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2014/15 is a big season for 3 Arsenal players – but for different reasons

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Hector Bellerin

There is an opportunity for young Hector Bellerin to make a claim to be Arsenal’s long term right back. Bacary Sagna’s replacement, Mathieu Debuchy, is 29, so he does not have a long term future at Arsenal. We signed Calum Chambers, who had previously played at right back for Southampton, but it is clear his future is at centre back.

Where that leaves us is in a situation where over the next couple of years, we will need a new right back.

Within the squad, it seems to be a straight shoot out. Carl Jenkinson v Hector Bellerin. With Jenkinson currently on loan (and injured) at West Ham, he gives Bellerin a terrific opportunity to impress, both in training and on the pitch.

At this moment in time, you feel that were Debuchy to get injured, Chambers would be his replacement, so Ballerin’s main opportunity to shine will be in the League Cup. He is 3 years junior to Carl Jenkinson and, at 19, certainly has a bright future.

Good performances in training coupled with composed performances when he is called upon for first team duty could ensure that, whilst not this season, but certainly future seasons, he is considered as Arsenal’s first choice right back.

2014/15 is a big season for Hector Bellerin. It could be the first step towards becoming an Arsenal great.

Jack Wilshere

Young Jack is no longer that young. During the course of this season, he will be 23. For a footballer, that means he is entering being middle-aged. He can no longer be classed as someone with potential, but as someone who should be performing week in week out.

He is in a similar situation as Aaron Ramsey was last season, who himself turned 23 in last years campaign. Ramsey turned from being a boy to a man and is now a key man in Arsenal’s first season. Jack Wilshere now needs to make a similar transition to secure his future with the club.

Failure to progress from where he is now puts him in a precarious position. He is currently not a first team starter, and there will become a point over the next 12-18 months when the likes of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Gedion Zelalem start increasing the pressure on him even more.

A failure to perform this season might result in Wenger considering selling him. With the likes of Zelalem and Dan Crowley now 17, there will become a time where it would make sense to cash in on Wilshere and give one of them a chance.

Wilshere is on the verge of falling into the same trap as Joe Cole. Continually being considered has having potential without fully fulfilling it. On the other hand, he is also on the verge of greatness. If he makes the same stride forward as Ramsey, he could become an Arsenal legend.

2014/15 is the season Jack Wilshere needs to step up and begin to fulfil his potential.

Mikel Arteta

Mikel Arteta is 32 and entering the last year of his contract. Last season he showed signs of slowing down. A true professional, he would not have been happy with his performances. You get the feeling that his Arsenal career is coming to an end. That if his contract ran out this summer, it would probably not be renewed.

He was still a key member of the Arsenal side last year, playing 43 games. This was more games then he had ever played in a single season for any club. He is our current vice-captain, and works hard with yougnsters at the training ground, providing them with a great role model.

By the end of the season, he will be 33. With Arsenal being linked this season with every half-decent defensive midfielder throughout Europe, it is likely he will not be first choice next season.

He is fighting for a new contract. In the games he plays next season, he needs top performances. He can not look of the pace, he can not look old. He needs to show that a combination of his experience, professionalism and ability means that he is worth keeping around, even on a year by year basis.

If at any point he looks slow, looks off the pace, it will become clear he is not part of Arsenal’s bright future, and he will be told next July that he can seek pastures new elsewhere.

2014/15 is an important season for Mikel Arteta, it could be his last at Arsenal.

Keenos

Who are Arsenal’s potential Champions League Play-off opponents?

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On Friday at 11am, Arsenal will know their fate in the Champions League. Potential opponents are Athletic Bilbao, Lille, Standard Liege, FC Copenhagen and Besiktas. But who exactly are they and what threat to they pose?

Athletic Bilbao

Finished a distant 4th in Spain, 20 points behind the winners Atletico Madrid, Athletic Bilbao would be a tricky tie for Arsenal. Famous for a transfer policy which involved only signing Basque players, they have plenty of exciting talent, with their star man being Iker Muniain. Despite having lost midfield general Ander Herrera to Manchester United, Bilbao will be a trick proposition.

