Arsenal FC: 2013-14 Season Preview

Post that night of narrowly lost glory in Paris, Arsenal have been pretty much about Arsene Wenger and the angry fans.

While some of them blamed the new stadium for the trophy drought, maintaining that the Arsenal Stadium at Highbury was ‘good enough’, many others have waved torches and pikes at Arsene Wenger for being frugal in the market and for being a puppet of the hierarchy that operates in the confines of the big tub.

Meanwhile, the AKB (Arsene Knows Best) brigade is busy applying filters to photos of glory days past to seemingly remind the other two factions that Arsene the Messiah is still around.

Arsene the Messiah

The summer of 2013/14 that is now, has been slightly different by usual Arsenal standards, but not entirely unconventional. The big signings are yet to come, the fans are irate, Piers Morgan is at his usual worst and the gaffer and Ivan Gazidis are shooting their transfer window darts all over the bar.

To the analysis board now.

Pre-season Analysis

Arsenal took a journey halfway across the known world on a money-spinning tour to Asia. With Vietnam and Thailand being the new destinations this season, it is evident that the club is establishing the brand all over and capitalizing on it wisely.

The Asia Tour 2013 was marked with a number of positives on the pitch as well, as Arsenal opened their off-season with two margin victories over an Indonesia Dream Team and the Vietnamese national team, scoring 14 goals in the process, while conceding only one.

Arsenal’s real test in the tour was their trip to Japan where they took on Asian giants, Urawa Red Giants, and Arsene Wenger’s former charges, Nagoya Grampus Eight.

After convincing victories in the land of the rising sun, it was evident that Arsenal’s new youth products had made a transition and will find some chances in the first XI this year.

Most notable was the rise of Gedion Zelalem. The feisty German U16 player is someone who has been likened to George Weah and more close to home, Cesc Fabregas. Naturally, he has been dubbed as the new ‘Zesc’ by the Gunners’ faithful. More about him later.

The remainder of the crop, Serge Gnabry, Thomas Eisfeld, Chuba Akpom and Chuks Aneke also look set to make a jump to the bench this season. If not in league games, some of them are sure to feature in the Capital One Cup games and the FA Cup for sure.

While the talent pool at the Arsenal Academy is vast, it remains to be seen as to who make the cut and live up to the hype they have created initially.

Fast forward to Europe now and the Arsenal fans had the Emirates Cup returning this season. Playing against seasoned opposition, Arsenal failed to provide any hope to the home fans as they were held to draw by Rafa Benitez’s Napoli and a Galatasaray led from the front by Didier Drogba.

While a few days later, they trumped Manuel Pellegrini’s Manchester City with a 3-1 scoreline, the failure to win the Emirates Cup is a major punch in Arsenal’s preparations for the main season.

Napoli have been bulking heavily this season under Benitez and Aurelio De Laurentiis. But this is not the case in Naples alone, as a number of top clubs in Europe have been restructuring themselves heavily. In the meanwhile, Arsenal look threadbare and will cave in after a few big hits from the opponents.

Gedion Zelalem

This is probably the one big name fans have been excited about since the days of Jack Wilshere, a few years ago. The boy is 16 years of age and yet he punches above his weight. While Vietnam and Indonesia were inferior opposition, Zelalem was brilliant against tougher opponents in Japan.

Gedion ‘Zesc’ Zelalem

He is the player who likes to see more of the ball and has a certain calmness when playing around with it. It would remind you of the rise of a certain Raheem Sterling in Merseyside really. He is quick with his feet and sees things happen which even more senior midfielders wouldn’t.

His partner in midfield, Wilshere, had this to say about him, “He keeps the ball away from you and shields it. He’s not very big but he is strong. He drifts in and out of players. He’s quite a strong lad and technically he’s right up there. He’s a good one for the future.”

The credit for Zelalem’s discovery goes to former Arsenal youth player and current scout, Danny Karbassiyoon.

RAMBO!

Another positive would be the resurgence of Aaron Ramsey. Playing alongside Arteta or Wilshere, the Welshman has moulded himself into a typical holding midfielder, making up for the departure of Alex Song to Barcelona last season.

While he is certainly a box-to-box type of player, making a run ahead to support the attack, the mature presence of Arteta, shielding the backline means Ramsey can be spared the cane for being the occasional front-line hero.

Post his Shawcross debacle, Ramsey was often accused of being unfit, losing the ball too often or for making irresponsible runs, but this could be blamed on the fact that he was often deployed as a winger instead of Theo Walcott.

