The Beautiful Groan

There is a lot of worry surrounding Arsenal fans at the moment, centred around the perceived lack of depth of the squad, especially in midfield, and rightly so. Wenger’s words of praise for those he has are irrelevant - he knows as well as anyone that we’re light in the centre of the park but is moving to give the players confidence in case the next five days go badly.

So with all the anxiety, the departure of Senderos to AC Milan seems badly timed, especially as it is fairly apparent that he’ll never play for the club again despite his move officially being a loan. But on reflection, the paucity of options in one area of the field shouldn’t make anyone panic about the depth in another.

Because defensively we’re better equipped than we were last season. Toure and Gallas are still there, Song is improving, Djourou is showing potential and is not out on loan this season, and of course Silvestre signed last week. Even when you remove Senderos from the equation, the cover is better than a year ago.

What this is actually doing is shedding a great deal of light on Silvestre’s arrival. He covers the central defensive positions just as Senderos did, except he should be able to be in and out of the side without it affecting his performances as much as it did the Swiss. And he can cover for Clichy at left back while Traore is out on loan.

That’s not to say that Senderos’ departure isn’t a shame - it is. At times he looked immense, a throwback to Tony Adams in his pomp, and he had the ability to form partnerships with both Toure and, last season, Gallas. But his trouble was his shaky mental state. One mistake would affect him for three games, but more than that, he was badly affected when out of the side.

I don’t believe Wenger helped him by rotating him out of the side when his form was at peak levels - two years ago Gallas arrived when Senderos was a regular for the first time, and even last season he’d embarked on a great run of form before Toure returned from Ghana and took his place back. He never recovered from either blow.

But at the same time, can you really afford a player who takes four or five games to get up to speed after being dropped or injured? He isn’t someone who seamlessly slots into the side, he needs that run of games. Worryingly, that trait is also true of Rosicky, which is another reason why he may never make it at the club.

But back to Senderos, and he’ll probably shine at Milan. Their focus on defence will give him a feeling of stature, and he cannot fail to learn from the legends around him. The pace of the Italian game will also suit him - what is often missed is how good he was on the European stage. Ironically, it is a team like Arsenal that would actually cause him the most problems as his turning circle and recovery speed are his weaknesses - just like Cygan, who has also thrived since he left (yes, really).

So it is probably a good move for everyone. Not a first choice here, he was unlikely to ever fulfil his potential, and he has to think about his career and move to a big team where he can be a regular. He may have found that.

It is a shame though - I’ve always been a fan of his.

Or at least, it was his equivalent.

Fulham 1 (Hangeland 21) Arsenal 0
Premiership

That was painful to watch. We normally keep our transfer business quiet, but it says something that Wenger had admitted we need a central midfielder, and even the normally quiet Cesc is agreeing. Everyone knows it, and if they didn’t, they knew on their way home from Craven Cottage.

Because let’s face it, that was a dreadful performance. Yes, Fulham should’ve been down to ten men early, but it was Eboue who was tackled dangerously, and you have to admit that if you were the ref, you’d have a doubt in your mind whether the tackle really was as bad as it looked - after all, Eboue would roll around like that if you shook his hand.

And there can be no excuses anyway, because you have to be able to beat a frankly poor Fulham side, who weren’t even playing that well themselves. But thanks to some uninspiring and toothless creative play, and another stupid set piece goal, we come away with nothing for the second time in three years.

Ah yes, the goal. Our inspirational leader Gallas lost his man, and instead of chasing after him he simply weakly stood off and watched the goal happen. I know Gallas is an easy target right now, but I’m getting really bored of typing ‘Gallas turned his back’, and ‘Gallas stood off him’ when describing a goal. The guy is our most experienced player, a supposedly top notch defender, and above all else, is supposed to be leading by example. He has some serious work to do to win me over this season.

It is ironic that while ten out of eleven players were below par, the only one playing to expected levels is Eboue. Admittedly, that may be because our expected levels of him are around Conference level, but still, he is actually doing okay in an unfamiliar position. But Denilson beside him was abysmal. How is it that we’ve had two Brazilians in our side recently, and between them they haven’t been able to control a ball (Baptista) or pass it (Denilson)? They’re Brazilian!

There are six days left before the transfer window closes, and while I’m an optimist at even the worst of times, I’m not stupid enough to claim we’ll challenge for the league if we don’t replace Flamini properly. Or the combination of Flamini, GIlberto and Diarra.

