Stand up and be counted

Anticipation is building once again for another new season, players coming and going, pre-season friendlies starting to whet the appetite whilst newspapers and agents (and Hleb) are spewing more shit than a sewage run off. Transfer speculation usually dominates the summer months, and boy has there been some serious speculation this summer! We just have to wait another 5 weeks though until the closing of the window, Wenger said he wants 1 central midfielder, and possibly a maximum of 2 new players (personally, I would like 3 - a CB, a CM and an experienced keeper to challenge Manuel, but that's not going to happen).

But rather than speculate on the players we could be bringing in, I think we should look at some of the players we already have, and who have a big season ahead of them. Guys like Diaby, Walcott, Senderos, Denilson and Djourou have to step up this season and give us that strength in depth that the likes of Brown, Park, Anderson, O’Shea gave to United last season and remove the 'potential' tag. They will be trusted to do so, and these players (as well as others) are the reason why we don’t go out spending Chelski sort of money for squad players. I wouldn't go as far as to say it's a 'make or break' season or anything as dramatic as that, but we need more consistency and more end product. They may be young, but they are extremely talented, and they are the squad players who will hopefully make the difference when the inevitability of injuries and suspensions (and malaria) occurs.

Diaby - when he arrived, he was christened as the 'new Vieira', and not just because of the physical characteristics. Since he's come back from his assault at Sunderland, he's only shown glimpses of the talent, and at times can be so infuriating (granted he's not a left winger where Wenger has played him most). A concern for me is how often he gets injured. He plays a few games, and then is out for 2-3 weeks. This season he will be played in the middle a whole lot more, and it’s time for him to make his mark. He's been capped twice for France so we know he has the talent, he dominated Chelsea's millionaires in the Carling Cup final until he toe punted Terry and got injured, and in either a 4-5-1 away from home or a 4-4-2 in home games against so called lesser opposition, he could be very useful in breaking forward. He needs to learn though how to use the ball better. Technically he is very good, can shield the ball superbly, but he needs to pass the ball better and crucially, to give it at the right time and not to dribble too much which he has been guilty of. Last season I wanted to smash his face in after the red card up at Bolton, which showed a lack of maturity and dare I say, intelligence. Now, his time may have arrived and I am really looking forward to see what he can do this season.

Senderos - the guy is like Marmite. Love him or hate him. When given a run in the team, we have had great runs (2005 end of season culminating in the FA Cup final, 2006 CL run). But we all know about his high profile blunders. Centre backs don't peak until later in their careers as experience is vital, positioning and reading of the game is something that comes with the more matches you play. But if Senderos is not going to be our 1st choice centre back, which he will not, we need him to be reliable enough to come in for 2-3 games here and there. I do think there is a lot of talent there, and statistically, his partnerships with Toure or Gallas is better in regards to conceding less goals than the Kolo/Willy partnership. But we can’t keep saying that 'he needs a run of games' if he comes in and is looking sluggish, a Championship winning team needs the 'next in line' players to be ready to step up immediately.

Denilson - struggled last season with injuries and rumours of off-pitch problems, and seemed to regress a bit after his 1st season. But you don't become captain of the Brazil under 20's, and get called up to their squad at that age, unless you are a pretty special. With our central midfield position looking weaker than last season, he won’t have as much competition for spaces, and if he stays fit and healthy, we will look for him to make more of an impact outside the cup competitions. He can be a shield for our more attacking midfielders, and I could see him playing in a 4-5-1 away from home in particular, and with his passing ability, could help us break quickly. Although he is primarily a defensive midfielder, he has an intelligent and creative side to his passing. Beefing up a bit more would be useful.

Walcott - we all know about Theo. Electrifying pace, head down and run, looks like Lewis Hamilton. Towards the end of last season he was starting to come into his own a bit, and that run at Anfield was truly breathtaking. It can't be healthy to get that excited by teenage boys! But there were also a lot of frustration watching Theo play at times. I even remember a time where a few Arsenal fans were saying maybe we should loan him out. The right wing isn't his favoured position, but it's where he will play next season and he has the attributes to make him an important impact player for us, although now it's time to push on to be a 1st team regular. He needs to get his head up more, release the ball quicker and try not to run down blind alleys, which I feel he does because he tries a bit too hard. And he also needs to track back and help Sagna more; otherwise he will be overlooked for Eboue, especially in away games. I'm confident that this lad will go on to be a big player for us, but he does have a way to go before he becomes a regular in the 1st team.

Djourou - what do we do with him? Last summer, I felt that he will be a top player for us. Now, I struggle to think for a role for him, and think of him as nothing more than a squad player. Of course it's ridiculous to write off a 21 year old, but for Arsenal, is he good enough? He's little more at the moment than 4th choice centre back, and 5th-6th choice CM (not including the hopefully new DM we buy in). His loan at Brum wasn't that much of a success, didn't play well and was shifted between positions. If Song is our 4th choice centre back cover, then maybe we need to loan him out again for a whole season to another Premiership club. But with our squad seemingly getting smaller, he might have a part to play at the club. He is versatile, but DM may be his best position at the moment, as he’s not a natural defender.

Like I’ve already said, they may be young, but our squad as a whole is young. Age is just a number, if you are good enough, you are old enough. With another season under their belt, they should all be stronger and have that bit more experience. Along with the likes of Bendtner and Song, are these guys good enough to help us improve on last seasons’ results?

By: Mario Leontiou