Yennaris put in a solid debut display at right back. Bolton also fielded an understrength side, with 9 changes from their 2 - 0 loss at Sunderland at the weekend, Garry Cahill and Darren Pratley the only ones to survive.

The first moment of danger came when Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was set free by a magnificent ball from Emmanuel Frimpong, but he slightly overworked the ball, taking a couple of touches too many, and wasting the opportunity. He ended up harmlessly crossing over the roof of the net.

 

Former Gunner Muamba

celebrates after making it 1-0



Arsenal's next chance came from Ju-Young Park, who exchanged a neat 1-2 with Yossi Benayoun near the halfway line, before driving deep into the attacking third, drifting towards the centre of the goal, before testing Adam Bogdan from fully 25 yards, the Hungarian pushing the ball away with a good save, down to his right.

Arsenal then won a free kick, about 30 yards out, on the right hand side of the Bolton goal. Arshavin set up Vermaelen for the pile driver, which he hit with tremendous force, with his left foot, which scored so many goals in 2009/10, forcing Bogdan to make another good save from a shot with real sting in it. The first half was all Arsenal. 

Arshavin giving advice
to AOC as he celebrates

That changed after the break though, Bolton scored just two minutes after the restart, Frimpong losing the ball to Muamba in the midfield, who then drove forward, exchanging a 1-2 with Pratley in the box, before fiercely lashing home, into the roof of the net from 10 yards.

Arsenal responded just five minutes later, Oxlade-Chamberlain dinking a delightful ball over a defender to Benayoun, who then freed the influential Arshavin who carried the ball into the space that the retreating Zat Knight left. The diminutive Russian eventually slotted the ball between Kinght's legs, and in at the far post. 1-1. With better defending, the chance would never have been there, Knight should have held his line, rather than retreating and giving Arshavin the space to shoot. On yesterday, I can see why Bolton are having a poor season so far.

Just  three  minutes  after that, and nine   minutes  after  going  behind,   Ju-Young Park scored his first goal in an Arsenal shirt. Park made a run, but Arshavin didn't release him, he then got back onside, and made a good run to Arshavin's left, the ball was played to him, and he made no mistake, curling home a beautiful effort from 12 yards (If you haven't seen it, think finesse shot on FIFA!). Bogdan - who had a decent starting position - could do nothing about it, the ball nestling in the back of the net, in off the post.

Park celebrates his first Arsenal goal

No more goals were scored, but Arsenal rode out a couple of defensive scares before the end, Lukasz Fabianski came worryingly close to yet another goalkeeping howler, flapping at Chris Eagles 35 yard drive, only deflecting it onto the roof of the net, a save which should have been bread & butter for a Premiership goalkeeper - either palmed down and caught on the bounce back up or caught first time.

Fabianski did find time to make up for that save (which the BBC have down as "unorthodox") denying Klasnic superbly at the near post, after his defence had gone missing; again. Moments later, Klasnic again threatened, finding space in the box, but firing miles over under pressure from the arriving Ozzy Ozyakup (on for the injured Frimpong), from seven yards - think Bendtner versus Burnley.

Bolton again threatened, when Japanese substitute Ryo Myaichi was forced to make a sublime recovering challenge, stopping Garry Cahill from shooting, having found space in the Arsenal penalty area.

Despite these late scares, Arsenal did manage to hold on, and have now progressed to the quarter finals for each of the last nine seasons. Not a bad record given the teams which have been fielded in that time.

The Good: Andrey Arshavin; he had a really good game, tracking back and working hard throughout. He got the goal he deserved for his performance. Now it's up to him to carry that type of performance on for the rest of the season.

The Bad: Thomas Vermaelen's injury; sadly he was forced off in the 84th minute (handing a debut to Daniel Boateng) Wenger said afterwards that "he wanted to come off - I think he was just a little tight having not played for a while... he will be a bit short for Saturday." It does sound like he will miss the Chelsea clash, although others have returned quicker than expected in the past.

The Ugly: Seb Squillaci and Lukasz Fabianski; both have easily got enough experience to be playing better than they are. Fabianski had another couple of nearly-howlers yesterday, and was at fault for the Shrewsbury goal in the last round. Squillaci is even more experienced, yet went missing in defence yesterday on numerous occasions, it could be argued that all the Bolton chances I've mentioned he was at fault for. The spaces being exploited were in his section of the defence.

Another thing that wound me up yesterday was that no-one went to close the ball down when it was passed back to Bogdan, he had all the time in the world to make his kick and they were consequently fairly accurate. Bolton didn't afford Fabianski that pleasure, and were closing him down before the ball even reached him. Consequently his kicking was decidedly dodgy and inconsistent.

Were you at the game? What did you think? Follow me on Twitter (@Goonernl)

Arsenal 0 - 2 Liverpool; Thoughts + The Good, Bad & Ugly

Today, we saw yet another weakened Arsenal side, but a side which looked like it might manage to get all three points right up until the 70th minute. With an understrength defence which handed a full debut to youngster Carl Jenkinson and played Bacary Sagna at left back, and a midfield containing only one player with any real experience and another player making his full debut - Emmanuel Frimpong - few expected the Gunners to mount much of a challenge. For Arsenal supporters the subject of defeat and what would come next was being discussed before the game had even kicked off. Transfers too, were again a topic of conversation especially about Samir Nasri, a man about to start a match which many think will be his last in an Arsenal shirt.

