Are these the seven handsomest Arsenal players?

By 1970's Gooner

There are top quality footballers playing the most attractive football, scoring the most beautiful goals or defending in such a manner that getting past them becomes a real feat.

At least that is how all the fans see and mostly think about the players who represent their favourite side. And they are adored for this reason.

But there are some footballers who develop a bigger fan base not only because of their footballing ability but because of their good looks!

Have you wondered what marks each Arsenal player would get on the “good looks” League?

I asked a small group of female friends (who are not all football fans) to look at the Arsenal players with a different eye!

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder as they say so there are bound to be a lot of different opinions about this very subjective matter.

Nevertheless in descending order these are the top 7 that they came up with.

7: Theo Walcott (cute)



6: Manuel Almunia (looks manly)



5: Nicklas Bendtner (nice)



4: Gilberto Silva (sweet)



3: Eduardo Da Silva ( latin looks)



2: Robin Van Persie (very cute)



1: Jens Lehmann (very handsome!)







It must be said that the rest of the Arsenal players were ….nowhere!

Ed: I am sure that there are a lot of different opinions about this subject and that the above list is by no means definitive.

Who do you think is the prettiest of them all?

Wenger’s selection dilemmas coming up for the Liverpool and Manchester United games

By 1970’s Gooner

It is slightly unfortunate that Arsenal are now entering the most important series of games in their calendar without their main striker in Robin Van Persie.

It is a period where this young team will have to show its credentials against the big boys of Liverpool and Manchester United. The latter following an away game in the Champions League to Slavia Prague.

It’s not your first team players that win you trophies but your squad. But just who can adequately replace Van Persie for these games has now assumed major importance following Eduardo’s very disappointing display against Bolton.

He has not yet adapted to the pace, tight marking from behind and in your face type of English football.

He could not hold the ball up front with the result that he couldn't connect with Adebayor nor bring other players into the game. He reminds me of similar performances put in by Adebayor in his first season in this League.

Eduardo was similarly ineffective on the last occasion he was given a start which was against Blackburn away.

All this poses serious selection dilemmas for Wenger who has other options of course.

His first is to play Hleb just behind Adebayor in 4 5 1 formation with Rosicky and Eboue/Walcott as the wide midfield men.

He reverted to this when he made the inspired match winning changes against Bolton. It was also the formation that served him well at the beginning of the season. It served Hleb as well.

The second option is to bring Bendtner on to partner Adebayor in a 4 4 2 formation.

I watched Bendtner perform very well for Denmark in the Euro qualifiers and his direct physical style is at the moment more effective than Eduardo’s ball to feet approach.

The more unexpected but interesting option is to reinstall Gilberto into a three man midfield, in a 4 3 3 formation along Fabregas and Flamini.

Adebayor could then be flanked by Hleb and Rosicky. Fabregas and Flamini pushing forward in support as and when the occasion demands.

Judging by Wenger’s actions in team selection so far he is likely to give Eduardo every chance to prove himself.

He will probably select him for the Champions League game in Prague and give him the chance to show what he can do and hope he can get a goal which will prop up his confidence level.

But these types of games cannot be compared to the pressure of facing the Liverpools and Man Utds of this world.

Arsene Wenger has some serious thinking to do.


Out of the walkway and onto the motorway. Can Eduardo propel Arsenal to the title starting today against Bolton?

Are you English or Goonerish?

Out of the walkway and onto the motorway. Can Eduardo propel Arsenal to the title starting today against Bolton?

By 1970’s Gooner

It has been said many times before. It’s not your first team players that win you trophies but your squad. And today, against Bolton Wanderers, Arsenal has to begin relying even more on the quality of the squad players.

This process had really started since the beginning of the season with the injury to Gallas giving Senderos the chance to show what he can do. He could have been better of course but he did get us through this period of need.

Now he is injured, Gallas is thankfully back at the right time having played a full 90 minutes for France last Wednesday.

The trickiest injury however that Wenger will have to cope with is Van Persie’s. He is out for up to six weeks and unfortunately this period is likely to prove crucial in deciding whether these young Gunners will challenge forcefully for the title.

The games Robin is likely to miss cover very difficult fixtures against major contenders for the title. After Bolton at home the boys travel to Anfield and then a home game against Manchester United. He is also likely to miss games against Reading and Wigan.

