Would Jose Enrique be a good replacment for Gael Clichy?

Gael Clichy looks set to leave Arsenal,and join either Liverpool or Roma. The French left back became the first choice when Cashley Cole made the trip across London to join Chelski. Gael made an outstanding start to his career and instantly became a fans favorite, with many fans believing he would go on to be as good as Cashley Cole.

At the time this looked very possible but after a couple of brilliant seasons,it became clear that Gael would never become a world class left back. In the last couple of seasons, he has been prone to the odd major error. He has been an excellent servant for the Arsenal,and it will be a sad day for the club when he leaves. It is very likely however,as the Frenchman only has one year left on his contract. Gael has expressed his desire to leave and Arsene is looking to cash in this Summer rather than see another Frenchman leave on a free transfer, like Flamini.

There have been a variety of players linked with Arsenal as a replacement for Gael Clichy. At this present time Jose Enrique looks to be the most likely candidate. He is a dynamic full back, who would definitely add far more offensively than Gael. Gael has never lacked pace but his final ball, always leaves a lot to be desired. He is also a solid defender and would be available at a reasonable price. We are likely to get around £7 Million for Clichy, and we could get Enrique for around the same price.

My personal choice to fill the left back spot would be Leighton Baines of Everton. I believe he has been the best left back in the country over the past couple of years. He is an excellent defender, and would offer a great option for set pieces. Instead of Van Persie constantly blasting the ball over the bar. He is however going to be considerably more expensive and if Man City are interested then there is no way we could match the transfer and contract offer they would put on the table.

Another far cheaper option would be to move Thomas Vermaelen to left back. He played there for Ajax and still does for Belgium. He would clearly do a very good job at left back, but I can only see this happening if we sign both Samba and Cahill which is looking unlikely. Therefore Enrique is the most likely and sensible option and I believe it is very likely we will see him lining up alongside Vermaelen and co next season at the Emirates Stadium.

Is it time for Theo Walcott to play as a striker for the Arsenal?

Theo Walcott joined Arsenal from Southampton back in 2006. He was one of the brightest young prospects in the English game and clearly still is. Since he joined the Arsenal he has nearly always been used on the right hand side of a three man attack. He's been playing on the right wing for a couple of years now, but I believe it is clear that he is better suited playing alongside Robin Van Persie up front.

 He is a clinical finisher as he proved last season. He scored 13 goals in 38 appearances, a very good record for a winger. He also set up 10 goals for his team-mates, which was an area of his game he needed to work on. It is also clear to see that Walcott has blistering pace. He can make full backs look stupid with his pace and I believe his pace would be a potent weapon when playing as a striker. He would torment the centre back's especially in the Premier League where none of the centre backs are equipped with serious pace. I see him playing a Michael Owen role up front and I strongly believe he would be successful playing alongside someone as intelligent as Robin Van Persie. They would compliment each others games well and im sure they would both benefit from playing alongside each other.

Robin Van Persie had an outstanding second half to the season, and he is capable of continuing in a similar fashion for next season. He is one of the best strikers around and would only benefit by having Theo playing alongside him next season. Obviously for Theo to play up front it would mean a change in formation from Arsene's favored 4-2-3-1 to a traditional 4-4-2. If Fabregas does leave, it is very likely we would switch to a 4-4-2 anyway as Cesc is the reason we have been playing in a 4-2-3-1 formation. It suits the Captain perfectly but if he does stay I still believe he would be outstanding in a 4-4-2 formation. Playing alongside the  combative Jack Wilshere, Cesc would still be able to play in an attacking role as Jack clearly doesn't mind playing in  a more defensive role. Also if we have Samba, Cahill and Vermaelen in our defence we don't really need someone like Song protecting the back four.

 I don't expect Wenger to use a 4-4-2 formation in every game but I believe he will switch between the two formations throughout the season. After all when he signed Theo, he said he saw him as a striker and Theo himself has said he would prefer to play up front in the future as it is his favourite position. If Theo is used up front regularly, there will be plenty of competition for the right sided midfield spot at Arsenal, especially with the signing of Gervinho looking very likely.

