Five Players That Can Make The Difference For Arsenal

With the Manchester clubs going through coaching changes, now is the time for the London clubs to step up and claim superiority in the English Premier League.  Arsenal, of all the London clubs, plays the best soccer and should take steps to make sure success is guaranteed for the next couple years.  Here we take a look at five players who can make a difference for the red side of London.

• Stefan Jovetic

There has been a lot of talk about Jovetic and his rumored move to Arsenal.  He is a player who could potentially change the effectiveness of Arsenal's Attack.  He has bags of skills on the ball, and has been able to score goals in a notoriously stingy Serie A.  He is exactly the type of player Arsenal tends to go for,.  And while the gunners missed out on the likes of Juan Mata and Eden Hazard, they should be careful not to miss out on a talented player like Jovetic.  He is the type of player who can help lift the burden placed on Santi Cazorla.  He can play as a striker, and in midfield which is a bonus any way you look at it.  He is also primed to join a big club.  He wants to consistently play in the Champions League which is something he is more likely to get at Arsenal than at Fiorentina.  Juventus is reported to be interested in him, but Fiorentina is not going to want to sell to a rival in Serie A, which should help Arsenal in presenting their case to the team. 

• Gonzalo Higuain

Gonzalo Higuain is a fantastic striker.  He may not always be a hit for Real Madrid, but he is one of the best strikers in the world.  His time in Madrid has been very odd, because he has always performed, but never really got the recognition he deserves.  In a team comprised of the like of Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema, Higuain still manages to score a lot of goals every year.  Now that he has made it clear that he wants to leave Real Madrid, there will be a lot of teams lining up for his services.  For all that has been reported, it looks as if he will be heading to Juventus, but that does not mean Arsenal should not bid for him.  He would be a fantastic addition to the Gunners's roster, and should relegate Giroud to the bench.  Higuain is strong in the air and has excellent technical abilities, something Giroud is missing.  London will also provide Higuain with a more relaxed atmosphere.  Arsenal does not have the historical context of Real Madrid to contend with so there will not be as much pressure on the Argentine to do the impossible.

• Mats Hummels

Mats Hummels is by far the most improbable of possible Arsenal players.  The German center back is a player in high demand.  He is technically sound, and has a knack for perfect tackles.  Arsenal has some good center backs, but none of them can compare with the technically astute German.  He has shown in his games for the national team and for Dortmund that he can contest with the best players out there.  He can also score goals which is always a plus.  With Thomas Vermaelen not at his best recently, a player like Hummels would be fantastic in the heart of the Arsenal defense.  He is good at organizing, and he can be the difference maker when faced one on one with an opponent.  On top of that, he does not appear to be as clumsy as a certain German giant currently plying his trade in London.

• Victor Valdes

Victor Valdes should be number one on Arsenal's list of potential recruits.  The Barcelona goalkeeper is not a young man, but he is very experienced and very good at what he does.  He has stated that he plans on leaving the Catalan club this summer, which would work in Arsenal's favor.  He is looking for a challenge, and the gunners can use an experienced head in the back when the games get tough.  He can be inspirational for Arsenal's youngsters, because he has won a lot of trophies throughout his career with Barcelona and Spain.  While Arsenal can put faith in their young goalkeepers, it is time they take the risk of hiring a player who has won a lot and knows how to close out games.  Valdes will not be an expensive recruit and Arsenal will instantly look like a better team with him in goal.

• Clement Grenier

Clement Grenier is not the finished article.  But only a fool would doubt just how good this kid is.  In his young career, he has already shown that he can perform under pressure.  He is one of the best players in a Lyon squad that includes former prodigy Yoann Gourcuff.  He has a tremendous shot and is strong on the ball.  With the likes of Diaby unable to cut it anymore, and Rocicky coming closer to the end of his career, Grenier can be groomed to be one of the leaders of the gunners squad next to Wilshere and Ramsey.  Arsene Wenger has already shown interest in the youngster, and Grenier is more than ready to step up to the Premier League.  He is used to having competition, and is strong willed so he is not going to crash like so many foreign players who move to the English Premier League.

Post Ferguson

I have to admit Arsenal happens to be one of my favorite soccer teams. There are of course several other teams that I like, including Juventus, Liverpool, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich. But at the end of the day Arsenal is where my heart is. And because of this, I find it disheartening that year after year, the people who run the club are perfectly fine with aiming for fourth place. There is nothing wrong with playing in the Champions League every year, but it is quite apparent that there is a real dearth of ambition at Arsenal.

It is difficult to blame Arsene Wenger for Arsenal's woes, but I would like to blame him for signing players who have zero heart.  When you watch Arsenal play, you often wonder if some of these players even care about the club they're playing for or if they're there just to collect a fat paycheck.

As the summer approaches, it is my hope and the hope of all Arsenal fans everywhere that Arsene is given money to improve the team.  And it is my hope that the oft lauded manager become a bit more ruthless and gut the team, removing all non essential players and removing players who just don't have the heart to play for a team like Arsenal.

In the post Ferguson era, there is a real opportunity for another team to usurp Manchester United, and Arsenal needs to take advantage of that.

Arsenal Comeback

In a comeback fashion, today Arsenal came back from the purgatory to beat Chelsea. The blue half of London had taken a lead through a Johan Djourou own goal from a shot by Bosingwa, but then things seemed to go down hill for Chelsea.

The second half started with Arsenal putting some steel into their play. The Chelsea players seemed as though they could not pass the ball if their lives depended on it. Arsenal came back with what looked like a slight offside that was not called. Robin Van Persie took his chance and blasted the ball in.

Then the Chelsea defense slept a little and allowed Van Persie to punish them once more. It seems like Arsenal are on their way back into the top half of the league.

William Gallas, Shut Your Trap

The captain of a team has one duty: to lead the team. William Gallas is an idiot. As the leader of the team, you don't go to the media to bitch and whine about players in your team. You make sure that you do all you can do to clean the house up and make sure that everyone on the team is on the same page. It's a good thing that he did not name the player he referred to in his statement to the press, but even going out and talking about it does nothing to help the matter. He has no doubt alienated the player that is the supposed cause for the rift in this film.

Since his move from Chelsea, Gallas hasn't shown any of the leadership skills and tenacity of a John Terry or Patrick Viera. Gallas' mouth puts in more effort than the player himself. If things are to be fixed in the arsenal camp, Gallas needs to close his mouth and talk face to face with his teammates. He needs to address the issues in the team and make sure that disgruntled teammates know that he will be there to solve problems with them and not fuel them by making unnecessary comments to the media. He needs to step up as a leader or be replaced by Mr. Wenger. I wonder how Fabregas would do as a captain, or Toure? And i'm still pissed that he wears the number ten shirt.