Transfer round-up and summer thoughts

This year’s transfer market is strange because there is inflation at the same time as an economic crisis. The only reason I can find for that is that some elite clubs feels they are in real danger of being left behind as mega-clubs show signs of emerging from the elite group. There is some real fear in the market.

Last season, Manchester United was in contention for four trophies right up to the last game for many of those. They won the league for the 3rd season in a row and were close to winning the champions league for a second season in a row. In Spain, Barcelona won the treble â€" it had never happened before in Spain.

Real Madrid could not take it anymore so they got Perez back and Perez gave £60M to Man Utd and £45M to AC Milan. So Real Madrid has, on paper, joined the two immensely dominant clubs and one of those clubs (Man Utd) has got £60M extra to spend.

So when Man Utd or Barcelona starts looking at Ribery, Bayern Munich will want £70M for him because they know now more than ever that if they let their best players go, it could be the final nail in the coffin. Teams like Bayern, Juventus, Roma, Arsenal, Valencia etc who used to be stable among Europe’s elite feel like second tier teams these days. These teams cannot even attract the best players anymore (Eboue's agent thought Roma was not his level!). These teams are scared of being left behind so they will overprice their talents and hold on to them as much as they can. The situation is even more difficult with sugardaddy clubs like Chelsea and Man City with huge resources and a hunger for immediate success.

Last season, a giant club had one disastrous season and ended up in the Championship. It wasn’t only a disastrous season that put Newcastle there it was also that domestic competition is getting hotter. Aston Villa, Everton, Man City and many mid and bottom half teams have got more stable and more competitive. From Tottenham to Hull, there are plenty of the cheaper talent that can’t make the big teams yet can be quite threatening together in a well set-up team like Everton has shown. The English league is also extremely appealing these days so a young talented player in Belgium looking for his first big move might well turn down Juventus to go to Everton.

Life just got tougher for Bayern, Juventus, Arsenal, Valencia and other clubs in that position. Their superior rivals have even more resources to run away and their inferior rivals are getting better and also want to hold on to their talents by overpricing them because they have seen what happened to Newcastle, which could have also happened to Spurs. The stakes are very high.

Wenger has done very well to get the Ajax defender. To be honest, I am more concerned about how we attack than how we defend. Our attack is not good enough so I will only feel great when I see some balance in attack and the right midfield to support it. Signing Robin van Persie doesn’t do it for me, at least not yet. So I am waiting to see how things turn out â€" speculation is useless. What I am sure of is that we should not expect any big names because Arsenal cannot afford it.

I have been wondering which player used last season the best. Who exploited the injury situation and their time on the pitch the best? Who made the most convincing progress last season from all the young players?

On the face of it, it looked like Theo Walcott due to the hat trick in Croatia and the fact that he really did grow in strength too. Then there is Keiran Gibbs. What spectacular mental strength, skill and maturity he showed. Gibbs played some very big games. He made mistakes in just about every one of those games but the mistakes never bothered or destroyed him. He moved on quickly and put in a fantastic performance in every game. Gibbs shares that confidence to put set-backs behind him with Bendtner.

Then there is Bendtner who seems to have been around for a very long time but Bendtner is 21 years old! Wenger often says that people forget how young he is. He is under 18 months older than Walcott and Gibbs That is very true. Bendtner is only 21 years old and yet, as Wenger put it, “when Niklas is fully focused, he can cause problems for any defence in the world�.

Then there is Alex Song. Nobody beats the steep improvement that Alex Song made last season. And finally Diaby and Denilson. Diaby showed he could score goals. Thats what gets Diaby in Wenger’s teams more often than you and I would pick him. Diaby is more likely to score than Fabregas from midfield. But for his age, Diaby is sloppy, slow to see movement and slow to release the ball. He has a great dribble and shot but could be so much better at tackling and reading the game.

Denilson was Arsenal's most efficient player last season. A quiet performer who found the negative atmosphere very difficult to grow in last season. Denilson, in my view, will be much better than Anderson or Carrick. As Owen Hargreaves and Flamini showed, size doesn’t have to stop a good player being a great holding player.

