Second guessing Arsene Wenger and the board at Arsenal is not the usually a smart move. Sure, they?ve made the occasional error (Francis Jeffers), but overall, their track record is pretty strong.
News comes now of the signing of Miguel Angel Angulo. I?ll be honest and say I don?t know a lot about him. He?s 26, and comes from Valencia. Last year Valencia managed to win the best league in Europe AND the UEFA Cup. So, the guy?s a winner. If he?s as good as the two other Spanish Gunners there will be no complaints. Hell, if he?s half as good as Cesc or Reyes Arsenal have gotten themselves a heck of a player.
The midfield sure does seem crowded now though, doesn?t it? Pires, Edu, Gilberto, Vieira, Ljungberg, Pennant, Cesc and van Persie and Flamini. Heck, even Gael Clichy played in midfield in a substitute role. So where does Angulo fit in? More importantly does he fill a need? Certainly these are questions that were asked, and answered. Unlike other clubs, you never get the feeling Arsenal are making panic buys. If they are bringing a player in, they are doing so for a reason. Again, it might not always work out, but rarely is it because the player is pants. Giovanni von Bronckhorst will no doubt be considered a mistake by Wenger. But he?s gone on to become a regular at Barcelona (not exactly Torquay United) and Holland. He just wasn?t the right fit here. I?ve no doubt even Jeffers will turn in a half-decent season this year - he?s already bagged two goals.
But a greater concern to me is the defense. I don?t see the depth yet along the back line. How many of the following players are you really comfortable with: Ash, Sol, Kolo, Lauren, Cygan, Clichy, Senderos, Hoyte. The first three, yes. Lauren and Cygan are question marks among many supporters (personally I like them both, though at times it is hard to support Cygan). Clichy is good and Senderos and Hoyte haven?t played enough at the top level. A long-term injury to a center back and Arsenal have Cygan as back-up. That?s a little too close for my comfort.
Question ? If Arsenal win the Champs League (possible) and go undefeated in League again (more possible), would they not be the greatest team in English football history, full stop?
20 Responses to “Another midfielder?”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
August 30th, 2004 at 4:25 pm
If the Arsenal were to go undefeated again… AND win the Champs League… I am not sure who in their right mind would / could possibly argue that we were the greatest team in English Football History. We might be considered the best club team in history PERIOD.
But obviously, we are talking CRAZY stuff… this far into the season. Its a nice dream… but perhaps we should move a little more along the way before seriously discussing that stuff!
Now… the signing of another midfielder utterly PUZZLES me. I don’t know how half of our squad are going to get into matches on any kind of regular basis. Vieira Pires Gilberto Freddie are usually starters almost all the time. Edu Pennant Cesc VanPersie Flamini and now Angulo makes TEN midfielders in a 4 slot position!!! thats a bit excessive don’t ya think??? Especially since we sometimes line up Bergy in that role behind Reyes and Henry…
Puzzled… I’d have understood another striker before getting a midfielder.
August 30th, 2004 at 4:51 pm
I wonder why you always talk about midfielders in general, when there’s a clear difference between left wingers, rightwingers and central midfielders. And Arsenal with Ljungberg far away from his best self and Pennant still not proved NEEDS strengthening on the right side. And as you said Arsenal never buy out of panic so even tough Wenger must know the situation at the back maybe there are no good defenders for sale. Or maybe he has somebody from the current squad in mind. Who tought that Kolo will turn out to be the player he is now?
Arsene knows.
August 30th, 2004 at 4:54 pm
It wouldnt matter who we had on the right side it will never be as effective as the left. Arsenal are a very left sided attacking team
Angulo will be used aas a Forward as that is what he is primarily. A Dennis Bergkamp type player who creates goals and is very unselfish rather than the shoot first instinct.
He was purchased as he has plenty of CL experience and has won things in Europe. Plus his valuable experience will be an asset to the youngsters (especially the SPanish) and during CL away games when Dennis cannot fly.
August 30th, 2004 at 5:15 pm
Thats good insight Infected….
