Arsenal’s forward line is well-stocked, with or without van Persie

What a mess we are apparently in, eh? I refer, of course, to Robin van Persie. A player who is, as I write, drawing extreme reactions from Arsenal fans across the globe. While some Gooners write the saga off with a “meh”, some blame the club for not handling the situation properly, and some subject themselves to excruciating pain and anxiety, worrying over the fate of this man. Then there are people like me, who spend a little time on each one of these phases, trying to attain some sort of peace (I have, now).

There are quite a few strings of thought one can thread together from here. The possible implications for Arsenal, the mental state that Arsenal would be left in, the twist that the title race would take, and so on and so forth. However, none of these are really worth pursuing because, as I have found, they bring nothing but suffering (for the most part). So, then, since we are Gooners and can’t possibly think of anything but football and Arsenal, I decided to turn to exactly that.

One theory doing the rounds is that Arsenal will be a place where responsibility is shared on the pitch if Robin leaves. Looking at the options we have in the attacking midfield position – Cazorla, Rosicky, Ramsey, Wilshere (?) – I believe that shared responsibility is not at all an impossible task. We have brought in Giroud and Podolski as well, both strikers who are entering their prime and are eager to do it on a big stage at a big club.

But is it possible for them to work in a system without van Persie? Well, as far as I could make out, it worked pretty brilliantly in the 4-0 win against Koln, where the two of them played together in the first half, and Arsenal scored three. What we saw there might just be a glimpse of the Arsenal of this season. It was an Arsenal brimming with creativity, playing beautiful football, and making it all look ridiculously easy.

The kind of squad we have amassed allows us to work with different permutations and combinations, especially when it comes to the forward line. We saw against Koln how Podolski and Walcott worked so well on either side of Giroud. Podolski’s sense of positioning is second to none and he proved that in his second goal when he hammered in a cut back with his left foot. Giroud helped link play brilliantly, in a way I have rarely seen Chamakh do. He knocked down the ball for players, and always had one eye on the goal, shooting whenever he got the chance. Encouragingly, his understanding with Walcott also seems to be one that will bear significant fruit in the future.

Poldi the prince

Walcott’s role in the side cannot possibly be understated. He adds a zing to the side with his pace, and on his day is one of the best wingers in the world. If he can develop a partnership with Giroud (which, as mentioned, looks promising), it would make us a fearsome force going forward (Yes, I’m aware I narrowly missed out on alliteration there – fearsome force forward).

Another quantity here that we can’t possibly ignore is that man Gervais Lombe Yao Kouassi. Also known affectionately as Gervinho, and not-so-affectionately as Le Forehead, or simple Forehead, he is someone who has the ability to torment defenses. He has had a blinder of a pre season, mercilessly tearing apart every full back he has faced. Judging from his performances, there can be no reason why he doesn’t start in the season opener against Sunderland. However, there are times in any match where he seems utterly clueless about what he is supposed to do, rather aimlessly running around with the ball, achieving very little in the process. It is this diabolical-ness that has led many a Gooner to question his place in the first 11. This season will certainly be vital for him, but I feel that we need his pace and unpredictability in our squad. If Podolski is to play on the wings, that will be great competition for Le Forehead as well, which can only push him on to better things.

Vital season for Gervinho

The fact that, alongside all these options, we have Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain on the bench proves how good our squad is in terms of depth. He is certainly set for a massive season, and we can now expect him to seriously contribute to our season. Whether Le Prof uses him in a central role or not remains to be seen, but he was fantastic on the wings last season. He takes players on and isn’t afraid to shoot – a truly explosive talent, and a more than capable back up for Walcott.

One has to remember, however, that our new signings are all from overseas. They are not yet fully match fit, and so an interesting option to explore is Gervinho playing as striker. We saw this with Arshavin the season before last, and well, I have mixed feelings about that. For a match or two, though, I feel it will work just fine. In pre-season, Gervinho has impressed in that false nine-ish role, and I think he can do a decent job against the small teams. His runs into the box and his dribbling skills will be something most central defenders will not have faced.

When the squad is close to full fitness, we may also see a few games where we employ a 4-4-2 formation. That will bring back memories of the Invincibles for a lot of Gooners, and will be intriguing to see. Wenger has hinted that he feels Podolski is a central striker, and Giroud is obviously one as well. So maybe Giroud up front with Podolski in the hole will do the trick? Or maybe Theo gets his chance in the middle, and plays behind Giroud or Poldi? It is certainly fascinating to see how each scenario would play out. Giroud setting up Podolski for a thunder strike, or Cazorla finding Walcott in the middle of one his runs behind the defense – it’s all most enticing. 4-4-2 is also Wenger’s favored formation – he once said that you could cover the highest percentage of the ground with the highest efficiency in a 4-4-2 system – so an occasional shift must not be discounted. What’s more, now we have the players to do it as well.

In a season that lasts nine months, with few breaks in between, rotation is vital. What we have this season is the potential to do just that. Lest we forget, Maroon Chamakh (couldn’t be bothered to look the spelling up) is also sitting on the bench, so there are a few secrets hidden in the depths of our squad. Whisper it softly, but Chu Young Park is another such well kept secret.

All this is honestly quite impressive. The variations that we can play with lend us an advantage that we must make use of. The forward line is the strongest it has been for some time – Walcott is ready, Gervinho is settled, Chambo is waiting to explode, Giroud is eager to impress, and Poldi, well, Poldi is a prince. If you look at these players, their average age is 24. Throw in Arshavin (I haven’t forgotten about him, no, but I think he will play in a central role, if at all) and Chamakh, and that jumps up to 25.6. I think that’s a forward line that is approaching its peak and is ready to fire on all cylinders.

It’s time for us to make our move on the pitch now. Like always, Forward!