A CAPTAIN MARVEL
You know what I mean. That rock at the back, the one that throws himself into every challenge with full commitment. The one who puts his body on the line, week-in, week-out. The one to give those around him a rollicking when needed. Somebody we haven't had since the likes of "Mr Arsenal" himself, Tony Adams, or Martin Keown and Steve Bould. Koscielny and Mertesacker both have great qualities, don't get me wrong, but leadership isn't one of them. Even Wenger himself has said he believes that the defence doesn't communicate as it should. Not only that, but can you recall a time Adams ducked out of heading the ball, allowing the opponent to get on the end of it?? I certainly can't. Both Koscielny and Mertesacker have done just that this season. I imagine Adams would have watched those incidents, with the below expression:
Adams was a no-nonsense, old-school centre half. This is what we need at the back.. If you need reminding of some of Adams' career highlights, or are too young to remember them, take a look at the following video:
A MIDFIELD GENERAL
Everybody knows we need a midfield general. Everybody. It seems even Wenger is now realising it too. Having 5+ creative, technical, quick, little magicians is all well and good, but we need somebody to show grit, nerves of steel, somebody who will stamp their authority on the game, and pull the strings from deep midfield. Somebody like Patrick Vieira, a true boss in the middle of the park.
My Dad, an avid, season ticket holding, Manchester United fanatic, will disagree with me, as he did the other day, telling me "Vieira was nothing but a bully....until Keano sorted him out in the tunnel at Highbury". The rivalry between Vieira and Roy Keane was legendary. In my opinion, Vieira was the definition of a midfield general. Tackled hard, passed well, scored some goals, showed determination to succeed, was a leader, and had great passion for the club.
Not to get ahead of myself, but what Coquelin has displayed in the last 3 or 4 games, is that he is capable of demonstrating some of these qualities. Against City you could see him commanding his team-mates to concentrate, to calm down, pointing out an opponent's run, and the sort, whilst sticking to the task in hand and making sure he does his job, as well as telling others to do theirs. Passes the ball well, makes vital interceptions, and tackles hard. I like it - but can he perform as well as that in the majority of games?? Only time will tell.
I still think Wenger needs to go out and buy though. Flamini and Arteta aren't getting any younger. Wilshere would somewhat suit this position, as he did earlier in the season for both club and country, if only he could stay fit. Below is some of Vieira's best moments.
A NATURAL FINISHER
Whilst we have an array of attacking talent on hand, we do not have a "natural finisher".
We have the target men who are good in the air, and can hold the ball up well. We have the Henry/Suarez hybrid that is Alexis Sanchez. We have Danny Welbeck whose goalscoring is hit-and-miss. Not to forget Theo, but I have never really seen him as a centre-forward. We need someone who might not be the most technically gifted player, but one who knows where the back of the net is, and finds it on a regular basis. Flashback to Ian Wright.
Wrighty was not the most talented player - but he was by far the best finisher at the club in his day. He'd find the net more often than he would miss it. Growing up, he was my idol. He was a brilliant striker, a born goalscorer. They just don't make them like him anymore.
Most of his goals came from inside the box - as they should. I've lost count of how many times in recent seasons, the ball will be crossed into the opponent's box, only for us to have nobody there to receive the ball, and our striker on the day, be it Giroud or Welbeck, is somewhere deep in midfield. Wright was always in the box when needed, ready to put the ball in the back of the net, like he was meant to. We just don't seem to have a striker of that mould anymore.
He didn't just score tap-ins, he scored some spectacular goals, but more often than not, he was in the right place at the right time, showing a striker's instinct. Sometimes lacking in discipline, but I feel that just showed his hunger, his love for the club, and the desire to win games. (If you haven't read his autobiography, do so. You can pick it up on Amazon for a couple of quid. Well worth a read.)
Watch some of Wrighty's best goals and moments below:
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