In a similar vein to Batmanu's earlier article, and based on Wenger's comment about having two players per position, here is my take on the current 25-man squad:
(skip to the end for summary if you like )
GK (2): Szczensy, (Mannone/Fab)
LB (2): Gibbs, Monreal, (Santos)
RB (2): Sagna, Jenkinson
CD (4): Verm, Kos, Mert, (Squil)
CM (6): Diaby, Arteta, Rams, Coq, Rosicky, Jack, Caz, (Arsh)
FL/R (4): Podolski, Walcott, Gerv, Ox, [Caz]
FC (2): Giroud, [Walcott], [Pod]
Loan: Djou, Cham, Miya, Campbell, Frimpong, Park, Bendtner, Denilson
I've put Cazorla, Walcott and Pod in twice each, since they can operate in multiple positions.
So it's clear that the following should go:
- Santos
- one of the two backup goalies
- Squillachi for just not being good enough
- Arshavin for being past it
This gives us potentially 4 squad places to fill.
Whether we sell these players and the current loan players or not is not an issue, because as long as we loan them outside of England they won't take up any first team places.
Here are my thoughts on filling these 4 places:
- Obvious one first, one of these 4 places should be a CD, to give us 2 per position there.
- Since Diaby and Gerv don't count as players in my head (due to being perma-crocked/not good enough) then we are one player short in CM (DM) and FR (unless Cazorla is effective here)
- That leaves one space for a potential supserstar youngster to break through. Or a superstar striker.... though tbh I'm happy with Giroud and Walcott for now.
Since we need to push for better than 4th place next year, we also need to consider selling a few of the other current squad members and buying quality in their positions. I would suggest one or two of the following:
- Rosicky (permacrock and old)
- Gervinho (hopefully worth something after ACON)
- Sagna (good but not great and getting old)
Everyone else I'm happy that they're either good enough or got bags of potential and we're just waiting for them to realise it.
Summary:
- Sell our dross or loan outside of England
- Buy CD, DM and possibly FR or FC
- Sell one or two of Ros, Gerv and Sagna - replace with quality
Congrats for getting this far
Completing the Arsenal Squad
posted on 4/2/13
you wont be selling gervinho, http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2896/premier-league/2013/02/04/3725241/wenger-why-would-arsenal-buy-when-gervinho-is-the-best-player-at-
posted on 4/2/13
Agree with a lot of this. But what do we do with Park, Djourou, Chamakh, Frimpong, Bendtner, Denilson...? All of those should go I think, excpet possibly Frimpong and Bendtner.
posted on 4/2/13
Nevermind, we can always dream!
CD and DM are priorities anyway.
posted on 4/2/13
All that lot you mentioned, Park, Djourou etc.
They don't take up a squad space as long as they are loaned outside of England. I think we can easily loan these players as we have the last few seasons.
Ideally we'll sell them and make a few quid, but if we can't there's no big loss, loan them out so we're not paying their wages and let them go at the end of their contracts.
posted on 4/2/13
Still think we are weak in the goalkeeping department,we need to trump United for the Stoke Keeper Bergovic,spend some real money.
posted on 4/2/13
I'd like to keep Shezzer, but if we sell/loan out the other two I would be very happy to bring in a top quality keeper.
Don't know if Begovic is it though?