What better place to start than the end: the 2008-09 Player-by-Player Review

---

Welcome to Arsenality.

To put it mildly, it hasn’t been one of the best seasons of Wenger’s reign, and it wasn’t helped by the seemingly endless series of disasters transpiring both on and off the pitch. Old Man Gallas embarrassed the club with that bizarre outburst in November, making less than flattering comments about his junior team-mates and subsequently losing the captaincy (which seems, in hindsight, a good decision by Arsene), our injury problems went from bad to worse, and things in the dressing room turned so sour that even the unflinchingly loyal Kolo Toure became so unsettled as to turn in a transfer request. Worst of all, we nearly lost out on Champions League qualification, and may still struggle in the qualifying rounds if we’re the ones to suffer from the new non-champions-hating draw. You know it’ll be us who draws the team from Italy or Spain.

However, despite finishing trophyless yet again, we have a lot to be pleased about on the back of a rollercoaster campaign. After several years of Almunia and Lehmann repaying Wenger’s faith with a string of horrific clangers whenever given an opportunity, the former seems to have developed into a reliable number 1. Alex Song is showing signs of becoming the midfield monster we’ve been crying out for since Vieira left, Arshavin has been the best impact signing I can remember, and it seems like a couple of the home-grown boys might finally be working their way into Wenger’s plans.

We were given some cracking games, including the 2-1 win over Man U back in October, the 4-4 at Liverpool and, I suppose, the 4-4 at home to Spurs, all of which saw some incredible creative play and goals of sheer brilliance, such as the screamers by Nasri and Arshavin. The defence even pitched in with some nice assists for the likes of Yossi Benayoun and Jermaine Jenas.

Although the team is still receiving plaudits for its stylish football, its weaknesses have been exposed time and time again, often by weaker opposition. It defies belief that a club expected to challenge for the title could lose to Hull, Stoke and Fulham, as well as hand comfortable victories to Chelsea and Aston Villa at home. While we have dominated nearly every fixture this season thanks to our midfielders’ creativity and our passing game, we’ve not even come close to matching the rest of the Big Four in defence.

Anyway, here are the ratings for each first-team player.

---

Manuel Almunia: 9/10

Almunia has been solid throughout the season, almost unrecognisable compared to the wildly erratic back-up for Jens Lehmann who, only a few years ago, seemed nothing more than a last-resort signing of the same dismal variety as Mart Poom. I genuinely think that, if the rest of the country stops moaning and remembers it was denied a place at Euro 2008 largely thanks to a Brazilian-born “Croatian” (I still love you Eduardo), he has what it takes to be England Number 1. He was our only consistent player throughout our atrocious start to the season, and has made some incredible saves, winning us a good few points in the league. He has the confidence of a top goalkeeper, timing runs off his line perfectly and very rarely beaten in one-on-ones. He’s also grown into the role of vice-captain admirably.

Abou Diaby: 5

Woeful on many occasions, Diaby has failed to develop sufficiently as a footballer since he arrived in January 2006. Fielded in big games for his physical nature, he lacked the presence expected of him. Surprisingly poor in the air, easily beaten in possession, and frequently holding onto the ball too long, he has been a liability, and is almost guaranteed to blow an attack as soon as he gets involved, usually because of his apparent lack of ball control. One positive is that Wenger seems to have finally reined in his habit of indiscriminately blasting wayward shots from 30 yards when he runs out of ideas. Some good performances, the best of which came against Manchester United at home and Newcastle away, but his displays against Chelsea were disastrous and he has been largely ineffective all season.

Bacary Sagna: 7

Sagna was reliable all season, but failed to match the impressive form of 07-08. He’s been much less of an attacking threat, with some woeful crossing, but one of our few solid defenders. He appears considerably more composed than the rest of our backline, and is rarely caught out of position despite his contribution down the right flank. He needs to work on his attacking play and communication, but he has certainly been among the most consistent right-backs in the league this year.

Cesc Fabregas: 7

Cesc didn’t quite hit the breathtaking heights of last season, but he has injury to blame for that. He was utilised in an attacking role during the business end of the season, but has proved that he belongs in a deep-lying role where he can run the midfield and set the tempo of our play. I think many people suspect that he has been given the captaincy to dissuade him from leaving, and he hasn’t yet proven himself worthy of the armband. However, he’s always one of the hardest-working players in the team, and he more than makes up for his lack of size with his Napoleonic-syndrome-driven tenacity.

