EPL Season Review: Arsenal. Part 2: the Squad

I spent last night basking in the glory of USA's highway robbery fortunate victory against Ghana. The US scored in the first 30 seconds, and hung on for dear life as the Ghanaian team dominated possession and out-shot the US 3 to 1. They finally found an equalizer in the 82nd minute, only to fall behind from a corner 4 minutes later. Next up, Portugal. I can't wait until Sunday.

Today my focus returns to North London, where I still have half a season review to do.

I discussed the strengths and weaknesses of the manager already. Today I'll get into the nuts and bolts of the squad.

Goalkeepers

Szczesny had an up-and-down season, which is to be expected for a player of his age and experience. He did very well against the lower teams, particularly when tested physically on set pieces. But in the biggest games, he still seems to struggle with the additional pressure. His sending off in the first half of the first leg against Bayern in the Champions League killed any hope of advancing in the tournament. He has an unfortunate habit of being at his worst when his team needs him most.

Fabianski is now a Swansea player, but he played a vital role in ending the club's trophy drought by starting every FA Cup match. His penalty heroics against Wigan and great saves against Liverpool and Everton got us to the final. And once we got there, he had one last going-away present for the fans: a heart-attack as he rushed 40 yards off his line in the 118th minute. In all seriousness, Fabianski had some awful times at the club, but was much better in his last two years. He will fight with Michel Vorm for a place in the first team at Swansea next year.

Viviano was loaned from some Italian club and never played. But I did hear he sang "Jingle Bells" beautifully at the team Christmas party.

Defenders

Mertescienly is the best defensive partnership in England. Individually, neither one is as complete a defender as Man City's Vincent Kompany, but the two players compliment each other so well that they formed the most effective central pairing in the league. Mertesacker's positional discipline and ability to read the game provides stability to the back line, while Koscielny's tackling ability and pace makes up for Mertesacker's lack of speed to recover when an attacker does get in behind the defense. The two players form an excellent base for the team to build around.

Vermaelen is captain, but no longer an important member of the team. He isn't quick enough to be a good match with Mertesacker and isn't disciplined enough to partner with Koscielny effectively. After a great start to his Arsenal career, Vermaelen has faded quickly, to the point where I'm not remotely bothered by the rumors of him agreeing to terms with Man United this week.

We had 5 wins (2 AET), 4 draws, and 5 losses when Vermaelen played over half the match this season. Our overall record in all competitions? 37 wins (3 AET), 8 draws, and 11 losses. He was involved in 50% of our draws and nearly 50% of our losses while taking part in just 14% of our victories. He's paid like a key player, but is an unreliable squad player at the moment. Surely we can get a more reliable squad player on much lower wages, so I wouldn't mind seeing Vermaelen go, even if he's joining a domestic rival.

Sagna is a player I did not want to see play in Manchester next season. He has been our most consistent player for the past few seasons, but he let his contract run down, and joined City for more money, more years, and a better chance at winning trophies than we could offer. Fair play to him. He's been a reliable player for the club for 7 years and has earned the right to do whatever he wants with his career. I won't cheer for him at City, but I won't hate him either. I know a lot of people think Sagna will sit on the bench behind Zabaleta, but I could see him partnering with Kompany in the middle. He filled in well at center back for us whenever called upon.

Gibbs continues to progress. He made some crucial tackles and clearances last season, and his pace on the left wing provides a good outlet in attack and recovery in defense. Very few players run past him. While he has been injury-prone, at least we won't have to worry about him playing for England in the near future. Young Luke Shaw has seemingly passed him in the pecking order, meaning Gibbs should get plenty of rest during international breaks next season.

Monreal has done the opposite. 18 months ago he was genuine competition for Gibbs at left back. Now he's clearly second choice. The speed and physicality of the English game is too much for him.

Jenkinson loves the club and it showed when he scored in the last match of the season. He is fast, has insane fitness levels, and has a decent cross. Yes Jenkinson is still very raw in the other parts of his game. I'd still like to see him play more. I don't really see what Serge Aurier would add that Jenkinson doesn't already offer. For me, Jenkinson should get a chance to develop as the first choice right back next year.

Midfielders

Arteta isn't a good enough defensive midfielder to win the league because he struggles to deal with pace and physicality, and often succumbs when a strong opponent puts him under pressure. But he's a great player against the lower teams because he is a reliable distributor of the ball and finds intelligent positions to receive it. Arteta is a great player when we have the ball, but a liability when we don't.

Flamini was brought back to the club for free after his contract at AC Milan wound down. He was a crucial player early in the season, when we were in our best form, because he provided the steel in defense that Arteta lacks. He didn't play as often in the second half of the season, which was largely his own fault. He missed the 1-5 loss at Anfield and 0-3 loss at Goodison on two separate suspensions. Flamini is an aggressive player, and will most likely run into more disciplinary issues next year. All the more reason to strengthen in the defensive midfield position this summer.

Ramsey was our player of the season. What else can be said that hasn't been said already? He was magnificent when healthy and sorely missed when injured. Ramsey is a player we will build around in the seasons to come.

Ozil came on the deadline and showed his class right away against Sunderland. Afterward, he struggled with injuries and had an up-and-down season. The penalty miss against Bayern was certainly the low point, but he did show his class in flashes. Sometimes it can take a full season for a player to adapt to the English style of play, so hopefully we see a more consistent Ozil next season.

