We caught up with Tim Stillman, who writes a column for Arseblog and others, and asked him about the season so far, what he makes of our new signings and a lot more. Here are his fascinating answers. Be sure to follow him on Twitter, here.
1) We are over 20 games into the season now. How do you rate our season? Is it better or worse than what we expected?
I think to be honest, it hasn’t really gone as well as expected. I think it’s a bit foolish to expect Arsenal to win the league given resources available to our rivals but I think we did expect to feature in the race and that just hasn’t happened at all. We finished last season strongly with the F.A. Cup and started the summer strongly and I think people were thinking, “we’ve arrived now.” Then the window tailed off and we struggled to settle into our stride this season.
Injuries have been a factor and Arsene has tried to get the team playing in a slightly different style, we had teething problems trying to get Wilshere and Ramsey to play together. A mixture of World Cup hangover, injuries and trying to get the team to play in a more dominant attacking style has cost us some points early in the season. However, the bigger picture looks positive I think. I have always been fairly positive we’d have a strong second half of the season and we’re on a good run, the acquisition of Gabriel has balanced us slightly. The level has gone up at Arsenal over the last two years. Vermaelen and Podolski were bona fide starting XI players two years ago and both have been deemed surplus to requirements. Players like Walcott and Özil are struggling to get into the team. I think next season (I know, I know) we’ll see a title challenge, though I won’t say we’ll win it.
2) Who has been the standout performer and who has maybe slightly disappointed?
Alexis is the obvious standout really, he has been exceptional, he just demands so much of himself and I think he’s beginning to iron out his weakness for distribution, which was a slight frustration earlier in the campaign. Cazorla has come into some really good form. But Alex Oxlade Chamberlain has really impressed me, he gives us a nice balance. He gives us width and he has a nice blend of power and skill. Only Alexis and Cazorla have created more chances for teammates this season. Nacho Monreal has had a run of games too and we’re really beginning to see a good defender emerge. I spoke about the level of competition rising in the squad and I think Olivier Giroud is showing that he can live with the rise in standards.
Disappointments? Mertesacker has struggled, but I think there are plenty of mitigating circumstances for that. I think it’s overstating it to call them disappointments, but I think there are question marks as to whether Kieran Gibbs and Wojciech Szczesny have developed as much as they ought to have by now.
3) What would be a ‘good season’ for Arsenal this season? Is a top four finish enough or should we be going far in all competitions?
I think now 3rd has to be the realistic aim, which is a shame because City and Chelsea have shown recently that they are far from invincible, but they’re too far away now. I think we can harbour very realistic ambitions of 3rd, United may just have an edge there with no European competition. I think the F.A. Cup looks very winnable for us and we really ought to qualify against Monaco in the Champions League and hopefully progress in the competition. I’d say finishing 3rd, winning the cup and getting to the semi final of the Champions League would represent progress and give us something more to build on.
4) As a club, do you feel we are on an upward trajectory? Just how far are we away from competing with not just the elite in England, but the elite in Europe?
Yes I think we are. We’re competing for a much better level of player and we’re fining transfers easier to do when we identify a target. FFP looks to be having some effect and clubs like Chelsea and City seem to be trying to observe it, which can only tilt the landscape back towards us. However, we still have a significant disadvantage compared with a lot of the clubs we’re competing with. I think it’s very clear that the club itself is very much on an upward trajectory when you take a step back. Hopefully legislation can do its bit to help us bridge some of the gap. We’re in an odd position really, rich and comfortable, but a lot less rich than our competitors.
5) The Arsenal ended their trophy drought last season with the FA Cup victory. How special would it be to see the side win it again and how do you rate our chances of doing it for a second time in a row?
It would be very special and it would suggest that Arsenal is a club that has the character to win trophies again and again. It would suggest last year’s triumph was no fluke. I think we are in with a good chance, but then City and Chelsea probably felt that when they were handed plum home draws in the 4th round. One bad day, like we had against Blackburn two years ago, and it’s all over.
6) The UEFA Champions League is the one trophy that has eluded us. Can we mount a serious challenge for it this season?
