Arsenal fan Steven Altman is unsure whether the club have what it takes to win silverware, but has plenty of reasons to be optimistic about the Gunners’ future.
There are encouraging signs for Arsenal despite the blip against Chelsea last weekend. With a start to the season that is very encouraging, and with players such as Jack Wilshere and Bacary Sagna on the way back, the future is certainly looking rosier than it did last season.
But that is what most Arsenal fans always think. Yet, when it comes to the final third, Arsenal is always lacking somewhere, but is it going to be the same with this team?
Wenger said this week that Gervinho could become a successful centre forward with his pace and movement, which impressed him. Wenger commented that in the past, he had converted players such as Henry and Van Persie to central striking positions, and is now going to do the same with Gervinho and Walcott.
This to me is one of the most encouraging statements Wenger has made recently. He seems at last to be listening to his players – Walcott told him that he wanted to play as a striker, and he seems to be heeding Walcott’s request.
The team is being built up at the front, but there is always a nagging doubt as to whether these players will ever fill the gaping hole left by Van Persie.
The question is does it have to be? In my view, maybe not. Lukas Podolski is a competent striker, and can only get better with time. Olivier Giroud is not finding the back of the net at present, but is surely going to do so sooner or later.
Santi Carzola is a revelation: in my view potentially one of the best signings that Wenger has ever made – simply put, he has a fantastic footballing brain, is always trying, and has the skills and pace to create and score goals.
The midfield was exposed against Chelsea as being a bit light. The competent Mikel Arteta is not, and will never be Cesc Fabergas, but again maybe he doesn’t need to be.
With Aaron Ramsey, who in his own right has done a lot to help Arsenal, and the sublime Jack Wilshere as well as Tomas Rosicky coming back, I think that Arsenal is in pretty good nick – once they translate all of their talent into winning games, and the mentality of winning begins to take hold, I think the sky is the limit.
Steve Bold has done a competent job with the back four, and Mannone has proved to be an able substitute for the injured Szczesny, although for me there are still some defensive errors that are unforgivable (the defending leading up to Torres’s goal last week was terrible).
However over confidence can also be dangerous – the right balance must be achieved, and then I think that everything else will follow.
Will they win the Premiership this season? Not in my view. Will they win the Champion’s League this time round? Again, not in my view.
But if they keep on playing like they have been doing, there will be a massive improvement which will go a long way to winning silver in the next season or two.
image: © Ronnie Macdonald
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