A year on: Did we keep our New Year’s Resolutions?
Add comment December 31st, 2007
A year ago I wrote what I believed Arsenal’s New Year’s Resolutions ought to me. Twelve months on, let’s glance over our shoulder and see if we’ve kept them.
1. Stop playing 4-5-1 on a regular basis. In our last five games, we have scored fourteen goals. I’m rubbish at maths, but I know that’s plenty, especially when you consider that one of those games was the anomalous defeat to Sheffield United. The lone striker system has served us well at Old Trafford and Stamford Bridge, and can be useful away to top sides or in Europe. However, in most Premiership games, the emergence of Robin van Persie and Emmanuel Adebayor as potential partners for Thierry Henry means we should not be afraid to go and outscore the opposition. Plus, it’s a lot more fun to watch.
Well, no, we haven’t. After starting the season with something approaching a 4-4-2, injuries to the likes of Robin van Persie have forced us into a 4-5-1/4-4-1-1 shape, with mixed results. However, the game with Everton signalled a return to a 4-4-2, and I’d be surprised if it didn’t stay that way for a little while now.
2. Keep scoring goals from set-pieces. Gilberto, for example, has eight goals to his name this season, and a great deal of those have been either penalties or headers from set-pieces. The arrival of William Gallas has also helped us become more dangerous in this department, and yet again we can look to Van Persie and Adebayor: the former for his delivery and the latter for his power. Chelsea have shown that getting regular goals from set-pieces is a simple but effective way of grinding out wins, and we should follow suit.
This is a resolution we’ve certainly kept up. Gallas is a constant threat, whilst Adebayor has improved his capacity for aerial dominance. The emergence of Nicklas Bendtner can only help in this department.
3. Have several players hit 15 goals. A little ambitious maybe, but why not? Whenever we’ve been successful in the past we’ve had three or four players reaching this landmark: Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp, Freddie Ljungberg, and Robert Pires, for example. Van Persie is well on the way, and you’d expect Thierry Henry to catch him up, fitness permitting. For two of our forwards to get there would be a significant improvement on recent seasons, buit with Adebayor on seven and Gilberto on eight it might not be asking too much for a third wheel on our goalscoring machine.
Well, RVP and Henry (both due to fitness problems) never got there. In fact, I don’t think a single player reached 15 goals last season. This year Adebayor, Eduardo, and possibly even Cesc are on target to reach that milestone.
4. Integrate Theo Walcott. Although he is not eighteen until March, the flying winger has already proved to be an important part of the squad, with the pace to unlock defences and an eye for a good ball. As his strength and stature improves with each passing game, you can’t help but feel that 2007 could be a big year for Theo Walcott. The question for Arsene is: just what is his best position?
Tricky one. After scoring two goals against Prague you felt he was ready to explode into the first-team, but since then he’s once more melted into the background. 2008 could be a big year for Theo. But then, as the above shows, I’ve said something similar before…
5. Re-introduce Abou Diaby. Although he was only fit and available for a few months last season, he was selected more often than not, starting eleven games and coming on in five. In fact, such was his impact that Cesc Fabregas was moved out to the right for a spell in order to accommodate him. The player Arsene Wenger describes as the most similiar to Patrick Vieira he has ever seen is close to returning to fitness, and when he does, he’ll want to make up for missing the Champions League Final and Final Day at Highbury with a storming 2007.
Diaby has impressed in the Carling Cup, including an outstanding performance in the 2007 final, but can sometimes appear lazy and off the pace in the Premier League. Reportedly unhappy at limited opportunities, he has to make the most of those he gets if he wants to be a regular starter.
6. Learn to defend a bit. Boring, I know, but it has to be said. Although we have improved at the back this season, we still struggle occasionally with set-pieces. Maybe get Steve Bould away from his u-18s to spend a bit of time organising the back four?
Maybe it’s giving Lehmann the chop, perhaps it’s the fact that Gallas has had a consistent run in the side, or it could just be that Bacary Sagna is that much better than Emmanuel Eboue – whatever it is, it’s worked, and we’re now much more solid at the back.
7. Sign a goalkeeper. If you want my opinion, a) you’re a fool, but b) Jens Lehmann is off in the summer. After three seasons of good service, he’ll be going home to Germany, and Arsene will be forced to sign a replacement. Obviously we’ll be linked with everyone going, but I imagine that Craig Gordon, Artur Boruc, Yohanne Pele, and Igor Akinfeev will be the names that crop up again and again. And again. Can’t wait to write those blogs…
Well, I was wrong – Jens stayed. Though perhaps both he and Arsene regret it now. We signed Fabianksi, but against the odds Manuel Almunia (who many felt would be third choice) has emerged as number one. Between now and the end of the season he has a great opportunity to stake a claim for the jersey in the long-term.
8. Win a trophy. An obvious one, but after a barren season last year, we should be aiming to bring something home come May, be it the Champions League, FA Cup, or even the League Cup. Of course, the latter two come into focus next week, when we face Liverpool twice in three days. And should we lose, that’ll be the end of our chances of winning anything domestically. For 2007, at least…
It wasn’t to be in 2007, with Chelsea denying us in the League Cup Final and Blackburn and PSV knocking us out of the FA Cup and Champions League respectively. This season, however, we are much better equipped to bring a trophy home. One gets the feeling this one will be high on the list of resolutions for 2008 too…