Two seasons ago we lost this sort of match all the time, and we had Cesc then, so I don’t buy the popular theory (in the media) that we lost because he’s injured. Of course it didn’t help, but yesterday’s performance was exactly the sort of insipid display that never happened on Flamini’s watch. We need that again.

Over to you Arsene.

What started out as a quiet week for Arsenal turned into a surreal one with the signing of Mikael Silvestre, but after some monumentally dull internationals it is now back to the real stuff. And this weekend, we travel to Fulham, a side that traditionally cause us no problems, but of late have threatened to ruin that record.

Two years ago we lost at Craven Cottage, and the opening day of last season required late goals to avoid another defeat. A simple win would be fantastic, but quite frankly any win is good while we’re still so short in midfield.

Speaking of the midfield, Cesc may return against Twente next week, but if there’s any risk, he surely won’t play as the tie is all but wrapped up. Wenger is still suggesting he will sign one more player, and if that signing isn’t a central midfielder we might worry. Still, Alex Song’s back from the Olympics.

On his way out of the club, on loan at least, is Armand Traore, who should gain valuable playing time down at Portsmouth. Elsewhere, Milan and Newcastle are supposedly interested in Senderos, but this story seems to be a media concoction - they’ve figured out Big Phil has slipped down the pecking order this week.

Finally, best wishes to Liam Brady, a legend who was rushed to hospital, but is thankfully now stable. Fingers crossed he’ll be fine.

And that’s about it for today - it is good to have the real football back. More at the weekend.

Okay, so its now official, Mikael Silvestre is an Arsenal player.

Seriously, where did that one come from? We’ve had rumours all summer that we would be signing an experienced player, but if you’d asked a fan which one hundred players were most likely, Silvestre’s name would not have been mentioned.

Earlier, I doubted the story and the value of the signing, but it turns out I was wrong about the accuracy of the reports. Let’s hope I’m wrong about the whole lot. Because, quite frankly, it seems like an odd one.

We have a weakness in central defence, certainly. The Toure-Gallas partnership is a combination that for some reason doesn’t appear to work. Individually, they are excellent (and both better than Silvestre is at 31, in my opinion), but as a pairing, they don’t click. So Wenger had two options. Sign a new centre back to be first choice, or promote from within.

Does this mean Silvestre is now first choice? And if so, is he really good enough at 31 to be ousting either of the pair from the side? And if he isn’t first choice, then where does this leave Senderos, and particularly Djourou, who is highly rated by the manager and supposedly ready to step up.

We actually have quite a few centre backs, but the problem is that many don’t rate some or all of them. By signing Silvestre, it would seem that Wenger is, for once, also not showing faith in the set we currently have.

As for the left back position, Clichy, Gallas and Traore pretty much have the spot locked up, so Silvestre is unlikely to see much action there.

So the only conclusion I can draw is that he has been signed as a first team player, to partner Gallas at the back (Gallas, as captain, surely has to play). So where does this leave Toure, and does this shed some light as to why he appeared at right wing on Saturday?

As you can see, there are more questions than answers right now. Quite what our first choice backline looks like now is anyone’s guess, and both Senderos and Djourou may be wondering where they now are in the pecking order.

Wenger obviously sees Silvestre as important, as he has given him a two year contract, breaking the one year model for the over 30s. Not for the first time, Wenger and Ferguson are clearly disagreeing - even if Fergie decided he had enough backup, he wouldn’t let one of his players join a rival for a pittance if he thought he’d actually turn out to be useful.

Perhaps I’m being picky by saying if we were to buy a centre back, I would have preferred a higher calibre or younger one. A signing like this is better than no signing at all, I suppose.

Can you tell I’m not yet convinced?

I’m not feeling all that happy today.

This morning, just about every paper and Arsenal blog held the story that Mikael Silvestre might be joining us in a cut price deal from United, in order to either slot into our defence or provide squad backup. A story that initially seems ludicrous is gathering momentum, and it is unclear whether everyone is repeating the same baseless source, or if there really is something to it.

My initial reaction was that this is utterly ridiculous, and if I’m honest, I hope I’m right. There are comparisons to Gallas and Diarra from the past couple of years - Frenchmen that we’ve unexpectedly picked up from major rivals close to the transfer deadline. But the similarities don’t really exist.