So in step Eduardo Da Silva. He has been doing it for his adopted country Croatia consistently, scoring goals for fan as you can see on the video window.



But he has needed time to adjust to the Premiership. This is Eduardo’s chance to do so. He is likely to get a good run of games now and this will give him the exposure that all football players need. Especially if he gets a goal against Bolton.

As Wenger has said. “When you come from the Croatian championship to the English Premier League, it's like you go on the motorway from a walkway."

Let’s hope that against Bolton the latter rules the day as this game is more important than just getting the three points. It’s a game that is going to shape Arsenal’s chances of winning the title.

No easy peasy

There are a lot of fans that consider today’s game as easy peasy since Bolton are manager less and a shadow of themselves since Big Sam departed for (theoretically) greener pastures.

I have my doubts. I watched Bolton’s defeat to Chelsea and they were unlucky to lose playing very well especially with Ken Davies returning up front for them. He is likely to feature today and he gives them that aerial threat that is so important to their game.

If they pitch Davies against Clichy or Sagna and pump long balls to him then I can see them troubling the Arsenal defence especially if Anelka is there to pick up the pieces.

So don’t expect an easy ride today especially with Eduardo in the starting line up who will need time to get used to his colleagues on the football pitch rather than the training ground.

Team selection

The only difficult decision for Wenger is whether to start with Rosicky or replace him with either Eboue or Walcott. Rosicky sat out the Czech Republic’s last game due to muscular problems.

I would go for Eboue due to his more experience of the physical games and the fact that Walcott is, for now, more effective coming off the bench.

Almunia
Sagna (with locks on) Toure Gallas Clichy
Hleb Fabregas Flamini Eboue
Adebayor Eduardo

Prediction: Home win 2-0

Selection dilemmas for Wenger

By 1970’s Gooner

Arsene Wenger has a decision to make for the Champions League Group H encounter against Sevilla. Does he continue with Gilberto in central defence or does he opt for the returning Senderos.

This is a much more difficult decision than it first appears because either selection will have repercussions elsewhere in the formation of the team but also in Wenger’s future planning.

Let’s be more specific.

On the footballing side if he sticks with Gilberto then he has another dilemma. Who plays in the central midfield position next to fabulous Fabregas?

I know what he will decide because when faced with the same selection question before it was Flamini rather than the unlucky Diaby.

I say unlucky because Diaby to my mind is a far more forceful and powerful player best suited for this position than Flamini.

Especially when you consider that Sevilla’s midfield includes Keita who is a strong battler and powerful player who provides the engine in this attractive Sevilla side.

However if Wenger sticks with Gilberto in defence this leaves Senderos out of the starting eleven. Not a problem you might say; and I would agree.

His positioning has been suspect which is, however, important for a defender whose pace is not his best attribute.

Having watched Sevilla demolish Recreativo Huelva 4-1 the other night I am worried about their forward line which includes the very wily and pacy pairing of Kanoute and the Russian Kerzakov.

Gilberto and Senderos are not blessed with a lot of pace but Gilberto may just get the nod due to his experience and better positional sense.

Leaving Senderos out will be a big psychological blow for the young player.

He will inevitably interpret this decision to mean that the manager has lost faith in him and start questioning his future at the club.

Another dilemma?

The other selection decision for Wenger is whether to stick with Robin Van Persie in attack. You might be raising your eyebrows at this moment, but I like to call them as I see them.

Van Persie has gone off the boil in recent games. He was largely absent at the Lane and also during the game against Portsmouth.

We should not let the exciting win at Tottenham distract us from judging a player’s performance.

As I said in my analysis of the game we are going to face tougher opponents than Spurs in the future who are not going to miss chances and who are not going to hand us goals on a plate.

Eduardo was not even on the bench against Spurs so he has been rested and is ready to go having scored three goals in his last two international games for Croatia. He has also scored for Arsenal in the Champion’s League qualifier at the Emirates against Sparta Prague.

If the selection decision is simply based on form then Van Persie should be on the bench.

I would hope and expect that Wenger will reinstall Rosicky on the left flank. He was probably rested for the game against Spurs for this purpose.

My starting 11 would include Gilberto in defence, Diaby in central midfield, Rosicky on the left of midfield and Eduardo in attack. The rest pick themselves.

