Arsenal Determined To Keep Current Squad Together

With the January transfer window in its element, journalists up and down fleet street and news editors on the air waves are racking up their brains concocting rumours and imaginary stories about players moving clubs. It says something about the 24 hour news media culture when any whiff of a story, regardless of how discredited it is, gets air time because papers need to be sold to pay wages and news cycles on air need to guarantee ratings to sell advertising.

Get used to Arsenal being linked with all manner of players from Emile Heskey to Mario Balotelli and Patrick Vieira to Pascal Cygan. Well, maybe not Cygan, but you get the picture. Wenger hasn’t really made it easy for the rumour mill as he’s openly stated that he’s in the market, but let’s face it – being in the market doesn’t mean he’s going to buy for the sake of buying. Arsenal has one of the most comprehensive scouting systems in the world – the kind capable of hiding in the forest to watch Thomas Vermaelen during training, or the kind capable of picking an opportune moment to approach Carlos Vela’s dad at a hotdog stand in an obscure North American football match. Arsenal doesn’t do brochures of the Michael Owen and Emmanuel Adebayor type, or YouTube 8 minute highlights. However, we can be confident that if there’s a player out there that can fit the Arsenal mould, our scouting system will find that player.

Of course we could pay over the odds and totally blow apart our wage structure to get some ’big name’ players in to stroke some egos. If Robinho, Dimitar Berbatov and Andriy Shevchenko are case studies in how not to spend ridiculous money on a player, then those who think big money equal success are in for a big disappointment. Arsenal don’t do big buck transfers, and brazen ’cheque book’ management is not Wenger’s M.O.

What is important though is building on the platform that has been developing during the last 4 years. Arsenal were well on track to great things 2 years ago until we lost Tomas Rosicky who limped off during a 4th round FA cup encounter against Newcastle; and Martin Taylor failed in his attempt to mutilate Eduardo’s ankle. This was followed in the next season with the loss of 75% of the midfield that had been so effective in the 2007-2008 season until that fateful January and February when we lost Rosicky and Eduardo respectively. If you also consider that Fabregas was out for at least 4 months in the 08-09 season, we effectively lost our entire first choice midfield after Rosicky’s injury, and Flamini and Hleb’s mercenary tactics to secure moves to ’greener pastures’.

Sometimes we under-estimate the impact of the decimation of our entire midfield core in this way. Add onto that the fact that during the business end of the 2008-09 season, we were literally operating without 75% of our preferred first choice defence with Clichy, Sagna and Gallas out with long term injuries. That’s why it’s remarkable that Arsenal went on a 21 game unbeaten run with our so called fringe players, and extended that positive run to become the most successful EPL side of the 2009 calendar year.

It would be a travesty to lose the camaraderie, team spirit and determination built during this period over the last 3 years because it has shown that Arsenal can survive through adversity. What is more important than the knee jerk reaction of jumping at the transfer window for reinforcements and a breath of fresh air, is to acknowledge the progress made internally. What better way of doing it than to ensure you give this squad the best ever chance of staying together for the foreseeable future. I would suggest that Ivan Gazidis and Arsene Wenger have illustrated how much of a class act they are by ensuring that since May last year, 15 players from the current squad of 29 have had new long term contracts secured and they can focus on working for the team.

The footballing world is sometimes so pre-occupied with the glamour and romance of big name signings in transfer windows, that it’s easy to forget that the biggest asset you have is within. Our current crop of players have been together for the best part of 4 years and the progress they’ve made as a team is truly remarkable. As much as I would personally welcome any new addition to the squad who will add true value, I’m more encouraged by Arsenal’s determination to keep this magnificent squad together.

I am definitely not a supporter of buying for the sake of buying or to appease the establishment.