Category Archives: Arsene Wenger

Laurent Koscielny: We doubted Wenger

  By jtom | 11/05/2012 - 7:30 AM | Arsene Wenger, Laurent Koscielny
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In a revealing conversation with France Football, Laurent Koscielny said that the Gunners doubted everything and everyone—even Arsene Wenger—after they began they season so terribly.

Real information regarding the attitude in the Arsenal dressing room is sparse. Players rarely, if ever, give interviews with outside media sources. That is why Laurent Koscielny’s comments, which appeared in Thursday’s edition of France Football, are so intriguing:

“The start of the season was catastrophic. We lost key players from our system. There was late recruitment of new players and the mayonnaise needed time to ‘take’.

“There was the thrashing at Old Trafford. The whole world buried us. But you don’t lose your football like that.

“It can happen that a small grain of sand jams the engine and after that you start to doubt your own qualities, the club, the coach and everything else. We needed to sort that out. Everyone got down to doing just that, the coach, the club.

“The group was not giving enough for the club and we realised that. We got down to work and we said the things we needed to say. After that, one win, two wins, confidence returns and things follow on from that. The new players were immersed in the group and so on.”

Koscielny is definitely one of the most improved players in Arsene Wenger’s squad, if not the Premier League. The French centre-back has come a long way from that gaffe involving Wojciech Szczesny at Wembley Stadium. In fact, Koscielny may now be the best centre-half on the team. While Thomas Vermaelen scores more goals, he also makes more defensive mistakes, such as slipping to the ground at key times

Koscielny’s insights are interesting because they show how low the club really was only several months ago; everything seemed to be lost. The scribes who wrote that Arsenal players have no heart or passion or leadership ability were wrong (and they were only saying that because they dislike Arsene Wenger’s foreigners). Having lost two very talented footballers right at the start of the season, the Gunners have battled back and performed admirably since. However, the job must be completed on Sunday by beating West Brom and securing the third place in the table.

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Wenger: Arsenal will keep Robin van Persie

  By jtom | 10/03/2012 - 7:43 AM | Arsene Wenger, Robin van Persie, Transfer News
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Roberto Mancini recently declared Manchester City’s interest in Robin van Persie, but Arsene Wenger was quick to dismiss any notion that the Dutchman is unsettled at the Emirates Stadium. Meanwhile, Cesc Fabregas did another interview about Arsenal and Jens Lehmann could join the Gunners’ coaching staff.

Robin van Persie’s contract does not expire until the end of next season, though that has not stopped a constant firestorm of rumours erupting surrounding his future. Arsene Wenger left no room for misinterpretation when he said: “We will not lose anybody to Manchester City, or to anybody else, because we want to keep our players. We want to keep Robin van Persie, that is clear; we will do everything possible to extend his contract, that is clear and, apart from that, I can only let people talk.

“I don’t mind [what Mancini said on Wednesday]. I read what Mancini said. It’s not so bad. At our level, we are professional people. I believe if you are to have one quality, it is not to be unsettled because what is said of you by other clubs is part of the job. I would just like to specify that Robin is not at the end of his contract. He is under contract until 2013.” (Source: The Guardian)

Wenger made similar comments about Samir Na$ri and Cesc Fabregas only days before both players left. However, the manager explained that he will handle van Persie’s situation differently:

“I was very adamant [over Nasri at the time] but at the end of the day, it was a difficult situation to manage. We had the players and we felt after the pre-season tour that [Aaron] Ramsey and [Jack] Wilshere could work in midfield and we could add somebody more, and if a player didn’t want to extend, where do we go from there … but we’ll see. We do our best to keep our best players.” (Source: The Guardian)

Others think that Arsenal will sign Lukas Podolski to replace the Dutchman, but Wenger made it clear that “our plan is to keep van Persie, even if we buy any player.”

Unfortunately, Wenger has a habit of making wide-ranging (and sometimes ridiculous) statements during his press conferences. Last summer, right before Na$ri and Cesc left, Arsene (incorrectly) said that there would be no players leaving North London during that transfer window, and the comments he made on Friday seem eerily similar. Many Arsenal supporters are already tired of transfer sagas, but it does appear that the Robin van Persie edition will only continue to heat up from here.