Despite their much hyped problems, Arsenal began well, playing the ball around better than they have for a long time, they looked more assured than recently, their passing was slicker and they grew in confidence as the game went on. Emmanuel Frimpong slotted in nicely, he looked as good as suspended Alex Song, but was naive, not yet experienced enough to know what he can get away with and what he can't. This naivety resulted in two silly bookings, reducing Arsenal to 10 men, and (in my opinion) costing Arsenal the game. An injury to Laurent Koscielny early on resulted another youngster, Ignasi Miquel, being introduced into the Arsenal defence. Liverpool were wise to his inexperience, and striker Andy Carroll immediately started to play on him, putting him under pressure, but on his league debut Miquel coped fantastically, looking solid throughout, impressive enough, I think, to call into question Arsenal's need for another centre back. Samir Nasri too, showed why Arsenal are so desperate to keep hold of him, putting in a very good performance in midfield, the best he's played for a while too. A man who looked under pressure before kick off, squatting - seemingly praying - in the centre circle, something I've never seen the Frenchman do before. Despite this his performance was more than one would expect from a player who apparently wants out, creating his fair share of chances, nearly back to his tricky, lively best.

The game was fairly even until the red card, which from where I was sitting looked 50:50 but not too bad, those with the benefit of television replays suggest that it was a poor challenge for which Frimpong deserved to go. The pouring rain summed up the mood amongst Arsenal fans and players, the fight seemed to desert them a little and despite Henri Lansbury's introduction to add some steel to the Gunners' midfield again, Liverpool soon found a way through, Miereles and Suarez combined in the box, Miquel tried to clear the Arsenal lines, but his clearance only ricocheted off Aaron Ramsey, looping over Szczesney to nestle in the back of the Arsenal goal. An undeserved, but expected lead for Liverpool. Replays, apparently, showed that Suarez was offside in the build up. Luck, again, deserting Arsenal. Wenger cutting an agitated figure on the touchline.

Minutes later, Suarez compounded Arsenal's misery. Arsenal had been throwing everything forward in search of an elusive equaliser - even throwing Nicklas Bendtner on, in what could be his final Arsenal appearance - leaving themselves stretched at the back. Carl Jenkinson now struggling with what appeared to be cramp making things even more difficult. Liverpool capitalised, breaking down the Arsenal left with Miereles (the only player to step on the pitch with a worse haircut than Frimpong) arriving in the box, and cutting back to an unmarked Luis Suarez, who made no mistake, sweeping the ball home, sending the away fans into raptures, the Arsenal fans to the exits.

Liverpool sit second, Arsenal 15th. Arsenal failed to score in their opening two league games for the first time in 42 years. With a squad which looks paper thin in August, Wenger is under ever increasing pressure to strengthen - even if only to add depth.

The Good: Frimpong, Jenkinson & Miquel. All looked comfortable and composed on their (full) Premiership debuts.

The Bad: Naivety. The younger players don't yet know what they can and can't get away with - both in terms of discipline and positioning.

The Ugly: Frimpong. Haircut aside, getting a red card on your full debut isn't ideal, and leaves Arsenal with problems ahead of next week's visit to Old Trafford. I expect Henri Lansbury to be the 3rd player to try the holding role in three Premiership games.

For updates on the latest N5 articles plus other Arsenal related content, follow me on Twitter: @Goonernl

Latest Transfer Rumours; Gonzalez, Polo & Hazard

Lucho Gonzalez: Arsenal have apparently had a loan move for Lucho Gonzalez of Marseille turned down. Marseille boss Didier Deschamps says that he "spoke to [Wenger] and the one that really interests them is Lucho Gonzalez." Deschamps then said that Arsenal were only interested in taking him on loan and that there are "no negotiations." The 30 year old Argentinian would not have been a typical Wenger signing and could have brought some of the experience to the squad which the fans are crying out for. Reportedly linked with numerous clubs over the summer, Gonzalez wants out of Marseille and a permanent deal with a low price tag might be manageable. It remains to be seen if Wenger will return with a more agreeable offer.

Andy Polo: Sky Sports have suggested that Arsenal are in advanced talks with Peruvian side Universitario over the potential transfer of talented youngster Andy Polo. The 16 year old wonderkid is already  playing with the first team, touted as the new Alexis Sanchez, Universitario say that they are "open to negotiate but on concrete conditions." A move to N5 is possible for La Joya (the Jewel) but he would be another player for the future who would probably have to spend 3 years in Spain, in order to earn a work permit - though he has seemingly been called up by the full national side for the friendly Peru against Bolivia soon. This may mean that he could get a 'special talent' visa - like Ryo Miyaichi.

Eden Hazard: Arsenal have also reportedly agreed a deal with Lille to bring talented winger Eden Hazard to the Emirates for £23m. Personal terms have not been agreed with Hazard himself, talks haven't even started and are not likely to until after the Udinese game. Arsenal's qualification for the Champions League group stages apparently being key to the deal. Personally, I can see Hazard coming into the club as Samir Nasri's replacement - if he does actually leave - but I can't see where he would fit in with the current squad as it is. I think that we already have 7 or 8 wingers in the squad.