My pick for the player who made the most claim last season was close between Gibbs and Bendtner. My vote goes to Bendtner. The way I see it, Bendtner has mastered his positioning over the season. He is a striker and that is a huge huge plus for a striker even if it only serves right now to annoy punters when he doesn’t score from the great positions. He already knows how to head the ball and what angle to finish. As a striker again, those are huge. He worked on his strength in Birmingham and then Arsenal. He overcame unpopularity with some fans and his own team mates (which boiled over on the pitch once) and maintained his confidence. Confidence for a striker is everything.

In my view Bendtner was the player who justified demanding a place in the team last season. They way I see it, if the team plays for their striker like the way they used to do with Henry and the way Fabregas plays for Adebayor then we will see much more out of Bendtner. If everyone sees him as the man and play with him as such, he will be the man!

As soon as the team starts playing for him, Arsenal will start crossing more because he is the best header of the ball in Arsenal for 10 years. If Arsenal start aiming crosses at him then other Arsenal players will also learn to head, and in training that will help Arsenal defenders get better at defending crosses. I have always felt that if you don't score from corners or set-pieces, then you can’t defend corners or set-piece because it is impossible to practice them well enough unless you are dangerous at it too.

So I am hoping for great things from Bendtner. But I also have to remember how old he is. He is only 21 which is very young. Our patience with him has to last the next 3 years. I have no problem visualising Bendtner as a 25 goal per season striker by the time he is 25-years-old.

User Comments

cvh23

Posted on 29 Jun, 2009 at 04:47 PM - Reply

first things fist, adebayor should go. we can use the 35 mil euros we get for him by signing melo, and possibly even benzema. we shouldn't let toure go. we should sell diaby, he's young, but has not shown much potential, and he's way too lazy for a centre-mid

ArsenalNJ

Posted on 29 Jun, 2009 at 04:11 PM - Reply

really i cant stand to read the comments by some of these aresenal fans like really denilson is an asset to the club he has captained the brazil national team from u14 till u18 this is the same team that has Pato has Anderson. Bendtner is young so why should we expect alot of him. For a 21 yr old Bendtner did dam well we should put more pressure at Ade especially because of the trade talks last season and his lack of goals. So Ade can go to the graveyard which is itlian soccer and stay there he's a second class forward thats getting to cocky. Van Persie should stay because when healthy he is brilliant Arshavin and him should have a great campaign next season. Nasri should help spread the ball with Cesc. I don't see an urgency to buy any more defenders with Djouro having a great season and Senderos showing a solid performance in AC and hopefully should give us some muscle in the middle which we lacked last season and the new Ajax signing seems like he could give us more size and experince to defend the Torres, Carew's and Drogba's of the premiership so all and all don't you agree that our gunners should be more than capable of performing next season

Colin

Posted on 29 Jun, 2009 at 09:03 AM - Reply

Gunnerbaz, Arsenal's defensive problems are overrated. Arsenal went nearly 4 month unbeaten but what was interesting is that hardly any of those games were comfortable because we could not score a second or third goal. In addition when we scored first we don't lose. The season is more decided by the 1-0 or 2-1 games than the 4-0 games that give you great stats about goals scored but which doesn't tell you much about how your attacks works.

For those who think Bendtner should be producing like a Messi already now, you are misguided. Like many people have pointed out, Messi, Fabregas etc are exceptional not the rule. If you think Bendtner is age is an excuse just think of players like Melo, Fabiano, Dzeko, Xavi, Iniesta etc. Did you know about them when they were 21? What about Eto'o, Drogba, Carew etc do you know how they were at 21? Did you even know of them?

gunnerbaz

Posted on 28 Jun, 2009 at 08:58 PM - Reply

poor article.. how is our attack more of a priority than our defence :S, we scored just as many than man utd but conceded alot more.

JR

Posted on 28 Jun, 2009 at 01:29 PM - Reply

VP is ain't that good and he delivers performances in patches which doesn't help the clubs cause.. i think they should sell the lazy Adebayor and buy huntelaar,renato augusto or aguero. they should solid their defence midfield although is also not that good but signing melo(fiorentina), augusto(Bayern L),diego(bremen)etc..

paddgunner

Posted on 28 Jun, 2009 at 12:14 PM - Reply

this team is fine talent wise most players now have gone thru their gellig in process we should see allot more confidence next year and the ability coming out. but what we vitaly need is players to show they will die for this club i have nightmares of arsenal turning into a feeder club like ajax. with all this madness going on in the transfer market i think silverwear is thier for the taking next year

hughied

Posted on 28 Jun, 2009 at 05:35 AM - Reply

I'm more than happy for Bendtner to be our second or third striker (behind RVP and Eddie). Better than Kalou; more dangerous than Anelka physically and heading (though not as composed or good at finishing); better than Kuyt and obv Ngog; more goals than Berbatov in an inferior team; more goals than any Madrid striker.

