da realsbet： Much has been made of Arsenal’s fragility in both the goalkeeping and central defensive areas of the pitch. Whilst this is likely to be Wenger’s main area of concern in the summer (whether he actually does anything is another matter altogether) I feel that Arsenal have another weakness which certainly merits examination: I am talking about wide players.
da betway： On the surface Arsenal’s midfield appears to be their main asset. With the likes of Cesc Fabregas, Samir Nasri, Andrei Arshavin, Jack Wilshire and Alex Song the Gunner’s have a midfield that can, on its day, completely dictate a match. What they lack, however, is a natural left-midfielder whilst out on the right, the only viable option is Theo Walcott (and even he is naturally predisposed to the central striker position).
Wenger usually opts to play Nasri or Arshavin on the left and whilst they can produce good moments from that side of the pitch, they aren’t naturally inclined to that position and can sometimes seem out of place. Arshavin in particular has seemed sloppy on the left and it is becoming increasingly apparent that he is feeling more than a little dejected with the Gunners at the moment.
Arshavin’s natural position is to play behind the strikers and we have seen the best of him when he plays centrally. He even played as a centre forward for a few games last season when injuries forced Wenger’s hand and we saw him score goals and play with a comfort that comes from playing in the centre. Arshavin will always be capable of providing moments of magic (example: Saturday at West Brom) but he will never find his consistency playing out on the left.
Nasri is a similar case but he seems to be at least a little better equipped to deal with the position. Again though, he is naturally suited to playing in the centre and we certainly see the best results when he plays there. In the absence of Theo Walcott, Nasri has been starting on the right of midfield and as a result his impact has been drastically subdued. His form has dipped since the first half of the campaign where many were viewing him as the favourite for Player of the Year.
Arsenal have an overabundance of central midfield players. In fact, I would go as far as saying that Arsenal’s entire midfield feels more comfortable in the centre. This may suit Arsenal’s quick passing game but it limits any options when it’s not working and doesn’t leave any room for a plan B. If Saturday’s game at the Hawthorns taught us anything it is that Wenger seems to have accidentally stumbled upon the very plan B that pundits claim he has been missing.
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By taking off Denilson (who needs to be sold) and Ramsey (who will eventually get back in the swing) and introducing Bendtner and Chamakh; Arsenal had targets in the box. Wilshire and Nasri proved more than capable in holding the central midfield allowing Bendtner and Arshavin and even Sagna opportunities to cross. Arsenal need this plan B and need to use it more often.
It is plain for all to see how well Walcott does his job on the right. He cuts through defenders on the right and puts in some good crosses or breezes into the box. He also creates more space in the centre which gives Fabregas and co. more time to shine. If Arsene brought in a left-sided Walcott in the summer it would both open up the play for the likes of Wilshire, Nasri and Fabregas in the centre as well as providing the Gunner’s with the width they desperately need.
Sagna can make good runs from the right-back position and with Theo Walcott fit Arsenal would see the benefit of this approach week-in week-out. On the left however, Arsenal don’t have that natural left-sided midfielder and Clichy is looking more and more sloppy as time goes on. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the left-back sold in the summer and have his position handed over to Gibbs who looks to be developing into quite a player.
In terms of potential targets there doesn’t seem to be many obvious options. Arsenal require a Gareth Bale type player but he is well out of their price range and on the wrong side of North London. Barcelona’s Pedro would be a very good option but again price would be an issue. The only possibility of that happening would be a swap deal with Fabregas which wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing.
Arsene Wenger has been keeping tracks on Eden Hazard for a long time and he could be a perfect fit, but the young Belgium recently signed a contract extension with Lille. One option that might sound laughable at first (but bare with me): Shaun Wright Phillips. Although naturally a right sided player, he has played on the left for both club and country. He would provide cover for Walcott and would be more comfortable on the left than any of Arsenal’s current crop of midfielders. He is out of favour at Man City and, of course, let’s not forget who his dad is.
Arsene Wenger’s main priority this summer MUST be the central defence. I really get the sense that he’s not going to budge on the goalkeeping situation and when Vermaelen returns he may not even look at defenders. Beyond that, however, a left-midfielder is definitely something to think about and could give the Gunner’s the adaptability that they sometimes lack.
Read more of Nicholas Edward’s articles at ‘This Is Futbol’
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