Are any of these the right man to sign? Let me know through Twitter (@Goonernl) or the comments below.

A Week to Forget...

Joel Campbell, the Newcastle game, Fabregas to Barcelona, Eboue to Galatasaray, beating Udinese, Nasri wanting out and the bans... The start of the season really could have gone better.




Arsenal's New Boy Campbell

  Joel Campbell: Costa Rican youngster Joel Cambell has signed for Arsenal and was at the Emirates last night for the Udinese game. In his programme notes Arsene Wenger did say that the club has taken a "bit of a gamble" on him - not words which fill me with confidence. He is expected to go straight into the first team squad and the generally reliable Young Guns Blog have been saying that he will take the #12 shirt.

Newcastle: The season didn't exactly get off to a flying start, the long trip to the North East yielding just a point. A weak Arsenal side struggled to create many chances, and completely failed to convert any. Where Bolton have been Arsenal's 'bogey' team in the past, where no-matter how well they played a result would never come, Newcastle would appear to be taking up that spot now.

I think that the positives were that Keiran Gibbs looked much more confident and reliable than at the end of last season, and the defence worked well together snuffing out the majority of the Magpies' possession.

On the downside, Robin Van Persie doesn't quite seem to be firing on all cylinders, and spurned a couple of chances which he would have scored with his eyes closed at the end of last season. I also felt that Gervinho was disappointing, I saw some of his pre-season cameos, and I was impressed with what I saw, but against Newcastle, he seemed industrious but useless. He was getting into some great positions down the wing, but was then making the wrong choices over when to cut in and when to cross. Also his left foot would appear to be lacking and for someone who plays left wing most of the time this could be a problem. You can't just cut inside every time in the Premier League.

Before we went down to ten men, I would have been disappointed with a point, however when down on numbers in what is a very intimidating place to visit, I think that that solitary point became a very good one.



Barca's €35m Man



Fabregas: Sadly our former talismanic captain has departed for pastures new (sort of) and rejoined Barcelona in a deal reportedly worth £35m. I genuinely don't have a problem with Fabregas going there, he hasn't won anything for 6 years, and the best team in the world, the team where he grew up was knocking at his door, pleading for his return. What would you have done in his situation?

I wish him the best of luck there and I hope he does get some success as he does deserve it, so long as it's not at Arsenal's expense. I thought that it would have been quite nice of Arsenal to let him have one last Captain's Column in yesterday's programme, to say what he wanted to say to the Arsenal fans, but c'est la vie. The main issue I have with his move to Barcelona is how his new club have handled themselves throughout the affair; the constant tapping up - which wasn't in the eyes of the rules, the playing hardball with the fee for a player with 3 years plus left on his contract... £35m is nothing in today's market. If Jordan Henderson is worth £22m the Cesc is definitely worth more than £45m. To add insult to injury, Barcelona have reportedly put in a c.£200m buyout clause in his contract. On that basis, they should have paid at least £70m.

I do like the fact that Fabregas has tried to say something to the Arsenal fans through his Twitter feed, rather than ignoring them, but I do feel that what he put could sound a bit rich in the eyes of some of the more disgruntled supporters. I was just happy he made the effort to do something. It would have been much easier not to.



Eboue at Galatasaray



Eboue: In one of the biggest mistakes of the summer, Emmanuel Eboue has also departed N5. I will sort of miss him for footballing reasons, as he had his moments of being superb, but unfortunately spent more time being good enough. I think that the real loss is from the dressing room, the squad joker, Eboue has always come across as being a character, something every club needs, but I'm not sure Arsenal do now. Arsenal have received an initial €3.5m rising to €9.4m paid in installments each season plus €10k for each match and he has signed a 4 year deal with Galatasaray. I wish him the best of luck with his new adventure in Turkey, and I love that he snubbed Tottenham to move there - that did brighten the week a little!

Udinese: Last night's game sadly followed much the same pattern, an (even more) understrength Arsenal side battling their way through the game, creating little and not being anywhere near clinical enough in front of goal. Gibbs again started the game brightly but sadly showed his main problem, departing at half time with a hamstring injury. Vermaelen got 10 minutes at left back, to show what he could do, before Gibbs' replacement Djourou followed the Englishman's lead, in injuring his hamstring and limping off down the tunnel. The thought of another injury blighted season is, unfortunately, a niggling thought. Carl Jenkinson made his competitive debut, at left back and had a decent game - though he did have little to do.

Gervinho showed the same endeavour as against Newcastle, but his surging runs still created little. Walcott finished his first chance neatly, but should definitely have had more, work on the training ground is needed for all if the Gunners are to rediscover their free-scoring form of a couple of season's ago. Chamakh was generally anonymous and the less said about his 'performance' the better. Ramsey was also underwhelming, but Rosicky and Song did well as two parts of that midfield three.

For me though the man of the match award has to be shared between Szczesney and Sagna. Our number 13 keeping us in the game on a number of occasions - mostly from Di Natale - and Sagna again putting in a solid shift a right back.

