Good Enough Squad? Shava Thinks Otherwise…

In the wake of such a scinicillating start to the season,  inevitably making one recall the early days of the 2007/2008 season, it is tempting for some to believe that this squad is on a par with any other in Europe. Fans and even the press seem to have caught on this idea, judging by the fact that that our transfer mill, once flourishing in July when the likes of Subotic, Matuidi, Affelay, Bassong, De Rossi, Cattermole, Sakho, Hangeland and Vieira were all mooted as possible targets, has now mysteriously dried up after convincing wins over Everton, Portsmouth and Celtic. Even Chamakh, the most serious of our alleged targets, seems to have slipped off our radar. This thus begs the question, are we really ready?

“No. We still have to buy,” says Andrei Arshavin in his interview with the Sunday Times, “we shouldn’t set Everton as a benchmark, we should be looking at the top teams of Chelsea, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Barcelona. We should buy first-class players, regardless of their age. We should buy the ones who should improve our game. The top teams have much bigger squads than ours and that is why we have to buy.” 

Arshavin refuses to suggest which positions should be strengthened, but does he have a point? Well for a start, he is largely incorrect in regards to the top teams having “much bigger squads than ours.” 29 players are currently on our books, in comparison to Chelsea’s 25, Barcelona’s 27, Real’s 27 (according to its website…) and Man United’s 35, so it’s safe to say it’s overall big enough. But what he probably does mean is that we lack quality strength in depth. If Song, our only acceptable defensive midfielder, can’t play, who can fill his shoes? Not Diaby, because his passing is far more profligate and sloppy than Song’s, and Denilson appears to be bullied far too often against class opposition. Barcelona, in turn, are comfortable with picking Yaya Toure, Busquets, Keita and even Gudjhonsen for the slot in defensive midfield. If Eboue does indeed leave, despite talk of a switch to Barcelona or Fiorentina quickly cooling, there will be no natural right back replacement for Sagna, leaving Gallas and Djorou to deputise there as they have infrequently done so in the past. If Song is playing in central midfield and either Vermaelen and Gallas are unavailable, we can count upon the bare bones of the ever reliable Senderos and “geriatric” Silvestre. 

I am in no way trying to play down what little we have achieved upon until now; in fact I believe it is all the more remarkable considering that six key players are out, and at the beginning of a season! Nor am I asking for Arsene Wenger to have three natural right backs and two possible deputies for the position, as do Chelsea. But it is no secret that the Lady Fortune of Injuries has never quite smiled at us and thus the greater the need to be prepared for a long and arduous seasons of many twists and turns. To be ideally prepared, I say we need a centre back and a defensive midfielder. But who? Have your say in the comments….