We are left-sided…
I haven’t seen ANYTHING official as of yet that said that we have actualy signed Angulo…
so I wouldn’t etch it in stone.
August 30th, 2004 at 5:18 pm
I can’t believe this - another attacking midfielder cum striker! I’ve been wondering all day if Wenger might be thinking of moving Gilberto to centre back, but it doesn’t really make sense, or changing the formation - 5 in midfield, 3 at the back? - but that sounds even less likely.
August 30th, 2004 at 5:19 pm
Also bare in mind the World Cup Qualifying is on the way, our Brazilian central midfield pairs will be travel half of the planet earth to involve in the S.America’s “League-format” qualification matches…
Besides, to judge AW’s buying their initial position sometimes are irrelevant.
August 30th, 2004 at 5:25 pm
Now you are THINKING!
Good Point Andez… both Edu & Gilberto are part of the Brazilian National Team…
and we know they love to call up their player for virtually no reason at all!
August 30th, 2004 at 8:20 pm
I wouldn’t exactly say “World Cup Qualifying” is “vitually no reason at all”
— Geoff
August 30th, 2004 at 8:26 pm
Ummm… they called Edu to play in a friendly in the Carribean against the Isle of Man… or someone that irrelevant… not sure they really needed him to play 70 minutes in that game…
August 30th, 2004 at 8:30 pm
At face value, I think we all agree that yes, this does bode strange, especially since it’s our defense that needs the help more than anything (I’M LOOKING AT YOU LAUREN!).
But, as always, “Arsene knows,” and rare is it he’s completely gotten it wrong, so we’ll see, I guess, once any official announcement is made.
OT tho….as a fan of football in general, I’d just like to say how sorry I am to see Sir Bobby Robson go from Newcastle before his time was really up (at season’s end). Good luck to him.
— Geoff
August 30th, 2004 at 8:31 pm
Yeaaaah, and? What does that have to do with World Cup qualifying?
— Geoff
August 30th, 2004 at 11:05 pm
Brazil can select from many many players that will easily allow them to qualify for the world cup…
They don’t necessarily need Edu and Gilberto each and every match… do they? I think not…
August 31st, 2004 at 12:49 am
Things never said by Brazil’s national coach:
“Yeah, you know, I shouldn’t pick the best that’s available this time. I mean, pfft, what’s a sixth World Cup win anyway?”
— Geoff
August 31st, 2004 at 2:04 am
It might be academic. The latest report I just read said that Arsenal couldn’t agree personal terms with Angulo. Granted its all still hearsay, but I wonder whether a failure to agree terms might have as much to do with the way Arsene wanted to use the 27 year old. He might have been told that we wanted to convert him to a backfield player and he balked. Just a thought.
August 31st, 2004 at 5:06 am
It looks like this deal is now off. He has returned to Spain saying he has had a change of heart.
August 31st, 2004 at 5:31 am
yup, we don’t have to worry how he’s going to fit in anymore, the deal is off and he signed new deal with valencia. but seems that wenger will still be pursuing a right sided player. maybe yet another winger? why? maybe he decided that it’s time to replace ljungberg or sell pennant?
anyway, i got the same feeling i had when wenger bought wiltord, so personally im glad we don’t get angulo. not that wiltord is bad (i like him playing right wing actually), just that angulo, like wiltord, will more likely to turn out as a squad player.
August 31st, 2004 at 1:17 pm
Exactly my point. Isn’t Arsenal rife with midfielders? I thought that Wenger was going after another defender. Anyway, it turns out that Angulo will sign with Valencia after all.
August 31st, 2004 at 5:55 pm
I agree that the greatest concern is defense. I get nervous with Cygan on the pitch. In a pinch, do you think Wenger would ever play PV in central defense?
September 1st, 2004 at 4:41 am
Deep six this one mates he’s not comming and we need to shore up the back line.
September 1st, 2004 at 8:50 pm
I agree with you that there probably isn’t a need for Angulo but why are you saying Clichy isn’t great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He’s already challenging Cole and he’s barely out of school-should rival Cesc for best young player.
I think Arsenal need two more leagues to be considered the best of the best along with a c. league