But Wenger knows best right?

Prediction

We managed to come out on top with our predictions so far this season but after all when the team is doing well and winning it’s more difficult to get it wrong than right!

However the predictions for a 1-1 draw at Blackburn and that of a 1-3 away win at Tottenham are the ones that we are proud of.

For tonight’s game both teams play open attractive football in a 4 4 2 formation. This means that there will be goals and I expect Arsenal to come out on top; 3-1


Tottenham’s weaknesses more serious than Arsenal’s

Fabregas is a more effective player than Scholes. The statistical analysis backs it up

Eduardo fox in the box again. Plus the goal on video

By 1970's Gooner

Eduardo Da Silva bagged another goal for his adopted country, Croatia, to make it nine goals in this qualifying campaign.

Croatia put six past the hapless Andorrans in front of a crowd of just 200 spectators and are now top of England’s group. Srna opened the scoring from a free kick. Portsmouth’s Niko Kranjcar also got on the score sheet.

Eduardo’s goal, which you can see on the video (the first screen), came in the 55th minute and was the fifth in line.

It is a typical fox in the box goal pouncing on a loose ball in the penalty area.

Barring injuries, Eduardo is unlikely to start against Spurs on Saturday, as Adebayor and Robin Van Persie now look the established front two for Wenger.

His current goal scoring form for Croatia, he has now scored three goals in the last two games, means that he is quite capable of punishing Spurs even from the substitutes bench.

You can watch the goals at the top of the page by clicking on the video window.

Eduardo Da Silva explodes for Croatia. Plus the goals on video

By 1970's Gooner

Croatia beat Estonia 2-0 at home on Saturday, courtesy of two excellent goals from Eduardo da Silva. Croatia are now top in Group E with Russia and England lying second and third respectively.

Eduardo showed what he is capable of doing in front of goal which is why Wenger after all paid 10m to buy him from Dinamo Zagreb over the summer.

He hasn’t produced this type of form yet for Arsenal but judging by these two goals he is quite capable of hitting double figures this season.

As his Croatia manager and ex West Ham player Bilic, intimated to Arsene Wenger, once he gets through the initial phase-in period he will “explode”

The striker scored with an overhead kick in the 39th minute from inside the box and again from a pass from Luka Modric, another reported target of Wenger’s, in first-half stoppage-time.

This was a spectacular left-foot shot into the top right corner from the edge of the penalty area proving he can score from outside the box too.

He has now scored eight goals for Croatia in this qualifying campaign. Let’s hope he continues this scoring spree in an Arsenal shirt.

You can watch the goals at the top of the page by clicking on the video window.

Would you welcome Dein back? Most of you would!

Bad news: Gallas is out, Gilberto is in

Walcott will be better than Ronaldo. Plus the goals against Sparta on video

By 1970’s Gooner

It was an easier contest for Arsenal than originally anticipated.

Part of the reason was that Arsenal approached this game professionally and gave it the respect it deserved. There was commitment from all the players and a desire to excel in everything they tried to do.

The other reason is that Sparta did not play rough or try and intimidate the young Arsenal players. They probably learned their lesson from the first leg.

They also did not play that defensively as they needed to score if they were to have any chance of getting anything out of this game.

This approach resulted in more space being available for Arsenal to exploit which they duly did. Mostly from Walcott who has really improved this season.

His penetrative and lightning fast runs did give Arsenal real width last night.

He is beginning to remind me of Man Utd’s Ronaldo a few seasons ago when he did everything right but for the crosses. Once Theo corrects this he will turn out to be a better player.

Rosicky was not as penetrative but he did get the goal.

Arsenal’s six of the nine goals scored so far in all competitions have come from midfield players.

This is a real improvement and what everyone has been crying out for: goals from midfielders.

The pairing of two similar central midfielders, Gilberto and Diaby did not really work as neither of them is creative enough. When Fabregas came on Arsenal had more flair and technique.

Similarly RVP’s pairing with Eduardo did not work. RVP needs to play off a front man and so does Eduardo. The latter's first goal for Arsenal a typical fox in the box approach as he connected to Denilson's low cross from the right.

His cut back for the Fabregas goal however was first class. He does need more games to settle in however. More than we think.

