Gooner Talk

Every summer it seems that yet another star, a great player – be it our leading marksman or the steel of our midfield – that, thanks to Wenger, has grown into an icon for the club with a worldwide reputation of quality to go with that, leaves the club for what most of the departures describe as “a new challenge”. A new challenge where they get paid more. It’s become an annual tradition – a habit, if you will. If you asked me why it keeps occuring I couldn’t tell you, I will probably remain dazzled every time another one walks out the door, leaving some of us frustrated and angry while the rest of us (I’d categorize myself into this next category) are left with every fibre of our bodies heavily confused. Haven’t they ever heard of the Arsenal Curse? There might be more categories, but over-simplifying things is an underestimated tool, one I like to use to its’ full extent. For example: Arsenal – Good, Others – Bad. See, it has advantages. It reduces the need of thinking.

Fading need of using my brain aside, in the recent and not too distant years we Arsenal fans have had to deal with parting from once beloved and adored heroes such as Henry, Vieira, Anelka, Pires, Wright and more. Now they might have had their own reasons for leaving – I’m not writing this to air out the anger, sense of betrayal and frustration that I’ve grudgingly kept inside myself all these years that the players mentioned above have inflicted on me, I’m writing this to praise what we have left. Not because of the fact that they’re still here – the best possible indicator of loyalty there is, but because of how they got here and what it means for our future.

Wenger might have upset a Gunner or two with his quaint way of bringing players in during the various transfer windows, or perhaps his lack of bringing players in is a more accurate description. It’s an opinion that is quite commonly shared all over the world, even a few Gooners adhere to that myth which, unfortunately, leads to them complaining about it on the internet – probably the least successful way of dealing with the problem imaginable, not just because it has the potential to provoke a chain reaction of discontent and, sometimes, hostility towards Wenger (which is the last thing we need, trust me) but also because it’s extremely annoying to read.

But, if it’s true that “he never brings any players in, and when he does, there’s too few of them”, then my question, my dear doubters, is this: how can we still be where we are, playing the football that we do? The answer to that is in fact the very same method and philosophy that so many, not only the Arsenal fans, criticise every year.

When Vieira left Wenger ended up buying no one. Instead he promoted the young Fabregas who was eagerly waiting in the ranks, aching to prove his worth. When Henry left many were crying out in desperation for a replacement, but Wenger ended up buying no one – I didn’t count Eduardo, seeing as the only replacement worthy of mentioning would be another player of the same stature as the one who left, and while I don’t intend on having a go at the Croatian league, it’s hardly the kind of place Henry’s immediate successor would ply his trade in. Instead Adebayor, bought for less than my younger brother’s weekly allowance (who is only 11, by the way), stepped up and scored more than anyone ever expected. Apart from Wenger, that is. This year Flamini and Gilberto (and Diarra, kind of) left a hole in the centre of midfield and no one has been brought in to cover up.

But that’s not completely true. On 31 August 2006, Denílson joined Arsenal for a fee of £3.4 million. It sure seems to me that Denilson is doing exactly what Fabregas and Adebayor managed before him; taking over after a prominent predecessor without the need for Wenger to splash the cash. Against Blackburn at Ewood Park Denilson actually out-shined Fabregas throughout the game. Now, Fabregas was actually playing like a normal, mortal human being back then instead of in the scintillating way us Gooners have grown custom to,  but still an impressive performance from our Brazilian nonetheless. While watching the game I noted that the Denilson-Fabregas partnership worked in exactly the same way that Flamini-Fabregas did. They covered up for eachother and “took turns” going forward, with the emphatic scoreline 0-4 being all the proof of it’s success anyone could ever ask for.

So that’s pretty much what Wenger does. He buys young, he buys cheap and he buys people with bags of potential so when yet another one leaves us for pastures anew we’ll be fully set and prepared for yet another teenage sensation to step it up and dazzle us in ways that should be illegal.

The next time an important mainstay departs I’ll be worried if Wenger buys big, because that, above all, will be a signal that he abandoned his successful methods and that should worry you far more than the actual loss of an important player. I’ll be all smiles he if buys no one, promotes someone from within and buys another promising youngster if Fabregas ever leaves. Pretty much like saying ciao to Flamini, send him off to sunny Italy, where referee’s are for sale and women have chest hair, promoting Denilson from within and buying Ramsey. This will not disrupt the harmony of the squad and it will make sure that the club avoids the lure of spending astronomical sums of money for players that will never produce performances to match the inflated price tag. Buying like some of the supporters are asking Wenger to do will take us to the same path that Manchester United and Chelsea are currently walking, inevitably ending up in an abyss of doom and forced demotion. Watching a young player come to the club, develop and then break through into the first team is one of the high-points of my life – it’s also why I find the Carling Cup the most exciting of all competitions to watch. It’s also the reason why we’ll always be at the top while making profit. Our cheap way of persistent succession will be remembered for eternity. Buying players for £20+ million will not have the same effect and, most importantly, it will not by a long shot guarantee success in any way.