Gallas might not be a young man, a popular man or indeed a good leader, but he is a winner, someone who leaves everything on the pitch and fights every minute of the match. He is also a cultured goalscoring defender, and those traits allow us to see beyond his Chelsea background and his tantrums and appreciate that he still offers something to this side.

Diarra is completely different. He doesn’t have Gallas’ fight, but he is a superb defensive midfielder, and is at an age where he could become a monster of a player in the next two or three years, if nurtured in the right environment. Wenger gave him that chance, but his lack of patience, maturity and sense saw him move on for short term gain. That myopia will cost him in the long run.

Silvestre does not have the positive traits of either. He is not as much of a fighter as Gallas, and has not the potential for improvement of Diarra. We all appreciate the ability of Clichy, whilst overlooking his occasional poor positional sense, which is covered by sheer pace and energy. Silvestre is of the same mould, but at 31 is losing the asset that saved him throughout his career - speed.

Can you see this man playing for Arsenal?

There is a reason that Ferguson is happy to let him go to a great rival in City, and if the rumours are true and he is willing to sell to Arsenal, it is simply because he no longer rates the Frenchman. Wenger has often spoken about not signing older players to block the transition of the younger ones, and this seems a classic case.

We did not know how good Clichy could be until Cole left. Traore is still raw, but with Gallas able to shift to the left, we are not short of options there. I see no point in this signing at all.

Because, let’s face it, Silvestre would never care about Arsenal. He is a United man now, and is not the fighter that Gallas is, which would enable him to bring passion wherever his plays.

So here’s hoping my first instinct is right, that this story is a load of utter garbage.

Arsenal 1 (Nasri 4) West Brom 0
Premiership

With a side still depleted through injury, and with a midfield still awaiting bolstering before the end of the transfer window, the early matches in this season are simply about getting the right result. Shorn of much of the side’s creativity, Saturday’s opening match was always going to be a close encounter, at least if you look at the scoreline.

Coming in the game, the thing I was fearing was West Brom defending well for an hour and the fans getting on the players’ backs. Fortunately, Nasri struck in the opening minutes from a Denilson cutback, so that eventuality never came up. It could have been an even more frustrating afternoon otherwise.

But the fans still made themselves heard when Adebayor chose the wrong option on one particular attack, deciding to boo the big man. Now, I’m no fan of the way Ade behaved in the summer, but he stayed, he was booed in pre season, can’t we get back to supporting our team now? The only thing the booing will do is tell him we’re not happy, and he already knows that as displeasure was indicated at the right time - in friendly matches. Now, he is an Arsenal player and we should back him. Or are we in the business of shooting ourselves in the foot?

As far as the rest of the match goes, you’ve probably read all about it by now. Nasri was excellent, Adebayor missed a couple of chances, Van Persie and Gallas went close, and a Djourou error almost allowed West Brom an equaliser. Elsewhere, Eboue played in central midfield, and to everyone’s surprise, did pretty well. Relying on that for another 37 games would be foolish, however, and with international week now starting, it would make sense for the powers that be to complete whichever transfer Wenger was talking about last week. We need it.

It wasn’t a great performance on Saturday, but United drew with Newcastle yesterday, the Geordies not doing their usual rolling over trick whenever they visit Old Trafford. And Spurs lost to Boro with one of the most lightweight midfields I’ve ever seen. Someone needs to tell Ramos that the Premiership is a little more physical that La Liga.

Hoyte has moved to Sunderland in a transfer that should actually see him play first team football, and he now wants to push for an international spot. That sounds ambitious, but England aren’t exactly stocked with right backs.

Sorry for the late post, by the way, the weekend ran away with me. There will be more catch up this week as the pointless international friendlies are played.

The final part of Groan’s predictions for the season ahead sees us look at the top five.

5. Aston Villa (Last season: 6th)

Aston Villa are a team on the up. Martin O’Neill’s team took big strides forward last season and seem to have continued in the summer, getting Friedel in goal, Sidwell in midfield and now Cuellar in defence. Those could be three fantastic purchases, and to top it all off, it looks like Barry is staying. I don’t think they’ll be far from the big four this season.

4. Liverpool (Last season: 4th)

Liverpool have signed Robbie Keane, but already Benitez is talking about putting him on the wings, thus completely negating his threat. Liverpool’s problem is the same as always - reliance on a couple of players. It used to be just Gerrard, now Torres has been added, but both are high energy players on the field and won’t be able to play every match. Rafa continually prioritises the Champions League whenever the fixtures get packed together, and the league matches in between are where they fall down. I expect the same this year.