Overall a good work out for the team as they prepare themselves for the more difficult task of beating Portsmouth at the same venue.

You can watch the goals and highlights on the video but I don’t know how long they will be available.

Who should partner Robin Van Persie?

By 1970’s Gooner

For regular visitors to this site my views have been made clear. Robin Van Persie is not really a centre forward in the sense that he is not a strong physical front target man.

He is better deployed behind or next to a strong centre forward and not as a lone
striker.

I also believe that Wenger needs to sign another experienced forward. This is for both football and practical reasons.

Football reasons

The current squad consists of four forward players. Eduardo may be a goal scorer but he is not a front target man.

In a way his style of play is more like Robin’s. Playing them together will not necessarily offer them the environment they seek to score their goals.

Adebayor is a target man and so is Bendtner. Adebayor will do a good job but goals do not come that easily to him and Bendtner is not yet trusted by Wenger to start games.

Another aspect to take into account is the relative lack of experience in this area.

Robin Van Persie and Adebayor are only 23 and 22 respectively. The addition of Eduardo to the squad (aged 24) does not of course do much to increase the average age.

The practical reasons are equally important

Account has also to be taken of injury, suspensions, loss of form and the Africa Cup of Nations.

Remember what happened last season when injuries to Henry and Van Persie in particular deprived the team of its two most lethal forwards? RVP was also close to getting a second yellow card against Blackburn.

Taking into account that Adebayor will be away at the Africa Cup of Nations for about a month then it becomes obvious that the squad will lose serious depth.

Now if a premiership experienced forward with goal scoring ability was recruited (there is talk of Anelka again) then it suddenly gives a very attractive outlook indeed to this Arsenal team.

But assuming that Wenger does not recruit anyone else who should partner RVP?

To my mind it’s a straight race between Adebayor and Bendtner. Barring availability constraints I would opt for Bendtner because he is stronger and more physical than Adebayor.

In this way he provides a different option to Arsenal’s intricate but often predictable style of play. But this is my own biased view if you like!

As you may be aware, for the last week we run a poll on this site on this very question: Who should partner RVP?

In total 734 votes were cast. They would have been many more because the number of visits to the site during that period reached new heights but Google’s new poll facility kept breaking down!

The results are interesting. The player who played most in that position so far, Hleb, received the least votes with only 11%.

Obviously most of you do not think that he will be able to hold on to that position when other players get fit, as indeed was the case for the game against Blackburn.

Most votes went to Eduardo with 45%. Obviously a lot of Arsenal fans are pinning their hopes on the new recruit, trusting Wenger in his judgment.

This is so even if Eduardo did not really feature much during the pre-season and the early stages of the campaign.

The more surprising result is the close number of votes between Adebayor (23%) and Bendtner (21%). It seems that there is a lot more trust being placed on the young lad by the fans than Wenger is prepared to show.

If Wenger does not get the cheque book out then he may well find himself having to trust young Bendtner sooner than he thinks.


Who should partner RVP? Poll results:

Eduardo Da Silva 45%
Emmanuel Adebayor 23%
Nicklas Bendtner 21%
Alexander Hleb 11%

Total votes cast: 734

Thanks for your support, comments and votes!

Lehmann’s clanger hides Wenger’s and Arsenal’s sins

Bendtner should start every game. It makes more tactical sense

Lehmann’s clanger hides Wenger’s and Arsenal’s sins

By 1970’s Gooner

Everybody would of course blame “poor” Jens Lehmann for dropping a clanger and gifting Blackburn a very fortuitous equalizer. And it certainly looked that, despite Blackburn’s resurgence in the second half, Arsenal were going to hold out for a very scrappy but morale boosting away win.

But having watched the encounter live I formed the opinion that it need not have turned out such a close and scrappy game.

Arsenal strangely enough were outfought in midfield and could not dictate play as we know they can. The result was that Fabregas was subdued and the supply to the two front men was not as often or as good as it usually is.

There are two major reasons for this.

The first has to do with the fact that due to the physical nature of the opponents, the Arsenal players, in their desire to show to everybody that they can mix it too, forgot how to play football.

Blackburn’s physical approach (especially from that prat Savage) was intended to intimidate them and put them out of their stride.

It did not succeed in intimidating them but it shifted the Arsenal’s players focus and minds away from playing the beautiful game to dishing it out themselves.

