Every sports franchise has to have the turnstiles rotate and nothing makes that happen more than a dynamic player that fans must-see…a player that's box office. Which player on the Arsenal roster for the 2012/13 campaign will be that player that Gunner followers will dish out there hard earned cash to see, without hesitation?
We all know who that player was last season. He happens to be playing in front of 75,765 at Old Trafford now. Robin van Persie was box office. And the Dutchman left some big shoes to fill.
Naturally, most Arsenal fans think it will be Olivier Giroud, Lukas Podolski or Santi Cazorla. Could it be someone that was with the Gunners last season? Theo Walcott is a player that everyone has been waiting for to have that breakout season, like Van Persie just had. Walcott has immense talent that just hasn't blossomed on the pitch to a lot of fan's dissatisfaction. And his contract, of course, has been in the news lately, and everyone knows the ending to that movie when it pertains to Arsenal. They always end up with the short end of the stick.
If you go on last Saturdays match against Sunderland, Podolski and Giroud look ready to be must-see players for Arsenal. Enthusiasm can only take you so far, and Podolski and Giroud certainly possess that. They both have the big contracts that reflect their ability to be must-see. On Saturday they both had their chances to shine, but neither could get that goal that would have solidified them as the box office player, until the next match at Stoke City when one of them will hopefully make up for it.
A Podolski and Giroud battling for more goals will be a healthy competition that'll play out over the season. Also, throw Cazorla into the mix and you really have something.
When it's early in the season, I don't believe a team as a whole keeps the cash register busy. If the club is undefeated and they look like they're championship bound, maybe, but a box office, must-see player is a draw if the club has a remarkable record or if the club has a middle-of-the-road record.
Football is about star power - Arsenal has that - however, one of those stars has to rise above the rest. If Podolski, Giroud, Walcott or Cazorla all score the same amount of goals and it's not zero, I'll be satisfied.
Note: I've been an Arsenal fan for nearly a decade. My cousin got me interested in the club at a very young age.
