But look on the bright side, we should be signing someone to prop up the defence in the next week or so, Michael Turner or Ryan Shawcross if the rumours are correct. Yeah, they both play for relegation candidates but beggar can’t be choosers, can they?.

And remember, the injury situation could be worse. Look at the Gunners over the last three seasons.

I like Turner!  I also would be fine with Distin, especially since we’re primarily looking for depth.

I’d agree but I don’t think depth is so much the problem in central defence a much as it is in attack or, now Alonso’s left, central midfield. It’s really a pity Benitez got rid of both Hyypia and Jack Hobbs. I was hoping he’d get the chance for few more games this season with one less defender in the team.

Course having said that, Distin would be a decent buy but at his age I just can’t see him coming to a club where he could well be fourth choice centre back by xmas. Or knowing Rafa, being deployed out of position much of the time.

Yeah, depth is the entire issue for us, it seems.  Same as last year.  Ngog and Voronin are below average as backup strikers, we’ve barely seen Spearing and Kelly and guys like that in 1st team action, and we’re already relying on Lucas with Aquilani out. 

If we’re near the top after the first 2 months, I like our chances.  But that’ll be difficult.

Oddly enough, Spurs will also be playing without their top three centerbacks: King, Woodgate, and Dawson.

Turner? Shawcross? Strong English lads they may be, but neither have the positional understanding or the grace under pressure that Carragher or Agger have. Are there no good young center-halves playing in France, Holland, Denmark or Germany that might be worth dropping a few pounds on? Skrtel is talented and obviously gets under the skin of attackers (for elbows and shirt-pulling), but a successor to Carragher? Doubtful. The youngsters San Jose and crew would get bossed around in the EPL. And with the 0wnorz (allegedly) slashing Rafa’s budget he’s gotta watch those pounds and pence even carefuller. That’s not even mentioning getting someone in to take that first team midfield spot from Lucas (really, Lucas?). I rate Benayoun, but if he or Gerrard is out their squad looks badly in need of a creative touch. Granted, I’ve never seen Aquilani play when he’s fit, and by all reports he’s a fine man to have in the center of the pitch, but I still see a lack of creativity in midfield. Alternatively they could just take route one and play Bolton-style anti-football.

Niko, judging by the close of last season I think that’s the last thing Rafa wants to do. I suspect he may try pushing Voronin up to partner Torres so that Gerrard can revert to the more creative role he was playing earlier in his career. If he’s given the freedom he currently has there’s no reason why that shouldn’t work. After all Chelsea and Man Utd both seem to be reverting to a 4-4-2 style system. People seem to be down on both him and Lucas but Voronin looked promising before he was loaned out to Germany and he completely outclassed Luca Toni among others there, there’s no reason why he couldn’t play a good part this season. As for Licas, both he and Ngog are young and still developing - central midfielders tend to peak quite late so I’d say it’s far too early to be writing him off. 

As for the transfer budget, we should still have enough in the kitty for one more decent player, the question is just what position he’ll end up playing in. I’d been hoping we’d sign Defour instead of Aquilani but I guess it’s been done now. I’m cautiously optimistic this season, we just need to sign a decent fill-in defender (not Mikael Silvestre).

I’m genuinely angry at Hicks and Gillett and the absurd debt situation they’ve saddled the club with.  And when you read between the lines of Rafa’s comments lately, he’s saying the same thing.  I think if we lack a major move this month it’ll be due to the owners backing off their promise of transfer funds this offseason, which was key to Rafa’s new 5 year deal.  And right now my money’s on “no new signings.” 

As for Voronin, I would be sad to see him in the first team.  He over-passes, he seems inaccurate unless it’s a gimme, and, well, there’s the pony tail.  But mostly the other two.

The way Glen Johnson played last night, you might be better off if he HAD limped off injured.

Yikes, he was bad, eh?  I heard Gareth Barry was the one getting torn up defensively…  Meanwhile, how bout that Kuyt?