To Hull and back

By Boris Mellor
December 18 2009

I was really excited when I heard from Phil Brown that teams like Arsenal have squads as large as 50 to 60 players. Until Phil Brown alerted me to this I had been unaware of all these extra players. I wondered who they were and rushed to the squad list, only to be disappointed, its only 35. Thus on Brown's criteria we are 25 players short.

However, is it the case that the squad of 35 is stuffed full of highly experienced players?  I carefully checked them out. Giants of the premier game sprung out at me, Randall, Gilbert, Merida, Barazite, Merida, Sunu, Szczesny, Coquelin and Watt. Then I looked at the injury list, RvP, Bendtner, Clichy, Fabregas, Rosicky, Traore, Gibbs and Djourou. Then I looked at the living dead Walcott, Eduardo and Diaby, players that can't seem to shake the effects of injury.

 

Only 13 fit for purpose.

So let us add it up, that's 8 injuries, 8 youth team players with little experience, one Championship reject, and three players yet to find their form after injury. Not an embarrassment of riches. Indeed more of the injured players are natural first team players than those who are starting at present

 

So if you took strict criteria of players who are actually good enough to play on a regular basis Arsene is down to 15 fit, but suitable players, and only 12 of those are outfield players. Then let's look at the remaining 12 outfield players, they include Vela and Silvestre.

 

No wonder Wenger is worried about the fixture list, he has got to nurse this lot through a crowded fixture list over Xmas. He also has to hope that the lame will pick up their beds and walk, and that the living dead get some true blood into them and find form. Even if that happens I am not convinced how good we will be without a replacement for RvP.

 

Fortunately its Hull tomorrow, a team that is yet to win away from home this season, and has lost four and conceded 21 goals, surely even our diddy tippy tappies can't fail to get a few this time. They need to as the next home game is Villa.