my "analysis" of our squad:
GK - we lack a bonafide world class keeper. we have two decent options for #1. martinez, not sure he'll make it here. if we can sign a world class keeper, we should, but im not sure who is available and how much they'd cost. i mean, we're not getting de gea or courtois or neuer, so who are next 3-4 best keepers? and how sure are you they are world class? ospina could step up and claim the #1. ive never felt confident with szczesny back there. its like a girlfriend who cheats on you, you take her back, but in the back of your mind you are always worried it could happen again. he plays great, then goes off the boil, then he comes back in and you think okay, hes learned, and then he has a 'mare and you're right back where you were. wenger has dropped him a few times now because of his performance, but he clearly still rates him. i honestly dont know what will happen here, but i suspect it will be the same 3 next year that we have now.
RB - bellerin starts, debuchy as backup. i think debuchy is a capable backup for a top 4 team, people here dont seem to rate him, but hes actually done okay when fit. i think hes been unlucky with injuries this season. hes at a big club now, its not like he'll demand to leave if he doesn't start 40 games next year. good experienced backup, and can also play CB in an emergency. but he shouldn't be counted on there or factored in to play the position when we are planning our squad.
LB - i dont really rate either gibbs or monreal at this point. gibbs absolutely cannot stay fit for a full season and can't be trusted, and his end product going forward is largely disappointing. good athlete, good recovery speed, but not good enough to be starting for us. monreal looks like a rain soaked dog at times and doesn't have gibbs' athleticism. and i feel bad for him having to play CB this season. im fine keeping gibbs as 2nd choice and moving monreal, assuming we can sign a better all around LB this summer, but not sure its a priority for us, though i think maybe it should be.
CB - mert/kos as first choice is probably fine. mert was clearly off form earlier this season, and he had a long 2014 with the world cup and all of the games he played last year. its clear how important kos is, given how we've struggled when hes been out of the team, not just this year but last year as well. i guess ideally we'd bring in a better version of the player mertesacker is now to have him partner kos, then use mertesacker/chambers as the 2nd pairing. i think its clear chambers is a CB at this point, doesn't have the pace required to play RB in a team where we count on our rightbacks to bomb up and down the flanks. id make signing a world class CB a high priority this summer, then we'll have 4 good centerbacks at the club. ideally the new signing would be 26 or younger.
CM - it seems we are going to go with a deeper mid, a box to box, and an AM. coq seems like a good backup option beyond this season for the DM role. flamini should go, soon, and arteta should be right behind him. we need an elite defensively focused midfielder. ramsey and wilshere are the box to box guys at this point, though both are clearly not without question marks at this point. cazorla looks to be making the CAM spot his in ozil's absence, and the two of them should play in that position, not out wide.
FW - sanchez on the left and giroud in the center seems to be recipe now. welbeck is the giroud backup. ox and theo are probably the best bets for the wide right role right now. that really leaves an alternative to sanchez on the LW as the question mark.
since i like visuals, here. its always important to remember the 25 man squad limit, and that we need 8 home grown players included in that 25, and that we can use an unlimited amount of players who are under 21 as of January 1, 2015.
by my count, that gives us 10 home grown players, assuming jenkinson comes back, but im not sure about that. i left in a few guys who should be upgraded on (monreal, gibbs) for now
bellerin, chambers and bielik won't count against the 25 man limit. Even leaving in guys like Monreal, Arteta and Rosicky, we'd have 4 slots open to buy non-homegrown players. im assuming the guys on the right in the not accounted for column will disappear this summer, though who knows with a guy like diaby, who gets infinite chances. sanogo i guess will depend on his loan spell. hes 21, and i always forget if the rule is 21 and under or under 21. have to imagine podolski isnt coming back for sure.
anyway, there is what it looks like right now. we should have plenty of room to tweak this summer.