Cesc Fabregas talked about Arsenal again, this time in an exclusive interview with The Guardian. He spent plenty of time speaking about his dream-come-true in the Camp Nou, but he mentioned our club quite a bit as well.  About the recent struggles of Arsene Wenger, Cesc said: “Whatever he suffered I suffered it as well. We feel the same and we always try our best. The boss is very strong and he believes in the club so much I am sure he will find a means to bring Arsenal back to where it belongs. I have no doubt because he’s a great man. He knows when he is wrong and when he is right. He will find a way – for sure.”

The whole part about Fabregas “suffering” is odd, because for most of the interview he explains how it is has been heaven to play alongside Messi and Xavi. He talks about how he loves the drive and ambition the Barcelona players possess and how he adores training with Pep Guardiola everyday. It’s all a bit sickening really. Cesc was a terrific player for us, and it was a joy watching him play, but perhaps he should close his mouth about our club. Or at the very least, stop accepting interviews about Arsenal once every two weeks.

According to the Daily Mail, Arsenal have a coaching position waiting for Jens Lehmann once the former keeper receives the correct paperwork from UEFA. It is expected that Lehmann will complete his training with the Welsh FA and take the job as a coach for the Arsenal Reserves. However, the German Federation has a problem with Lehmann leaving for Great Britain after beginning his coaching training in Germany. In fact, he is currently in a row with the German Federation over this issue. Intrigue is always present in the life of Jens Lehmann!

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Arsene Wenger has up to £100m to spend

  By jtom | 23/02/2012 - 7:30 AM | Arsene Wenger, Injury News, Transfer News
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Arsene Wenger will be able to spend a maximum of  £100 million this summer. It was originally thought that the manager would have £50m available, but Stan Kroenke and the Arsenal board appear willing to spend more on player transfers and wages in order to rebuild the Gunners’ struggling squad.

According to The Telegraph, “senior sources” at Arsenal have made it clear that Wenger will have between “£50 million and £100 million” at his disposal when the transfer market opens in the summer. Despite all of his other engagements, Stan Kroenke can afford and is not afraid to spend big money to help turn around our fortunes.

I’m inclined to believe this report because it was published by the The Telegraph. Their journalists tend not to fabricate many articles.

Kroenke has yet to really make his impression on the club. Arsenal have been performing business as usual since his takeover last season. Perhaps Kronke has taken notice of the recent criticism from some supporters that has been aimed at him. After the loss to Sunderland, some fans took to Twitter to bash Silent Stan, which is odd considering he wasn’t on the pitch and he didn’t fill out the teamsheet.

If these sources are telling the truth, Arsene Wenger may make some big summer moves, but the question is whether he is ready and willing to spend the club’s money. As someone who has a degree in economics, Wenger could believe that spending huge sums in the transfer market is not a wise plan. With all of the talk throughout Europe about austerity, many football clubs have been immune to the economic times. But with the rising debts of clubs such as Chelsea and Manchester City, it is inevitable that the bubble will burst. We have already witnessed a big club, Rangers, go into administration.

Still, some squad investment is definitely neccessary. The current crop of Gunners simply cannot compete for the top trophies. At the very least, we should be spending all of the cash we have recieved for the sales of Cesc, Na$ri, and others. Also, if our results continue to decline over the next few years, the money the club is taking in will slowly dry up. For a self-sustaining club, that could spell disaster because less incoming cash results in less spending.

Arsenal season ticket holders are becoming more and more agitated with the high price of tickets. The Arsenal Supporters’ Trust, who published a fantastic Arsenal financial analysis on Monday, have urged the board to lower the price of admission for European matches if we are in the Europa League next season. The AST also asked the board not to raise the price of season tickets for next season.

Of course, we should not have the highest ticket prices in the known universe given our failures in the last seven years. Perhaps the board will relent and freeze the prices for next season, but it would not make sense economically. Only when the demand for tickets meets the supply will there be a strong reason for the board not to raise ticket prices. Empty seats will do nothing to dissuade the practice of continually rising prices. The board will only pay attention when large amounts of tickets are not being sold at all.

Maybe the members of the board will decide to drop the season ticket prices out of the goodness of their hearts, but billionaires and millionaires do not acquire their wealth by showing mercy.

In other news, full-back Carl Jenkinson could make his return from injury on Sunday against Spurs according to The Press Association. He played for the Reserves on Tuesday night after missing three and a half months with a back injury. Jenkinson told Arsenal.com:

“It is fantastic to be back. It has been really hard coming in every day and doing my rehab stuff, but I am delighted to be back now.