This is exactly what happened in the away game at Sparta Prague, a game I also watched live. Except on that occasion Lehmann and the post saved Arsenal.

There is another equally important reason for the loss of midfield control and it has to do with Wenger’s selection to start with Eduardo. This is because Eduardo was returning from injury and had not played in the Premiership yet.

As often happens in football, due to its zero sum characteristic and reliance on team coordination, if one or more of its parts or players is not functioning well the whole of the team suffers.

Giving him his debut in such a tough away fixture was to my mind a gamble. In fact it was a gamble Wenger need not have taken because by doing so he not only weakened the side but had to change a thus far winning formula by switching the formation from 4 4 1 1 to a straight 4 4 2.

In addition, this deprived the midfield area of the extra player it needed on various occasions which would have come from the deeper lying forward. Hleb in other words.

Loss of midfield control deprived Arsenal the usual dominance it enjoys against such teams and resulted in a scrappy and physical game which invariably suited the less technical side.



Blackburn Vs Arsenal. Predictions and betting suggestions


Walcott and Clichy should be the wide players against Blackburn

Preview of Arsenal Vs Fulham. Breaking up packed defenses is hard to do

By 1970’s Gooner

You knew what you were going to get from Fulham when Chris Coleman was in charge. Attacking football home and away, having a go at you with the midfielders and full backs encouraged to go forward.

His philosophy was that if you put a lot of players behind the ball you will eventually succumb. Attack was the best form of defense.

This was the reason that Fulham surprised a few teams but it was also the reason why they ended up letting in fours and fives, as in their opening game of last season against Manchester United.

They did in fact concede 60 league goals last season. As compared to Watford’s 59 and Sheffield United’s 55. Both went down.

Judging by Northern Ireland’s excellent performances on the international scene, Lawrie Sanchez appears to be of the other persuasion.

Stick men behind the ball and pack the midfield whose first priority will be to adopt a more conservative approach.

And become more adventurous through quick counter attacks when the opportunity arises.

Sanchez’s recruitment strategy has reflected this mentality.

The players brought in are not necessarily top quality but they are well equipped for tough battles out there on the football field.

Also in Kamara and Buazza they have two very pacy players who can hit you on the counter attack.

The problem however will be to assimilate all these new players in the squad and also keep them happy. Not an easy task.

So it will appear that Arsenal will return back to familiar ground.

No I don’t mean that they are by now used to the Emirates; it was to me a very feeble excuse anyway, invented by Wenger, in desperation, to keep the players’ morale up when points were being dropped at home left right and centre.

What I mean is that Arsenal are likely to face a packed defence. And we all know that breaking up packed defenses is hard to do!

This is what Arsenal failed to find answers to last season. And if they haven’t learned their lesson then this game could turn out another first home fixture where points are dropped; again.

Remember Aston Villa last season?

It is this background that Wenger’s team selection will have to take into account for the two positions that are really still open.

These are deciding on who to partner Robin Van Persie in the forward areas of the pitch and who to trust for the wide left slot.

I say this because the occupants for the rest of the positions are either well known or have passed their trial during the “perfect pre-season”.

The right midfield position has to my mind been successfully claimed by the excellent Eboue and the right back slot by the new recruit Bakary Sagna.

These two have gelled together very quickly and they compliment each other very well.

Now who will partner RVP up front is not as straight forward.

I have advocated for Bendtner’s inclusion before for the fact that he compliments RVP very well who himself is better deployed not as a front man but playing off the centre forward.

But obviously Wenger thinks otherwise so who am I disagree!

I believe therefore that Hleb should get the nod before Eduardo as he has played very well in that position during pre-season.

He showed that his skills in close ball control and dribbling can be very effective when playing off a front man.

More importantly however these are the skills that will come in very useful when trying to unlock defenses, as I suspect Arsenal will be trying to do on Sunday.

There is no obvious candidate for the wide left midfield spot simply because no one from the usual suspects impressed there during pre season.

Rosicky who may get the nod was not up to his usual standard. Clichy did impress but he will be trusted with the left back spot.

Wenger may make therefore the pragmatic decision and play Hleb on the left and partner Eduardo with RVP instead.

I personally would keep Eduardo on the bench and introduce him to Premiership football in a more gradual manner rather than throwing him in at the deep end.