Transfers

Squad Analysis

12/13: 4th11/12: 3rd10/11: 4th09/10: 3rd08/09: 4th07/08: 3rd06/07:4th05/06: 4th04/05: 2nd03/04: 1st

After screaming, “Ours is golden” in 2003/04, this has been Arsenal’s record in the Premier League over the years.

The truth remains that Arsenal have a threadbare squad with a record number of exits from the first team and the youth system over the summer. Many players who had been touted to take to the first team were let go.

The only positive would be the clearance of almost 500,000 pounds/week in salaries as the likes of Andrei Arshavin, Maroaune Chamakh and co. were moved off the pay books.

Goalkeepers

With the departure of Vito Mannone, Arsenal have only two goalkeepers with a steady claim to the number 1 shirt, that has not seen a capable owner since the days of mad Jens Lehmann. Lukasz Fabianski and Wojciech Szczcesny have both been inconsistent and many would deem neither of them worthy of the #1 status. It remains to be seen if a deal for Julio Cesar happens and an experienced pair of gloves man the goal this season.

Defence

Bacary Sagna, Per Mertesacker, Thomas Vermaelen, Laurent Koscielny, Nacho Monreal, Carl Jenkinson, Kieren Gibbs

With Thomas Vermaelen out for the next six weeks or so, Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny are the only two first team centre backs at Arsene’s disposal right now. Arsenal are one injury to the pair away from fielding a reserve/youth player.

With Bacary Sagna looking solid in the center of defence, it is likely that Jenkinson will see more first team opportunities in the while, as Arsenal sort out the crisis with centre backs. The left flank seems solid with Kieran Gibbs and Nacho Monreal, as both players are of proven pedigree and will provide healthy competition to each other.

Midfield

Tomas Rosicky, Mikel Arteta, Jack Wilshere, Aaron Ramsey, Santi Cazorla, Abou Diaby, Emmanuel Frimpong

This is where the overload begins. Arteta, who is already out for six weeks with injury, and Ramsey will deputize alongside each other in holding midfield, with Cazorla or Rosicky up front.

While Abou Diaby will look to make a cameo somewhere in mid-season, the future of Emmanuel Frimpong looks uncertain. Though there are no immediate rumours surrounding the Englishman of Ghanaian origins, it is unknown as to how he would be utilized.

Jack Wilshere is likely to see more first team play as he’ll be moulded into the role of a future club captain, and could well ply his trade under the wings of the much matured, Mikel Arteta on his return.

While Arsenal deployed a three player midfield last season, with Tomas Rosicky at the top of the triangle, it remains to be seen if Santi Cazorla is shunted out wide or is allowed to drop into the hole behind the striker.

Of course, with the availability of Lukas Podolksi on the left, Cazorla could well feature in the midfield, with Rosicky being used as an impact sub.

Wingers

Theo Walcott, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Ryo Miyaichi, Lukas Podolski

This section is a go-go, with enough depth and it likely that Ryo Miyaichi will see more playing time this season, while Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will provide competition to Theo Walcott on the right. Also, with Cazorla often being deployed to the left, Lukas Podolski will have a point to prove and be more incisive moving in and scoring more goals.

Strikers

Olivier Giroud

Olivier Giroud, Yaya Sanogo

With only one proven striker up-front, it is likely that the gaffer will look to sign one more striker before the window shuts down. As the Luis Suarez saga draws on, Arsenal will start the season with only Olivier Giroud ready to lead the pack against Aston Villa tomorrow.

While he has been clinical in pre-season, the fans will only hope that the Frenchman finally bags 20+ goals this season in the Premier League.

This being said, the self-fashioned ‘best striker in the world’, Nicklas Bendtner waits on the sidelines seeking an exit from the club (most recently being linked to Trabzonspor in Turkey). And hence he’s not been considered as an ‘option’.

Fixture Analysis

Apart from the games against Fenerbahce this month, Arsenal have a fairly easy season opener until the North London derby in October. The November-December period would be crucial as Arsenal play Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea, Everton and Manchester City in a span of eight games.

Initial momentum would be crucial and the club would want to find themselves comfortably in the top four before winter sets in.Also, the period from February to April would be crucial as Arsenal play the top honchos (all away) in a span of nine matches and will eventually decide the winners this season.

Arsenal would also want to avoid disqualification from the Champions League, as a long winding Europea League would only lead to the congestion of fixtures and eventually derailment of their domestic plans.