It seems an age since Patrick Vieira scored that penalty to win us the 2005 FA Cup final in Cardiff.
Unfortunately, no Arsenal fan can hide from the fact that we have had to watch our side go an agonising six years without winning a trophy.
However, with a ‘stubborn’ Arsene Wenger stating that we can all expect an “active” transfer window for the club this summer, the tide looks like it’s about to change.
I am not a delusional fan. I’m realistic, and it’s clear to see that we need to invest in many new additions in time for next season, if we are to end this trophy drought.
Although I do believe we are heading in the right direction, improvements must be made to the squad in all areas of the pitch, ideally improving our consistency, as well as cutting out those devastating mistakes that seem to cost us every year.
Admittedly, we still have a long way to go, but it looks like we’re going to go about it in the right way.
We are surrounded by hugely-ambitious teams who are bound to spend big again this summer, bringing in top talent from all corners of the globe.
No fan should expect our problems to end immediately, just because we’re going to sign 4 or 5 new players. We face a challenging road ahead and we will have to fight incredibly hard from now, right up until May if we’re going to succeed.
Like me, feel free to feel optimistic about next season. With multiple new signings coming in, it’s only fair to believe that we will gain physical success sooner rather than later.
The only thing that’s preventing me from being utterly confident about next year, is the fact that two of our best players’ futures are in major doubt.
Samir Nasri has suggested that he would be open to a move to Manchester United, but has since remained silent in the media spotlight. The only thing we can do now is wait for him to make a decision.
He can either sign a new contract at Arsenal, or he can move to Manchester United (or another club), where I will expect him to state that he’s “delighted to finally achieve his boyhood dream…” – a line that’s lost all meaning in the global business that we call football.
On the other hand, we have Cesc Fabregas.
It appears likely that he’s going to go to Barcelona, in a deal that has seemed inevitable for a number of years now.
Ever since he scored his first Arsenal goal at Highbury in 2003, I have always been a big fan of Cesc. I was only 12 at the time, so it was only natural for me to support a player, who was barely older than me, scoring goals for The Gunners.
It’s been nearly 8 years since that League Cup match against Rotherham United and looking back, it’s unbelievable to think that Fabregas has matured into such a great football player.
Ultimately, he has progressed into a player that just oozes confidence, composure and class with every touch of the ball.
Despite being a long-time fan of Cesc, I have always had some doubts over him – mostly regarding the decision that saw him become captain of Arsenal Football Club.
Since he took over the captaincy from Williams Gallas in 2008, I was never sure whether Fabregas was the right choice at the time. And 3 years later, my thoughts haven’t changed.
There’s no denying that Cesc is a truly world-class player. But for me, I have never believed he is the best player to lead, organize and most importantly, command a whole team.
My personal preference as a replacement would be Thomas Vermaelen.
In my opinion, he is the player who should lead us out every game, next season. For me, I feel he has all the right ingredients of becoming a great Arsenal captain and should be given the chance to do so.
The only downside of Vermaelen is his long-term absence last season. If that Achilles injury ever came back, then we’d be in real trouble – no matter how many centre backs we sign this summer!
Ideally, the medical team will be able to state that it’s ‘very unlikely’ that the injury will return, but as we all have to accept, you can never be too sure with injuries like this.
People will argue that Robin van Persie is the right man. Admittedly, he was fantastic last year, especially as we approached the end of the season. He was there to score goals, when we needed him and no one can doubt his fantastic determination – especially given the fact that the team had already started thinking about their summer holidays, before the season had even finished!
Others will suggest that Jack Wilshere should be given the chance. Tempting as it is, I will have to wait a couple of years before I can agree to that. We all know Jack is a real winner and has a real chance to become an Arsenal captain, but I don’t think it’s the right time for him – not just yet.
Whether Fabregas leaves or not, I will suggest that the 25-year old Belgian should be given the captaincy. After all, it’s a new season, it’s a new day and hopefully, Thomas is feeling good.
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