He only has an upside. It's not Bendtner starting in big games that's stopping us from winning, it's our defence and midfield IMO.

Adrian

Posted on 27 Jun, 2009 at 04:18 PM - Reply

I beg to differ with the analysis on bendtner. My God, the man played so many games but only ever netted when it least counted. Albeit that is a generalization, there is truth to it since he could never put in those headers when we went up against our major antagonists but always managed to score doubles against the lesser teams. Obviously, it is only logical that someone scores more against less strong opposition, but it is strikers that can defy those odds that we need! Adebayor's goal against the yellow submarines is a vivid example of a striker who can produce - not just against any opposition - but more especially when we need it the most. I still do not trust Bendtner in front of goal (one-on-one) with many goalkeepers in the Premier League: he is sloppy when it comes to finishing with his feet and cannot be relied on to put the ball in the net when we need it there the most. And all this talk from Wenger about trusting him to scare any defence!! I dont know which defence he is talking about, other teams in the league or our own (with players like Silvestre failing to clean it up in the back, even Bendtner would be hard-pressed to miss the goal). As Simion Cowell would say, sorry, that's just my opinion.

Tall Paul

Posted on 27 Jun, 2009 at 12:02 AM - Reply

Bendnter might well prove he has the chops by the time he's 25--but we need someone who can deliver the goods next season, not in three years time. Bendtner would not make the attack line for any of the other big four, then why should he be in ours? Get real. Also, as far as young players are concerned, Gibbs was clearly the silver lining from last season, not Bendtner.

Zee

Posted on 26 Jun, 2009 at 11:19 PM - Reply

@sulazu:
Players develop at different rates. You can't really compare Fabregas and Messi to Bendtner. Those two were wonderkids who developed faster than their peers. It's still early days yet for Bendtner, but he's already above average for a 21 year old. I think it's the maturity and presence he shows on the pitch that makes us forget that he's a youngster too.

smithy

Posted on 26 Jun, 2009 at 10:55 PM - Reply

denilson good??? are you off your head son?? he along with diaby are the two most frustrating players ever to pull on an arsenal shirt!! they gave the ball away the most amount of times out of anyone else in the team which constantly put pressure on our backline which is why we shipped soooo many goals last season. we need a quality DCM like Angelo Palombo who harrys, crunches tackles but also has a vast ability to spray the ball with accuracy and has a wicked shot from distance in his locker (i think something like 40% of his goals have been scored from 30yrds+!!) and he has leadership qualities our frail team requires having captained Sampdoria and his national team on a number of occassions this is the man we need to make us complete

now arsene-go get him!!

Ben Howard

Posted on 26 Jun, 2009 at 01:55 PM - Reply

Sounds like the Melo deal is done, according to a few of the Italian football sites, Fiorentina have made a bid for Hamsik to replace him when he leaves for Arsenal. ALSO (:D) There is some talk on the message boards that I might av got it right!!! Ade is going, either to Inter or AC. Approx 25 mil. From what Ive been reading on some spanish sites its said that Wenger is close to agreeing a 30 million double deal for Wesley Sneijder and Klaus Jan Huntelaar!!!! I SAID IT!!!! FINGERS CROSSED!!!!

delboy

Posted on 26 Jun, 2009 at 09:03 AM - Reply

good article, but your wrong about van persie. Great player. dont forget the impact arshavin had since start of feb and rosicky back aswell.

Denis

Posted on 26 Jun, 2009 at 09:00 AM - Reply

There is a rumour afoot about Diaby training in overdrive this summer in order to bulk himself up with a view to making that 2nd midfield spot his own next season. Can anybody corroborate this/comment?

will 123

Posted on 25 Jun, 2009 at 06:03 PM - Reply

sell Adeybayor and buy Huntelaar from Madrid to join him with van Persie up front.

moha

Posted on 25 Jun, 2009 at 03:12 PM - Reply

I just understand these comparisons btw arsenal players and messi. Messi is Messi. He's a prodigy. These are players that are uncommon in this world. You can't expect all the players in this world to be like him.

