Giroud also sometimes seems to lack the confidence to take on chances. Too often he plays the wall for players like Cazorla, bouncing balls back, where I feel he should take on chances himself. None the less, when he does try, he seems to do ok. 16 goals in a stop-start first season is very impressive, especially for a player who I think can develop a lot with the right coaching and environment. I myself am most certainly not one of those who consider him a weak part of the team, and whilst I am not convinced that having him as first choice centre forward would be enough to win us the league, as a second choice rotation striker

I want to have a look at the signings we have done this season.  Wenger is often (and perhaps rightly so) accused of being stingy and hesitant in making signings, yet we made four significant signings this season and I want to analyse them one by one and consider their impact and how they have done and can continue to grow. One thing I should point out: I want to make clear that I am not going to judge these players on their predecessors or the way they have or haven’t improved the team. It is unfair to compare Giroud to RvP just like it was unfair to compare Gervinho to Nasri and Arteta to Fabregas. Whether or not Wenger should have strengthened the squad more is not the debate of the article (and I think we all know that the players we signed should have been additions, not replacements) and the merits and futures of the players are what I will discuss.

To start with I will discuss Olivier Giroud. This is a man who polarizes the fanbase, a man whose talents and attributes are constantly being discussed and a man suffering under the yolk of the comparison with RvP and, in my opinion, at times, bad usage of his best attributes by the manager. When we signed Giroud for a reported 10m (or thereabouts) he was already 25. That is where the first misconception comes in. Even though he is now 26 he is far from a player in his prime. Like Laurent Koscielny before him he is a late developer who Wenger kept a close eye on and signed after a breakout season in Ligue 1. He started his career in the lower leagues, whilst simultaneously doing an education (something I like, but that is personal). When he was 20, he played in the second tier of French amateur football. So to state that he is a slow starter is far from controversial. The way he developed himself between ages 24 and 26 is the same you’d expect from a player between ages 20 and 22.

His second season for Montpellier was the season where he was one of the stars of Ligue 1 and played a leading role in getting Montpellier the title. He was also the top goalscorer in the league, which is no mean feat. We signed him that summer and soon after it seemed we had almost cancelled the deal because of interest in Atletico Madrid striker Adrian Lopez. Supposedly Wenger realised that RvP was genuinely not going to be convinced and decided that Adrian would be a better fit for the team than Giroud. All this is speculation for I am not an ITK. I can see Wenger’s point however. RvP was the classic deep lying forward, coming deep to get the ball and creating chances and space himself. Adrian is similar to RvP in that respect, all be at not nearly at that level. Giroud is far less mobile, far bigger, more of a target to aim at, more of a typical centre forward, good at finishing and good at dragging players into space. At times this season he has tried to be the player Wenger wants him to be, by drifting wide and coming deep, as well as laying on chances for teammates. To be fair to Giroud, he has acquitted himself well in that last aspect, for some of his assists (13 all season, which is very good) have been absolutely gorgeous. He however also gets the blame when we cross the ball and he happens to have drifted wide to make space, and as a result the ball doesn’t find anyone’s head. I find that to be unfair, and his role as scapegoat really annoys me. His nature as the focal point of our attacks gets misused by the team and I don’t think he is to blame.

He has his faults. I don’t like his slightly hysterical reaction to fouls or being hurt. Also I have seen people describe him as slow. That is not entirely fair, his gutbusting run to get to the penalty area for the 3-0 against Reading was suitably fast and I think his seeming lack of pace comes from a cumbersome running style, much like Bendtner before him. Giroud also sometimes seems to lack the confidence to take on chances. Too often he plays the wall for players like Cazorla, bouncing balls back, where I feel he should take on chances himself. None the less, when he does try, he seems to do ok. 16 goals in a stop-start first season is very impressive, especially for a player who I think can develop a lot with the right coaching and environment. I myself am most certainly not one of those who consider him a weak part of the team, and whilst I am not convinced that having him as first choice centre forward would be enough to win us the league, as a second choice rotation striker he is pretty fantastic, and on par with clubs we should aim for.  Whilst I am writing this someone has created a debate on twitter of who is better, Benteke of Giroud. To me, that is an insult to Olivier, who has genuinely impressed me. I can understand others feeling different, but he was a very good signing. He most certainly does not deserve the dislike I see from *some* of my twitter TL, and deserves to be appreciated for what he is. The fact he is very close to claiming the CF position of Les Bleus says a lot too.