My starting eleven would therefore be:

Lehmann

Sagna Toure Gallas Clichy

Eboue Fabregas Diaby Rosicky

Hleb

RVP

Prediction: Arsenal carry their pre-season form into the League and hit the ground running. 2 - 0

Arsenal look ready to hit the ground running, more so than the others
What does Arsenal need to do to challenge for next season?
Bendtner makes a case for starting against Fulham

Ajax Vs Arsenal. Interesting choices for Wenger’s team selection

By 1970's Gooner

With only days remaining for the opening game of the new season and no more friendlies scheduled I would expect that Wenger will field what his starting eleven will be for the Fulham game tonight (against Ajax in the Amsterdam Tournament).

This will give them a last outing before the curtain opener and the opportunity to jell together under the pressure of an important game in front of a large crowd and very capable opponents.

Eboue has impressed with his performances in both tournaments and he seems to me to have done more than enough to be starting tonight. This means that Wenger has to make a decision for the right back position between Hoyte and Sagna.

Sagna’s performances have impressed me. After only two appearances he settled in very well and formed a very effective pairing with Eboue when they played together. I think he will get the nod over Hoyte.

Assuming Clichy plays at left back then for the other wide midfield position there are two possibilities. Rosicky and Hleb. I would go for Hleb as he has looked much sharper recently albeit in a different position.

Wenger could of course play Hleb just behind Van Persie where he was very effective in his last game. And Eduardo could be tried on the left wing which would be an interesting choice.

As far as the attack is concerned the question is who Wenger would pick to partner Robin Van Persie. He will most probably go for Eduardo. He did after all score a goal in the last game and you don’t put your new 8.5m signing on the bench do you?

But to me Bendtner’s performances so far have impressed me. And his linking with Van Persie was very good; much better than Eduardo’s.

In addition Van Persie is much more effective playing off a strong front man rather than leading the line. And this was very evident last season when Henry was around and now with Bendtner in the friendlies. When Adebayor returns he will most probably be the front man so where would Eduardo play then?

The rest of the team picks itself I would think, with Lehman in goal and Toure with Gallas in central defence. In the absence of Gilberto Silva a central midfield pairing of Fabregas and the excellent Diaby looks very likely.

Bendtner makes a case for starting against Fulham (plus video clips of the goals against Lazio)

By 1970's Gooner

The two most obvious aspects to come out of the game against Lazio in the Amsterdam Tournament are the frailties in defence and the ease in scoring that has returned to this young Arsenal team.

It is obvious and was to be expected of course that a back four littered with relatively inexperienced defenders would make some mistakes. But the Senderos and Djourou pairing did not work at all.

They were more often than not both playing as individuals and not as a unit. Senderos especially was rather static allowing opposing strikers to run behind the defence. He did not impress in the Emirates Cup either. He has to get his finger out otherwise he will be warming up the bench this coming season, if that.

But the pleasant news is that Arsenal have found a way to get the ball in the back of the net even if they are not playing that well.

This happened in the Emirates Cup and was repeated here in Amsterdam when against the run of play Bendtner popped up again to take advantage of a loose ball in the box like he did against PSG at the Emirates.

He is becoming the fox in the fox that for so long everyone has been urging Wenger to find!

The other fox in the fox to be, Eduardo, got his first goal for Arsenal with a header from a Rosicky corner. Sounds strange doesn’t it? Arsenal scoring from a header and exploiting a corner!

But it was also the case with some of the goals scored against PSG and Inter Milan (See my posting “Goals from crosses give hope for the coming season). He also scored a header against Tottenham’s and England keeper, Robinson. So suddenly Arsenal have forwards who are not afraid to use their head!

Irrespective of the over hype the press will be giving to Eduardo and his first goal he still seems short to me of being ready to start a Premiership game. He played reasonably well but he needs more time to acclimatize and blend in with his new team and surroundings.

With Adebyaor probably not having enough time to get fit for the opening game of the season (he has not played since the Austrian friendlies and there are no more games scheduled next week) the question arises as to who should play along with Van Persie in attack.

On these performances why not Bendtner? I thik he is more than capable.

