OK, so we shouldn’t take too seriously every transfer rumour, but I really hope that this one isn’t a runner.

It’s hard to see what a move for Shaun Wright-Phillips would achieve for two reasons. First, Arsenal’s priority surely has to be another central defender, another holding midfielder and a decent keeper. Another attacking midfielder must be way down the list.

Second, we already have a young right-sided attacking midfielder who has great pace but struggles to deliver enough final passes into the box.  I really want Theo Walcott to find the missing link in his game and succeed.  I hope that he will get the injury-free run that he needs.

Adding SWP to the squad doesn’t help anybody but SWP.

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.

England 1 : 1 USA

Flags by abflag.com

Last night’s game was hard work to watch.  It wasn’t so much that England found some new low, rather that they rediscovered an old one.  For ninety minutes it was as if Capello had never been there.  The familiar dilemmas had returned.  Can Lampard and Gerrard excel together?  What do you do on the left? Who should play in goal?

I haven’t added ‘who should start up front with Rooney’ because I thought Heskey played a blinder.  Yes he buried a decent chance into Howard’s midriff rather than the net, but we all expected that anyway.  He was a fantastic target man, winning every ball and laying it off for a team mate, and was good in the build-up to England’s goal.

The injuries are a worry, particularly at the back. King and Ferdinand were the ones to deal with pacey strikers.  Let’s hope King’s groin strain isn’t serious.  The decision to replace Milner with Wright-Phillips is a curious one.  If Joe Cole is only the third best option on the left, why did he make the final twenty-three?

As for the goalkeeper.  Green’s nervous blunder on his tournament debut was a nightmare. Personally I think that Capello should have picked one successor to James and stuck with him to give him the experience. Goalkeepers need a run in the team.  The choice wasn’t an easy one, there have been several similar contenders, but by making it and sticking to it the keeper chosen would have got the maximum experience.  I wouldn’t rule out sticking with Green.  Sticking with someone is the key.

Gerrard and Lampard? They are two great players, they should both play, but side by side in a flat four midfield just doesn’t seem to work. They are so similar in style that if the formation doesn’t dictate what they do, then identical instinct or indecision kick in.

There are plenty of teams that successfully play 4-1-3-1-1 or 4-4-1-1, call it what you will.  Maybe Heskey should be dropped, Gerrard sit behind Rooney, Lampard in the centre of the three and Barry, or King, in front of the back four.

Well that’s my view from the armchair, I suppose it’s just possible Capello knows a hell of a lot more than me!

Hopefully this was just a nervy start and guys will get into their stride.  None of the teams have really impressed so far and maybe we all expect too much from the eagerly awaited first games.

I still expect England to progress by winning the group.