Arsenal Season Preview 2010/2011

Seldom has the newest generation of Arsenal fans experienced such fruitless years beneath the stewardship of the clubs greatest manager, Arsene Wenger.

Despite defeats in recent Champions League and Carling Cup finals, as well as numerous scrapes with the dominant forces of Manchester United and Chelsea at the top of the Barclays Premier League, Arsenal remain potless since their 2005 FA Cup triumph.

And as with every season since that now faded glory, the nations red tops and broadsheets will seek to top up the pressure on Wenger’s young side with the tips of their biro’s, yearning to see the Frenchman squirm in a shameless pursuit of sleek and shiny headlines.

Well, perhaps it’s time that Wenger used this to his advantage.

Jose Mourinho, the former Chelsea manager, famously instilled the ‘it’s us against the world’ mentality into his talented but underachieving side, which, albeit with heavy investment, stormed the Premier League for back-to-back titles in 2005 and 2006.

Perhaps this would be the flame, which finally sparks the likes of midfield duo Denilson and Abou Diaby into fulfilling their undoubted potential on the big stage.

Don’t get me wrong, they’ve both had their moments, but are yet to fully convince the fans who flock to the Emirates week-in-week-out, that they are supremely worthy of donning the famous red and white in the same way which Patrick Vieira did at the heart of the Gunners engine room.

The arrival of towering centre half Laurent Koscielny from French side Lorient appears to be a trademark Wenger signing: unknown, and at the age of twenty-four, youthful.

With the departure of William Gallas though, this could be the perfect signing to compliment Thomas Vermaelen, and see the formation of the Gunners first real long term solution at centre half since Sol Campbell and Kolo Toure patrolled the back line for the 2004 ‘Invincibles’.

The Belgian earned rave reviews during his first season in English football; the Emirates faithful will just be praying that he doesn’t suffer from the dreaded ‘second season syndrome’.

Wenger acknowledges that there is still much work to do at centre half though, admitting that he is still in the market for another combative signing, thought to be Everton’s Phil Jagielka.

Le Professeur appears to have pulled off a real coup with the signing of Moroccan hit man Marouane Chamakh on a free transfer from Bordeaux. He could be the perfect compliment to a fully fit and injury-free Robin van Persie, who is likely to be slow out of the blocks after the Netherlands charge to the World Cup Final.

Sadly, the arrival of Chamakh also signalled the end for Eduardo, the Croatian international striker, who clearly struggled for fitness after the shattered ankle which so nearly ended his career in early 2008.

The Brazilian-born 27-year old swapped north London for Shakhtar Donetsk in a £6million deal which, sentiment aside, left everybody happy; Dudu can now rest assured of first team football, whilst the Gunners were able to recoup a large chunk of the £10million paid to Dinamo Zagreb for his services.

Many a fan will be on bended knee, praying that the Frenchman finally ‘cures’ his apparent blind spot, by investing this money in an experienced and assured presence between the sticks.

Manuel Alumina is a decent goalkeeper but not Championship class, whilst Lukasz Fabianski, his Polish understudy, looks like he could use a loan spell to increase his confidence.

Potential signings banded around include Maarten Stekelenburg of Ajax and Igor Akinfeev of CSKA Moscow. But it appears the Fulham’s Mark Schwarzer is the more likely arrival, with Wenger hoping that Fabianski, or his compatriot Wojciech Szczesny, will be ready to make the step up by the time the 37-year old Australian calls time on his career.

Speculation linking captain Cesc Fabregas to Barcelona may have hampered the Gunners pre-season preparations, but no matter the outcome of this pathetic and undignified pursuit by his boyhood club, every cloud has a silver lining.

Should the Spaniard decide to plant his flag in the centre circle of the Emirates stadium for one more year, it maintains the fulcrum of Wenger’s side, which is inspirational to both teammate and fan alike.

But should the diminutive midfield puppeteer up sticks for his hometown; the potential emergence of the exciting, young English talent Jack Wilshere is hardly such a bad afterthought, is it?

One bright light on the horizon of trophyless seasons has been the development of the plethora of young talent at the club, with the likes of Kieran Gibbs, the young left back, Jack Wilshere and Samir Nasri, the French playmaker, all set for breakout years.

However, whether Aaron Ramsey, the prodigious Welsh midfielder can do what Eduardo couldn’t, and make a full recovery from a career threatening injury remains to be seen.

They will begin the season, again, as underdogs. The smart money will once again be on Manchester United and Chelsea, along with big spending Manchester City.

But don’t be surprised to see a more complete challenge from the Wenger Boys this season, because it’s them against the world, right?