Kolo Toure: 6

Kolo looked much less assured this season, having to play alongside unfamiliar partners for much of the campaign. His poor decision-making has led to several mistakes, and he needs a classic centre-back in the mould of Sol Campbell to accompany him in Gallas’ absence. At times he has been turned far too easily by opposition forwards, but generally closes them down well and doesn’t get rushed into committing himself.

Tomas Rosicky: 1

Rosicky made very little effort this season, and at times seemed completely absent.

Samir Nasri: 7

A typical Wenger signing, Michael Macintyre has fit perfectly into the Arsenal style. Perhaps worthy of a higher rating, he has failed emphatically in the defensive midfield role, and Arsenal’s defeat in the Champions League semi-finals was largely a consequence of Nasri and Fabregas, bizarrely, swapping roles on the back of one successful experiment at home to Middlesborough. Prior to this blemish, he defended well on the left wing, getting back to help out regularly, but his talent is wasted in front of the defence, and tackling is not his strength. He was one of our most threatening players when deployed in a more natural attacking role, always managing to get in the right position to cross and showing great technique.

Eduardo: 8

Based on the hour or so that he was brought back to life for, it looks like he’s still got that knack of finding the net. We may never know whether that goal against Burnley was intended, but it showed that he’s both clinical and bloody lucky in front of goal, something we could have done with for most of the past 18 months. However, whatever fortune he does have on the pitch is somewhat dampened by his lack of fortune in getting on it in the first place. If he’s back to full fitness by the start of next season, there’s a good chance he’ll be taking Hard-Working Ade’s place.

William Gallas: 8

His petulance earlier in the season shouldn’t be forgotten; the last thing the kids needed during a bad patch was for one of the few players who doesn’t have to worry about the added pressures of homework and losing his virginity to come out and slate them all mercilessly in the press. However, Gallas has had a solid season. He bounced back from losing the captaincy with some excellent performances, and must be credited with keeping us in the race for fourth place when it looked impossible. The season could have ended so differently had it not been for his injury, as he was on excellent form since Christmas, running our back line and making some crucial tackles.

Robin Van Persie: 8

RVP started brightly and hit scintillating form over December and January, waning considerably in the last few months of the season, but ultimately our top scorer. He became the creative force in Fabregas’ absence, but was often anonymous following the captain’s return from injury, and although he struck up a decent connection with Clinical Ade early in the season, injuries to both have caused further disruption to any potential partnership. He has done his ‘next Bergkamp’ tag no harm, with a pivotal role in most of our plays and an accurate finish, but needs to display much more consistency to merit such praise in the future. He’s the only forward who can regularly hit the net from distance, and takes a scorching free kick. He’s always energetic and does his best to close down defenders, at times even defending fairly well from the front.

Carlos Vela: 7

Didn’t play as much as most fans had hoped, but he certainly demonstrated his immense promise. Vela scored some excellent goals this season, most notably with two sensational finishes in the 6-0 demolition of Sheffield United, which he completed with a hat-trick. Hopefully he has now proven that he cannot play on the left and Wenger will never try him there again; he often leaves the left-back with no support, or exposes him completely with an enormous gap. His natural position is clearly up front, where he is a mean dribbler and is in the best place to loft in those exquisite chips, and hopefully he will be given more first-team opportunities next season.

Theo Walcott: 8

Theo suffered a long-term injury just as his career was really taking off, but he came back and instantly showed us how much we had missed him. His strength and technique have come on leaps and bounds, and he can tear a defence to shreds. However, his composure is still lacking, and he really can’t be trusted in front of goal just yet. Almunia rightly pointed out that Walcott is ‘too nice’, and needs to bring more grit into his game if he’s going to reach his full potential, particularly if he’s going to carry on playing regularly in right midfield.

Denilson: 6

A good start to the season, but petered out in the last few months, losing his place to an improving Alex Song. Lacks the tenacity of a quality defensive midfielder, and is too similar – in some respects – to Cesc Fabregas to partner him in a four-man midfield. His passing and industry are his most notable strengths, and he seems destined to be a back-up to Fabregas, if not Song, for the foreseeable future. Similarly to another Brazilian midfielder who plied his trade at the Emirates (and should still be…) a quiet game means a good game.