We can and as I said above, funny things can happen in knockout tournaments. But for us, I think the draw has to be on our side. Eventually, you have to beat, realistically, at least two European heavyweights. We would likely have to beat one or two of Barca, Madrid, Bayern or Chelsea. It can happen, you can get a good team in a bad period, as we did with Madrid in 2006 and that really gave us the belief to get to the final that year. I think we can win it, but I’m not sure I would bet money on it.
7) We’ve brought in Krystian Bielik and Gabriel Paulista during the transfer window. How do you rate these signings?
I don’t know much about either to be honest. Bielik certainly has the build and supposedly the attributes of the sort of player so many have lusted after. He looks a but like Nemanja Matic in his physical profile and by all accounts has a similar profile. If he can turn out to be that good, I think we’d all be rather chuffed, but this is clearly a signing for a season or two down the line. Wenger seemed keen to play it down as a bit of a gamble.
Gabriel again looks like the profile of defender, in terms of style and physicality, that we wanted. We will have to be patient with him, less than 18 months ago he was playing for a fairly low level Brasileirão team in Vitoria. He moved to Europe the same summer that Neymar, Paulinho and Bernard did in Brazil, so his departure flew under the radar and he obviously took to life quickly in La Liga. But it’s one thing being well regarded by fans of Vitoria and Villarreal, his profile will be higher now and after his first two or three games, everybody is going to have a very definite opinion about his quality. It’s a good time for him to join, we’re playing well and we can ease him in then he has a full pre season ahead this summer. But I wouldn’t expect too much from him this season.
8) The rise of Francis Coquelin has seemingly put the pressing urge to sign a defensive midfielder on hold. What have you made of his stunning rise and do we still need to go out and sign a top quality player in that position?
I would say we still very much do need a top quality player in that position. It’s not been a big enough sample of games to declare Coquelin as the answer yet. I think he will end up being more of a replacement for Flamini than anything. I still think Arsenal need a player of good technical ability in the role, to give us something that Arteta does, but also to have the mobility and physicality to add something different to our game. I had my doubts about Schneiderlin last year, but he seems to have kicked on this season. I think we should and will see a signing there this summer.
9) The League Cup Final will be played between Chelsea and Spurs. Possibly the worst game for Arsenal fans. If you had to choose a side to win that, who would it be?
I’d very grudgingly say Chelsea. Objectively speaking, I think I hate Chelsea more than Spurs. Spurs I consider a rivalry and one I enjoy, but I don’t think I’d dislike them if I supported, let’s say, Sunderland for example. I would still hate Chelsea were I a Sunderland fan. That said, I’m used to Chelsea winning things now and they probably wouldn’t make too much fuss about winning the League Cup. Spurs fans would actively gloat about it.
The way I would sum up my ‘relationship’ with both clubs is this. I enjoy beating Chelsea more than I enjoy beating anyone. I hate losing to Spurs more than I hate losing to anyone.
10) And finally, as a match-going fan that travels up and down the land, what can be done to improve the Emirates atmosphere? Our away following is very vocal and is arguably up there with the best in the country.
I think it’s a lost cause to be honest. No teams have a good atmosphere at home. Some of the newly promoted ones do for a season or two, because they are on something of an adventure and their expectation levels are different. But once they become accustomed to a certain level, they become expectant and reactive too. Stoke used to be a cauldron, but now it’s as quiet as anywhere else. The same will happen with Palace if they stay up this season. The ‘Selhurst ultras’ will soon become comfortable and complacent.
I think atmosphere at home games is a thing of the past in England now, unless we have something revolutionary like safe standing. Even then, I don’t think the atmosphere would necessarily become electric. It’s a generation ago now since standing. I am 31 and it’s really from before my time- I had my first season ticket in 1992. I only ever went to Highbury once before the abolition of terracing. The game is less physical and more technical now, which is good to watch but doesn’t get the blood pumping in the same way. The financial handicaps between teams are so large now that most fans can pretty accurately forecast their results over a season, so it’s quite predictable and expectations are altered accordingly.