Does Carlos Vela have a future at Arsenal?

The young Mexican forward came to the Arsenal as a young player with a great future ahead of him. He had signed for Arsenal back in 2005 but due to work permit issues didn't join the squad until the 2008/2009 season after two loan spells in Spain. 
Carlos has never really got in the first team at Arsenal on a regular basis since joining in 2008. He has featured regularly in the cup competitions and has scored some outstanding goals in the Carling Cup. He is clearly very talented as some of his goals have shown but he has never really got the chance to showcase his talent regularly at the Emirates. This is understandable as there are many players ahead of him such as Nasri and Arshavin, therefore he was loaned out to West Brom back in January. At the time this seemed like a great move for the Mexican, as he was moving to an attacking team that would suit his game perfectly. However not long after Di Matteo was sacked and the ex Liverpool manager Roy Hodghson replaced him. He brought with him a defensive brand of football that really hasn't suited Carlos and he has struggled to get on the pitch as a result. Carlos has made 8 appearances for West Brom only scoring two goals in the process. Therefore his loan spell really hasn't gone to plan and he will be glad to return to the Emirates in the Summer.

 Many Arsenal fans don't believe the Mexican has what it takes to make it at the Emirates but I believe we will see very big things from him in the future. Even at just 22 he has made 35 appearances for his national side and is clearly a talented footballer. Next season it is likely that Arshavin,Bendtner and Rosicky will all leave therefore giving the young forward more chance to get onto the pitch and show everyone what he can do. I also believe that the formation change has stunted Vela's development. He looks like he would be comfortable playing as a second striker and seems to struggle playing as part of a forward trio. 

 Wenger may be tempted to loan the youngster back to Spain but I can't really see the benefit of this at all. As the leagues are so different there is no point to him gaining experience outside of England. I also believe he will want to give it one more year at the Emirates to finally prove himself. If he can't showcase his talent next season it will be then time for to let him go and he will probably sign for a Spanish side,where his game will be better suited. 

I leave you with a video of what he is capable of, and what I hope to see a lot more in the future. A brilliant goal from Carlos Vela

Who we should buy and sell in the Summer

This season has shown that the club has the talent needed to win trophies but not quite enough. Some of the players clearly lack commitment and some of the players simply aren't suited to the English game. Im sure there will be plenty of transfer activity at the Emirates this Summer with many players leaving as well as many new names joining the Arsenal. The majority of the transfers this Summer could depend on whether we hang onto Cesc Fabregas or not. The Spaniard is clearly an amazing footballer, but in my opinion if he wants to leave and we can get £30 Million from Barca we should just let him go. There's no point having a player at the club who doesn't want to be here and if that is the case im sure he will be heading home in the Summer. If he does leave it gives Wenger plenty of cash to spend on players and I'm sure he would be encouraged by the new board to buy some star players. 


 I believe we have a squad capable of winning trophies and this Summer will be a case of removing the players who have struggled recentely and have let the side down. We then need to sign some experienced players who know how to get a side over the finish line, which is what we have clearly lacked this season. 


Who we should sell in the Summer:

1. Manuel Almunia:The Spaniard is clearly not good enough for the Premier League and due to the emergence of Szczesny and Fabianski he is no longer needed at the club.
2. Sebastien Squillaci: The French centre half hasn't impressed this season and I don't see the point of him staying as a 5th choice centre half as its a position we are going to strengthen. He is clearly suited to Spanish or Italian football and I can't see him staying at the Emirates for another season. 
3. Gael Clichy: I don't think the French full-back is going to sign a new deal in the Summer and we should therefore sell him whilst we can. His form has been suspect over the last couple of seasons and it may well be the end of his Arsenal career. 
4. Denilson: The young Brazillian has had plenty of chances to prove himself at the Arsenal and this season he's proved he simply isn't suited to the English game. He wont be missed due to the emergence of Ramsey and Wilshere and will probably end up in La Liga or Serie A. 
5. Tomas Rosicky: The Czech International has never been the same since his injury and he has rarely even made the bench this season. Time to cash in whilst we can with his contract being up at the end of next season.
6. Nicklas Bendtner: The over confident Danish striker clearly thinks he is better than he is and this isn't what the side needs. He has talent but never appears committed to the club and doesn't seem prepared to fight for victory.
7. Andrey Arshavin: Big things were expected from the Russian forward but he has never really got going at the Arsenal and had a couple of months of top form. His recent performances have lacked energy and I can see him going back to Zenit in the Summer.
8. Francesc Fabregas: Obviously I don't want the Spaniard to leave but as I've said previously if he wants to go and we can get £30 Million we should take the money straight away. He is fairly injury prone and we could buy a couple of top class players with £30 Million. 