“The injury felt fine; I had no problems with it at all, which is great news because you never know how you are going to react in a game.”

The North London derby may not be the best time to reintegrate Jenkinson into the team. With all of the pressure that comes with that match, it would probably best if he rests on the bench. However, Arsene Wenger is facing another defensive crisis due to injuries, so maybe Carl Jenkinson will get an opportunity.

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Wenger’s tirade could signal summer exits

  By jtom | 17/02/2012 - 7:34 AM | Arsene Wenger, Transfer News
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Arsene Wenger tore into his players at training on Thursday, which apparently stunned many who had never witnessed him so angry. As a result of the 4-0 loss to Milan and Wenger’s subsequent tirade, Arsenal could sell off some of the flops in an attempt to rebuild the team.

According to most of the morining papers (including respected publications such as The Guardian and The Telegraph), Wenger showed no mercy in criticising his players at London Colney on Thursday. The manager described the disaster at the San Siro as the club’s “worst night in Europe.” A source told The Telegraph that Wenger “went crazy” during a ‘clear the air meeting.’ Most of the players were stunned by the outburst as they have never seen him so displeased.

Apparently, Wenger was quiet immediately after the final whistle. This is not a surprise since there is a general impression that Arsene does not care for half-time or full-time team talks. But after watching the match again on Thursday, as he always one day after the game, he must have been even more shocked at the display by his players.

There are also reports that Arsene Wenger is considering the futures of Theo Walcott, Tomas Rosicky, and Andrei Arshavin, among others. The clubs were thinking about giving Walcott a contract extension, but it now appears that they want to see more from Theo before they hand him a fat deal.

Most, if not all, Arsenal supporters (including myself) have been urging Arsene Wenger to ditch the dead wood. Arshavin, Almunia, Fabianski, Squillaci, Djourou, Park, Vela, Bendtner, Chamakh, and Denilson should all be dumped in the summer. Promising youth players deserve more of a chance than the aforementioned flops.

Rosicky has been playing well lately, so maybe we should hold on to him to keep some depth in the midfield. Walcott’s situation is very difficult. He is just so inconsistent but, at the moment, there are simply not enough quality players to replace him. In fact, Walcott’s good performances seem sprinkled in between mostly ineffective displays. If Wenger can find a proper replacement, then I would have no problem with him selling Theo.

One such replacement could be Lille winger Eden Hazard. It appears that Hazard’s agent has been hard at work recently, as the youngster has been linked to many, many clubs. Arsenal are just the latest in that long list. Hazard told Foot Sport magazine:

“There are several clubs that interest me in England and Arsenal is really a part. Of course, it’s always more fun when the football is beautiful. In addition, at Arsenal, there is a French coach and French players, as well as my compatriot Thomas Vermaelen.”

However, former Gunner Emmanuel Petit believes that we need more than just Hazard: “I like him (Hazard) a lot but what has he done at a high level? Has he been good in the Champions League? We haven’t seen him. Has he been good for Belgium? He’s sometimes even a substitute.

“What’s needed is five or six players of real stature, great experience. Players who are 27 – 30 years old at most. Players with technical qualities, obviously, but also strong character. A group of guys who refuse to accept defeat, who inspire confidence in the rest of the team.” (Source: sofoot.com)

Petit also had no sympathy for some of the current players, like Walcott and Aaron Ramsey.

Overall, this team needs more than just one or two players to compete for the Premier League title once more. A complete reconstruction is necessary, but that doesn’t mean that I’m asking for our clubs to spend as much cash as Manchester City and Chelsea. The Rangers saga should inform every club that they are not too big to fail financially. Perhaps, in twenty years or so, Manchester City and/or Chelsea will be on the verge of going into adminstration as well.

Even if we spend less than some of our competitiors, Arsene Wenger needs to be ruthless when buying and selling players. His keen eye for talent usually shines through, but he has to be more vigilant in offloading players who do not fit the bill.

If we can remain in the top four until the end of the season, it will be a real accomplishment for Wenger and the players considering all of the adversity. Despite the opinions of some pessimistic Gooners, qualifying for the Champions League is still very much attainable for Arsene Wenger’s team. For the rebuilding process to possible in the summer, it is vital that we finish in the top four.

 

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Wenger reacts to Capello’s resignation

  By jtom | 10/02/2012 - 7:30 AM | Arsene Wenger
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The British media has been in frenzy mode since Fabio Capello’s England exit, so it was only a matter before Arsene Wenger weighed in on the matter:

“When the decision came out from the FA, I said that the choice of captain is down to the manager. You (the manager) pick your team, you choose your captain.

