We’ve Got Sol But Not A Soldier

Have we got our Sol back?

Well the speculation started in late December – Arsene Wenger could very well do something he has never done before and re-sign a player he let leave. Better yet, re-sign a player who left and was well over the age bracket most Arsenal players fall into.

But this past Tuesday with all a twitter abuzz the Daily Mail (and a very eager Arsenal employee) announced to the world that Sol Campbell – Arsenal’s 15th greatest player – was set to feature in the Tuesday night reserve match against West Ham. It was an audition of sorts.

Well by all indications Sol Campbell has returned to North London fold. Arsene Wenger does something shocking to most fans. And in the end whether he can still play as dominating as he once did he brings to the club a tie-in to one of the club’s greatest eras of football.  He brings leadership and a keen idea on what it takes to win at the highest level of football. Finally, he can act as a player coach and work to bring younger Arsenal players along.

Sol Campbell’s recent story is not unknown. After leaving Pompey at the end of last season he astonishingly signed a contract with League 2 side Notts County and after one match suddenly departed – claiming that what he was promised was not what he saw going on. Then on 22 September he walked out on the club and his contract voided by mutual consent.

After the sudden departure Sol asked Arsene Wenger if he could work out with the first team to try and keep fit in hopes of signing with a club in January. During his time with the first team, Arsene must have been impressed with what he saw from the old warrior. Arsene made comments about surprised he was at Sol’s fitness and prior to January came out and said he was sure Sol would get signed by a Premier League club. By all indications Hull and Newcastle United had inquired about his services. But something had to have been up with Arsenal as Sol laid off those early suitors and stayed training with Arsenal.

I believe that Arsene was so impressed with Sol’s training regimine that he decided to bring him back as early as December. All the indications were there. The subtle praise, etc.

Now you may ask why not Vierra -surely he is a better player than Sol. In his heyday Paddy was a super Arsenal star – no doubt about it. his tussles in the midfield are legendary. He was the heart of the club at that time. But when you look at a central midfielder vs a central defender – it is all about the legs. Arsene clearly thinks (and so do a lot of others) that Paddy’s legs are gone. If he didn’t he would’ve brought him in the summer. Even as a backup to our current midfield the required running he has to put in, Arsene likely thinks is behind him. The central defender role while he does have to run doesn’t not have to cover nearly as much of the pitch as a midfielder would.

Sol is still a tree and likely to hard to move. I can see him getting in to games where we are up 2-0, 2-1 and we are backing up the bus so to speak (if that is ever possible for Arsenal to do). He also adds height to the set piece play – who can ever forget his opening goal in the CL final from an Henry free kick. Also, and I know that Didier Drogba is younger and faster but did you know that he has never scored on Sol Campbell while Sol was in an Arsenal shirt? Now that could be because there was very little cross over in their tenures. I’m just saying.

I am not going to bother you with a history of Sol’s time at the club. We’re all aware of how instrumental he was in that invincible season and how good he was with Kolo Toure. Sure he left under a cloud but in listening to him recently he has sounded regretful for that and he is at least saying all the right things you’d want from a senior team player.

In Other News:

• Looks like Cesc is back for the Bolton match this Sunday. He says his hamstring is 100% and that while the team had its Bolton game cancelled he has been rehabbing and feels pretty good. Thank goodness for his return. We all know how good this squad is with its own Personal Jesus (I am going for a song theme today)
• With the signing of Campbell, surely Senderos is on his way out. He wants out. He hasn’t played and he wants to play ahead of the WC. Its only a matter of time.
• The deal I’d like to see – swap Senderos for Saha from Everton. Saha is having contract issues and they are at an impasse so much so that the player is unmotivated. He is a decent size – 6′ 1″ and isn’t cup tied. And he has 10 goals in 17 appearances for Everton so far. And hey they need the defensive help.
• Jack Wilshere is going out on loan. To whom remains to be seen. He’d like to go to West Ham the team he followed as a kid (2 years ago – HA). Steve McClaren has asked about him coming to FC Twente and Owen Coyle who had wanted him at Burnley now wants him to go Bolton.
• I think Jay Emmanuel Thomas needs to get some runs out with the first team. Just saying a hat trick even in a reserve match gets the ears pricked up.
• It’s January 14th and we still don’t have a striker. Like you needed reminding of that.
• Clichy is soon to come back to the club (Another week or so), Nicky B is a fortnight away to returning and Gibbs’ return looks to be moved up a month.
• If you believe anything the press writes then apparently one of Arsene’s top targets, Marouane Chamakh is set to sign with Liverpool this summer. Apparently a £25 million deal has been agreed upon in principle. I am saying it now – it will not last. Let’s see – Pool who look like they will not make Champion’s League next year, who are in debt to the hilt and have absolutely no money and are likely to be sellers not buyers come summer – have that much to spend, I doubt it. Plus once Chamakh sees they are no longer in the CL he will run to the next team that wants him.

Okay that’s it for now. Match Preview will be up on Saturday. I will try and be in Gameday Chat on Saturday but I am going to be spending some time with the kids ahead of me time during Sunday’s match. This post was also to make sure you lot didn’t start bitching about having scroll down to read the replies.

Finally –

Q: What do you get when Chelsea don’t win the EPL title this season?

A: 40,000 more Arsenal fans.