Nine Jimmy Rimmers – Arsenal and Football

Arsenal have annouced their 23 man squad for the games in Malaysia and China. So who’s going and who’s staying. And if they’re staying, does it actually mean they’re really going?

Goalkeepers -
On Tour: Szczesny, Mannone
On Hold: Almunia, Fabianski

According to the BBC, an Arsenal spokesman has hinted that transfer negotiations for Manuel Almunia could be in the offing with the club having more to say on Monday. Lukasz Fabianski is still recovering from the injury to his shoulder in February.

Defenders -
On Tour: Djourou, Gibbs, Jenkinson, Koscielny, Sagna, Squillaci, Traore, Vermaelen
On Hold: Eboue

Emmanuel Eboue apparently has a calf injury and the rumour mill has been pretty quiet for a while. There was some early talk of a move to QPR but nothing has materialised.

Midfielders -
On Tour: Arshavin, Denilson, Frimpong, Miyaichi, Nasri, Ramsey, Rosicky, Song, Wilshere
On Hold: Diaby, Eastmond, Emmanuel-Thomas, Fabregas, Lansbury

Diaby has an injury and, according to The Mirror this week, Arsenal are open to offers. Then again, other reports say Arsenal have turned down offers. Craig Eastmond broke an ankle back in April while on loan at Millwall. Not much on Jay Emmanual-Thomas. There have been rumours of him being a make weight sale or loan in a deal for Cahill, but nothing substantial. Fabregas, well of course he has an injury hasn’t he! The Sun today says that a season-long loan deal will send Lansbury back to Norwich for regular Premier League football.

Forwards -
On Tour: Chamakh, Van Persie, Vela, Walcott
On Hold: Bendtner

The BBC story on Almunia above also puts Bendtner in the same boat: something happening on a transfer soon, more to be said next week.

Of course, not everyone who is going is necessarily staying!

What a dismal performance!  Aside from the goal itself we were way off the pace tonight.  We lacked shape and any style.

I know Shakhtar have a great home record but we didn’t give them much of a game.  They surprised Arsenal with their pace.  Both Clichy and Eboue were beaten many times.  Nasri covered a fair bit for Clichy but you won’t get that from Walcott.  Squillaci and Djourou were not too bad, winning a lot of the straight stuff, but they were continually exposed.

The Arsenal goal was the only highpoint.  A quick one-two between Walcott and Nasri (I think) set Walcott off on a sprint.  He stranded the keeper by taking his shot early and scored.  A good goal.

But after that we were all at sea.  We lost any shape and just weren’t able to deal with the determined way that Shakhtar kept coming.  The first goal came from a freekick given away by Eboue who was never catching Willian.  The freekick was well taken – one one.  I think the last touch came off Eastmond but it was a rapid deflection from the Shaktar player so he shouldn’t really be credited with an own goal.  About the closest he got to the ball all night though!

The second goal was a horror story from the other fullback.  Clichy looked to have the situation under control, then got mugged by Srna who put in a good cross to Eduardo – two-one Shaktar.

After the interval Arsenal showed a bit more commitment but didn’t find any shape or rhythm.  Bendtner didn’t really look fit and might possibly been usefully replaced by Chamakh sooner.

All-in-all a bad day at the office for just about the whole team.  Fabianski might be the only exception.  He made some good saves.  Fortunately we have probably done enough to ensure qualification, or will do in our last two games, but this is a night to forget.

***** If you feel anyone deserves the accolade, you can vote for your Man of the Match here. *****

Arsenal appear to be taking no risks on injuries with Arshavin, Song, Denilson and Fabregas all sitting out the trip to Shakhtar Donetsk.

Obviously that means a complete change to the midfield trio that played at the weekend.  As I wrote in my team preview piece yesterday, Nasri will come in for Fabregas and Wilshere will start too.  But with neither Song nor Denilson traveling, who will complete the midfield?

I think that there are three options and it depends how seriously Arsene Wenger rates Shaktar’s home form.

The most attacking option is to put Rosicky in the midfield, instead of him replacing Arshavin up front, then either adding Vela or playing both Chamakh and Bendtner.