Arsenal haven’t learned from last season’s mistakes

By 1970's Gooner on the friendly game at Salzburg

It was like watching one of the many games that Arsenal played last season. Domination throughout the pitch, playing the beautiful fame but lacking penetrative threat up front with no killer instinct when needed. And finally making mistakes at the back which allowed the inferior opposition to steal an unexpected win. Heard that one before haven’t you?

Granted there were several “first team” players missing from the Arsenal line up like Fabregas, Silva and Adebayor and the opponents were already several games into their domestic league. But it was obvious that even if those players had graced the game with their presence we still would have witnessed a dej a vu with a repeat of last season’s follies.

The most important ones being the inability to convert the numerous chances created so that they could have killed the game off and the lack of defencive nous. It’s one thing not scoring but when you can’t keep a clean sheet then a respectable draw turns into a painful defeat.

If Wenger will not enter the market to recruit a proven premiership experienced goal scorer who will be able to take a small percentage of the chances created then the onus will fall on Van Persie, Adebyaor and Eduardo. I personally don’t see the first two being so prolific in front of goal although I would expect that their improvement will be very marked this season.

Eduardo on the other hand impressed with his technical prowess, pace, acceleration and positioning awareness. I liked him. But he couldn’t put the ball in the net.

He opted to take one more touch rather than pull the trigger. Yes I know it was only his first game with his new club and he is bound to get better with more games. Let’s hope he is the answer to our prayers because that is where there is ample room for improvement.

On the defencive front, as explained in other postings, (what does Arsenal need to do to challenge for next season?) the errors that seem to be recurring can only be cut out by better organization and awareness. But annoyingly it doesn't look like they will be cut out do they?

The only time the opponents got a sniff of a chance was when there were lapses of concentration. In the first half by young Traore and by the older Gallas.

The goal itself came from two successive errors; first from the central defensive pair who got too near each other in trying to cut out a cross thus exposing Hoyte who had to come inside. And although near, Hleb’s lack of awareness to cover for Hoyte.

As explained in my previous posting, “Salzburg v Arsenal 1- 0. Diaby is the new Vieira and even better” apart from Eduardo’s promising debut the shining light from this friendly was Diaby’s performance which was awesome.

What’s Wenger’s next move?

By 1970's Gooner

It was a huge relief for all gooners when Dudu’s transfer was announced out of the blue. And the intensity of the elation was I think much more elevated as it came after the shock news of the departure of the club’s talisman.

But amidst all the frenzy of getting to know the new player we forgot that he was brought in as a replacement for the loss of a forward. In real terms there has not been any net addition to the squad. There are we hope more transfers to come.

Obviously Arsenal’s transfer policy should concentrate on correcting the glaring weaknesses of the past season. And it was very apparent that the team faced a real problem in scoring from open play and seriously lacked width.

Let’s look at the forward position first.

There are those who may maintain that with Dudu’s arrival Arsenal may not need another forward. I beg to disagree.

The most obvious weakness in the forward line up of the current squad is that there is a distinct lack of experience. With Henry gone there are now only two relatively experienced players in Robin Van Persie and Adebayor. They are however only 24 and 22 respectively.

Not to mention Bendtner who is 19 and has not yet played in the Premiership! Or even Walcott who theoretically could play as a forward but for now is a wide player and is only 18!

The addition of Dudu to the squad (aged 24) does not of course do much to increase the average age and one has to allow for the dreaded adjustment period to Premiership football.

Additionally account has to be taken of injury, suspensions, loss of form and the Africa Cup of Nations. Remember what happened last season when injuries to Henry and Van Persie in particular deprived the team of its two most lethal forwards.

Taking into account that Adebayor will be away at the ANC for about a month then it becomes obvious that the squad will lose serious depth.

It’s not as though “we can wing it” and take a chance that none of these things will happen (injuries, suspensions and loss of form) and that Adebayor would not be missed. You would in fact be taking a big gamble. And with the competitive nature of the Premiership rising substantially this coming season you can not afford the merest of slips as we would be playing catch up all the time.

Remember the period when Terry got injured. That’s when Chelsea lost the title. And since the Arsenal team is littered with inexperience, heads and confidence drop that more easily.

The ideal for Arsenal would be to recruit another forward who will be a little bit more experienced and Premiership hardened.

