Arsene Wenger has been talking fullbacks and forwards. The idea of bringing in Wayne Bridge on loan is still all the rage. Wenger says no enquiry has been made but didn’t rule it out.
What he did do was make clear that he’s thinking short-term as far as an extra fullback goes. Arsenal have four decent fullbacks and Vermaelen and Koscielny can provide decent cover. So when everyone’s fit, no-one else is required – choosing two from six not an issue.
But with four injured fullbacks and Djourou out too, we need help. Getting in the January window isn’t easy. Neither is getting the quality you want through a loan. Great players don’t get loaned, they play or they get cashed in.
That’s why someone like Bridge or Taiwo are the likely candidates. Hopefully there are other possibilities too. Because I’m sure about Bridge and I don’t think AC Milan will want to help us out. Even though he couldn’t play Champions League football, easing our defensive problems still isn’t to their advantage.
Presumably Arsene Wenger has some scouting reports to think about and has had his inbox filled with video clips from agents. I have this image of the Wenger household tomorrow – Arsene sat to one side just watching video clips on his ipad with a notepad on the arm of the chair. Hopefully in amongst all that is some decent nugget of a fullback.
Up-front all the talk is of Thierry Henry making a cameo appearance for January and half of February. Well maybe, but this surely makes less sense. Arsenal need a longer term answer to who backs up Robin Van Persie. Arsenal gave have cash to spend but it’s still a tricky problem. First question from any decent player approached won’t so much be what’s the pay, as how often will I play?
Our current formation only allows for one out and out striker and were not alone in that. It’s how most of the top clubs are playing. What the likes of Manchester United have though is a steady supply of goals from the players who spend most of the game out wide.
If that means that they’ve got the right tactical solution then it isn’t so much an out and out striker we need. Chamakh isn’t scoring less than Berbatov and Owen. If we’re sticking with this formation then we need to say bye-bye Arshavin and bring in someone who does what Walcott and Gervinho do – only get more goals like Nani.
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