The next one is the signing that has disappointed me most, not all through his own fault (which is a relative term, for all the signings have impressed me). Lukas Podolski. If you had told me five years ago we would have him in our side I would be ecstatic, and personally I feel the Lukas Podolski we got is no worse than the Lukas Podolski that reached 100 caps for Germany at age 27 or who terrorised defenders at the 2006 World Cup. Not only that, but we signed him for a very decent price (a bargain, I’d say) and whilst he commands a big salary he is also a fan favourite. Yet I don’t quite understand the signing.

We play Podolski on the leftwing, most of the time. When we play a 4-3-3 with Walcott and Podolski on the wings, they basically act as inside forwards or wide strikers, more adapt at scoring than at crossing. Don’t get me wrong, Podolski has had some fantastic crosses and barnstorming performances coming from that left wing. But even more than Theo Walcott he is a striker shunted wide to fit a system. The amount of times we have used him as a centre forward can be counted on one hand and even though he usually performed well there (a lack of size still plagues him in my opinion) I don’t see the exact use for the signing. A more traditional winger might have been a better investment, considering even Walcott gets to play CF before Podolski does.

As a winger I also think Podolski has shown a lack of work ethic. His offensive understanding with Kieran Gibbs was excellent but the level of tracking back and closing down was lacking. Perhaps this is down to his niggle, the same niggle which has plagued his fitness all season and will require a surgery this summer. Perhaps it is, like with Walcott, the forward shunted wide into a less familiar (or wanted) position. Perhaps he feels too good for it. That latter part seems unlikely. By all accounts Podolski is much liked and a hard worker and almost immediately became part of the glue that holds the dressing room together. The way he endears himself to fans also shows he really cares, and I think that his fitness issues have hamstrung him more than any mental issues. Perhaps next season he will be a harder, more willing wor
ker.

The good parts of Podolski are very good. The best finisher at the club, with a phenomenal left foot, and pace to burn, as a wide forward he is very well equipped. For the money we paid I am very happy with the signing, and I hope that he can continue to grow into the absolute fan favourite he has become, with his tweets and easy going nature. It is nice to have a player who, unlike Eboue and Santos, is endearing to the fans without lacking in the quality needed to be an Arsenal player. His ability has forced matches more than most players and when on song he clicks very well with most of the players in the team. All in all, Podolski is an excellent signing, a big name with big balls and a big influence, but as part of the tactics, or how he is deployed, I don’t quite get it. Still, let’s see him be completely fit before judging on his worth.

Santi Cazorla is one of the best players in the world. That is not hyperbole. That is not me saying he is that awful, vague superlative of ‘world class’. It means that he is just an amazing player. Sid Lowe called him the best player in Spain outside the top two. He is a mainstay of the best international side of the last decade and an absolute wonder to watch, when in full flow. Yet we signed him for a mere ‘undisclosed fee’ and reportedly gave him a lower salary than he was on in Malaga. Not only did we sign him for peanuts, but he fits in very well with the much maligned pay structure of Arsenal. In a season where the Michu of it all has been so overhyped, the bargain nature of Cazorla has been completely forgotten. Yet we signed a player of his ability for about 2/5s of what he could realistically be worth. And I for one am so happy with that.

Santi Cazorla is our best player. I feel there can be no disputing that. I am quite sure someday Jack Wilshere will reach, probably surpass, his level, but at the moment Santi is way out ahead. In fact I can think of maybe six players in the league who are better than him. His ambidextrous feet, his mercurial play, the fantastic goals and the desire to win. All of it has been said, and described, by far better writers than yours truly.  But I think the impact Santi has had can not be underestimated.