Nasri: Rumoured to be off to Man City, and quite rightfully unhappy at the new chants sung about him by the Arsenal faithful. They aren't nice, and quite frankly aren't going to help persuade him to sign on for longer. Something which I admit is looking less and less likely - the BBC reporting that a deal is imminent. It is a real shame, and I'd say that it will hurt more than Fabregas leaving as he definitely doesn't have any emotional ties from the past at Eastlands.

Barton the Victim for a Change

Bans/Liverpool: Unsurprisingly Gervinho's red card was upheld - he was bang to rights - and Alex Song has also been banned for 3 games. Both will now be missing for the games against Liverpool, Manchester United and Swansea. This really does give Wenger a selection headache, especially when combined with the injury list following midweek, and I would expect a team (assuming all currently injured will still be) something like this: Szczesney, Sagna, Koscielny, Squilacci, Vermaelen, Frimpong, Rosicky, Ramsey, Walcott, Van Persie, Arshavin

That this is probably the team which will be playing strengthened Liverpool and Man U sides, I think that a 2 draws and a win wouldn't be a bad return from those games.

Think the week has gone better than I do? Who can replace Fabregas(/Nasri)? Let me know through Twitter (@Goonernl) or the comments below...

Dann, Fabregas & Gourcuff + Miyaichi

£6m man? - Scott Dann

Scott Dann: Dann has been linked with the Gunners since before the close of 2010/11, however today stronger rumours have emerged, suggesting that a deal for the 6ft 2ins centre back to move to the Emirates is imminent. It has been reported that Dann will move to Arsenal for around £6m. His absence - from the Carling Cup final onwards - from the Blue's defence has been widely accredited as one of the key factors in Birmingham's irreversible slump in form, which eventually saw them relegated from the Premier League.

Big spenders Liverpool have also been heavily linked with a move for the Birmingham defender, and could rival Arsenal in any bidding war. At 24 he would represent a player with both youth and Premiership experience. Many would also argue that the talented centre-half is worth more than £6m, so he could be considered a bit of a bargain too. It is suggested that he is as good, technically, as Bolton's Gary Cahill (another defender both Arsenal and Liverpool have been strongly linked with) but is much better value for money, at around £10m less. Goal.com claim that Arsenal are in advanced talks to sign him.

Cesc Fabregas: Sadly, Cesc would seem to be nearing the exit door at the Emirates, with Arsenal reportedly beginning to accept that Barcelona will never pay the £40m he is worth, and they're demanding for him. It is being reported that Arsenal are on the verge of accepting a €35m bid which would rise to €40m depending on his performance. Fabregas will also, reportedly, have to take a pay cut to join the European Champions. It is sad that the Arsenal talisman would appear to be so close to a return to his boyhood club, but Barca's persistence has been impressive. I think I predicted on this blog at the start of the summer that we would have one more season from the skipper, but that is looking less and less likely. I just hope that Fabregas gets the opportunity to bid farewell to the Emirates faithful before any move.

Could Gourcuff
be a Fab replacement?

Yoann Gourcuff: His is a name which has been mentioned as a possible arrival to replace Fabregas. The creative French midfielder is definitely talented, but struggled last season following a £20m move from Bordeaux to Lyon. Currently injured, Gourcuff, who has 4 years remaining on his current deal, should be back for around the middle of September, and would probably be available for around the £15m mark. Marouane Chamakh is full of praise for his former teammate, saying that he would be the one person he would recommend to Wenger to replace Fabregas with. Chamakh and Gourcuff had a fantastic partnership when they were at Bordeaux - something which it could be beneficial to recreate in N5.

An intelligent and creative, attacking midfielder, Gourcuff is one player who might be able to fill the rather large boots Fabregas' possible departure would leave, should Arsenal look to the transfer market rather than the current squad to replace him.

A quick word also on Ryo Miyaichi, the Japanese youngster has been granted a 'special talent' work permit, and will be able to feature for the Gunners this season. We had some glimpses of his class and potential during preseason, and with his ferocious pace, the Arsenal wingers could give defences a torrid time this season. Both Walcott and Miyaichi have similar sprint times. A good crosser of the ball, I wouldn't be surprised if Miyaichi features in some capacity in Saturday's season opener at Newcastle.

Is Dann the right man? Could Gourcuff replace Fabregas? Looking forward to seeing Miyaichi? Let me know on Twitter - @Goonernl - or through the comments.

Arsenal Confirm Oxlade-Chamberlain Signing

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain the new man in N5

Arsenal have now officially announced the signing of Southampton youngster Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. He has cost the Gunners a rumoured £12m, and Southampton say that the fee they have received meets their "high valuation of the youngster" and that it is a fee which "sees Saints' previous transfer records blown out of the water." They also say that they were "in the driving seat" and that the transfer was completed "on [their] terms." This may suggest that Arsenal could have over-payed slightly for the undoubtedly talented youngster.

Oxlade-Chamberlain, 18 on Monday,  is the Saints' second youngest ever first team player, making his debut aged 16 and 199 days. Theo Walcott is the only player to have been younger making his debut. A preseason knock meant that he sat out Southampton's opening day victory over Leeds, and has consequently never played higher than League 1. Last season he managed to notch 10 goals from 41 appearances, so he does have a record of scoring. Arsene Wenger said that Oxlade-Chamberlain is "a perceptive passer of the ball" with a "great understanding of the game." Wenger also says that he has "huge potential."