3. Arsenal (Last season: 3rd)

My heart says that if Arsenal’s first team stays fit all season, we’ll probably win the league. The trouble is, that first team currently includes Rosicky, Van Persie and Diaby, who are never fit, and even Toure has picked up a lot of knocks in the last year. That said, we have strength on the wings for the first time since Pires and Ljungberg moved on - Walcott is improving and Nasri offers far more end product that Hleb ever could. But the danger is the same as always - what if Cesc gets injured? Denilson is still his obvious replacement, and while the Brazilian is a talent, he is a massive step down from the Spaniard. The same is true at full back, where Traore and Eboue back up probably the best pairing in the league in Clichy and Sagna.

If Arsenal escape without too many injuries, the league could be coming to the Emirates. But the back up just isn’t quite there at the moment and this season is perhaps still one too early. However, that hasn’t stopped me putting a cheeky punt on us, and Van Persie to end the season as top scorer.

2. Man Utd (Last season: 1st)

Champions for the last two seasons, United are again being tipped to end the season on top, but there are a few questions. Can Ronaldo score as many again, especially now that he has made his intention to leave so clear? And if he doesn’t, just where are the goals coming from? If Berbatov doesn’t sign, they again have a massive hole up front, which last season the midfield covered for. Tevez scores plenty, but Rooney may have to have a better (and injury free) season this time around.

The other problem is in defence. Ferdinand and Vidic and probably the best central pairing in the league, but the backup is a bit like Arsenal’s midfield - a sharp downturn. If either get injured, they might struggle.

1. Chelsea (Last season: 2nd)

I hate making this prediction, I really do, but Chelsea are the team to beat this season. Last season they had a whole host of injuries, but in the second half of the season they were in ominous form. Much of that was down to Michael Ballack, and it will be interesting to see who plays in central midfield - Deco has arrived and Lampard hasn’t left, and for me neither could have the impact Ballack had last year.

We all hope that Cech continues his abysmal recent form, the midfield combust, and that Drogba’s sulking causes a shortage up front. But somehow I think they’ll tie together and take the league at a canter. But I tell you something - I’m desperate to be wrong.

Positions 20-16

Positions 15-11

Positions 10-6

Part three of Groan’s predictions for the season ahead sees us look at the teams challenging for the UEFA Cup slots:

10. Wigan (Last season: 14th)

When Wigan were first promoted to the Premiership, they caught everyone by surprise, before slipping back down towards the drop zone again last season. This year, with an exciting new striker in Zaki (if only on loan), they look to have plenty of goals in them. If Steve Bruce can keep them organised, they can reach midtable safety quite comfortably, and perhaps break into the top ten.

9. Middlesbrough (Last season: 13th)

Gareth Southgate looked out of his depth when he first moved into management, but he is looking more impressive by the day, and Boro seemed to be turning a corner late last season. Alves looks like he has plenty of goals in him, and I expect them to consolidate this time around. Europe might be a step too far, but they won’t be far off.

8. Everton (Last season: 5th)

It has been a slow summer for Everton, who haven’t bought anyone as yet. This is leading many to predict a massive slip for them, but with the likes of Blackburn and Man City in turmoil, their stability might just see them through. Moyes is a canny manager, and they haven’t lost the abilities that took them to fifth last season.

7. Tottenham (Last season: 11th)

Its that time of year again. Whenever August signals the start of the new season, Spurs are tipped to finally break into the top four. Despite being thirty points away last season, they are many who think this is their year. Modric, Bentley and dos Santos add creativity to the midfield, but the loss of Keane and possibly Berbatov offsets that completely. It is incredible that their main problem is in defence, but manager after manager refuses to fix it. They’ll win some big matches, but concede too many to qualify for Europe through the league.

6. Portsmouth (Last season: 8th)

Harry Redknapp is extremely underrated. Having taken a side from relegation certainties to top half finishers in a few short years is good work in itself, but adding the FA Cup last season was the icing on the cake. With Peter Crouch joining Defoe up front, they’ll be more potent than ever before, and I see no reason why they can’t keep making giant strides forwards. Next season their European qualification might be achieved via their league placing.

