Prior to that infamous hiding, AW wasn’t particularly known for signing players below 25 years of age, save for the likes of err… ahem, Mikael Silvester (lol) and free transfers like Chamack (I swear that boy just needs a run of games, but is good). After the drubbing, AW quickly pulled out his cheque book & gave us among others, Mikel Arteta & Youssi Benayoun, two players who i must say have been of much needed help. It also seems like a policy that is set to continue into the new season. Lukas Podolski is just awaiting a shirt number i suppose, while am sure Sunderland wouldn’t mind mailing Sessegnon over if we racked up a figure close to what they want (but 8mil should do the job). Both are exciting transfers, & if u add the rumor that Rennes’ much fancied Yann M’vila is

Fellow countrymen/ women of the Gooner Republic,

If a club wallowing in unprecedented mediocrity as Liverpool can muster a Carling Cup & an FA cup final, what would possibly stand between Arsenal & a treble or atleast a double come next season? Granted, the season ain’t dusted yet, but then again, many players across the world are already signing provisional contracts with prospective employers, so perhaps to talk about 2012/ 13 now ain’t far fetched.

You see, i believe this season Arsenal actually signed up a new manager, some guy who looks just like good ol Arsene, but rather different from him, especially in the economic sense. He wouldn’t have come around if Sir Alex hadn’t hit us so hard below the belt though, so perhaps a few thanks directed to the red half of Manchester would be in order. Why do i say this is a different manager?

Prior to that infamous hiding, AW wasn’t particularly known for signing players below 25 years of age, save for the likes of err… ahem, Mikael Silvester (lol) and free transfers like Chamack (I swear that boy just needs a run of games, but is good). After the drubbing, AW quickly pulled out his cheque book & gave us among others, Mikel Arteta & Youssi Benayoun, two players who i must say have been of much needed help. It also seems like a policy that is set to continue into the new season. Lukas Podolski is just awaiting a shirt number i suppose, while am sure Sunderland wouldn’t mind mailing Sessegnon over if we racked up a figure close to what they want (but 8mil should do the job). Both are exciting transfers, & if u add the rumor that Rennes’ much fancied Yann M’vila is reportedly planning to kidnap himself & surface a few days to pre-season at the Emirates, am sure Montpellier’s Olivier Giroud would surely follow.

Am sure Montpellier are aware that for their asking price we could get ourselves Lionel Messi’s left leg, so they will definitely lower it to Wenger like levels. In his current state, i know AW can handle 20mil.

Arsene seems to have finally changed his focus from gross profits to balance trophies & books, & given what he was able to achieve with so little, i imagine that he would certainly prove wiser than money city & their quieter red neighbors.

After all, without our first choice defence for much of the entire season, after our worst start in decades, with only one prolific goalscorer, & without Cesc Fabregas & Samir N***i, we have come short of a trophy, but still proved the bigger fish in all of London (We are the top dogs on the “London premier league table”- right?). I suppose if we were to get Podolski, & just one of the other three aforementioned guys, added to one or two surprise buys, i suppose we’ll be able to have a squad depth as good as they come, with the wisest manager around (Ok, ok i was one of those guys who called for his head earlier but am sorry…) & the most badass striker walking the earth (those two la liga guys are midfielders). Ofcourse such a winning formula involves shipping out Manuel Almunia, he would do well to compete with Hart over at N***i’s new club, after all, even Hart once let in a beanpole effort from a beanpole striker called Peter Crouch.

AW seems intent on making us a force again, so maybe the ‘real’ supporters (thanks James Stokes) would want to dust themselves off from those arm chairs of righteousness & actually head over to the bar, street TV, or the Emirates to will us all to a famous treble. Atleast it ain’t impossible, we seem too balanced. All the others have the money, we got some money, all brains!!

rgds,

Don Oloo.

Mean Lean’s Response

I cannot help but feel that we have almost everything we need already scattered around the club, whether that be on loan or on the treatment table. Subject to Lukas Podolski putting ink on an Arsenal printed headed contract of course.

I expect many to disagree with me and that is fair enough, it could be seen as resting on laurels or what have you but this more than many previous squads fill me with confidence.

If you rip up the start of this season as we were still constructing our squad then our only real blip since then came about in January when we had not only zero full backs but even some of the out of position deputies sucome to injury.

Apart from the full back crisis, I think we have coped with injuries pretty well. Francis Coquelin came in at White hart lane while Alex Song was pushed back to central defence and was our best player in the middle of the pitch. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has blossomed from league one player to Premier League regular. Tomas Rosicky looks a different player with a run of games tucked under his belt.

Ryo Miyaichi, Joel Campbell and Benik Afobe may all come back and add some depth to the squad next season, if they can take similar steps as Chamberlain then our squad will have been boosted dramatically from that.

And now for my final magic trick. If you consider how much of a difference the quality of Bacary Sagna made to our team when he came back then imagine the difference Jack Wilshere, Lukas Podolski and hopefully even Abou Diaby can make to what we already have.

We talk of two or three signings turning us into a title contender but those three players have played about 90 minutes in total this season for Arsenal.

I am sure many faces will be waving goodbye to their team mates and I am sure Arsene will add a few low profile faces to the squad like perhaps as back up keeper should Lukasz Fabianski look for pastures new to try and get himself into that Polish team.

If the natural progression of a young player continues then we should hope for steps up from the likes of Carl Jenkinson, Kieran Gibbs, Aaron Ramsey, Francis Coquelin, Ryo Miyaichi, Joel Campbell, Ignasi Miquel and Benik Afobe. There are many members of this squad on the up and beneath them we could see a couple more break through into the Carling Cup squad. Serge Gnabry is just one player who could have that extra bit of quality needed to separate him from the rest at his age group. So I wouldn’t be surprised to see a few youngsters feature in the CC.

I hold my hands up, I have been carried away with player potential in the past and had hoped that they would have done more than they eventually achieved but I cannot help but feel that (to coin a Wengerism) there is something special within the squad.

If we do not make a fight of the title next season, I will be hugely disappointed. Time will tell I guess.