Who we should look to buy in the Summer:

We are clearly in need of a centre back and I'm sure this is a position Wenger will strengthen in the Summer months. For the past couple of years we have been constantly linked with centre halves and a strong consistent partner for Thomas Vermaelen is exactly what we need. I believe the most likely candidate is Jan Vertonghen of Ajax. Him and Vermaelen have played together for years and are a perfect combination. He would also cost less than £10 million and would provide great competition with Johan Djourou to start alongside Vermaelen. Other likely candidates are Sakho and Cahill. They are two more top defenders but I believe they would both cost more than Vertonghen and they're not any better than Vertonghen. 

As Gel Clichy is likely to leave we are going to need to sign a top quality left back. The obvious answer to me is Leighton Baines of Everton. He has been one of the best players in the Premiership for the past three seasons and is clearly good enough to play at a top four club. He is also a huge attacking threat and would give us another option for free kicks apart from Robin Van Persie. He wont be cheap but in my opinion you need to pay for the top class players and a fee in the region of £10 to £15 Million would represent excellent value for the English left back. 

We are also in need of a top class striker to replace Nicklas Bendtner. There are a number of players we have been linked with over the past couple of months and Karim Benzema is one name we are regularly linked with. He isn't a regular at Madrid and has struggled to settle in alongside the likes of Ronaldo and Ozil. I believe he would be perfect alongside Robin Van Persie and that if we gave Madrid a big offer they would sell the French Striker. After all if we sell Fabregas for £30 million, we will have plenty of money and I think Benzema would be available for a fee in the region of £15 to £20 Million. There are other strikers who we could target especially in the European leagues, but Benzema would be my personal choice. 

I also believe the club could do with a wide man to replace Andrey Arshavin. The stand out candidate for me would be Ashley Young of Aston Villa. He is a proven Premiership performer who could play out wide or up top with Robin Van Persie. We are likely to face tough competition for his signature with United and Tottenham also both interested. As he's only got a year left on his contract, an offer in the region of £10 million would probably be enough, and then it would be a case of convincing the Englishman the Emirates is the place to be next season. 

 I believe all of these are potential signings that we could see happen at the Emirates in the Summer. It would give us a squad with considerably more experience and I'll leave with you the starting XI I'd love to see at the Emirates next season. 

Arsenal 1-0 Manchester United

Arsenal proved what a good side they are with a 1-0 victory over Manchester United in a match our young side dominated. It was the youngest XI in the Premier League this season and proved you can win with kids. Ramsey came in for Fabregas completing a very young midfield alongside, Song,Wilshere,Nasri and Walcott. The Arsenal midfield completely dominated the poor Manchester United midfield and this was the basis for the Arsenal victory.

 The major surprise before the game was the absence of Cesc Fabregas from the Arsenal starting XI. It turns out he had picked up a minor injury and as as result Aaron Ramsey came back into the Arsenal XI. He is an extremely talented footballer and if it wasn't for his injury last season he'd be a regular starter for the Arsenal.

 Arsenal started the game very brightly creating a host of chances. Wilshere was unlucky not to score when he pounced on a Vidic mistake but shot just wide of the goal from inside the penalty area. Later on in the first half Theo Walcott put in an excellent cross towards Van Persie which was clearly punched away by Vidic inside the area. Nothing was given but this was as clear a penalty as you're ever going to see. Van Persie was understandably furious and made his feelings clear to the assistant referee who failed to spot the blatant handball.

