The chance of Arsenal reclaiming the Premier League trophy we last lifted 11 years ago has gone for another season, although at least the team has been showing real signs of improvement and suggesting that we might be able to make a proper fist of things next time.
But that will be a far from easy thing to do, as you can see from the fact that only three clubs, Chelsea and the Manchester pair, have been champions since Arsenal and only one other club, Blackburn Rovers, has managed that since the Premier League began 23 years ago.
A growing number of TV pundits have suggested that one way of the Gunners getting back to the top is to sign a really top class keeper in the summer. David De Gea showed his massive worth to Man United once again this weekend, producing some fantastic saves before taking a knock and being replaced. I like Ospina and feel that he will be a superb reserve but he just does not have that same aura of invincibility.
This weekend also saw Barcelona crowned champions of La Liga, ending Atletico Madrid´s brief spell at the top of Spanish football. They had to wait even longer than our 11 years for that success to return, having last won it 19 years ago. How did they manage to buck the trend of Real Madrid and Barcelona? Many think it came down to them having Thibaut Courtois in goal and we can see how much he has helped Chelsea this season. Without the Belgian stopper, Atletico never really looked like retaining their crown.
I know that the Gunners do not play in the same defensive style as Atletico and Diego Simeone is a lot different to Arsene Wenger but they did prove the importance of a top drawer number one. Like them, Arsenal still cannot really compete with our big rivals when it comes to transfer fees and wages so perhaps we need to take a leaf out of their book and make sure that we have a keeper that will earn us vital points when maybe we don´t deserve them or to make the difference in the really big games against the likes of United.
Is this the most important piece of transfer business for Wenger to get right?
If there’s any ‘proof’ here it’s that you need a world class (or as close to as possible) spine in the team. They lost a quality keeper, but they also lost a world class ST who scored 36 goals for them. People talk highly of Giroud but he’s only ever scored 20+ goals in 3 seasons of his entire career, with a career high of 25 – I’m a fan, but a spade is a spade and Olly is NOT a world class ST.
So sure, highlight the need for a quality keeper….but Ospina is showing signs of that. Now how about the need for a quality ST, is Giroud showing those signs? No.
Arsenal are an elite ST and DM away from having a top squad. I’d also like to see us go the extra mile and swap out Theo for a player like Fekir/Sterling. GK I’m content with unless Cech is there for the taking which is a special circumstance (world class player, knows the league, lives in london), and I always advocate improvement regardless of the talent we have. But PRIORITIES are the main concern, GK would be the last piece of the jigsaw for me.
Schneiderlin + Higuain as additions would be as good as it gets in my book. But if you’re talking ruthless improvement I’d like to see Theo replaced with a better footballer (fekir/sterling), good runs and tidy finishing just isn’t enough for an Arsenal player on his money. Then if Cech is allowed to move to us that would be the easiest 10mil we could spend, regardless of Ospina’s outlook/form it’s one of those deals that you just do and re-shuffle after the fact.
Fekir and Sterling and upgrade on Theo!? Wow.. Maybe in a few seasons but now? No, no way.
Good runs and tidy finishing is well worth the money.. Because it equals goals.
I disagree on GK. It’s only recently i’ve been watching GK more and a brilliant save is no less important than a goal. Ospina was beaten twice by far post crosses being snuck in at his near post. Were they unforgivable?? No.. But a better keeper would’ve done more.
Yes Josh, stunning amount of goals he’s scored in an Arsenal shirt (72 goals in almost 300 games). When you look at what he’s paid in respect of the other players (he’s top 5 earners) he’s bang average and very replaceable.
Now no way? Sterling is a good deal better and Fekir has shown his quality…I’d say they’re very much better than Theo now…..or are you using Theo’s good form of 18months ago to actually compare? How’s he been since his injury? Right…thought so.
@ Charlie
That list you made about the alleged upgrades on theo are complete nonsense. Besides muller and reus (like I daid) and arguably Pedro (depends who you talk too) NONE of those players you mentioned are an upgrade on theo right now.
All those young talents from the French league is a big risk seeing how many players fail to acclimate to the prem and Dybala is so iffy to me 1 good season and people are calling him aguero. How many times have we seen young players on weak teams never make the step up to a the big clubs?
