What Arsenal desperately need is not more players, but rather more competitions.
Consider the issue of the forwards. Adebayor and van Persie have the key positions up front. They might occasionally be rested or be injured – so in pops Bendtner who has shown his ability to score teams from the Tiny Totts and Notlob Wandering.
But Carlos Vela clearly needs games – you don’t play centre forward in every match your country plays, score in the pre-season games and then score three (including one of utter majesty) in your first game for the club, and then… well, sit around until there’s another league cup game.
So maybe Vela comes on and gets a few games as a sub, just to keep him happy, and with van Persie needing to be rested every now and then everyone is just about ok. Not perfect but just about ok.
Except there’s the little matter of Eduardo. Now raised to god-like status he will be ready to play in December and will be expecting a run out by the new year.
Assume (ok it is unlikely but just assume) that come the new year none of these five is injured. Then round 3 of the Sweet FA Cup interrupts the regular league games. Who are you going to play? Presumably Bendtner and Eduardo – leaving Vela wondering where his next game is coming from….
Of course injuries will play a part, and so the crunch may not arise, but the situation with the forwards is something that is reflected all over the pitch.
Which is why I think we need another competition. And I reckon that the stadium would be filled whatever the competition was. (You may have seen shots of the Manchester Bankrupt stadium looking more than half empty – compare with the Ems 56,000 odd last night.)
A competition for clubs that are not bankrupt perhaps?
Wenger just needs to start being more ruthless and and drop/rest players more…NOT to the extent of that useless twat Benitez who changes his team on an hourly basis, but When Arsenal get to the business end of almost 3 games a week, surely it makes sense to have two strikers playing 1 game a week and use their strengths according to the game.
I hear you, Tony. We’ll just have to make sure win the quadruple, then, won’t we? 🙂
Seriously, though when you think Traore, Barazite and Botelho are all on loan and all highly rated…. Still, as you say, it means Wenger can rotate more than he was able to last season. He could use the spine of that team in the FA Cup and for lesser league games as well – plus Silvestre and Eboue at FB for the extra experience, perhaps?
Mind you, we’ll probably find that this is all moot because all our players get injured!
It’s a nice problem to have. I just hope our current crop of youngsters aren’t as impatient as some past players as they should not be looking to leave before their potential is realised. They also shouldn’t be afraid of a little competition.
Yes good point, maby Wenger could rotate vela between roles on the wing and supporting striker, so that Theo or nasri can rest.