 Arsenal were in full control of the match going into at half time and the second half began with Arsenal still well and truly in control of the game. United were hardly getting a touch and the Arsenal pressure told on United when Ramsey scored a memorable goal in the 56th minute. Song started the move who played the ball to Ramsey who then played a magnificent one-two with Robin Van Persie before calmly placing his shot into the corner of the United net. The goal must of meant a lot to the youngster who must of feared he wouldn't play again after his horror injury last season at Stoke. We go to Stoke next week and if Aaron plays, the event will surely be on his mind. Arsenal then closed out of the rest of the match with relative ease something we haven't seen all season from the Arsenal.

 This performance showed what we are capable of when we're at our best and hopefully we can play like this far more often next season. If we do we will be in with an excellent chance of silverware. The main positive of the victory however was the fact we did it all without Cesc Fabregas. It may be a sign we could deal with the loss of Fabregas in the future, and Ramsey and Wilshere can clearly fill the void if he does sign for Barcelona this Summer or next Summer.

Arsenal VS Manchester United Match Preview

It is clear now that our title chances are virtually gone but today's game is still a very important game for the club.  Today gives the side the chance to derail Manchester United's title bid and surely that is enough motivation for the side. In a way it can also be seen as a game to show the world what this side is capable of and what we are capable of achieving next season. We once again have a full strength squad apart from Vermaelen and Diaby. Vermaelen played a full 90 minutes for the reserves during the week and it will be a huge boost to the side once he is back. I expect to see him back next weekend competing for a starting place in the heart of the Arsenal defence. Abou Diaby will be a big miss today as this is the type of game where he is normally at his best. For example he put in a great performance against Tottenham but after all Jack Wilshere will be playing instead who I'm sure will put in another superb performance.

 Wocjech Szczesny will continue in goal for the Arsenal and he has been one of the major positives to take from this season. He has solved the goalkeeping problem at Arsenal and I believe he can be the number one for many seasons to come. Bacary Sagna will continue at right back and he has been one of the most reliable members of the side this season. Laurent Koscielny will partner Johan Djourou at the back for Arsenal and they will need to be at their very best. Koscielny proved how good he can be against Barcelona at the Emirates and hopefully he can put in a similar performance this afternoon. Gael Clichy will continue at left back for the Arsenal and he will need to be at his very best to deal with the pace of United's wingers.

Alex Song will partner Jack Wilshere in the heart of the Arsenal midfield and the duo have formed an outstanding partnership this season. This is the chance for them to prove that we don't need to buy another holding midfield player for next season. The captain Cesc Fabregas will play as the attacking midfielder behind Robin Van Persie. It is rare that we have both of them available for a big game and hopefully they will be at their very best today. Theo Walcott and Samir Nasri  will play from the right and left and both have the ability to score goals and create goals.

 Today is a very important game for the side, and hopefully the eleven players Arsene picks can actually play to their full ability. Too often this season they have crumbled under the pressure and threw away victories that we should of got with relative ease. Hopefully today can be a turning point for both the players and the manager and we can have a good end to the season. After all if we lost the next couple of games it may put potential signings off coming to the Arsenal and may encourage the likes of Clichy,Fabregas and Nasri to leave in the Summer. We are capable of victory today and I'm predicting a 2-1 victory for the Gunners.

Bolton 2-1 Arsenal

The photo that sums up today and our season. 

Bolton defeated Arsenal 2-1 at the Reebok Stadium in yet another disappointing match this afternoon. Our title hopes are now well and truly over and we are now in a battle for second place along with Chelski. We are now nine points behind United and with only four games remaining. Therefore it is going to be very difficult to catch United but the players shouldn't give up and they should give their all for the fans even if it is just to finish second. We have four games left and finishing the season on a high is crucial for the team. If we lose a couple more games even more people will turn against Wenger and this is the last thing the side needs. We need to stick behind the manger as he has been a brilliant manager over the years. Despite spending hardly any money we have consistently been in the champions league and have recentely moved to a magnificent stadium. Compare this to Tottenham and Liverpool and it's clear how good a manager Arsene Wenger is.