I think your being unfair to theo and how much he brings to our side. He really does add a whole other dimension to our game and makes us mor dynamic
I feel bad for you that you actually genuinely think only Muller/Reus and Pedro at a push (LOL) are better than Theo that we could buy. Truly stunning how you rate Theo so highly, he’s the epitome of replaceable, we’d get good money cos he’s a good age and english with a decent pedigree….but there’s plenty out there who could come in and do better/suit us more.
Sterling absolutely is better than Theo, while I’d wager good money Fekir would do more in this team than Theo as well. Theo is poor on the ball, doesn’t defend, but decent at making runs and finishing…how you don’t think that’s upgradeable for the money we’re talking is crazy.
Yes a Top class goal keeper is a must. we can dream of PL next season only if we pull of 3 great signings
1. Checz or Loris
2. Schliderine or Kongbodia
3. Huguine
That is 75 mill.
All other teams will spend including Chelsea. If Bale is available then we must go for him, we cal sell 3 to 4 players to accommodate Bale’s money to some extent.
Need definite investment to win the league as Henry pointed.
Also we need to Keep Ramsey in central position and Play cazorla as no 10 dropping Ozil
Right side has to be OX or Walcott
Sunny
yeah like they’d sell us lloris.
Some papers says Loris has a buy our clause that can be activated by a CL playing club if spurs are not playing CL. This was published last month
we need that spine…
for last 10 years we been saying the same thing…we need a Gk ,CB DM and striker….
and yet Wenger is still so stubborn and refuse to sign
We have a strong spine (war chest), and that spine is only getting stronger. You don’t get that from buying players.
Goals win you games but a good goalkeeper and defence wins you titles,Barcelona conceded 19 goals in their 37 game La Liga season while playing great football but still have a strong defence!
Yes. I agree with you totally. That’s why Ronaldo has scored 45 league goals for real Madrid and yet Barcelona won the league because Real were leaking goals. City scored the highest number of goals but they are not Champions.
Anyone noticed Jack Wilshere’s passion for the game? Did you guys saw how he shrugged Ramsey off when he came on? Ramsey immediately walked over to him when he came on and Jack was like he am not here to talk bro, I mean business.
The media invent useless terms and gullible soccer lovers go all over the place fantasizing about those useless terms. For starters what is “spine of the team?” Did you know that as at the time that Chelsea won the league they had conceded just five less goals than Arsenal and same number of goals with Southampton? So if defences won teams titles Chelsea and Southampton would have been level on points as at that point and Arsenal very close to them.
In 2013/14 season Man City conceded 37 goals and became champions while Chelsea conceded 27 goals and were third behind Liverpool which had conceded 50 goals. In 2012/13 season Man United conceded 43 goals the worst of the top four but went on to win the league. In 2011/12 your theory of defence winning titles held somewhat. In 2011/11 that theory did not hold as Man United won the league with the worst record of the top three. In 2009/10 the theory failed to hold. In 2008/09 It partial held as Man United and Chelsea had least goals conceded yet the other was 1st while the other was third. In 2007/08 your theory held as Man United won the league with least goals conceded. In 2006/07 your theory did not hold as Chelsea with least goals conceded were second. In 2005/06 your theory held.
From the above stats covering 10 seasons the team with least goals won the league four times, put differently one would argue that best defence only accounts for 40% of championship success. But if other variables are to be thrown in such as goals scored, combination of goals scored and conceded, etc, the impact of best defence will decline significantly. One thing that can be said with certainty is that no team can win the league with poor defensive and offensive records combined. In other cases the two compensate for each other.
Going back to the spine of the team nonsense, how then can one locate a spine of the team? You are safe dealing with team balance than the nonsensical term called spine of the team. Team balance means putting on the pitch a team that has the highest chance of winning the match, be it winning 1-0, 7-6, or 4-3. The team must just outscore the opponent. With that approach the variables of goals conceded and goals scored will be complementing each other.
I must say I am surprised that Barcelona only conceded 19 goals, because I have never rated their defence particularly with the likes of Pique.