Season 2011-12 Fan Articles

Mikel Arteta

By Gavin   McGarvey  ::  01/09/2011   89 Comments (»Last) I am disappointed and concerned by the sale of Arteta to Arsenal. I read a number of posters last night saying (and they may well be proved right) that it was a brilliant piece of business. Maybe it was, but selling Arteta is a risk. Make no mistake about it.

He is one of our few class players. Who else in our midfield can unlock teams? What happens when we fail to unlock teams? Then we either draw or lose. Draw or lose enough games and we?ll be in relegation territory.

Regardless of what happens next, Arteta has given us some great memories. Anyone who is lucky enough to get along to a match will have seen the way he can control and influence games. At his best he was pretty unstoppable, giving teams a torrid time, particularly down the right before he moved into centre midfield.

He could really run at a defence, then, in a second, split it apart with a great pass. He could shield the ball in midfield, and if the defender chose to leap in, there were few greater at winning a free kick. :) If there was a weakness in his game, it was that he failed to take enough shots, though a few times he scored a belter.

He?s gone now, so those are the qualities that (I hope) he will display for Arsenal (unless he?s playing against us). I really do wish him well, because I feel he did a fantastic job for us. Despite that, we are left to wonder what we will do without him.

Where will the goals come from? The margins in the Premier League are very fine indeed. Who will be good enough to create the goals for us?

For me, the responsibility for our season rests on the shoulders of three players: Baines, Osman and Barkley. I know Moyes, Kenwright etc are ultimately responsible but, unless they are about to put on a pair of boots and set up chances for the forwards, then that is a moot point. Maybe Drenthe and Stracqualursi (whoever they are, though I might have read about Drenthe before) will step up to the plate.

Out of our current squad, though, Baines, Osman and Barkley are the only ones who really possess creativity. I do worry about the pressure on Barkley at the minute; he really has big boots to fill, and he is only 17. Baines, I imagine, will probably be as steady as he has been for the last couple of years.

I remember people asking why we?d bought him when Lescott was holding down that left back slot, yet here we are and he is by far our best and most consistent player. As for Osman, well this is his last chance, so we?ll see what he makes of it.

So we will see how things turn out. I wonder where we will find another player to pull the strings in the centre of midfield. I guess we?ll see how things stand at the end of the season. Hopefully my fears will prove unfounded. Also I think we should show our appreciation for one of the best players to have graced the team in the last 20 years.

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