Chi

Posted on 25 Jun, 2009 at 02:32 PM - Reply

And the inflation in the market and Arsenal's inability to compete financially is one key reason we should be thankful to Arsene for building a team that will grow if they stick together. Football is business and so business strategy comes with it: Our core competence as a football club is to attract the best young stars and not to build a team by spending big a la City, United, Real, Chelsea. Even Barcelona shares our strategy and look how successful they are. So, the best thing to do is to use our competitive position as a team that can attract young talent to our advantage. Our problem is that the fans dont realize this and are impatient.

ShifuArsenal

Posted on 25 Jun, 2009 at 02:06 PM - Reply

I don't think many of Arsenal players had a good season, which includes Febregas, Walcott, Adebayor, Bendtner, Toure & Denilson.
Some of these poor performances was down to injury problems (Ade, Fab, Walcott & Toure) others were down to lack of consistency.
Bendtner is a good player but I expected him to be further along in his development considering the time he has been with Arsenal and playing international football.
Denilson is far too much like Fabregas to make a great DM for the future. Denilson lacks pace with the ability to get up and down the pitch quickly, like Flamini.
Song is better in the defensive role but his passing lets him down.
I think Eboue brings better balance to the team than Walcott. Eboue is a better defender, crossor and running at the heart of the opponent defence.
With the purchase of Arshavin and Nasri, this means that there will be less reliance on Fabregas for midfield creativity.

sulazu

Posted on 25 Jun, 2009 at 10:33 AM - Reply

All these talk about how young Arsenal players are, gets my stomack running. We all know how old Messi is now & also aware he has been performing at the biggest stage for the past 3 years. Also, it doesn't take Fabrigas much time to become what he is now. Why the excuse for Bendtner?

sb

Posted on 25 Jun, 2009 at 09:55 AM - Reply

Stability at the centre of defence (the back 3) has ramification all formations. Lack of it pulls full backs in tighter, keeps central midfielders nervous about balls over their heads, so they hang back a bit more and worry about losing possession too much. It ends up, especially when you don't have a good enough anchor man in midfield, leading to 4-5-1.

The flying wingers really being forwards thing is just an excuse. Freddie and Bobbie were as good going forwards as anything we have now but weren't 12 years old and 10 stone in weight, so they could track back and do what was needed of them (sometimes). They had a superior defence and central midfield with them though.

Give them a solid back 6 (including defence-biased central midfielder) and you'll see our existing attacking options play in a different way.

patrick

Posted on 25 Jun, 2009 at 03:56 AM - Reply

This team needs to pull a 1990's manchester united and stick together no matter what. We have seen great teams disband too early throughout arsenal's history, i.e. 1971 and 1979. The improvement we've seen in players like walcott, song, and bendtner causes one to believe that if this team stays together for 5 or more years, we could be a dominant team. We don't need ronaldo's or torres's to be successful, we just need a team that has a deep understanding of each other spawned from years of experience together.

Murray

Posted on 25 Jun, 2009 at 12:44 AM - Reply

I agree re Bendtner. Though he is no left winger he played a number of games there for the team. He got back in defense more than I remember Nasri or AA or Diaby doing from that position - and his height was better cover for Clichy than the others. And your right that Bendtner did a lot of work off the ball to get into positions where he wasnt getting the pass but he still kept making the runs. I think he has a future with the club.
I like Song and Denilson but if we sign a 'big' name DM then one of those 2 is going to have limited chances. And I always thought that Denilson was suppose to play in the creative midfield role? I would not like to see Denilson go but with Fab, AA, and Nasri all ahead of him in the crative role and a new person, and Diaby (and Song?) ahead of him in the DM role I could understand if he wanted a move. Same for Song. 4 people for 1 position doesnt work.

sd

Posted on 24 Jun, 2009 at 10:48 PM - Reply

van persie doesnt do it for you? there was one month last season he either scored or assisted every goal.world class. player of arsenals season. and dont forget that volly away to everton with the last kick of the game, the two to beat chelsea away and he wasnt even on form then.

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