Aaron Ramsey: 7

Ramsey was given few opportunities this season, but impressed when he did play. He seems to naturally impose himself in midfield, and his passing is second only to a certain Mr Fabregas. He may be useful in a five-man midfield in a slightly more advanced role than Cesc, although it’s still unclear exactly what Wenger has planned for him. He proved himself as an attacking threat against Dynamo Kyiv in Europe and Wigan in the Carling Cup, playing smart through balls and haranguing both goalkeepers. Just about edges a 7 for choosing us over the Mankers.

Alex Song: 8

A relatively unknown quantity at the start of the campaign, he showed signs of becoming the midfield enforcer Arsenal have lacked in recent years. Excellent in the tackle, and frequently winning 50-50s, his tendency to almost immediately lose possession appears to have been largely eradicated, although I am uncomfortable seeing him push up to support the attack, leaving the fragile defence exposed too often. Song is one of the few players who consistently steps up to the plate for the big games, and, when needed, he’s a much better centre back than…

Mikael Silvestre: 4

An inadequate back-up for Toure and Gallas, and an embarrassing signing in the first place – Ferguson probably thought the bid was a wind-up. He is often sluggish in defence, failing to close down opponents and frequently beaten. He was always much better at left-back anyway, but having lost a yard of pace really doesn’t fit the bill in either position. I assume we’re stuck with him for at least another frustrating year, but he really should never have been signed in the first place, for the sake of principle if anything.

Johan Djourou: 8

Djourou briefly worked his way into the first team at the expense of Gallas and then Toure, although admittedly their exclusion was for other reasons. It seemed to occur to Wenger for a few weeks that we need at least one centre back whose toes can reach the pedals, and, luckily for Johan, his dim but sizable compatriot had been chosen as the perfect stand-in for Alessandro Nesta and was busy setting the world alight where he apparently belongs, with fellow football gods Kaka and Ronaldinho. Despite being by far the youngest centre back in the first team, Djourou was dependable in all of his performances. He’s an all-round athlete and, although fairly quiet and not the most aggressive of players, his positioning and marking are excellent and he’s deceptively strong.

Lucasz Fabianski: 7

Emo had a decent season, although he won’t be in a hurry to play against Chelsea again. He played well in the Carling Cup, and was exceptional against Man U at home and Villarreal away, having come on to replace an injured Almunia in both games. He was unfortunate to draw the most attention for his performance in the FA Cup semi-final, where his nerves got the better of him, but it mustn’t be forgotten that he’s very young for a goalkeeper. His reflexes are excellent, and, like Almunia, he’s a quick shot-stopper. However, his tendency to confuse his position with Alex Song’s suggests he’s spent a bit too much time around Jens Lehmann.

Gael Clichy: 6

Despite generally playing well, he has failed to replicate the form which previously earned him the ‘Mr Reliable’ tag. He’s made some significant errors, most notably in gifting Spurs a late equaliser at the Emirates. Thankfully, however, he hasn’t tried any more injury-time tricks in his own half in front of an opponent on the counter-attack, and he has consistently provided support to the forwards. He’s still a fan favourite and a lynchpin of our full-back-oriented style of attack.

Andrey Arshavin: 9

The talented peewee reinvigorated our campaign, frequently Arsenal’s best player on the pitch and giving some dazzling displays. His record of both creating and scoring goals suggests that we have finally found a true replacement for Robert Pires. He’s fit in exceptionally well and has already made his mark on club history with his one-man show at Anfield and that outrageous goal against Blackburn. His touch never seems to let him down, and he’s capable of actually beating players.

Emmanuel Adebayor: 6

Underpaid Ade has returned to pre-07/08 form, failing to consistently threaten up front and turning in a series of lethargic displays in the latter half of the season. To be fair, he did score an outstanding equaliser away at Villarreal, but that wasn’t one of his best games, and he looked comically gangly and mal-coordinated when he took it. Although some absurd tactics have isolated him in recent games, and we all know what he’s capable of, he shouldn’t be dependent on long balls and has often been guilty of losing possession; more frustratingly, he never chases back when this happens. Last season it looked like Henry had exerted an enormous impact on his finishing before he left – this season it looked like Senderos had done likewise.