Cazorla was actually better in his first season in London than he was in his second, but I think this was largely due to his position. After being used centrally in a free role two years ago, the addition of Ozil pushed Cazorla out the wings, where he sometimes struggled with the additional tactical responsibility. He often was out of position when his fullback needed an outlet pass down the wing, and failed to track the opposing fullback on defense. But he did show his class as well, scoring great goals against Liverpool at home and against Hull in the cup final.

Wilshere was often played "out of position" on the wings this year, where I thought he did really well. He doesn't have the pace of a true winger, but is a very decent wide midfielder because he is a composed passer, he takes intelligent positions when we have the ball, and he had a great season in front of goal. Wilshere scored 5 goals from 30 shots this season, by far his best as a scorer. I wouldn't mind seeing him play outside more next season. Ramsey was used as a right midfielder two years ago, and Wenger suggested it aided his development because he learned how to create space for himself despite having limited room next to the sideline. Wenger explained that once Ramsey moved back to the middle, he flourished with more room, being able to create space for himself in all directions. Perhaps Wilshere can make the same transition.

Rosicky has seemingly put his injury problems behind him (unlike Diaby) and he was a great squad player for us this season. He scored some fantastic goals against Sp*rs, and was a dependable player off the bench all season. Only Diaby and Walcott have been with the team longer.

Zelalem tore up the preseason tour of Asia just one year after playing for Olney Rangers in the Washington DC area. Injuries kept him from the Capital One Cup team, and he only made one appearance all year. I expect big things from Zelalem in the future, both with Arsenal and with the US national team, as he declined an opportunity to play for the Germany youth team and reportedly applied for a US passport last month. 

Kallstrom joined on loan in January despite failing his medical, and he was injured for the first 3 months of a 5 month loan. Kallstrom has the best agent in the history of agents.

Forwards/Wingers

Giroud is a good player with some clear limits to his game. He isn't going to run past anyone, and he isn't the most consistent finisher in the world. But his link-up play is top notch. I've never seen a player his size be so good at one-touch passes. He's a 1-2 machine. Our midfielders can play the ball to Giroud and keep their run going, knowing Giroud will find them with a pass immediately. His clever backheel to Ramsey won us the FA Cup.

But we relied on him too heavily. Giroud started 44 matches, and appeared in 7 more as a substitute. As the season went on, he wore down. His movement at the beginning of the season was great, he made lots of runs into dangerous positions. But as he wore down, he made less runs, and failed to make as much of an impact on matches as he did early in the year. Unfortunately he will spend the summer in Brazil and won't get the summer to rest. We need another center forward to compete and rotate with Giroud next season to help share the load up front.

Podolski was the first choice left winger for most of the season, where he scored some great goals. Podolski doesn't help much on defense and can sometimes struggle when he drops into the midfield and tries to contribute to the short-passing play. He isn't a tici-taca sort of player. But when he can find space in dangerous positions, Podolski is a clinical finisher and a great crosser who can provide the quality needed to score goals. I also think he is important to team chemistry because he has a laid-back personality and a good sense of humor. The other players really seem to like him. There are rumors that he might leave the club this summer, but I hope he stays. There's no reason he can't be a great sub to have off the bench when we need a goal when Walcott returns from his injury.

Walcott had stomach surgery in September. He came back in late November. We played him for 5 full matches in 16 days in December/January, and he tore his ACL making a cut. Fatigue causes muscle injuries, and it's clear Walcott's fitness was not strong enough to play so much so soon after he came back from the stomach surgery. He played so much because he's the most important player in the team, though. His speed creates a constant threat to get in behind the defense, forcing the opposing back line to play more conservatively, which gives our stable of creative midfielders more room to create. Hopefully Walcott's recovery goes well and he can make a big impact next season.

Oxlade-Chamberlain battled a few injuries but continued to show flashes of quality. He is fast, strong on the ball, and has a good shot on him. Sometimes his first touch lets him down, but in general, the Ox looks to have all the makings of a great player in the future. Whether he does so on the wing or in the middle is the question. Ox has all the attributes required of good winger. He is quick, can cross it well, and makes good runs for his teammates. But Wenger has said he thinks the Ox's position is more central, where he could be a box-to-box midfielder in the Ramsey mold. I don't think he's ready yet. I'd like to see him on the wing--where losing possession isn't as costly (see Chelsea, away)--until his first touch and distribution is more reliable.

Gnabry was a very important player for us in the middle of the season, scoring a great goal at Swansea and putting forth a man-of-the-match performance in the FA Cup victory against Sp*rs. A teenage former sprinter who is strong on the ball and confident using both feet, Gnabry is a dark horse to take Podolski's place as soon as next season.

Sanogo was bought from Auxerre and got injured at the U-21 World Cup as the lone striker for the victorious French team. He is an extremely raw player, but his athletic ability is clear to see. Big, fast, and strong--Sanogo imposes himself on every match, with extremely little end product. Sanogo will need time to develop into a player who can create chances for himself or others, but at the moment he is certainly a handful for any defender to mark. I'd like to see him loaned out next season to gain first team experience.

Miyaichi was picked to be on the bench at Munich, only to realize we hadn't registered him to play in the Champions League. Whoops!

Bendtner rubbed his junk against a taxi in Copenhagen. Adios Nicklas!