“I did not expect such an extreme situation but it looks like there was already some turbulence there and that was just the final straw. I am sad that Capello leaves four months before such an important competition, it is a big blow for England and I am sad for him.

“I have always been straight in (suggesting an Englishman should be next) – not because I think an English manager can do a better job than any foreign guy, just because you represent your country and it is better if the manager is from there. Especially in a big football country like England.

“It’s now down to the FA to make the right decision and you will not be surprised when I tell you I do not want to interfere with that!” (Source: Arsenal.com)

Wenger, like Herbert Chapman before him, believes that a manager should have almost absolute power, and so it is no surprise that he sides with Capello on the issue of John Terry’s captaincy.

Recently, I read Herbert Chapman’s book (which was sent in the Arsenal membership pack) and, in those early days of English football, board memers and chairmen at many clubs met to set the starting eleven a few days before the match. Chapman, being the visionary he was, opposed this ridiculous process and would only agree to manage a club that allowed him the privilege of controlling his squad. Imagine if Stan Kroenke, Ivan Gazidis, and Peter Hill-Wood were involved in player selection!

As for the next manager of England, the odds-makers have chosen ‘Arry Redknap, who (unfortunately) is still a free man, as the heavy favourite. If Redknapp does become the next England manager, some have speculated that it could set off a managerial merry-go-round. Mourinho to Spurs, Wenger to Real Madrid, and so on. Won’t happen.

In other news, several of the trash papers (including the Daily Mail and Daily Mirror) have published stories claiming that Real Madrid are ready to table a £30 million bid for Robin van Persie in the summer. The articles are actually good if you like fiction.

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Wenger: No Champions League would be disaster for Arsenal

  By jtom | 21/01/2012 - 8:00 AM | Arsene Wenger, Champions League
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On Friday, Arsene Wenger said that it would be a disaster if his side finished outside of the top four this season. Earlier in the week, chairman Peter Hill-Wood said it wouldn’t be a disaster if the Gunners miss out on the Champions League.

At his pre-Man United press conference, Arsene Wenger was asked whether finishing out of the top four would be a disaster: “For me it would be [a disaster] because I want to play with the best. We want to be in there, in the top four, and to play in the Champions League. Anything else would not be good enough.” (Source: Arsenal.com)

Contrast those comments to what Hill-Wood told the Daily Star a couple of days ago: “From a financial point of view, not qualifying for the Champions League is quite a blow. We have been planning for not qualifying every year, so it is not a disaster, but it would be nice if we could.”

The manager seems to have much more ambition than the the chairman who represents the board of directors. With the lack of squad investment in recent years, it would be silly to believe that Arsenal’s entire self-sustaining financial model would come crumbling down just because of the extra cash generated by participation in the Champions League. If we do finish outside the top four, the football side of the club will feel much more of a negative impact than the financial side.

Robin van Persie could be the first to depart if we drop out of the top four. At 28, van Persie is in the prime of his career, so he may not have the patience to wait for Arsenal to rebuild themselves back into a Champions League side. However, the Dutchman may feel some loyalty to Arsene Wenger, who brought the striker to the club at a young age and named him captain at the beginning of this season. Though, based on recent history, these factors alone are not enough to keep a player in North London (see: Cesc).

Apart from van Persie, there are not many other players who would interest Champions League clubs. Some of the current players should count their lucky stars that they are playing for Arsenal because they are already punching above their weight. Surely, Sebastien Squillaci, Andrei Arshavin, Marouane Chamakh, Tomas Rosicky, Johan Djourou, Ju Young Park, and Manuel Almunia wouldn’t interest any top European clubs, especially considering their wages.

The real problem would be luring top-quality players to the Emirates. Liverpool and Spurs have been able to sign a few good footballers in recent year, but neither club insists on running a transfer surplus every season. If we do fall out of the Champions League, there will need to be dramatic changes to our transfer policy. Namely, we will need stop selling our best players without replacing them with similar quality players. In fact, we may even be forced to improve the squad in order to fight our way back into the Champions League positions.

In order to avoid the disaster or non-disaster, depending on your viewpoint, Arsenal will need to avoid a third consecutive league defeat on Sunday against Manchester United, or Wenger’s disaster may become inevitable.