Our fellow title-contenders (and Liverpool too) really should adopt the same method to avoid bankruptcy. Imagine another top team using the same methods.

If Torres goes – who will be there for them if they don’t spend? N’Gog? You’re having a laugh. It would be impossible for Liverpool, Chelsea and Man U to keep the same level of quality within their starting lineup without spending as soon as an important player leaves. C.Ronaldo is United’s most important player and Fabregas is ours – who will be most equipped to deal with the loss of their star performer? I have no difficulties seeing Denilson keeping the same level he did against Blackburn, but I can never see Nani scoring more than 10 goals per season. And then Nani cost around £20 million.

The future is bright, the future is Arsenal. When our rivals will be forced to sell all their highly rated players we will still be here, running circles around our opponents and scoring brilliantly constructed aesthetic goals for fun.

As we told you several days ago, Stephen Appiah will not be moving to the Emirates Stadium, after Gunners boss Arsene Wenger revealed he is “not on the case” of the Ghananian skipper.

Appiah, 27,  was linked with a whole host of Premier League clubs mainly because he is available outside the transfer window having been released by Fenerbahce prior to the end of August.

Wenger confirmed to the British press earlier this afternoon that he has no interest in bringing Appiah to the club.

“No, we are not on the case,” Wenger told a press conference on Thursday.

Since the departure of Mathieu Flamini and Gilberto Silva, Arsenal have yet to have made moves in the transfer market to replace either; apart from signing youngster Amaury Bischoff.

The Accra-born star would of added plenty of experience to Wenger’s thin squad; but the Frenchman has already confirmed that he is to stick with what he’s got – at least until January, that is.

According to reports, Arsenal are keeping tabs on Ghana midfielder Stephen Appiah.

It was reported that West Ham had also made an offer for the former Fenerbahce midfielder, but Arsene Wenger could also be on the look out for the experienced stalwart.

Appiah is one of the most highly regarded midfielders in Africa and has been named in his country’s national squad for the first time in nearly a year.

Since the departure of Mathieu Flamini and Gilberto Silva, Arsenal have yet to have made moves in the transfer market to replace either; apart from signing youngster Amaury Bischoff.

The 27-year-old Accra-born star would add plenty of experience to his squad; and his signing on a free transfer would be outside of the transfer window.

In other news, Cardiff have denied reports that suggested they tried to lure Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey back to Ninian Park on loan.

Reports on Tuesday indicated the Bluebirds made contact with Arsenal to check whether they could have the 17-year-old – who only moved to the Emirates for £5million in the summer – back on a short-term loan deal.

But Cardiff chairman Peter Ridsdale revealed to the BBC:

“No approach has been made.”

Boss Dave Jones is on the lookout for a new midfielder after losing Riccardo Scimeca for at least two months with ankle ligament damage but Ramsey was seemingly not an option.

Arsenal are reportedly closing in on the signing of Saint Etienne’s deep-lying playmaker Blaise Matuidi according to Sky Sports News.

Gunners boss Arsene Wenger has been linked with a number of midfielder’s this summer since declaring that he was looking to bring one quality player in midfield to the Emirates Stadium earlier this summer.

Liverpool’s Xabi Alonso, along with Everton targets Jonathan De Guzman and Stephane Mbia have all been reportedly targets for Wenger, who has lost key midfielder’s Mathieu Flamini, Gilberto Silva and Alexander Hleb during this transfer window.

Arsenal’s French-based scout Gilles Grimandi has seen the Matuidi in action for Les Verts and Arsene Wenger is also a known admirer of the Tolouse-born star.

However, it has now emerged that it is 21-year-old Matuidi that is set to join the Gunners, with it not known how advanced talks are between St Etienne and Arsenal.

French Under-21 International Matuidi joined Etienne from Troyes last summer, making 36 appearances for the Ligue 1 team last season and is one of France’s most sought-after prospects.

If the first two Premier League games of the season have taught Arsenal anything it’s that Cesc Fabregas has to be kept in bubble wrap. With Tomas Rosicky’s never-ending injury saga, Fabregas is the only pure creative force left in Arsenal’s midfield.

The West Brom match kicked off in style, it seemed that Fabregas wasn’t to be that sorely missed. Nasri’s goal was a quintessential pass-it-into-the-net Arsenal goal, with Denilson neatly slotting into Fabregas’ position. Then, the gas ran out, and Arsenal were stuck passing it between themselves in the middle of the park with West Brom merely spectators to a word-class kick about. As Jonathan Pearce correctly stated “it’s in these periods that Arsenal are lacking the likes of Rosicky and Fabregas, the match-breakers.”