Just a short low cost (until they hyke the prices up) flight, Bilbao is a nice easy journey. And who wouldn’t fancy a few days in Northern Spain?

Lille

Between me writing this and you reading this, I could have got a Eurostar to Lille and be sitting in the Northern French city drinking coffee. That is what will appeal to Arsenal fans. Little time off work. Cheap train, there and back in a day. Brilliant!

Lille finished 3rd in France behind the money bags of Europe PSG and Monaco. Since winning the title in 2011, they have regularly sold of there stars, including Gervinho, Eden Hazard, Florian Thauvin, Lucas Digna, Dimitri Payet and most recently Divock Origi to Liverpool – although they have loaned him back. Their main threat is Solomon Kalou. A good side, but should not cause Arsenal any problems.

Standard Liege

The Belgium city of Liege is around a 260 mile drive (and ferry) from London, making it easily commutable by car or mini bus. Getting a train via Brussels is also a realistic option.

Standard Liege would have been a threat 10 years ago, with Kanu and Stam in their side. Unfortunatly for them, they are Brazilian defender Kanu (Full name António Eduardo Pereira dos Santos) and former Wigan centre back Ronnie Stam. When your captain could barely get a game for Wolves, your star midfielder failed to make the grade at Spurs, and your big summer signing so far is 20 year old Tony Watt (who?) from Celtic, you can perhaps understand the challenge, or lack of, that Arsenal will face.

FC Copenhagen

In a similar vein to Standard Liege, FC Copenhagen have a numeorus players who once ‘starred’ in England. Andreas Cornelius signed for Cardiff last summer for £8million, played 8 games, did not score, and was sold back to FC Copenhagen for less than £2million in January. Steve De Ridder includes Southampton and Bolton as his previous clubs. Once managed by Roy Hodgson, they are a side who Arsenal really should beat.

Copenhagen is a wonderful city, but do you really want to be forking out for a flight to Denmark, considering the other destination on offer? Probably not.

Besiktas

The furthest journey of them all. Flights will cost over £500, so unless you already have a holiday booked in Turkey, it is a big chunk of cash to fork out.

With former Croatia manager Slavan Bilic in charge, Besiktas will not be an easy game. It is always tough playing away to a Turkish side, with their passionate and hostile fans creating an intimidation atmosphere. As usual with many Turkish sides, the majority of their squad is made up of Turkish players. Former Arsenal trainee Oguzhan Ozyakup runs the midfield, whilst former Fulham wonderkid Karim Frei (now Karim Koyunlu) provies a threat on the wing.

Their undoubted star money is Demba Ba, recently signed from Chelsea. With him upfront mixed with the Turkish crowd, they are one to avoid.

So who do I want?

1) Standard Liege
2) Lille
3) FC Copenhagen
4) Athletic Bilbao
5) Besiktas

Keenos

Arsenal ‘do the right thing’

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Over the years, we have bashed the club for anything and everything. From important issues such as ticket pricing and transfer policy, to insignificant factors such as the quality of beer and pies. If there is something to moan about, we have moaned.

In that spirit, it is only right that when the club do something which is correct and positive, we give them at least some little praise.

At the Emirates Cup, a friend of She Wore A Yellow Ribbon had a new Arsenal shirt along with other items worth over £90 stolen from under his seat whilst he sat there. He did not leave the bag unattended.

This is a disgusting move by someone. Stealing off their own. It is shocking and I hope the culprit receives a life time stadium ban – with all the CCTV the club has to catch people swearing and standing, it should not be hard.

Anyway, I digress. At the time, club stewards were fairly dismissive, informing our friend that they were unable to do anything and advised him to Email the club.

Our friend did as asked by the stewards, expecting to have little or no response. After all, it is not like he was complaining about anything serious, such as persistent standing or use of foul language.

Today, the club contacted our friend informing him that they will be giving him a replacement shirt and posting it out to him, all free of charge.

We criticise the club at times, but fair play to them this time for doing the right. Well done Arsenal!