Positions 20-16

Positions 15-11

Part two of Groan’s predictions for the season ahead sees us look at the lower midtable:

15. Blackburn (Last season: 7th)

Blackburn have been enjoying a few good seasons, but the minute Paul Ince took over, it all started to go wrong. They lost the keeper that had won them countless matches in Brad Friedel, and of course David Bentley, who at least gave them some creativity, if also helping them become incredibly unpopular. Ince may have already lost the dressing room, and to make matters worse, they’ll concede an extra ten goals a season due to having Paul Robinson in goal. They could be this season’s surprise relegation candidates.

14. West Ham (Last season: 10th)

The busiest physio room in the Premiership is a little emptier with the release of Freddie Ljungberg, but West Ham don’t appear to have bought anyone of note, and Curbishley still hasn’t convinced the fans, or seemingly some of the players. With some of their rivals improvement, I’d expect them to slip down a few places, without ever being in relegation danger.

13. Man City (Last season: 9th)

Last season I tipped City to finish fifth, and they started as if they were going to achieve just that. But in the second half of the season, the form of their players dipped badly, especially the previously brilliant Elano. Jo provides a new option up front, but momentum has disappeared from the club, and owner Shinawatra’s position is unclear. Mark Hughes may not have the patience to stick it out long, and this might be a season in the wrong direction for the blue half of Manchester.

12. Fulham (Last season: 17th)

How did Fulham survive last season? Somehow Roy Hodgson pulled off a great escape, and he has spent most of the summer doing some impressive strengthening. Zamora, Teymourian, Schwarzer, Gera and Andy Johnson provide plenty of depth, and should ensure that they don’t require the same heroics this time around.

11. Newcastle (Last season: 12th)

There are so many questions to answer at Newcastle - will Owen stay fit enough to score the goals they need? Will any of their defenders remember how to defend? Will Keegan last the season? And most importantly, what the hell is Joey Barton still doing there? There will be many wanting Newcastle and Keegan to succeed again this season, but as ever they will be disappointed.

Positions 20-16

The new Premiership season is almost upon us, so it is time for Groan’s annual predictions. Last year, they didn’t actually turn out that badly, but given my record, such luck is unlikely to be repeated. Still, it is a tradition, so here we go.

We’ll start with the bottom five.

20. Stoke City (Last season: 2nd in Championship)

Stoke haven’t had a lot of luck in the transfer window so far, and are going into the new season with largely the same side that got them promoted. Last season, they conceded 55 goals, more than most of the top half of the Championship, and have done nothing to improve at that end of the field. Some say the hardest thing in the Premiership is scoring a goal, but I disagree. The hardest thing is scoring three times just to get a point, which is the situation Stoke are likely to find themselves in. Dave Kitson has a massive job up front, and I can only see one outcome. The consolation is that they can’t possibly be as bad as Derby.

19. West Brom (Last season: 1st in Championship)

Like Stoke, West Brom conceded an unhealthy 55 goals in the Championship, but made up for it by scoring 88, far more than anyone else in the league. But with Kevin Phillips and  Zoltan Gera gone, much of their creative spark has disappeared, and none of their signings look likely to threaten Premiership defences. An attack force that ran amok in the Championship might just find the step up too great.

18. Bolton Wanderers (Last season: 16th)

Many of the old heads at Bolton have now left - Diouf, Stelios, Campo - and a lot rests on how they’ve been replaced. Johan Elmander is an expensive signing, but elsewhere they look weaker than last season. Gary Megson still hasn’t convinced many, and a punt on him winning the sack race could be a bet worth making. Last season I tipped Bolton to go down and they narrowly escaped. This season I expect them to struggle again.

17. Hull City (Last season: 3rd in Championship)

On first glance, Hull seem to be the unlikeliest of the promoted sides to stay up, having won the playoffs. But they’ve bought well, and crucially they’ve bought from the Premiership, bringing in experienced heads like Boateng. But the real reason I’m tipping them to stay up is Geovanni, who they managed to nab from Man City. The Brazilian didn’t show his true ability at City, but being the main man at Hull might just inspire him to keep them in the division.

16. Sunderland (Last season: 15th)

Some seem to think that Sunderland will be a force this season because they’ve signed a few experienced players, but to me, those players are falling away from their peak - Diouf and Malbranque have seen better days. Their main problem will again be scoring goals, and while they’ll be organised enough to stay up, I can’t see them being enough of an attacking threat to improve on last season’s position.