From the game vs Liverpool on he has been one of the star performers in the league. Not a metronomic playmaker like Fabregas was nor a nifty dribbler in the form of Nasri (in his six good months) but an amalgamation of the two, he slotted in perfectly behind the centre forward and interchanging with the wide men. This has added variability and trickiness to our play, and that has come in handy. He is far stronger and more tenacious than his size suggests and he has that ability to escape markers who seem focussed on more traditional, positional roles. The role of playmaker with a free role fits him so well that he manages to do a lot of playmaking whilst also flitting in and out of matches with moments of extraordinary play. From someone who isn’t even 1.70 and who has never played outside the easy going La Liga he has adapted to the physical PL remarkably quickly, and even manages to throw himself about and shrug off tackles from the sort of player that made David Silva’s transition to English football far slower. Within the Spain setup Cazorla is ahead of players English pundits would have you believe are better and in plain stats he is outperforming any number of more expensive players like Hazard, Mata or Kagawa. As far as signings go Cazorla is a peach, a wonderful player who fits right in. His ability to shank a ball one minute and then score a golazo the next, or to miss an easy chance only to beautifully flick in a far more difficult one seems to fit in right with the hot and cold nature of Arsenal but I think that with a bit more integration and another summer of Arsenal coaching he can do even better next season. What a prospect that is.

‘Monreal, seguro en defensa y brillante en ataque’ was the headline of an article in Marca after Spain beat France. Monreal was also the only player in that Spain team who does not play for RM or Barca. Man of the match from left back is no mean feat either. We signed him in this winter transfer window after Andre Santos’s position became untenable and Kieran Gibbs suffered an injury. As with Arsene’s typical long term vision, the deal had actually been agreed much earlier, but was pushed forward to this winter. Nacho Monreal, perhaps my favourite signing of the season.

Nacho Monreal is the definition of a player who is solid as a rock without being too flashy. Much like Bacary Sagna, Lauren or Gilberto Silva before him, he gets on with his job with minimal fuss and showiness, but with the air of someone who knows not only exactly what he is doing, but also that his abilities are good enough to beat people who question him. He is, in that respect, exactly the sort of player that SAF and Mourinho use to grind out league titles. His adaptation to the PL has been lightning quick, and even though he seems to need a bit more time striking up a partnership on the pitch, some of his combinations have been excellent. So far he has barely made mistakes (the one against Reading was his mistake, but arguably vs Spurs it was a collective failing rather than his alone) whilst he has scored and assisted valuable goals. By replacing the disappointing Andre Santos he has added a sense of depth in the squad that no team in the PL can match (who has better backs than we do?) and allows the central defenders to seem so much more confident. With a full LB occupancy it also allows Vermaelen to work on his basics as CB again, which, if we keep him, can only benefit the club.

Much like Cazorla, Monreal was a bargain. Like Cazorla, he is a valued member of the Spanish national team, and one of the few outside of the main teams of Spain. Like all players bar Giroud, he is an established, recognised quality player at the prime of his career. His season and a half for Malaga were very impressive and during his time at Osasuna he was the star man and indeed a big fish in a small pond. Monreal is not a typical Arsenal back, though. Unlike many of our backs he is not a winger trained down to being a defender, although he does feel comfortable as a wide midfielder. He has pretty much always been a left back, and his knowledge of his position oozes through his game. He is not exceptional in any of his qualities (crossing, tackling, marking, running, stamina, movement) but he is great at all of them. In a team where all too often the basics go wrong, he is a rock to build on. All his attributes are good enough to add a little stardust to the side but not at the expense of quality, which is exactly what we need. Considering his price tag, I am amazed how well he has done.

There you have it. Four signings, two big names, two decent names. Four internationals, four relative bargains. All in some way adding something valuable to the team and performing beyond their price tags. Arsene may be a stingy man who should spend and strengthen more, but when he does (this season at least) he is absolutely justified. I am not going to say these players are good enough to win us the league. In fact if we finish third this season we will be overachievers. Whilst that makes me proud, it pisses me off too. But we have a basis to build on now. A bit more extra quality and we can go very far. Considering the four signings he made this season I absolutely trust Wenger to make the signings that will put as back on the level we once were. Giroud may not be a league winning striker but he is good and will get better. Podolski is a bit of a square peg in a round hole but his stats and influence speak for itself. Monreal is nothing flashy but that is genuinely a good thing. And Cazorla is the sort of bargain signing you only make once every so often. Even though the team may not be stronger now than it was a year ago, I feel they are more ready to be built on and work towards success. And all four signings have contributed massively towards that.

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