Oxlade-Chamberlain himself says that he is "looking forward to meeting all [his] new team mates and giving absolutely everything in an Arsenal shirt." He has been put straight into the first team squad, and will be starting training at London Colney straight away. An attacking midfielder or winger, his opportunities this term will probably be limited to Carling Cup and FA Cup appearances.

The N5 Blog would like to wish Alex the best of luck with his time at Arsenal.

A good signing? Who else are you hoping to see join? Let me know though Twitter (@Goonernl) or through the comments below.

Quick Reflections on the Benfica Game

Arsenal rounded up their pre-season with a 2-1 reverse at Benfica. In a fiercely contested game, which really didn't seem like a friendly, Arsenal again couldn't manage to hold a lead. I appreciate that it is only pre-season and it's not a true representation of how the season will pan out, but Arsenal managed just 2 wins when they really should have won every single game. There was not one opponent who - on paper - are better than the Gunners.

The game today was truly end to end stuff, an enthralling encounter between a strong Benfica side, and a weakened Arsenal one. The first half saw some fantastic moves from both sides, Benfica having the best of the opening exchanges. Arsenal grew into the game though  and began to put Benfica under increasing pressure and after Gervinho and Van Persie had a series of chances which went close, birthday boy, Robin Van Persie cool-ly converted a Kieran Gibbs cross. Swept in low, from the left-hand side, Gibbs' cross picked out Van Persie with pinpoint accuracy, allowing him to calmly slot home from 4 yards. The 'keeper never stood a chance.

Half time came, and both Benfica and Arsenal made a multitude of changes, Benfica strengthening, Arsenal arguably moving towards a worse side. Chamakh, Myaichi, Squillaci, Frimpong, Fabianski and Jenkinson replacing Van Persie, Arshavin, Djourou, Song, Szczesney and Sagna.

Just 4 minutes into the second half, some sloppy Arsenal defending allowed the Benfica attack far too much space and on reciving the ball, Aimar had enough room to turn inside the area and get his shot away. The equaliser; 1-1. Fast forward 11 minutes, further defensive errors allowed Benfica to go ahead - Squillaci beaten by Nolito, who fiercely fired home. The goal came at the worst possible time, the Gunners were beginning to grow into the game again, and find some rhythm - much like in the first half - but Benfica's second truly was a hammer-blow. Arsenal's usually tidy passing game went, and when they had the ball, this inexperienced Arsenal side gave it back far too easily. Neither side looked much like scoring the game's fourth goal, but the game became truly end-to-end, and although a disappointing result for the boys in turquoise and blue, they had a good run out in preparation for Saturday's season opener away at Newcastle United.

Did you watch? What is our strongest line up? Get in touch using the comments below or through Twitter: @Goonernl

Emirates Cup Musings + RBNY & PSG Players of the Day

Arsenal vs. Boca Juniors 



A good performance from some, but disappointing overall

Arsene Wenger named a fairly strong side to start this friendly, with Van Persie, Nasri, Wilshere & Gervinho all starting. In the opening exchanges, of what turned out to be quite a mardy affair, Arsenal seemed to be just about on top. Earning some fairly soft free kicks in some decent positions, the Gunners failed to capitalise, the score remaining at 0-0 for almost half an hour, before Gervinho burst down the left flank, whipping in a low cross for Robin Van Persie to gobble up at the near post which got the entire stadium - mid Mexican wave - on it's feet to celebrate; Arsenal's first home goal of the 2011/12 campaign. I must be said, that with 2 goals and an assist to his name from just 2 cameos, Gervinho has made a very good start to his career in N5.

At half time, Wenger made 5 of the 6 changes the Emirates Cup rules permitted him to Mannone, Squillaci, Ramsey, Vela and Chamakh replacing Fabianski, Koscielny, Wilshere, Gervinho and Van Persie. Two of these substitutes had an immediate impact, Vela surged forward, and used some clever footwork to reach the edge of the box, before cutting back to Ramsey who slammed home from 25 yards. Sadly all this was undone by two moments of defensive uncertainty from Arsenal (now when has that happened before?!!) Boca's first came from a Squillaci mistake, the ball landing up with Lucas Viatri who hammered the ball home. This was followed 3 minutes later by a Johan Djourou mistake, he botched a slid clearance and Pablo Mouche took his opportunity with aplomb, smacking the ball home, totally ruining Mannone's day.

Traditional Arsenal flaws let us down again, and it was disappointing to see the lack of urgency or desire that the side had at 2-2 with 10 minutes to go. I appreciate that it was only a friendly, however it was similar to the performances of the end of last season, so I feel that it is something which is a cause for concern if this continues into 2011/12 proper.

New York Red Bulls vs. Paris Saint-Germain



NYRB's Dax McCarty in action vs. PSG



With all due respect, the day's first game wasn't fantastic, the Red Bulls were a fantastically organised team, playing in a rigid 4-1-4-1 formation, and defending with a tenacity which Arsenal could certainly learn from. Their goal was taken well enough, Estonian Joel Lindpere finished a New York break well. He beat the offside trap nicely, and was slipped through on goal one-on-one by Roy Miller, and slotted home nicely from 12 yards.

