Let's Fantasize/Speculate about Football (i.e. Soccer)

[qspeechc]

It's between seasons and the transfer window is coming up, which is everyone's favourite time to fantasize. So let's pretend we're the manager of the club we support, and say what players you'd like to see come in, which players should go, and how your club should play next season, and what should change.

 

[qspeechc]

I'll go first, then. The team I support is Arsenal, and supposedly this season is the one where Wenger gets to spend big. We've heard that one before, and we'll believe it when we see it. Anyway...

--Forwards.
Everyone knows Arsenal need a quality forward. In this past season Manchester United and Manchester City each had three or four good/very good forwards: United had Hernandez, Rooney, van Persie, Welbeck; City had Aguero, Dzeko, Tevez.

I'm one of the people who think Arsenal need to sign two good forwards, and my first choices would be Higuain and Benteke.
Higuain has said he'd like to move, and his record speaks for itself. Apparently Juventus and Arsenal are the two teams bidding for him, but who knows. £25m, apparently his price, is not too high for a player of his quality.
Benteke is an exciting young forward, who has publicly said he'd like to go to Arsenal, and we Gooners love a loyal player... coff coff. He's had one good season already in the EPL, so he's not a gamble. He scored 19 goals in the league and 23 goals in total with a mediocre team, so with a better team like Arsenal there's no reason he can't score 25 goals in a league season.

Other forwards linked with the club, or at least speculated about, are Villa, Rooney and Jovetic. Villa has been a great player, but he's a bit too old I think, and past his prime, and I don't know anything about Jovetic so I can't comment. I am undecided about Rooney, he still has fitness problems though. I'm waiting for someone to sway me with an argument either way.

If we get two good forwards we can get rid of some players: Chamakh, Bendtner, Park, and probably Gervinho too. Gervinho is 26, so he's not a youngster, and he hasn't shown that he can perform in a side that wants to compete for titles. I would keep Giroud and Podolski as the other forwards, perhaps Gervinho can stay as the 5th choice forward, but I don't see why because Walcott and even Oxlade-Chamberlain can fill in as forwards.

--Goalkeepers
Apparently Julio Cesar and even Victor Valdes have been linked with Arsenal, but the former seems more likely. Either one would be a great addition, so I don't have much to say here :D But it does mean we can release either Mannone or Fabianski.

--Defenders
Left back seems to be covered by Gibbs and Monreal, so nothing bothers me here.

At centre back Mertesacker and Koscielny are a good pairing. Vermaelen has come under a lot of criticism, but I'd like to see him stay.Squillaci is leaving and Djourou probably should leave. That means we need at least one more CB. I don't know what to say here except that the rumours are that Ashley Williams will be signed.

Sagna at right back has been consistently good for several seasons, but this past season he has dropped. He's getting a bit old, and Jenkinson is not quite ready to replace him. So we need to sign a right back, but I don't have any ideas here. I'd like to see both Sagna and Jenkinson kept, Sagna will help ease the new RB into the team, and he can be released honourably when his contract expires the end of next season, instead of being sold to make some money.

--Midfield
I saved the most difficult area for last!

The defensive, or holding midfielders Ramsey and Arteta have been a good, solid pairing. Not exciting to watch like Luiz and Ramirez at Chelsea, but very effective nonetheless. In particular, changing Arteta's role at a relatively late stage in his career was a http://www.7amkickoff.com/2013/mikel-arteta-arsenal-player-of-the-year-2012-2013/

But, there's no one to back them up. Wilshere simply can not defend, and Oxlade-Chamberlain is also not suited to the position. Sadly, it seems we also have to cut our losses with Diaby and release him. Mertesacker can play as a defensive midfielder, but that would leave a gap at CB. That means we need a signing here. Pogba and Wanyama have been rumoured to be possible signings.

I'm not convinced about Wanyama. He's stood out in the Scottish League, but the EPL is much tougher. I think he would be a gamble. Also, his agent said something like Arsenal would only be a stepping stone to big club like Man U. Pff, no thanks then. Pogba is a promising youngster, and performing well in the Italian League is harder to do than in the Scottish League (no offense though). Also some supporters talk about N'zonzi, but that seems like pure dreaming.

I think Wenger needs to sort out the left wing. Carzola is not a wing. People have ignored this because he had a very good season. Every time Wenger plays him on the wing he spends almost the entire game in the centre of the field, leaving the LB on his own. Besides being a natural central midfielder, Carzola is our most creative player and creates chances for players around him, so the only place to play him is in the centre. So who will be the LW? Podolski? I'm not sure. Oxlade-Chamberlain? Not sure either, Wenger seems to be grooming him to play centrally. This is one that needs to be sorted out.

In the central attacking midfield there are no problems. We have Carzola, Rosicky, Wilshere, Oxlade-Chamberlain, and Walcott and Arteta can play here as well. Arshavin and Denilson are leaving, and we can release some other midfielders too, Santos, maybe Frimpong.

Right wing is fine. Walcott is a good player, and Oxlade-Chamberlain can fill in here.

Whew, that's it!

 

[qspeechc]

Am I only the only football fan on PF?

 

[Office_Shredder]

Many (most? I would guess) of the people are from the US, and physics in particular is a subject which has fewer sports fans than most, so I would guess you're not the only one but you're probably in a definite minority.

Also your post might be an intimidatingly detailed act to follow

 

[xxChrisxx]

I'll go first, then. The team I support is Arsenal

Commiserations.

 

[Integral]

Don't know much about European Soccer. What I do know is that currently the US is a non factor in the world of soccer, but just wait. When I was a youngster, no one played the game except for in PE where the even the PE teachers barely knew the rules, there it was just a filler between Basketball and baseball. But now I see kids playing soccer a lot, rarely do you see them, as we used to, play American football. Looks to me like American football is in for trouble. If the kids are all playing soccer who will play football? If the kids are playing soccer now, that can only mean in the next 20yrs the US will become a contender in the world of soccer.

 

[qspeechc]

Commiserations.

Har Har Har.

Also your post might be an intimidatingly detailed act to follow

Yes, well, no one needs to go into as much detail as me, of course. I follow a few football blogs, and most of them go into much more detail than I did, so, there you have it.

Don't know much about European Soccer. What I do know is that currently the US is a non factor in the world of soccer, but just wait. When I was a youngster, no one played the game except for in PE where the even the PE teachers barely knew the rules, there it was just a filler between Basketball and baseball. But now I see kids playing soccer a lot, rarely do you see them, as we used to, play American football. Looks to me like American football is in for trouble. If the kids are all playing soccer who will play football? If the kids are playing soccer now, that can only mean in the next 20yrs the US will become a contender in the world of soccer.

The USA team at the moment is decent actually. Obviously not a powerhouse, but definitely not shabby either. I was impressed by your team in the 2010 world cup. I didn't expect them to beat beat Ghana, another decent team, but they did so fairly well, if I remember correctly. I can't remember who you played next, but I seem to remember you gave them a hard time about it.