The most ‘like-for-like’ change would be to simply put Eastmond in for Song.  Obviously he’s a good deal less experienced at this level, but we’re in a strong position in the Group.

If Wenger is worried that Eastmond doesn’t have the experience, then he can put Eboue in the midfield.  It’s an option he’s used before.

So how badly do we want three points? How tough do we think Shakhtar are at home?

I think Wenger wants three points.  Denying these points to Shakhtar locks up the group for us – given the goal difference we have chalked up.

Shakhtar will have some confidence at home and they will want something from this game.  I think we will see much more attacking ambition from them.

Another issue is the need to keep Eboue happy.  Although his attitude on the pitch can be a bit comical sometimes, he’s a good squad player who can cover more than one position.

My guess now is that Arsenal will start like this -

___________ Fabianski ___________
Sagna _ Squillaci _ Koscielny _ Clichy
________ Eboue _ Wilshere _______
____________ Nasri _____________
___ Walcott _ Bendtner _ Rosicky __

If the game goes well, Sagna could get an early finish with Eboue dropping into the right back role and Eastmond getting some match time.

With Sol Campbell staying I’m beginning to wonder whether that’s it for central defenders. Personally I would like to see another bought in but it may not happen now. But that doesn’t mean that the defensive rebuilding work is done.

I think that we still need a better goalkeeper and another defensive midfielder.

At the weekend all the talk was about Stekelenburg and Akinfeev. Both would be a step forward. But so would Schwarzer and I reckon that’s a rumour that has only gone quiet because the press have bored themselves with it and because all the Fulham talk is about the vacant manager slot.

I think that the defensive midfielder slot is just as important. Song is a big favourite of mine but we can’t rely on him every time and if you look at the successful clubs they generally have the option of playing two holding midfielders when the going gets tough. Plus we lose Song every other year when the African Cup is on.

Eastmond and Frimpong look interesting for the future but they’re not the established mature players that Arsenal need to balance out the team. We need go for another Song.

Koscielny will apparently be an Arsenal player by the end of the week.  I think that this is good news, though he’s not a player that most English fans no much about.

But he is a central defender and he isn’t a teenager so I think he fits the bill for the more pragmatic transfer window policy I think Arsenal need this summer.   If we sort out the defence and goalkeeping situation with quality players then I for one wouldn’t complain if we didn’t buy another midfielder or forward.

But Koscielny isn’t enough on his own.  We are losing three central defenders.  We need to get two in. When Arsenal had it’s most solid defence of recent years the manager could reliably choose any two from Adams, Bould and Keown. Or even play all three at once to win two nil at Anfield and clinch the title! And we had Andy Linighan as well.  This isn’t a plea to return to the Arsenal of Don Howe but we won’t win a title conceding the number of goals that we do.

So we need another central defender. Subotic would be good and Vertonghen also sounds promising.  I’m not so sure about Mertesacker.  I’ve only seen him on the telly during the World and European Cups and I don’t think he’s been that convincing.  He looks indecisive and not a particularly great tackler.  I still think that some team is going to take Germany’s central defenders apart in South Africa.

Goalkeeping gossip all seems to be about Schwarzer.  I think he is better than what we have, but I hope for someone even better.  Chamakh came on a free, so would the rumoured Joe Cole.  Koscielny is rumoured to be coming for between eight and ten million.  Surely we can afford more than four million for a keeper?

There is gossip now that more surplus Man City players are linked with Arsenal.  The Emirates seems to be Rumour Central this summer!

Not sure how much worth commenting on the Wright-Phillips and de Jong stories are but hey, it’s summer England are out of the World Cup and this is a blog right?  A player like de Jong would be a sensible buy.  Arsenal need more depth and Eastmond isn’t ready yet.  Denilson and Diaby are only good enough as defensive midfielders against weak opposition, they are better going forwards (where we are over-run with players, but that’s a different issue).  Song will play in the African Nations Cup every two years and needs some cover/competition.  And sometimes Arsenal could do with two holding players to see out wins against the best opposition.

Not sure what the point of Wright-Phillips would be. At the moment he seems to be defined as ‘speedy right-winger who doesn’t get enough crosses in’.  Think we’ve got that role covered as deep as we need at the moment.