The absence of Fabregas, and to a lesser extent Rosicky, was painstakingly evident in the cataclysmic performance at Craven Cottage. Denilson was dire, and all the more bewildering is the fact that he was the only player in the Arsenal outfield not called up for international duty. The 20 year old’s displays have been mercurial to say the least, polished performances in preseason silenced many of the Brazilian’s critics but the backlash has already arrived.

My main qualm with Denilson is his inconsistency. Arsenal’s squad depth is often cited a major hindrance to the team’s quest for silverware, but I don’t think it’s the squad’s depth that’s the problem, more so the hit-or-miss nature of the back-up players. Denilson, Bendtner, Senderos and Eboue, they are all replacements that lack the consistency that Arsenal needs.

Fabregas in an infectious player, his ideas and creativity rub-off on the entire team, each player feels he needs to raise his game in order for Fabregas to function fully and they do. Cesc is the team’s catalyst; the conductor of the fluent passing moves that Arsenal have become renowned for and without him the team can become off-key and flat. By no means am I saying that Arsenal are a one-man team, it is simply that Fabregas inspires confidence, when he appears on that team-sheet morale rises and Arsenal’s stock increases.

The other attribute that Fabregas brings to the table (that is seemingly non-existent amongst other Arsenal players) is that of mental strength and resilience. Arsenal’s triumph in the San Siro epitomises everything that Fabregas offers mentally. With Arsenal completely dominating possession and effectively taking AC Milan to the cleaners, the game still looked destined for extra time. It was up to Fabregas to keep on mounting the constant attacks and galvanise the team to success. Had he been absent that night, then who knows what would have happened.

This brings me on to my next point. The mystifying decision to allow William Gallas to retain the captaincy. Apologies and claims of how last seasons debacles have changed him as a person are all great but the fact remains that he is mentally explosive and appears to lack any command over the team. Captains are supposed to lead by example, and Arsenal fans should be grateful that the team have more sense than to follow his lead when it comes to defending corners. Gallas’ body language screams nonchalance and at times arrogance. It’s fair to say that William Gallas has shown as much leadership as Thabo Mbeki has on Zimbabwe.

However, the Arsenal captaincy is an incredibly fragile predicament. Bomb disarming units would have to be called in to defuse the thermonuclear device that would go off in Gallas’ brain if the news broke that the captain’s armband was his no more. The aftermath of such an incident could even trigger an affair similar to the own-goal threat he issued when at Chelsea.

The obvious choice for captain, in my humble opinion, is Senor Fabregas. Cesc has an abundance of match-winning impetus that can ignite the flames in Arsenal’s engine room, a skill that Gallas is a long way off mastering. There is no doubt in my mind that had Fabregas been in Arsenal’s line-up on Saturday then the result would have been different. Despite being just 21, the only major football final that he is yet to appear in is the World Cup final, in terms of experience you can’t ask for much more.

It may be cause for concern that there is only one player within Arsenal’s squad capable of shifting the team into top gear. Nonetheless, with Gokhan Inler’s arrival hopefully on the horizon, the squad will acquire another motivational talisman. The Swiss is celebrated for his hard-man attitude and phenomenal work-rate, if Inler is brought in it will add extra gusto and vigour to a side that craves it.

If William Gallas knew what was best for the club he would come out with his hands up and pass the captain’s armband to Fabregas. The sooner Gallas accepts that he can’t lead and that Fabregas can, the better. The latter’s loyalty is unquestionable and he has expressed a desire to captain Arsenal, (“I would love it,” he told The Observer) and was the first to move to quash reports linking him with a move to Spain.

Fabregas is the Arsenal captain-elect, it may be that Gallas is ten years his senior but it’s the Frenchman who has the growing up to do.

Reports in Italy today suggest that Arsenal defender Philippe Senderos is close to securing a season-long loan move to Italian giants AC Milan.

The loan, which will see Swiss international Senderos reunite with ex-Gunners’ team-mate Mathieu Flamini, has an option to make the switch permanent which could come into place if the 23-year-old impresses during his spell with the Rossoneri.

Milan have been chasing several Arsenal players since the signing of Mathieu Flamini. Emmanuel Adebayor was strongly linked to a move to the San Siro over the summer, but he finally signed a new Arsenal deal in August.

Arsenal are yet to confirm a deal is done with Senderos, while another Swiss defender, Johan Djourou is still rumoured to be on French side Rennes’ shopping list. Djourou’s departure seems unlikely though, as Arsene Wenger has already let up and coming defender Havard Nordtveit go out on loan.

Last season, Senderos was blamed for some slacking marking that allowed Liverpool to beat the Gunners in the Champions League. Criticised in the press, the Swiss defender took time to recover, although was able to play an important part in Switzerland’s unsuccessful Euro 2008 campaign.

Gooner Talk would like to wish Big Phil a successful spell with AC Milan, and hope to see him impressing for the Italian stars in the near future.