As a complete neutral, I took the opportunity to look at the players and tactics on show, rather than getting particularly into the game. I have decided on a standout player from each side (in my opinion) and will write a little about each of them here.

Dax McCarty - New York Red Bulls (pictured above): I felt that McCarty was the Red Bulls' best player by some margin. The right footed midfielder seemed to be more creative than much of the rest of the Red Bulls' midfield. I also felt that his passing was more accurate, and that his first touch was also superior to his teammates. Many of their best moves flowed through him. Although as a side the Red Bulls probably would be mid-table in the Championship, I feel that McCarty would fit in well at a mid-table Premiership club, such as Aston Villa or West Brom.

Jeremy Menez - Paris Saint Germain (pictured below):

PSG's Standout Man, Summer Signing: Jeremy Menez

Signed by PSG from Roma this summer for £7m, I was really impressed by Menez on his PSG debut. The 6' centre midfielder showed some real skill and creativity in the second half, following what I felt was a fairly anonymous first period for him. Wearing the same boots as Samir Nasri, he certainly was played at a level higher than all the other players on the pitch. Despite only scoring 4 from 38 in Italy last season, his creativity fashioned some real chances for a disappointing PSG side. Where McCarty is a player who I feel could play mid-table, I feel that Menez is a player who wouldn't look out of place with a cannon on his chest. At £7m too, I feel that PSG really have bagged themselves a bargain.

Were you at The Emirates today? What did you think of the games? Let me know your thoughts through Twitter (@Goonernl) or the comments below.

Juan Mata on his way to Arsenal?

Juan Mata a man in demand

According  to La Marca today, Arsenal, Tottenham and another English club have all made moves to sign 23 year old winger Juan Mata from Valencia. The ex-Real Madrid man is said to have a €20m buyout clause in his contract, however it is also suggested by Marca that an offer of around €15m will be accepted by Valencia, a club in continuing financial difficulties. Despite their president Manuel Llorente recently saying "Valencia will not sell to any club that wants to buy Mata" it has been reported  that their stance is softening due to their financial perils. La Marca says that his father and agent is evaluating the options, deciding which represents the best move for his son. The other English team interested is most likely to be Liverpool, this means that the only side which can offer Mata Champions League football next season is Arsenal, quite possibly a deciding factor in any move to the Premier League.

Do we need Mata? Where would he fit into the team? Let me know your thoughts through Twitter (@Goonernl) or the comments below.

Who Should Replace Gael Clichy?



Gael Clichy - Now of Manchester City

7 million pounds. If that is how little Gael Clichy cost Manchester City, then they got a bargain. Based on previous City transfer fee form though, we were had. His signing is hardly illogical for City though, and in a way it makes sense for Arsenal too. Despite being the last remaining 'Invincable' Clichy's form of late has been slightly patchy. With only a year left to run on his contract, selling him whilst we still could does make sense for Arsenal. The big question is what happens now?

Arsene Wenger could stand still, and do nothing. Both Keiran Gibbs and Armand Traore are still at Arsenal, and both have had runs in the starting 11. However, Traore is returning to London following an injury blighted spell in Turin, where he hardly set the world alight with his 8 appearences. He's not a bad player, but I really don't feel that he's good enough to make it in N5.  



Armand Traore - Injury Plagued at Juve



Gibbs - Injury Plagued



Arsenal's only other option for 2011/12 - at the moment - is Keiran Gibbs. I, personally, feel that the young Englishman has shown real glimpses of quality and ability when he has had the chance to play. Unfortunately for him, one of his biggest chances to impress was curtailed when he had his foot stamped on by Eliaquim Mangala of Standard Liege during the 2-0 victory over them in November 2009. With Clichy already sidelined, Gibbs was getting a run in the team and was playing well. This fractured metatarsel spelled the end of his season, originally out for 3 months, it was discovered that the surgery had been done wrong, and the recovery period had to be restarted following further surgery.

With Clichy again injured, Gibbs had a short spell in the team at the tail end of last season (10/11), starting the final 3 games of the season. He generally put in some good performances, although some lapses in concentration and bad decision making cost Arsenal. In my opinion he was entirely at fault for the first Fulham goal, leaving his man to try and help out Vermaelen giving the Fulham winger acres of space to receive the ball and cut it back for Sidwell to slot home.

In my opinion, Traore isn't good enough for Arsenal and isn't the right player to provide a high enough level of competition to force Keiran Gibbs to push on and improve his game. I think that now is the right time for Traore to shown the exit door, and a slightly more experienced player should be signed to help Gibbs improve. The question now is who should that person be?

Izaguirre - The Honduran has impressed in Hoops

Emilio Izaguirre is one of the names the media have been putting out there as a potential Arsenal target for months, but now with Clichy gone, their crystal ball is going to be put to the test. The 25 year old Honduran claims that he has turned down Sir Alex Ferguson and Manchester United already this summer in favor of remaining at Parkhead, so it's tricky to see him moving - assuming he's telling the truth!! Celtic boss Neil Lennon has also said that he is not for sale at any price. Worth around £6.5m it is possible that he could be added to the squad for the same sort of money Clichy left for. The Scottish PFA Player of the Year, has an attacking style, which would fit in well at the Emirates, becoming known for his 'rampaging displays down the left wing' (according to the Daily Mail). Lennon said on signing him that: "he's strong defensively, he's quick, he's got a very good left foot and he's good going forward." No disrespect to the SPL but it's somewhere in between Premiership and Championship, so Izaguirre is untested at the very highest level.

