Trip to Prague Hints at Looming Problems

Arsenal face Slavia Prague tonight in a game which could see us ensure qualification from the group stages of the Champion’s League. While the 7-0 drubbing we delivered a fortnight ago suggests the Czechs aren’t up to much, no one can seriously expect a repeat performance. Interestingly, Wenger has chosen this match for his first foray into squad rotation (the carling cup notwithstanding) this season. Fair enough, the games are coming thick and fast, and resting our three best performing players of the season in Cesc, Toure and Hleb makes a great deal of sense. However, Kolo’s absence has got me wondering, where are all the centre backs? Granted, with Phillipe Senderos injured and Johan Djourou on loan we were bound to be scraping the barrel, but if those players had been available I would hold the same concerns.

William Gallas proved on Saturday why Arsene Wenger made him captain, he is a world-class defender with truly inspirational qualities. Yet like Sol Campbell before him, Gallas arrived as the finished product, a rare thing for one of Wenger’s signings. Kolo Toure on the other hand has been moulded into a truly great player under the Frenchman’s tutelage, but I would suggest he is the only player of his class - in his position, that has followed the Wengerian model to the top.

In 1996-7 Wenger found himself with Steve Bould, Martin Keown and Tony Adams, three of the greatest defenders England has ever produced. Since then Matthew Upson, Igor Stepanovs, and Pascal Cygan are to my memory the only three first team centre backs that Arsene has signed (with the exception of Campbell and the current incumbents). While Upson currently plies his trade for West Ham (rocking a rather wonderful beard), I don’t need to remind you of the woeful ineptitude of the hapless Latvian (Old Trafford anyone?), and whilst Villareal pleasantly surprised us two summers ago by recouping the £2.1m paid to sign Cygan, I think you’ll agree he was a truly average player.

But what of Djourou and Senderos? Surely when both are back in the reckoning we will have two ample back up central defenders? In my opinion that is quite simply wrong. While I have been consistently impressed by Djourou, he has repeatedly stated that his preferred position is central midfield, so lets add him to the list of players who could play centre-back but would rather be somewhere else: Djourou, Hoyte, Sagna, Gilberto, Song, this is never a long term, viable solution, we must find round pegs for round holes. Phillipe Senderos, despite showing great potential in his debut season has, in my opinion, steadily regressed. He is totally lacking in pace, and consistently fails to use his height (a rare thing for Arsenal defenders) and apparent strength, against the more physical premiership strikers, as Didier Drogba, Kenwyne Jones and Yakubu will testify. At the age of 23 he is not up to it, simple as that, and if Cashley is to be believed his attitude stinks.

And so tonight, one of the biggest clubs in the world enters the world’s biggest club competition with only one centre back in a squad of 16. I for one hope that Arsene can persuade Johan Djourou that his long term future lies at centre back, and that under Gallas’ tutelage, he can prove to be an ample deputy to the Nations Cup bound Toure. If not we must pray that we come through January unscathed, and that Willy and Kolo remain ever presents thereafter.