We started today's game with the exact eleven that defeated Barcelona at the Emirates Stadium. Therefore Jack Wilshere returned to the starting eleven replacing Abou Diaby being the only change from the Tottenham game. This was therefore a very strong starting eleven which should of beaten Bolton comfortably. The only first choice player missing was Vermaelen but we missed him a lot today.

We started the game very brightly with Theo Walcott breaking through the Bolton defence on a couple of occasions. On one occasion he was tackled in the penalty area and the replays showed it was a stone wall penalty, however all we got was a corner. Throughout the rest of the first half we created some chances but we wasted much of the possession we had. Cesc Fabregas was finding gaps inbetween the defence and midfield and was linking up well with Van Persie. Nasri and Theo however were struggling to get on the ball and this was where we were struggling. Bolton were also creating lots of chances however and Lee was very unlucky not to have scored two by the half time whistle.

 A goal did eventually come but it was for Bolton and in all honesty they deserved to be in front. However they should never of been able to score such an easy goal. It was a Daniel Sturridge header from a corner kick. Originally Gary Cahill had a header supposedly cleared off the line. He was being marked by Alex Song but it was the worst attempt at marking a player I've seen in a long time. Gary Cahill simply jogged away as the corner was being taken and Song went away even further. This then meant he was jumping against Clichy and he was always going to win the header. This is once again Arsenal getting the basics wrong. It happens so often and it must simply be a lack of concentration. Wenger and his coaching staff aren't stupid and it must just be that Song lost concentration as many other players have done at crucial stages this season.

Another superb goal from the flying Dutchman. 

The second half began and within the first minute Bolton were awarded a penalty. Djourou got the wrong side of Sturridge and there was contact made between the two. Sturridge clearly made a meal of it however and the ref fell for it. For example Rio Ferdinand's 'tackle' on Anichebe yesterday was a far worse tackle but wasn't even awarded a penalty. However after all it was at Old Trafford. Luckily Arsenal's super keeper Wojciech Szczesny came to the rescue and confidently saved Davies's penalty. It was a weak penalty but was still a good save under immense pressure. If there are positives to be found this season Szczesny is definitely one of them as he looks an amazing keeper already and he looks set to be our number one for many years to come. Shortly after the penalty save Arsenal equalised with a brilliant goal. Van Persie was the scorer and this was his 17th goal in his last 17 games and his tenth consecutive goal in away premier league games. He is in unbelievable form and may just be in with a shout of challenging for the golden boot. He's 6 goals behind Berbatov but he is in the form of his life and I'm sure he is aiming to win the golden boot. Fabregas was involved in the build up for the goal and we once again saw how well the duo can play together. We can only imagine how different our season would of been with them playing together in every game. Shortly afterwards Chamakh came on for Song and we switched to a 4-4-2 formation. We were clearly going for the much needed win and we created plenty of opportunities to grab a vital winner. Samir Nasri was especially wasteful and had two fabulous chances to win us the game. However the goal never came for the Arsenal and once again we were punished by a corner kick. Tamir Cohen scored an unstoppable header late in the second half and it was too late for Arsenal to respond. The game was then over and our title chances were over as well.

 It is difficult to see how we lost the game today. In recent weeks we have been criticised for throwing away our leads, but we never even in front today. It was more a case of being wasteful in the final third and not capitalising on our domination of the game especially in the second half. All that is now left to realistically fight for is finishing second in the league and defeating United at the Emirates. The players should still continue to give their best and the fans need to stay behind the players and more importantly the manager. If you remember back to the beginning of the season, the majority of the media were saying we'd struggle to finish in the top four. They have all been proved very wrong as Wenger has guided us to yet another top four finish. I'm sure he will however spend money in the summer as he is also desperate to bring silverware to the club. He has tried to do this in his own way but it hasn't quite worked out and with a few transfers in the Summer we will once again mount a strong challenge for the title next year.

 Im currently working on a major article about transfers in and out of the club in the Summer and hope to have this live on my blog by the end of tomorrow.