London Calling

The Season Player By Player
 

Jens Lehmann.

‘Jens is f*ck*ng mental’ we chanted at him in Villarreal, and he loved it. In a world where everyone accepts the divine right of a goalie to be mad he stands out as the Ubernutter. Totally focused by his spell in the reserves last season a great keeper turned into a world class one and his run without conceding in the Champions League has included some stunning saves (and continues next season). Oliver who? Heartbreaking Final but a true Arsenal hero this season.

Abou Diaby.

Poor, poor kid. I don’t want to dwell on the horror of his injury but it must put his career in doubt. Before that he looked like a guy who could compete for a place for the next decade – there was a reason he was compared with Vieira. Able to dish it out when needed, he seemed to show no fear and it’s a sad irony that his injury didn’t come from a 50:50 challenge, but from a cowardly assault.

Ashley Cole.

Hmmm. I really don’t know what to say. He didn’t seem to do too much wrong on the pitch before he got injured but I can’t help feeling he’s just here until the summer and that all he’s interested in is his world cup place. But if I’m wrong and he is dedicated to Arsenal then next season we will have the best left back around overlapping down the wing.

Robert Pires.

I hoped he would stay. I really did. He had a rough season but he’s shown he’s still got it and now he’s learnt to tackle… Although I couldn’t see him as a regular next season he’s popular with the players and his experience might have been invaluable. The innocent bystander that was sacrificed in the Final let’s hope he can turn out for DB10’s testimonial to have a proper goodbye.

Fredrik Ljungberg.

Another guy who’s had an up and down season but he’s seems to be carrying about a dozen injuries and has to have his foot drained after matches. Ouch! You know what you’ll get with Freddie, and the most important thing is you know it will involve 100%. A fully fit Freddie will revel in the extra space next season and I’d expect Highbury II to be a good hunting ground for him. Never stopped running in the final, which sums him up.

Jose Antonio Reyes.

The wonder kid who has failed to convince. Well, failed to convince some. Firstly we haven’t had someone who can ping a 60-yard pass as well since Brady left. Secondly, look at the assists. Thirdly, remember that one of the main reasons that so many rent-a-left backs survived was because of his covering. He gets slaughtered by defences but just gets back up. In a settled line up next year with more freedom he will be devastating.

Dennis Bergkamp.

Thank you. From every single one of us. What more can I say about genius?

Robin van Persie.

There’s no doubting his skills – Thierry rated him the most skilful player at the club in a TV interview recently. Always deserved a chance to settle at the start of the season after his ‘summer’ but hasn’t convinced. Incredibly popular with the fans there’s no doubt he has their backing but with rumours of indiscretions you wonder if he has Wenger’s. I hope he does.

Lauren.

Before his injury he was Lauren. If ever there was a player that epitomises consistency then it is him. In all honesty I wasn’t at all convinced by him at first (as a right back) but he’s obviously worked incredibly hard to learn the role and whilst on rare occasions he might get skinned show me a full back that doesn’t. He’s been the best right back in the Premiership for a couple of years and it would be great if he came back refreshed and fit next term.

Alexander Hleb.

New signing. ‘Player of the Month’ for August. Got injured. Came back. Everyone hated him. Strange. Despite being anything but a cheap unknown he’s grown since his return to prove that Wenger was right to splash out on him. He’s had to learn to play in a completely different position from the number 10 he was used to but has become one of our most influential players as the season has gone on.

Thierry Henry.

‘Four More Years’ chanted a crowd of 38,000 as the man climbed on to the dais at Highbury a couple of hours after the Wigan game. Personally I never thought he would leave, because quite frankly it can’t really get any better can it? I wrote an article a few months ago calling him a fair weather captain who could only lead a team when things were going well but he’s grown into the role so much I have many words to eat. But I made a point that I wasn’t criticising him as a player, I mean how can you criticise the best? And you just have to watch him to know he’s not just the Worlds Best Player – he’s also a Gooner through and through.

Francesc Fabregas.

World Player of the Year before he’s twenty-one. That’s what everyone laughed at me for saying. Doesn’t seem so silly now does it? From the first moment I saw him play he was always looking round to see what was happening and he’s one of those rare players (like DB10) who sees the pitch as a kind of chess board. Has everything but you’ve got to worry about how much he’s played, especially with him going to the world cup. I’d like to see him given at least a couple of months off at the start of next season.

Mathieu Flamini.

Another boast – when Clichy got injured I wanted Flamini to play at left back. I hoped for what we eventually got – dynamism and a player who was disciplined enough to play an unknown position. Will be a definite contender for a spot in the middle next season, and with Diaby being injured maybe even sooner. Seems to need a game or two to settle though so for me the question is ‘Will he take his chance?’