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Hill-Wood comments + Wenger evaluation

  By jtom | 18/01/2012 - 7:30 AM | Arsene Wenger
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Arsenal chairman Peter Hill-Wood said that it would not be a disaster if the Gunners fail to finish in the top four this season and miss out on the Champions League. Meanwhile, the British press and some supporters are wrongly calling for Arsene Wenger to be sacked.

Hill-Wood has been known to anger many Gooners, including myself, with his comments to the press. On Tuesday, he told the Daily Star:

“From a financial point of view, not qualifying for the Champions League is quite a blow. We have been planning for not qualifying every year, so it is not a disaster, but it would be nice if we could.”

The lack of urgency from the board is astounding. Of course, Arsenal should be able to stay afloat financially without the Champions League money, but, from a footballing stance, not qualifying for the Champions League could have very detrimental repercussions. Arsene Wenger would have trouble luring quality players to North London and keeping the current stars at the club.

Hill-Wood’s words almost sound like the board have been expecting the team not to finish in the top four. Considering the amount of cash spend in recent years, possibly the “plan” is to count on Wenger working miracles year after year. Qualifying for the Champions League consistently has been the manager’s great accomplishment since the move from Highbury.

While many Gooners, myself included, ask for more than just simply qualifying for the European Cup, Wenger’s success in this area cannot go unrecognised. He has had to deal with selling some of his best players and not investing the fees paid for those players back into the squad. Instead, our manager has scouted the globe to find little-known gems in the dust. Whether the board are limiting Wenger’s spending power or the manager is not spending due to his own philosophy matter’s little when considering the club’s performances on the pitch. Simply put, Arsene gets the best out of his players, and, because of that, he is one of the best managers in the world.

After throwing money around for years and after seasons of underachieving, Spurs are finally having some success, which is unfortunate timing considering the state of our club. Manchester City and Chelsea have jumped ahead of us only because of their massive spending over the last several years. It would be unrealistic to ask our club to spend as much as them, and, even then, many supporters would not like Arsenal to become the new club participating in what Wenger calls “financial doping.” Liverpool continue to throw money at overpriced English players in an effort to return to Europe’s premier club competition, yet they still haven’t overtaken us.

We should ignore the silly articles currently running in the papers, such as two stories in The Sun which were published on Wednesday. The first is a great example of lazy journalism. Six sentences reporting that Arsene Wenger will not buy any additional players in this transfer window. Of course, there are no sources, but what do you expect from The Sun?

The second piece is a bit more expansive, but still lacks substance. The column basically calls for Wenger’s head while suggesting replacements such as Swansea manager Brendan Rodgers and Norwich manager Paul Lambert. Perhaps these two managers will someday be good choices but neither are in Arsene Wenger’s class. Remember when many in the press were anointing Owen Coyle as the successor to Wenger? It is laughable now. Until they have extended success in the Premier League, Rodgers and Lambert could very well be in Coyle’s position a year from today.

Judging by the number of comments below each story, it is easy to see why the press choose to publish these absurd hit pieces. The articles are controversial and, because they cover “Arsenal crisis”, garner a lot of attention, both from Gooners and supporters from other top clubs. If only the media was not so sensationalist…

By no means is Arsene Wenger perfect, but he is one of the best managers in world football. He has deficiencies, but not many could do any better than he has done, especially considering the relatively low amount of money spent on transfers in recent years. He has an immense amount of loyalty to Arsenal, and it would be a shame if we turn our backs on him now.

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Arsene Wenger blames TV for “unfair” fixtures

  By jtom | 14/01/2012 - 8:15 AM | Arsene Wenger
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In light of some recent changes to Arsenal’s fixture list, Arsene Wenger has said that some clubs have an advantage due to their relationship with television companies, namely Sky and ESPN. He believes the the Premier League needs to be more involved in the scheduling of matches to promote fairness.

ESPN moved the Gunners’ FA Cup clash with Aston Villa to 29th of January, a Sunday. As a result, Arsenal’s mid-week trip to Bolton was changed from Tuesday to Wednesday. Arsene Wenger’s side then have to play on Saturday against Blackburn to complete a dizzying run of three games in seven days.

To make matters worse, all of the other top six clubs have been granted more rest during this period. Chelsea and Manchester United play on Tuesday and then Sunday. Liverpool and Tottenham also play on Tuesday night, but don’t play again until Monday night.