With only 12 months left on his contract, Newcastle United's Jose Enrique could be a good choice for Arsenal. The ex-Villarreal man is valued at around the £10m mark by Newcastle, but it's likely that they would sell for less, rather than run the risk of losing him for nothing next summer. He's made 119 appearances for the Magpies, 85 in the Premier League, so he has good to flight experience, having played in Spain for 2 seasons as well, Enrique could use that experience to help during the Champions League campaign.

 

Jose Enrique - Could do a Clichy...

At 25, the Spaniard isn't too old for Arsene Wenger, and could prove to be a shrewd piece of business. Newcastle boss Alan Pardew has also admitted that Enrique could leave, saying "we're not confident we can keep him." Definitely a sign that a deal could be done. Last season, a defence with Enrique in would keep a clean sheet roughly once every 4 games, much better than Arsenal at the tail end of last season. Having only scored the one goal, Enrique is about as prolific as Clichy was. He is a player who would certainly push Gibbs on, and I feel that it would be a close run thing over who would be first choice.

Of  these four options, I would be inclined to give Gibbs his chance, but I would have Enrique there to push him all the way, and there to step in if the injuries and inconsistencies which have troubled Gibbs' career so far resurface in 2011/12.

Who would you like to see at left back next season? What do you think of Clichy's move to City? Tell me in the comments below, or Tweet me @Goonernl

Who Should Be a Transfer Target?

Tim Cahill

Cahill is a player who I really rate, the 31 year old, Evertonian as a box to box midfielder with a fantastic work rate, and ethic. He is a good tackler, and a very passionate player. One of the Australian's main attributes which I feel would really help Arsenal is that - despite only being 5'10'' - Cahill is fantastic in the air. In 2009/10, his first 7 goals of the season were all with his head. This season, he managed 11 goals from 29 starts, not bad by any midfielder's standards, he managed this despite missing part of the season for international duty, and Everton's woeful early season form. He also has 23 goals for Australia from his 52 caps.  Everton would definitely loath to lose him, and contracted until 2014, it could be tricky to prise him away. I would imagine that Everton would be prepared to do business for around £10,000,000 Arsenal could also potentially try to go a part exchange maybe offering Denilson plus some cash could tempt David Moyes to sell.

Miroslav Klose

Klose is a talented player, however, much like Niklas Bendtner - rumoured to be headed to Bayern Munich -, the 32 year old German seems to reserve his best form for his country. He has scored 61 goals in 109 appearances for Germany, whereas (I believe) he has only managed 24 goals from 98 games for Bayern Munich. Last season, he scored 15 from 23 starts and 15 substitute appearances, which sounds reasonable. Available as a free agent, the 6 footer could represent a quality addition to the Arsenal ranks, were Arsene Wenger prepared to go in for a player over 30, especially as his refusal to sign on with Bayern for longer seems to be based on the length of the contract on offer, not on money.

Richard Kingson

The undisputed Ghanaian number 1 was released by Blackpool at the end of last season, following their relegation to the Championship, so the 6'1'' goalkeeper is available on a free transfer. The 32 year old made 19 starts for Blackpool, and made 77 saves. At the World Cup last summer, Kingson made 5 starts, pulling off 27 saves; not a bad showing. He does have one quite major blip on his record, and that is that he failed a drugs test in 2005 whilst playing in Turkey, he received a 6 month ban from UEFA, but would seem to have successfully rebuilt his career and reputation. I'm not suggesting that we sign Kingson as a new #1 but I feel that he would be a good (enough) 'keeper to have in the squad to provide competition for Szczesney and Fabianski. I think that Manuel Almunia will leave in the summer, along with Jens Lehmann and Vito Mannone. Lehmann has been linked with a move back to the Bundesliga to Shalke, and I can see Mannone joining Hull on a permanent basis after excelling on loan there last season. I'm not sure where Almunia will be plying his trade next season, but I'm convinced that it will not be at Arsenal.

Diego Benaglio

The Italian Swiss has proved himself to be a decent 'keeper, both on the international stage, and for German side Wolfsburg. At 27, many Arsenal fans might consider him to be too young, but I would again be suggesting him as a squad player. Last season, the 6'4'' stopper made 102 saves from 28 games, an average of 3.6 per game (compared to 4.1 from Kingson) and made 16 saves in 3 games at the World Cup last year, as the Swiss failed to progress from their group. Another solid goalie, he could provide high level competition for Fabianski and Szczesney. I would see around £8 million snaring Benaglio for Arsenal.

(Dis)agree with me? Who would you like to see at Arsenal next year? Let me know your views on Twitter (@Goonernl) or in the comments below.

Transfer Target? Peter Odemwingie

According to recent reports Arsene Wenger is planning a shock £4 million move for the undeniably talented 29 year old striker. Odemwingie arrived at the Hawthorns from Lokomotiv Moscow in August last year for an undisclosed fee. In his time in Russia, the Nigerian scored 21 goals in 70 games. His goalscoring record for West Brom is much better, scoring 15 goals from 29 starts, roughly a goal every 2 games.