Alexandre Song.

Had a season on loan with us to try and convince and for me he hasn’t. He obviously has all the abilities of a central midfielder but seems to find it difficult to display that consistency that’s needed. He’s still young and (again) the injury to Diaby could help his cause but I’m not convinced yet.

Pascal Cygan.

Poor poor Pascal. The chrome dome is everyone’s favourite whipping boy and whilst people compiling lists of world-class defenders he’s fourth choice centre half who gets on with it and does his best whenever called on. Never complains, he’s the model pro and having seen him captaining the reserves if nothing else I’d keep him on in that role. He’s going to be a great coach one day.

Gilberto.

So you get it now? Thank God for that because I was sick of explaining. Defensively he has as good a footballing brain as Bergkamp does in attack. He knows exactly where to be and the defenders know that if they go forward he will be there covering. In a lot of ways the team pivots around him and he’s probably been our best player in Europe this year.

Philippe Senderos.

‘Swiss Tone’ has grown into the nickname. People forget it wasn’t all good when TA first came into the team but apart from a couple of maulings at the start of the season he’s held his own and done more than enough to prove himself. He’s become more and more dominant as the season has progressed and he has formed a superb understanding with Kolo. They would be the pair I would go with whenever possible.

Mart Poom.

I think he’s going to be around for a few years. I don’t think he’ll get the number one spot but I think he knows there is a role for him in the squad and Wenger seems to like him. I liked him as a keeper before he joined and one thing to note is that he seems to have been extremely popular wherever he has played. I’d feel confident if he was called upon.

Gael Clichy.

Had the awful luck of picking up a long-term injury (is it the boots?) just as he had a chance of a run in the team. He’s never seemed overawed from day one and I don’t think there is much doubt that he would have made the position his own but for the injury. If I’m right that Cole is off then I’ll be more than happy if Clichy is given the number 3 shirt next season.

Sol Campbell.

Earlier this season he was first choice ahead of Senderos and he was first choice for England ahead of Rio. The he got injured playing for England and it all went wrong. If you’d told me at the start of the season that Sol wouldn’t be first choice for the Champions League final I’d probably have laughed but if he’d been fit I’m sure Wenger would have gone Swiss. I’d like to see a fit and focussed Sol back next season fighting for his place but I’ve a feeling he’ll retire after the World Cup.

Manuel Almunia.

Somehow the amiable Spaniard who couldn’t catch a cold last season turned into a goalie this season. I was rather surprised to be honest. Apparently he was always very good in training but he’s managed to replicate that on the pitch. Then he showed us in the final why he’s no where near good enough to challenge Jens and I hope he’ll be traded in for a new challenger this summer.

Emmanuel Adebayor.

Never had a settling in period but the guy was up for it straight away. Has proved a very useful foil for Henry not least by being a handful for defenders. There have been some howlers (misses v Portsmouth) and but also some moments of delicate beauty (mid air back heel to Henry v Villa). I’ve seen plenty in him to expect a lot next season and I think he’ll deliver.

Emmanuel Eboue.

Thrust to the fore through another injury he’s become a genuine challenger for the right back slot next season although I’d have no problems seeing him in midfield. Not a natural right back he tends to attack down the middle rather than overlap but he has formed a wonderful understanding with Hleb that makes the right side as genuinely dangerous as the left, a balance which helped take us to Paris. Has got another side to him (dive in Paris and other on pitch ‘badness’), which he needs to lose, but plenty of potential.

Kolo Toure.

Beckenbauer. The way this guy improves year by year that is the kind of level he can attain. When he first played for us he was almost like a kid who’d been playing outside and Wenger had thrown him a shirt ‘Fancy un jeu, son?’ The enthusiasm was delightful but he didn’t look like he had the discipline to nail a position down. Well he did have and he is rightly been recognised as one of the best in Europe. He’s taken the role of senior defender in his stride and it’s been noticeable that he’s just as willing to scream at Sol as he is at Senderos.

Others.

Larsson, Djorou and Gilbert have all done enough to suggest that they are worthy of places in the squad, and Muamba could be one for the future but I can’t say I’ve seen enough of him first hand to comment much.

Also we can’t forget the loaned players who should return this summer. Justin Hoyte who has had a great season at Sunderland despite their season and Jeremie Aliadiere who despite his horrendous luck with injuries must be approaching his last chance to prove himself at Arsenal.

Then you come down to young strikers. Theo Walcott. Nicklas Bendtner. Arturo Lupoli. You’ve got to expect all three of them to be at least challenging for a first team place next season and behind them there’s Anthony Stokes and Ryan Smith. That’s one hell of a lot of young talent itching to prove themselves.