It was particularly so for the last day of the transfer deadline. I was mercifully spared the horrors of Old Trafford by Hurricane Irene, but the very notion of a 6-goal defeat to United naturally amped up everyone for Deadline Day. With the unexpected joy of the Park and Mertesacker signings on the penultimate day, with the Santos signing imminent, I think we all felt confident that Arsenal would wrap up a midfield signing or two to close out the window. That confidence quickly began to wane, replaced by a melange of soaring hopes, bitterness, misdirected or completely undirected fury, depression and despair. Studies now say that 40% of Europeans and half of Americans will suffer from mental illness. On Deadline Day, about 98% of football fans are riddled with it.
Incidentally, I think the Europeans are buoyed in the mental health sweepstakes by the Danes. They're just unaffected! I think the only Dane who's ever been truly melancholy (outside of Hamlet) is Nick Bendtner in his debut photo for Sunderland.
Seriously, you'd think he'd gone from Champions League football to battling to stay out of releg--Right... nevermind then.
Finally though, the smoke did clear, Arsenal had five, count 'em, five new signings, and I no longer required mood-stabilizing medication. Arsenal signed a creative central midfield player with years of Premier League experience in former Everton man Mikel Arteta, and threw in a season-long loan of Israel captain Yossi Benayoun. Arteta already seems a jewel of a signing, going from being the lynchpin of Everton's midfield into a system at Arsenal that should allow him to blossom as David Moyes'system... perhaps 'robust' is the best term to describe it, hasn't previously. This of course depends on Arteta staying healthy, but it wouldn't be an Arsenal signing if injuries weren't a concern.
The midfield, back four and attack all strengthened, and done so with players who all possess one key element: Experience. Looking at the squad for the United match, particularly the bench, Arsenal were far too young. Francis Coquelin made his debut in the match, and by all accounts put in a good shift in the holding midfield role, but the bench was positively stocked with players who'd never seen regular time in the Premier League. The five players brought in, while not all veterans of English football, have had years in the top flight in Europe and in the national team. Benayoun and Park are both captains of their national teams, Mertesacker was captain of Werder Bremen and has 76 caps for Germany at age 26, Santos is a regular player in the Brazil squad and replaced Roberto Carlos at left back for Fenerbahce. Arteta is the only one without extensive time playing for his national team, but he does have more Premier League games under his belt than anyone at Arsenal, and to be fair to him there are very few midfielders in England who could break into Spain's midfield right now.
Was I looking for the marquee signing? Perhaps. I think as fans that's something we all hope our teams will do, bring in a big name to boost the club. But I'm not surprised. However, I'm pleased with the business Arsenal DID take care of and not terribly concerned with who we didn't sign. Also, we can take comfort that Arsene was at a football coaches conference in Switzerland during the transfer madness and not in his car, trolling for Sky Sports News cameras. That would be a tremendously sad thing for anyone to do, and far beneath the dignity of a Premier League manager.
Redknapp talks deadline deals SEPT 2009 by GlorifiedJester
What Arsene has done is rebuild the Arsenal squad. His hand was forced in this; we knew Cesc was going to leave this summer, but Samir Na$ri's defection to the greener wallets of Man City and Arsenal's decision (wise, in the end) to sell him on rather than lose him for nothing in a year created a massive hole in a squad that was not far from being title winners last season. That the club finally plugged that gap with some experience is to their credit; that it took them until the end of August is just silly.
Arsenal have brought in Gervinho, who I believe will have a huge impact for us this season despite his red card for the devastating right hook that knocked out Joey Barton. Three promising youngsters have arrived in Jenkinson, Chamberlain and Ryo (Like A New Signing! No, really). And 5 experienced heads have come into the squad to hopefully provide the calm and guiding influence that can only come from someone who's been through the wars on the pitch before. Taken as a whole, Arsenal should see a great deal more speed on the pitch (Gervinho, Park, Ryo, Chamberlain aka The O-C), more graft and hustle (Benayoun, Jenks), and more inventiveness in the midfield (Arteta). I'm not for a second saying we've improved over last season; the jury will be out for some time on that count. But we're in a much stronger position to push on now than we were the Sunday before last, and that begins tomorrow.
The home match against Swansea provides Arsenal with the opportunity to banish the ghosts of Old Trafford and begin anew. We will, as you no doubt know by now, be without the services of Jack Wilshere (who will miss 2-3 months), Tom Vermaelen (a month or more due to ankle surgery), Alex Song and Gervinho (suspension). Otherwise, we've got everyone back fit, although Rosicky it seems will face a fitness test. Mertesacker and Arteta will come right into the side out of necessity, while Benayoun and Santos will likely be substitutes. The club is still trying to work out the final kinks for Park's visa, but he's expected to be available as well. As such, I figure we'll see a lineup like the following for tomorrow:
Sagna-Koscielny-Mertesacker-Gibbs
Frimpong-Ramsey
Arteta
Theo-RVP-Arshavin
For a newly promoted side like Swansea, that SHOULD be enough to get all three points. I stress should, because we've seen Arsenal for years now go into matches against the lower lights of the league seeming to think that they'd be awarded a win just for turning up, only to be turned over by a hungrier side. But as I said, this is a new Arsenal. One hopes the bad habits of the past have been well and truly put aside and these Gunners will rise to the occasion. I can't tell you anything for certain. It's a funny old game, this. All we can do is go on supporting the Arsenal, and as always, Keep the Faith.