And Wenger does not think that his side’s unfavourable fixture pile-up was down to chance: “I believe the Premier League has to make sure there’s a bit more fairness in the schedules. [The fixtures] are sold to television and television is influenced by some clubs to choose the fixtures. And some clubs get advantaged by television, if it’s Sky or ESPN, because they have an influence there from the clubs directly.

“The Premier League should be very much bigger than they are in front of that. I do not want to go personally on any one club but, if things are repeated, then it’s not a coincidence any more. There’s a real problem there. The Premier League should master the fixtures. It can’t happen every year that some clubs have advantages compared in relation to the fairness of the competition. At the moment, television decides. You cannot have decisive games with one team playing Friday and Tuesday, and another on Sunday and Tuesday. I’ve been working for 30 years in football, and it is not right. It’s not fair.” (Source: The Guardian)

Wenger did not point out the specific clubs with unfair influence, but he did say:

“If the Premier League doesn’t decide, it is the television that decides. That means that television can influence and the Premier League has nothing to say. That’s what, basically, I think is not right. Because if, tomorrow, you buy a club and your best friend is the owner of Sky TV you don’t think you will tell him, ‘Look, you put us on Friday night. That’s not fair’? Or, ‘You put us on Sunday night, that’s not fair’. We have sold our soul and we do not control our games, our fixtures, any more.” (Source: The Guardian)

When Arsenal still had a shot at catching Manchester United for the title last season, the Red Devils were constantly allowed to play on Sunday, which was a day after the Gunners completed their match. Remember that Arsene complained then, so it is not surprising that he has brought the topic up again.

Many of Wenger’s critics will use these recent comments as further proof that he is a whinger. Perhaps so, but he does have a point. The Premier League should decide when matches are played, not Sky. Of course, Sky pay heaps of money for the rights to broadcast the league, and they must believe that their influence is paid for.

It is possible that the powers that be at television companies are simply helping their friends while inadvertently hurting our club. A full-fledged conspiracy is a bit hard to believe, but corruption and friendly backroom deals are not.

When the current television rights contract ends, maybe the Premier League will listen to Arsene Wenger’s advice when they negotiate the new deal. For now, Arsenal need to get through a tough stretch of tightly-bunched matches in order to keep pace with the other top clubs.

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How will Arsene Wenger handle Arsenal’s injury crisis?

  By jtom | 13/01/2012 - 7:30 AM | Arsene Wenger, Injury News, Transfer News
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While many were calling Arsenal’s early season woes a “crisis,” the real crisis is occurring at the moment because of the shear amount of injured defenders. Arsene Wenger can either dip into the transfer market or hope that some of his players recover quickly.

At the moment, the injured players would form a better back four than the available players. Thomas Vermaelen, Francis Coquelin, Kieran Gibbs, Bacary Sagna, Andre Santos, and Carl Jenkinson will be out for the match against Swansea City on Sunday. Arsene Wenger will likely have to select his four defenders out of this uninspiring group: Laurent Koscielny, Per Mertesacker, Sebastien Squillaci, Ignasi Miquel, and Nico Yennaris.

Maybe that crop of players will be able to make it through the tough test in Wales, but several important fixtures are on the horizon. In the weeks ahead, the Gunners will take on Manchester United, AC Milan, and Spurs. All three clubs must be licking their lips at the prospect of facing such a fragile backline.

There is some hope that Sagna, Vermaelen, and/or Gibbs could make their returns to the starting eleven as early as the United game next week. Both Gibbs and Sagna have missed an extended period of time, so it may not be the greatest idea to send them out for such a fast-paced affair.

Kieran Gibbs cannot be relied upon as the regular left-back until he is able to string together a run of matches without sustaining an injury. He has only made 23 Premier League appearances for Arsenal, partly due to sitting behind Clichy for a few years and partly due to injury. Arsene Wenger may have to think twice before trusting Gibbs to complete the rest of the season at left-back.

Wenger has said at recent press conferences that signing a full-back on loan is a likely scenario, though he has also been known hold his cards close to his chest when it comes to the transfer dealings of the club. If he believes that a few of the players are close to coming back, Arsene may not make any more signings in January.

Instead of praying that injury-prone players like Vermaelen and Gibbs stay healthy, Wenger could sign a defender on loan just as an insurance policy. Many names have been linked to us in the papers, including Aly Cissokho, Wayne Bridge, and Eric Abidal.

