Arsenal Football Club
Arsenal Football Club seems to epitomize Vodafone’s earliest ad campaign. “The Future is bright, the future is orange”. Red and white, in their case of course. The only problem is, the journey seems like a Christopher Nolan movie, filled with dreams, dreams and more of the same. It has been a painful five years since Arsenal had their cabinet filled with the smell of silverware, discounting the Emirates Cup of course. Wenger iterates that “This is our year” statement and the fans coax themselves into believing the same. Their inspirational captain, Cesc Fabregas is caught in a tug of war between Barcelona and Arsenal, with a natural propensity for the Catalan club. He has the “Barcelona DNA” claim the Barcelona hotshots, and it would soon look like that, unless Arsenal hand their talisman something to be cheerful about. The problems are aplenty and the worst part is, it is distributed throughout the field. Manuel Almunia suffers from ‘IQ-20’ moments midway through every alternate match, the defense is confused at best, the attack is desultory most of the time.
The medical room has their hands full all the time invariably. A curse has been heaped on them. 2009-2010 was a season of ‘maybes’ and ‘If only’. Van Persie was crocked in a friendly game; Fabregas suffered an identical fate midway through the season. Arsene Wenger’s refusal to spend money came back to bite them long and hard, and after some really hard jolts has decided to go ahead and spend.
Arsenal have some of the best young blood in the country and possibly in World football. Jack Wilshere, Aaron Ramsey, Kieran Gibbs are products of a system that is lauded for its brilliance in molding talent.
However, trophies are never won through youth alone. A proper balance is needed and this is where a good transfer market outing holds the key. Wenger needs to rope in some experienced heads in the back four. Silvestre was a joke, Gallas wants to leave and the left back position has always been found wanting. Chamakh was a great bargain, given that he came as a free agent and the new signing Koscileny has to show his worth to be considered as a serious signing. A goalkeeper is of utmost importance for Arsenal. Mark Schwarzer seems to fit the bill, given his experience in the premier league and Arsenal seems to be a no brainer for a guy who has two years. If Arsenal is ready to part with some cash, Mezut Ozil might be available for a great bargain. With just one year in his contract, the English premier league could be a likely destination. Manchester City seem intent on offloading some of their players, and that being the case Stephen Ireland or Shaun Wright Philips can be a great buy for a team that needs more level headed players.
The importance of this season can never be expressed in words. Fabregas has to remain if the club is to make strides in the European scene in the coming years. If one more season passes without much profit, the club can see Fabregas in Spain and in some more time Van Persie. It is very obvious for great players to lust for trophies. The players deserve more and so do the fans. A few good moves in the market should make them a formidable outfit, capable of mounting a challenge for the English Premier League.
Tags: Aaron Ramsey, Arsenal, Arsenal Football Club, Cesc Fabregas, English Premier League, Football, Jack Wilshere, Kieran Gibbs, Soccer, Van Persie, Wenger