A composed finisher, Odemwingie is strong on the ball, and seemingly un-flustered by an onrushing 'keeper. At 6' he's quite tall, and he is reasonable in the air. For me one of his best attributes is his 'striker's instinct' he's good at following the ball in, and has seemingly poached a fair few goals doing it. A two footed player, he could bring some real versatility to the Arsenal front line. He has a good first touch, and has shown moments of skill, which would fit in well in N5. He has also shown that he is quite quick, another attribute well suited to Arsenal.

With only a year left to run on his contract, it has been suggested that he could be picked up for around £4,000,000. This sort of bargain basement figure is something which is sure to have Wenger interested. With Niklas Bendtner set to be shown the exit door, with Bayern Munich said to be hovering with a £12 million bid, it could be a case of one in one out. From what I have seen of him, the biggest advantages of Odemwingie over Bendtner is that he is much more consistent, and much less cocky. At 29, you wonder if he might be too old for Wenger, although he has indicated that this policy will be changing. If he does arrive at The Emirates this summer, I would expect that it would be on a 3 year deal. He's certainly a good player, who is proven in the Premiership, so a move for him could be a very shrewd transfer.

Your thoughts? Who would you prefer? Would you rather keep Bendtner? Let me know through Twitter (@Goonernl) or in the comments below.

Next Season's Defence + Transfer Target? Chris Samba

Samba:

According to a couple on news outlets, Arsenal have already placed a bid of around £10 million for the 27 year old, Congolese centre back. Samba cost Blackburn £400,000 from Hertha Berlin in 2007, and has made 164 appearances for Rovers to date. Last season, he played 35 times, picking up 3 yellow cards, 1 red and 4 goals along the way. Looking at the stats for the current Arsenal defenders, he's comparable in terms of both discipline and goals:

                                                   Apps.   YC   RC   Goals

                    Chris Samba            35        3       1         4

                    Laurent Koscielny   43       8       2         3

                    Sebastien Squillaci  34        1       1         2

                    Johan Djourou         39        4       0         1

In and since January, Samba dropped some fairly heavy hints about wanting to leave. In January he was quoted as saying: "This is my fifth season here. I've had ups and downs but today I don't want to waste any more time, new owners have arrived, they have fired the coach when he saved us from relegation two years ago. The least they could have done is come to us and explain their project. They haven't done that, it's a lack of respect. I don't want to be part of it." These reports of him wanting out were then blurred, in February, as he signed a new 4 year deal. Contracting him to the club until summer 2015.

More twists in the tale were to follow, at the beginning of May, the Blackburn skipper talked of how close a move to Arsenal was in January: "Everybody knows that I am an ambitious player... I think a move to Arsenal was very close in January, but that is life. You have to continue." Although decisive on the pitch, Samba seems to be unable to make up his mind off it, saying in late May: "I am not going to worry about next year now. I am very happy now though. Let us see who we sign."

Recently many Arsenal blogs and the press have been heralding him as the saviour for Arsenal's apparently lacklustre defence. I can't deny that he is a half-decent centre back, but I would point out that he has been playing for a club which only just avoided relegation, and he was part of a defence which conceded 28 Premiership goals since the turn of the year, compared to Arsenal conceding only 21 goals in the same period. I know that he's only one fifth (including the keeper) of that defence but it's still poor. He's tall and strong, but I wonder if he has the finesse that he would need to play for Arsenal. I am not sure how well he'd make the transition from Rovers' brand of football to that played in N5. There are other more suitable options out there. As well as that, from his quotes, Samba seems to be happy at Blackburn, and with a relatively long term contract in place, they are under no obligation to sell him.

Next Season:

Before the Carling Cup final, Arsenal conceded only 5 goals, from 8 Premier League games, and all of the goals came inside two games, to then concede 16 goals from the remaining 11 PL games is shocking. I feel that Arsenals defensive meltdown was essentially due to confidence. I can understand the calls for a new defender, but Thomas Vermaelen is going to be like a new signing next season, he made only 5 appearances this season, and is probably the first defensive name on the team sheet when he's fit. I think that he and Koscielny will make a cracking partnership next season, our #6 is a decent defender, he does show occasional incompetence, but you have to remember that 2010/11 was only his second season of top flight football. For the most part, his defending is fantastic, he's very good in the air, and excels at with slide tackles. He sometimes gets caught out 1v1, but that will happen to any defender. Thomas Vermaelen's defensive qualities we all know about from his fantastic first season at the club.

Moving down the pecking order, it seems to me that one of Sebastien Squillaci or Kyle Bartley will leave. Bartley has expressed his desire for first team football, and Rangers are happy to offer him it. They reportedly want him back either on loan or permanently next season, after impressing massively in the short spell he spent there before getting injured. A promising youngster who is sure to turn into a 'one that got away' player in the future if he is sold. No club should need five centre backs, although with defensive injuries like 10/11 we probably need 6, and this is why I think that one will go in the summer.

Your thoughts? Let me know through the comments below or on Twitter, you can follow me: @Goonernl