All the focus this summer has been on how Arsenal will go about improving their forward line.
Fans simply aren’t accustomed to seeing a great French lump (who admittedly is a fine finisher) leading their line. Famous Arsenal strikers of the past have combined pace, craft and glorious technical ability to stunning effect. Nobody in Arsenal’s attacking line-up offers this.
Hence a deluge of stories linking the Gunners to players like Luis Suarez and Wayne Rooney.
This is all well and good, but the focus on this side of Arsenal’s game fails to pay due respect to the squad’s other needs. If Arsene Wenger expects his side to challenge for silverware next season, he’ll have to address his leaky defense.
Arsenal fans may well counter this claim and suggest that they had one of the best defensive records in the Premier League last season. Well, phooey to that claim.
On a number of occasions last season, Arsenal defenders committed unforced errors, costing their side a goal or gifting the opposition an opportunity. On their day, the Gunners’ defense is capable of pulling a performance out of the bag (that’s why Arsenal finished the season strong), but they also lack consistency. When it’s not their day, the Arsenal back-four can be outright sloppy.
Then there’s injury issue currently plaguing Arsenal’s backline. Thomas Vermaelen is out for six weeks with a back injury. Nacho Monreal may well miss the start of next season. Kieran Gibbs seems to attract injuries on a regular basis. Bacary Sagna has suffered two broken legs over the last two seasons.
Suffice to say, there’s a pressing need to add another defender or two to Arsenal’s squad.
In this regard, I’d argue that Swansea City captain Ashley Williams would be the perfect solution.
We all know what Williams can offer. He’s a rock-solid centre-back, with an expert reading of the game and great positional sense. He’s also full-blooded and unafraid to commit himself in the tackle. He’s not unlike Thomas Vermaelen, though Williams is perhaps a little more controlled and precise.
The Mirror claim Swansea City may be willing to let their captain leave if a ‘top club’ offers them £8.5m. I find this somewhat hard to believe, though I would like to see Arsenal test the Swans’ resolve.
Bolstering this defense with a player like Williams could be just the platform Arsenal need to start moving up the table next season.
What’s your take? Would Williams fit in nicely at the Emirates?
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Williams would cost £10 million. I would rather go for Rami who has CL experience, is French and would already know Sagna, Kos and would cost under £10 million.
Wow! This is great post, but we all know that mr. Wenger will noy do such a thing cos he is not ready to turn the club a trophy winning club but rather make it a profit making venture. That really prooved to us that arsene doesnt realy care about the feelings of the fans which are the majority but highly respect the money he makes for those that dont even go and watch our games
How can any team start a season buy getting rid of 9 squad players & not replace them absolute joke the crowds already booing the players off the season hasn’t even started yet hate to think wot will happen if we don’t qualify for champions league think the fans will show there feelings & Wundt surprise me if wenger went to pastures new ..
The question is not if William will fit into Arsenal but if our untrustworthy manager will buy. Wenger is the problem we have at present because from his language so far, he is not prepared to buy
any player.I learnt a certain Marica from Shalcke 04, a reject who is prepared to come on cheap will soon our second signing.Hurrayto Wenger on his ddestructive project of offoading and bringing more dead wood, of course he is our number one deadwood, yes Wenger is our number one deadwood to offload.
Wenger is completely out of touch with the modern game and should not have his contact renewed! Unfortunately Kroenke has given control of the whole club to him and he is not answerable to Gladivis or any member of our ineffective board. He has only obtained one player this summer – an injury prone French player with little experience (another Dialby?) and has got rid of a lot of ineffective players ( the only sensible thing he has done). The squad is very thin and has very little back up for injuries and suspensions. Wenger claims this small group of players are strong enough to challenge for the title this forthcoming season. Man City,Chelsea and Spurs have all added to their squads as well as Everton and Liverpool. Manchester Utd have not bought anybody so far but they finished last season as champions. If no players are bought in by Wenger before the season starts – then the club will not even get 4 th position this season. How many wkb’ s will there be at the end of the season?
I prefer asley williams bcos he z a experince defence player and has accurate power 2 play wit koscieny nd mertersaker.but wenger z d problem of arsenal.
who does’t like having a player of such quality in her team. I think wenger isn’t ready to bring in a player. But i want say this’ that it will better for winger to sign a player who has been well expose, if he dsn’t went to experience another disappointing season
He is good. but cant belive we havent signed any one yet its taken the piss abit like every other teams had new players before the friendly maches started unlike arsenal why cant we offer 40mil for higuian but offer 40mil for surez. Sometimes i wish david dein was at arsenal still because he wouldnt mess around and get the job done transfers and a smooth talker to get players to come to arsenal. I can remember when we signed diaby and aderboyer at the same time in januery transfer early stages
Yes Williams will fit Arsenal confort but it all lise on our manager wenger
There’s always closed doors in every failure we can’t keep on blaming wenger he’s not the owner of the team but Silent Stan is,Arsenal will always looking for profit not Trophies I threw my towel on them.
I like Ashley Williams cuz he kicked ball in rvp’s head ahh … good times