The problem is that, if all the defenders are miraculously fit, someone will be displaced. Imagine if Abidal was signed and then Gibbs and Santos recovered from their injuries! It is likely that one of the three (probably Santos) would never get a chance to play, which could cause problems in the dressing room.

Meanwhile, Wenger has had to cancel Ignasi Miquel’s loan move because of all of the hobbled full-backs. The 19-year old Spaniard told Arsenal Player: “Before the injuries, I had in my head to go on loan to the Championship but now with this I’ve not spoken to anyone.

“If they can sign someone or Kieran Gibbs comes back, we’ll see if I stay here or go on loan.” (Source: Sky Sports)

Miquel will likely start at left-back against Swansea, which outlines the very problem. In most years, he would go out on loan to a smaller club in order to gain experience. Now, he has to be thrown into the fire right away because of the lack of available defenders. Of course, this is mostly due to an extraordinary number of injuries and not a lack of depth.

The farther we get into January, the less likely it is that Arsene Wenger will bring in a reinforcement. As Wenger is not the biggest fan of the transfer market, it is possible that he may be done dealing in this window. The enormous trust he has in his players is amazing, but let’s just hope that it is well-placed trust.

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Wenger to decide on Thierry Henry, left-back loan moves

  By jtom | 24/12/2011 - 8:00 AM | Arsene Wenger, Injury News, Transfer News
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Arsene Wenger will spend his Christmas considering whether to bring Thierry Henry back to the Gunners. He will also be looking for opportunities to sign a left-back on loan because Kieran Gibbs will not return until the end of January at the very earliest.

Instead of relaxing on Christmas day, Arsene Wenger will be mulling over a move for Arsenal legend Thierry Henry. On the possibility of signing Henry on a short-term loan, Wenger said: “That’s why I have Christmas Day off – I have to think about that.

“Short-term is ideal for us, but I haven’t made any enquiry yet. Thierry is not here at the moment. It has never come up in conversation! The first of January is the vital date for us. We have seven days to make decisions and I will make a decision in the next seven days on players.”

Since the end of the MLS season, Henry has been training with the Arsenal players. With Marouane Chamakh and Gervinho set to head to the African Cup of Nations, Henry could provide cover in case Robin van Persie is forced to miss any length of time. Only a deal around two months would work, because the New York Red Bulls will likely want him back to prepare for their season.

I’m very conflicted on this issue. On one hand, it would be lovely to see Henry back in the red and white. On other hand, we may find that Henry is only a shell of his former self. Our last memory of the legend could be watching him limp off the pitch after struggling to keep up with the pace of the Premier League.

If Robin does have to miss some time (I’m purposely avoiding the “i” word), then we will have to rely on Ju Young Park, who has not exactly shined in his few appearances for Arsenal. And Henry cannot possibly do any worse than Chamakh. If Henry is impressive in training, might as well sign him up for two months.

Arsene Wenger also revealed that left-back Kieran Gibbs will be out for one month. He underwent a groin operation that will keep him off the pitch until at least the end of January. Every time it appears Gibbs has recovered, another injury pushes back his return.

A few days ago, Wenger said his decision on whether to enter the left-back market would depend on the condition of Kieran Gibbs. Regarding the chances of signing a full-back in January, Wenger said on Friday:

“It depends now on how quickly Sagna [will come back]. He has started to run a little bit. I have to see what is available – if I have a good opportunity then why not? But I haven’t made any enquiry yet, so for the moment no Wayne Bridge or anyone else. It is of course something we look at but as well it depends on how long you have to take them.

“They have a big impact on your wages as well. If you have to sign a player for three or four years and then you have three or four left backs, only one can play, so they are not happy.

“It can only be a short-term solution for us because we have bought Santos, we have Gibbs, we have Vermaelen who can play there, so we do not need a long-term solution.”

We will likely sign a full-back next month because we cannot continue to play four centre-backs constantly, without ever giving them a rest. Manchester City’s goal last week was primarily due to Koscielny’s bad positioning, and he was, of course, playing out of position at right-back. Vermaelen’s mistake against Aston Villa on Wednesday led to Marc Albrighton’s goal. He was playing on the left at the time, and made a poor pass back to Per Mertesacker.

Being the football-crazed man that he is, Wenger will spend his Christmas meal pondering what moves to make in January. Thierry Henry on loan? (Insert full-back’s name here) on loan? In order to get the most out of the possible loan signings, Wenger will make the decisions before the New Year.

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