As the transfer window closes, the sun goes out on Arsenal’s title chances

Summer’s gone: the weather ahead looks bleak

I thought of trying to write something whimsical and comedic about the closure of the transfer window yesterday tea-time, but I’m too depressed. The world and his wife will have an opinion on our activities in the Summer 2010 transfer window, so here’s mine. At the end of last season, as we fell into so many ineffectual pieces at the DW Stadium and Ewood Park, it became clear that we urgently needed a new goalkeeper, a complete reorganisation in the centre of defence and ideally a new central midfielder and a centre forward who wasn’t a) made of bone china and b) a weak, tippy-tappy luxury.

Starting with the positives, Chamakh looks like a very astute acquisition, although after being at the club just a few weeks he already looks as if he’s contracted the Arsenal centre forward virus of drifting out wide rather than looking to get on the end of crosses. Maybe I don’t understand tactics, but it would seem to me you’ve more chance of scoring if you’re charging into the six yard box as opposed to jinking out wide. With Robin Van Persie’s all too predictable injury and Bendtner’s ongoing problems, I’m very pleased to have him around.

At the back we have shipped out Gallas, Silvestre, Sol Campbell and Senderos, which is some clear-out and replaced them with two new defenders, one of whom is very experienced and one something of a gamble. For the moment, the jury is out, although the signs thus far look positive; Koscielny won’t be the last defender to get outmuscled at Ewood Park this season and I’m looking forward to seeing Squillaci play.

The failure to sign a new centre midfielder is excusable as Arsène is obviously keen to give Jack Wilshere a go, despite his tender years; we also have Samir Nasri, Tomas Rosicky, Abou Diaby, Alex Song and (wonderfully) we still have Cesc Fabregas. If and when Aaron Ramsey returns from his vile injury that’s as competitive a collection of midfielders as you’ll see in the Premier League with the exception of those on show at Stamford Bridge. And Chelsea’s major players (aside from Essien) are all getting on a bit, while ours should be coming into their prime. Throw in Theo Walcott’s metamorphosis into a match-winner and there isn’t a whole lot wrong with the team’s attacking options.

Which brings us to the goalkeeper’s position. I cannot really believe that as I sit here typing on September 1st we haven’t signed a new goalkeeper. Forget Mark Schwarzer for a moment – Wenger had three months to scour the planet for someone better than Almunia and Fabianski. Schwarzer meets that criteria as does Shay Given or Brad Friedel – the list is almost endless. Schwarzer made enough blunders in the World Cup to prove he is not the heir to the crown that Jennings, Seaman and Lehman wore with élan and grace in their tenure at Arsenal, but he is better than what we’ve got. It is just conceivable that Almunia will have a storming season and while he’s always be prone to flapping at crosses he is an excellent reaction ‘keeper. The bottom line is that a great goalkeeper is worth five or ten points a season, whereas we have a number one that may cost us three or four.

Of far greater concern is that we are now only one injury away – and let’s face it, knowing our luck that injury will come sooner rather than later – from the terrifying spectacle of Lucasz Fabianksi in the first team. If Almunia got injured in September I’d be prepared to wager that we’ll be out of the title race before Bonfire Night (assuming Wenger picked the errant Pole rather than Don Vito Mannone or Chesney Spellcheck). How has the club let this happen?

All told, we have a very good squad – perhaps better than anytime since the 2007-2008 season, perhaps the best post-Highbury. But the failure to sign a decent goalkeeper means the best we can hope for this season is third place and some decent cup-runs, as opposed to a decent shout of being in the mix for the top prizes come May 2011. The end of the world it isn’t, but it is extremely disappointing.

Source: Cannon Lore, The Online Gooner on 1 Sep 10