RSSGoodplaya.com season preview
AND we are back.
You know it’s a new season when Goodplaya.com has had a lick of paint. Thus far it amounts to a new banner at the top of the page, but there is more to come (slowly).
So let’s dive right into my thoughts for this season. In goal, Manuel Almunia has pulled off a footballing miracle. At 31 he is about to start just his fourth season as first choice for his club.
The other three were with the mighty Osasuna B, Sabadell and Eibar.
It is a remarkable story. Whether he is the right man to be Arsenal number one remains to be seen. He barely made a big error last season, but whether he has the ability to pull off the ‘for the love of all that is sane, how did he save that’ save that Jens and Seaman could remains to be seen.
Reserve goalkeeper Fabianski is unproven, but showed his potential in Amsterdam.
At full-back, we could hardly do better than Sagna and Clichy. Both should be fresh.
Ahead of them, there are options: Walcott, Rosicky, Nasri and Eboue are more than viable, while the likes of Vela, Wilshire and even Eduardo and RVP offer genuine choice.
Up front, Adebayor, RVP, Bendtner and Eduardo helped us to just six goals fewer than United in the league last season. Though there is not as yet an obvious partnership between any two of them, each brings their own contribution. Coupled with Vela, we appear fairly well stocked on that front.
The astute among you will see I’ve left out central defence and central midfield. They are the areas that give me worry.
At the back, there can be few complaints over the quality of Toure and Gallas. But whether they can really work as a partnership concerns me. Of course they can do alright, but 31 goals conceded last year was simply not championship form, however many points we notched up.
I had expected, or at least hoped, we would see an aggressive bean-pole arrive in the summer. We have not.
You hardly need me to tell you that as things stand we look short in central midfield. Of course, it may just happen that Diaby stays fit, Denilson excels and Ramsey blossoms. But the boss is chancing it if we’re honest.
Last season I stuck my neck out and suggested we would easily stay in the top four, notching up around 80 points, but just missing out on the title. I was not far off.
This season I am not so certain. If things really do go wrong in the midfield then in theory a place in the top four could be at risk. But equally, if it is sorted out, then last season showed we now genuinely have the quality to go on and win it and I’m not sure losing a couple of players changes that a huge deal.
So I am straddling the fence hopelessly for now. It’s always easier to look at things when the transfer window is closed.
In the meantime, I’m excited. It’s West Brom tomorrow and with respect to European qualifications, it is the league kick-off that is the real start to the season. Bring it on.
15 August 2008 at 9:04 am
i posted this on the last set of comments but oh well. well done on the new banner, it’s really smart.
15 August 2008 at 9:32 am
I cannot believe that Diaby is expected back in 4-6 weeks, FFS!!! He even was first back to preseason so it wasnt like he was pushing himself, and injury to cesc is understandable.
Almunia hasnt done much wrong and I am backing him to have a good season, all eyes will be on him until december.
I really am not worried about the players we have in midfield, I am more concerned by Wengers rotation policy. Cesc needs more protection and rest this season and AW has to have the balls now to play Denilson or Rosicky or whoever in his place for some games. I believe we lost the title by relying on Cesc to be at the top level every game
15 August 2008 at 10:15 am
Something else that hasn’t really been mentioned is that I think Wenger won’t be so reluctant to take advantage of the January transfer window this season, and he may be waiting until then to suss things out and decide whether to bring further reinforcements in.
15 August 2008 at 10:38 am
Gosh!Why we still hold Diaby ?
15 August 2008 at 11:28 am
Fair comments but I still don’t see where this “other” team will come from to take that top 4 position away from either us or Liverpool.
Theres plenty of talk about Man City, but last night showed how good they really are, Villa are an option but for me they don’t have the strength in depth if thats going to be a stick to beat us with. Everton have proved time and again that while they are close, thats all they are, that leaves Spurs who for me seem to be very light at the back in terms of options, Woodgate and King are a decent pair but I can’t see them playing more than 15 games together all season. You can forget about Bently and Modric because scoring has never been a problem for Spurs, thats not where the problem lies, it’s going to take a massive improvement from them and with so many new faces I can’t see it.
I think we showed last year we are title material, yes we blew up a bit at the end but we were a long way in front of 4th and even more so from 5th.
15 August 2008 at 10:31 pm
“Almunia barely made a mistake last season’? It’s a big lie. He’s not good enough to be No.1. Arsene is just doing him a favour. Any GK who is not a bench warmer at the national level should not play for the Arsenal. He always concedes cheap goals and can’t save tricky once.
16 August 2008 at 11:16 am
well said howard, to many of these bloggers are accepting almunia as good enough. well he aint.
17 August 2008 at 2:44 am
I know a swallow makes a summer not but two things stood out for me from last nights match:
1) Criticise Almunia all you want Howard and Tubes but he has improved out of sight. He was utterly excellent last night, his judgement of when to come off his line and when to stay is a world away from the shambles it was when he was first at the club. Yes he will make a howler this season. Name a keeper who won’t. I’m happy with our Number 1.
2) The boy Nasri can play. Forget about the goal, his poise on the ball, his intelligent runs, and his distribution was excellent. Hleb never played like that, a massive upgrade. Again he’ll have his ups and downs this year but I’m impressed and believe he’s of the requisite quality, Wenger once again has signed a gem. Now do it in the centre of the park before August the 31st please Arsene.
17 August 2008 at 6:07 am
Now has come the time for JD to bench Swiss Tony for good. JD is far better than the other Swiss. With the way JD is playing, first in pre-season and against FC Twente and WBA, I don’t see how Toure and Swiss Tony can get a look in the team.
17 August 2008 at 9:46 pm
Diaby injured his thigh in a reserve match towards the end of last season. He didn’t play in the first few pre-season games, so I suspect that like RVP last season, he came back too soon because Wenger wants him to partner Cesc in the middle. He has been very unfortunate with injuries since the assault at Sunderland, so I don’t think Arsene should rely on him for this season, which is probably why there is this late push to sign another body for the midfield.
17 August 2008 at 10:30 pm
Nasri is quality. Almunia is good enough, leave him alone. Eboue, like Cygan, is not up to it. Diaby is as reliable as Solskjaer or Owen.
Justin Hoyte was a fine squad player with cast iron attitude. If only Hleb, Cole, Anelka, Adebayor and all those other wannabes had half his commitment we would have dominated this decade. Good luck to him up here in Middlesbrough.
Arsenal will not win a trophy this year. We need someone like Peter Storey or Manu Petit to set Cesc free and a world class, in yer face, Arsenal till I die, centre half like Tony Adams or Frank McLintock.
28 May 2009 at 8:52 am
[...] now for the season review and what better way to do it than to have a look back at what I said back in August last year. So here [...]