Arsenal fans are worried, not only judging by emails. At the Emirates some were talking about van Persie only playing on average ten games a season – and taking a valuable striking berth. Others about Adebayor‘s often poor first touch [although he brings other positive qualities].
From a fan’s point of view the obvious thing would be to buy – to freshen up a ‘tired’ team; to strenghten the squad versus the other three main rivals. Would Nic Anelka, for example, have buried those last minute chances against Portsmouth?
On 3 December Arsenal had played 14 and had 36 points. Manchester Utd had played 15 with 33 points. Now Arsenal have played 19 with 44 and Manchester Utd 19 with 45. Does this point to a need for a stronger squad?
The bookies seem to think Arsenal should strengthen. Manchester United’s win over Sunderland has seen them cut to a shortest-so-far-this-season price of 8-13 (Paddy Power) to win the Premier League. Arsenal are now 5-2 (general), with Chelsea 11-1 (extrabet.com) and Liverpool 14-1 (general).
Gael Clichy admitted the team was tired in The Guardian: “”We should have won on Wednesday. But we didn’t play in the right spirit. We missed two good opportunities early on and that showed we weren’t focused enough at the start.
“This a tough period and people get tired, but we know what we have to do and if we pass the ball quickly we win. If we don’t we’re not the same, and we’re a bit disappointed with the way we played at Portsmouth. If you don’t start as you have to then the game becomes difficult.
“But we’ve got a lot of players back from injury and the boss has the possibility to rest and rotate players who need it. Personally, I don’t want a rest. I’m fine. It’s a pleasure to play. Even if we are a bit tired, Everton are tired as well.”
Arsene Wenger has his own way [which to be honest hasn’t done badly so far] and according to the Daily Telegraph at least, doesn’t look like buying, even for African Nations defensive cover: “Even with Johan Djourou returning from Birmingham we would then be left with three specialist centre-backs. If I signed another one we’d have too many after the African Nations. Sometimes you just have to suffer during the tournament and let your players play.”
However he may buy another keeper, if the Daily Mail is to be believed. Borussia Dortmund director of football Michael Zorc is in London with instructions to secure Jens Lehmann’s release on a free transfer.
“I should know more in the next week, so I can make a decision about my future in the first few days of the New Year. I have listened to something but, at the moment, I can’t say too much about it,” said the German keeper.
Aston Villa’s Thomas Sorensen, Bolton’s Jussi Jaaskelainen and Celtic’s Artur Boruc have all been linked and Barnsley’s £1million-rated Heinz Muller is also believed to be a target [a more likely target, given the price perhaps].
Transfer talk watchers would have thought Dinamo Zagreb’s Luka Modric is Arsenal bound, particularly as his mate Eduardo is at The Emirates. But that doesn’t appear to be the case in most papers, even though Modric’s agent, Zdravko Mamic is in London seeking out the highest bidder.
Manchester City, Tottenham and Chelsea are all thought likely to be interested when the transfer window opens on Tuesday. Although the Guardian says an Arsenal scout watched him during the recent Dinamo-Hamburg tie.
Wenger will continue to go for youth and development, particularly as Modric’s agent wants up to £18m. And already Gillingham’s 15 year old striker, Luke Freeman, the youngest player to play in the FA Cup, has looked around Arsenal with a view to joining.
“Luke has had a fantastic day at Newcastle and a fantastic day at Arsenal. He is going to West Ham for a day to have a look around. He will then make a decision,” said Gillingham manager Mark Stimpson, told the Coventry Evening Telegraph.”
Interesting longsish article on Almunia in El Pais, which lends support to the Wenger view. According to Nàstic sporting director Ricardo Resta, who discovered Almunia when he was a substitute for second division team Cartagena, Almunia has benefited from the rivalry with Lehmann, emerging a stronger player.
It says Resta put Almunia in touch with Galician team Celta, which signed him in 2001, but over the following three years he played for Éibar and then Recreativo, where he spent a season on the bench, until finally he made it to Espanyol, where he caught the eye of Arsenal scout Francis Cagigao, and was signed for €3.5 million.
Miguel Peiró, a Spanish scout who hoped to transfer Almunia to Atlético Madrid, describes Almunia as “fast, agile, and very strong. He takes the job very seriously, and is a bit introverted, but believes in improving himself. He reads books about sports psychology; I’m very surprised none of the big Spanish sides have snapped him up.”
In other news Marylebone Cricket Club representatives have visited the Emirates to study how Arsenal get the grass so good [to do with lighting systems, in part.] And Milan’s Ronaldo is on his way back to Brazil, maybe. An example, perhaps, of what can happen if you get expensive imports wrong?