There are reports that Arsenal are interested in Martins who knows the Premiership. He has pace and given the opportunities he will get you goals. But he is also relatively young at 23 (next October if his birth certificate is to be believed) and I don’t really see him as a centre forward. He is more a winger or an inside forward playing off the centre forward.

At the moment, in the absence of Henry, only Adebayor can perform this role. Robin Van Persie could be trained to do it but he is much more effective playing off a centre forward or occupying a wide position in a 4 3 3 or 4 5 1 formation as he was deployed last season.

And in my opinion these are the formations that Wenger will consider adopting as they offer, among other benefits, the opportunity to include all the three excellent central midfielders that are now available: Fabregas, Gilberto Silva and the exciting Diaby.

If Arsenal are serious about challenging for honours next season then I would expect, and it would be pretty exciting, for Wenger to come up with another signing for this position who would be experienced and old enough to supplement the existing forward line.

Now let’s look at the wide midfield position.

Here, on the face of it, Wenger has two strategic options. Either he goes for a tried and tested winger who would of course have pace, dribbling ability and will not be afraid to shoot.

Or he “promotes from within” by moving Eboue to this position and signing another right back. Like Bakiri Sagna. The rationality of the latter option is analysed in my posting “Is Wenger about to abandon his search for a wide midfielder?”

But there could be another option. The “stingy one”. Just stick with signing another forward. This is because of the flexibility added to the squad by Dudu who can play both as a central striker and a wide midfielder.

As Wenger has stated: “He is a very good finisher and although he is predominantly a striker, he is a very adaptable player”

In this way Wenger will only need to sign one more player, preserve Arsenal’s scarce financial resources and allow his young prodigies more room to grow (for more on this thinking check out my posting :Arsenal need two but may sign only one player).

I wander what Wenger's next move will be.

I hope he makes one.

He can run, he can jump and most of all he can score. Good bye Thierry Henry hello Eduardo Da Silva.

You would have expected Wenger to pull another one out of the bag. We all suspected that Wenger would have gone for a relatively unknown, youngish but hungry player.

He is a 24 year old Croatian international who having immigrated to Croatia from Brazil at the age of 15 has managed to assimilate the Croatian way of playing football, (strong, fast and direct) with his very apparent Brasilian innate skills of playing the beautiful game. And what a combination this is.

Have a look at the video clips we have assembled for you in the video window (or if you are reading this elsewhere check out our site "Arsenal Analysis")

A goal scoring record of 34 goals in 32 games this campaign (and 71 in 100 appearances for Dinamo) is very impressive albeit of course in the Croatian League. However, for those doubting Thomases, he has turned it on in the European stage with crucial goals for Croatia notably the goal against England in their 2-0 victory.

Now, that should tell you a lot about his quality as it was scored with his head going up against John Terry. He has scored 7 in 12 games for Croatia inclusive of a hat trick away against Israel.

But this does not tell you the whole story. He is a left footed player who knows where the goal posts are. He does not mess about. If there is a chance for a goal scoring opportunity he will go for it.

He is not one to try and play the ball about or dilly dally in front of goal as some of the Arsenal players have been doing this past season who played “pass the buck”. He can also score with his head and that will be a welcome addition to Arsenal’s armoury.

But he also seems to possess pace and he gets a lot of his goals from making deep runs against the defence by latching on to through passes from the midfielders.

Much like a young Freddie Ljumberg used to do. Cesc Fabregas will have a wonderful outlet for his outstanding ability to pick defence splitting passes.

Da Silva already looks to me as an Arsenal type of player.

And as he can play both as a central striker and a wide midfielder his signing adds a lot of flexibility in the squad.

It remains to be seen whether the fee rumoured to have been agreed, €24m (the same as the fee received for Henry) will in the end be justified or if indeed it is the correct one. Having presumably been identified by Wenger as just “what the doctor ordered” may however be an indication of the player’s ability and worth.

Ed: The BBC "understands" that the fee agreed is set at £7.5m and not £16.1m!

I believe that with Arsenal's record in the past it should indeed adopt a policy of full transparency with regard to transfers.

The news coming out of Auxerre seem to indicate that Bakiri Sagna will be the next signing at right back thus releasing Eboue to fill the other vacancy of the wide midfielder (Is Wenger about to abandon his search for a wide midfielder?).

And that will probably close Wenger’s shopping for this window.

By 1970's Gooner