Bard
If the Champions League exits have proved anything it’s that the Premier League exists in an overhyped bubble and that the gap between the top European teams and those in England is getting wider. Wherever Arsenal finish this season, whatever the differing views about Wenger, one thing is certain, we are nowhere near competing for the top honours. Arsenal are no longer a couple of players short of being a really good side. A major overhaul is needed.
On good days the spine of the side is average, on bad days abject. We don’t have a single world class player in any of the crucial positions, keeper, centre back, centre midfield, striker. The side is unbalanced. We have too many small technical players in midfield and are chronically underpowered in this important area. Too many players are injured for long periods and others have not developed. The team is fragile and only seem able to really perform when there is nothing to lose. We are in need of players with a stronger mentality.
It’s suggested that we have around £50m available in the summer window. In today’s money that is one decent player plus wages, so whoever is in charge - and the smart money must be on Wenger remaining - we need to sell players.
A world class keeper is an absolute must. Ask Van Gaal. De Gea is the difference between United challenging for a top 4 slot and languishing in mid-table. A top keeper would have stopped the third Monaco goal and we would be in the hat for the last eight. For some reason Wenger has a block about buying one, and he needs to get over it. We need another quality centre back. Unless Per reinvents himself after a summer break he is on the way down and possibly out. His lack of pace restricts how we play and defend. Right back is covered. Bellerin has come on and with a fit Debuchy we have a decent pair of right backs. Left back is a problem. Gibbs needs to be sold. He’s one of the many injury-prone players. He doesn’t have enough class to be worth persevering with. Nacho is wholehearted and would be a good back up but we need another top left back.
Despite the quality of our midfield individually it is a mess collectively and needs restructuring. Arteta and Flamini need to go. Coquelin has been the find of the season. One of either Jack or Rambo needs to be sold. I would sell Jack not because he is less talented far from it but he’s too much of an injury liability. We have to do something about our chronic injury list. You cannot possibly compete if 4/5 of your best players are out for at least half a season every year.
The Ox is ok and developing. Santi will be 30 but is still performing. Then there is the enigma that is Mesut Ozil. I would dearly like him to do well I love his languid style but I fear he is a player who feels ‘entitled’ - by that I mean he doesn’t believe that you sometimes have to fight for the right to play. If the Boss decides to play him, and he’s too stubborn and proud to acknowledge he may have bought a dud, then you have to build the rest of the midfield around him. Ozil’s lack of fight has to be compensated for somewhere else. Ideally we need two more midfield players. Wally has a season left on his contract. He has not developed as we’d hoped and he’s one of the stalwart’s of the perennially injured club. He should be in his prime but his form and fitness are elusive. Technically he isn’t the best and his game awareness has always been poor. My view is that he needs to be sold. A team with him and Ozil in it is an invitation for slaughter. You can carry one passenger defensively but not two.
Further up it’s average, Alexis aside. I don’t see us buying a Cavani or someone similar. They cost too much for Arsenal but Giroud, whose work ethic I love, is average at best. His goals to games ratio in the CL or top games is dismal. It’s 5 in 16 games in Europe and 5 in 24 against the top sides in cup and league. These are not the stats of world class striker. And at the highest levels you need a world class striker.
If we sold Gibbs, Wally, Jack, got rid of Arteta and Flamini we might raise in the region of £100m plus whatever they are being paid. That gives us £150m minimum to strengthen the team. Will it happen? Arguably what has Wenger got to lose? A more pertinent question might be can he afford not to do it? If he does not then it’s further evidence that the club have settled for yet more mediocrity.