Nicklas Bendtner: 8

I think Bendtner has finally proven his Premiership credentials this season. Much of the Emirates crowd has certainly learned to love him, and it seems like Wenger’s beginning to reward him for his superior work ethic and impact with a place ahead of Sharp-Shooting Ade. I must insert a big HOWEVER here – he does not fit the role of conventional centre forward, mainly due to the fact that his finishing has, far too often, been atrocious. His recent deployment on either wing has worked wonders – notably at home against Roma – and I think he has a future coming in off the flank, if not playing in the hole. Despite being ridiculed by many of the Premiership’s more ignorant fans, he is an absolute pain in the arse for defenders with his smart runs, and his sheer strength and aerial ability make him a handy alternative to our nippy but diminutive wingers.

Emmanuel Eboue: 6

I can’t really talk about Eboue’s season without mentioning that game at home to Wigan. However, all players come back from injury a bit off the pace – except Eduardo – and his form has been decent since then. His performance in the Spurs away game pretty much summed up Eboue; he was the hardest worker on the pitch, even scoring a bizarrely disallowed goal, until he let his psychotic side take over to ensure an early departure. He seems to have lost his first-team place to a deserving Walcott, but has demonstrated why he was signed in the first place with some decent displays at right-back.

Kieran Gibbs: 8

Thrown in at the deep end, Gibbs coped with the pressure well. Obviously, a notable blip was his fall against Man Utd in the Champions League semi-finals, and subsequent withdrawal, but he bounced back extremely well. He seems to be a natural replacement for Ashley Cole, but with a better temperament, and from what I’ve seen, he’s an excellent crosser of the ball. Extremely popular with the Emirates faithful, he was a revelation this season, and I reckon Capello wasn’t just at Anfield for the Gerrard-less 4-4 draw to keep an eye on Walcott.

---

Ideal Signings:

I think Gazidis and Wenger are right not to panic, because we don’t need wholesale changes at the club. We just need to supplement the youth policy with a couple of experienced players – just look at the impact Arshavin had. One thing we do need is height and strength, particularly due to our abysmal record of defending set-pieces, and it won’t hurt our flowing football to have one or two bruisers at the back. The team actually looks top-heavy; I can’t imagine Toure, Gallas and Silvestre doing well practicing corners against Adebayor and Bendtner, if we ever do practice the damned things in training.

The team still requires a large, dominant centre back. A player with the build of Senderos would not go amiss, provided he has much better anticipation and pace than our cumbersome friend. I wouldn’t mind if we sign Mamadou Sakho, who is an absolute beast, although he’s only a teenager. Joleon Lescott might be what we’re looking for, having fitted in seamlessly at Everton after making the leap from the Championship, while Sebastian Bassong and Brede Hangeland, admittedly both still unproven at the top level, have had great seasons, and the latter did have a blinder in Fulham’s 2-0 win over Man U. I would love to see Matty Upson come back but unfortunately he’s an established England international available for a reasonable price, so we’ll clearly have to look elsewhere.

Despite promising signs from Alex Song and, to a lesser extent, Denilson, the team needs a tough midfielder with the tenacity and strength of Patrick Vieira. Wenger missed a golden opportunity when Wilson Palacios was available in January, but hopefully will look for someone similar this summer. Yaya Toure may be a realistic signing who would be perfect for our midfield, while Angelo Palombo of Sampdoria is a more defensively-minded, well-built version of Flamini. Gareth Barry may be an idea, but our poor showing in this campaign has put us in a weaker position than last summer to appeal to him over Liverpool.

Oh, and one more: Gary Lewin. Our injury record has been devastating since you left, please come back.

Ideal Sales:

Abou Diaby is no longer young enough to merit Wenger’s inexhaustible patience, showing no signs of improving this season. Fabregas, Song, Denilson, Nasri, and Bendtner are all younger yet have shown much more promise. He does not belong on the wing, and many fans prefer to see him deployed in the centre, or not at all. We’ve seen glimpses of his raw talent, but all too often this season he was our worst performer, and if he hasn’t improved by next summer, he will almost certainly have to move on.

Mikael Silvestre was one of Wenger’s least ambitious signings, sending Man United and the rest of the League a clear message about Arsenal’s title credentials. He simply lacks the motivation and ability to play in an already light-weight defence. A championship-winning team does not look to sign temporary back-ups, it looks for the best available players and expects them to challenge for a first-team place, whatever their age.

---

So there we have it. Put down your vote for player of the season in the poll at the top of the page, and leave a comment to let me know what you think. I'll be following the transfer rumours and friendlies over the summer, and posting plenty of articles in the meantime.