Arsenal stuck in extended rut
Chants of “We want Wenger out” were heard loud and clear across the KP Stadium Saturday, as Arsenal supporters continue to scratch their heads at the everlasting question of why the team is, once again, unprepared for the start of the Premier League season.
The Gunners have so far picked up a mere one point from a possible six, and are already lagging behind their title-competing counterparts, Manchester City and Manchester United, as well as cross-town rivals Chelsea.
But, the continuous nature of Arsenal’s failure to start Premier League campaigns on the right foot does not come down solely to the individual players’ performances, but rather the behavior and lack of cutting edge that those behind the scenes display, and the disorganized and naïve actions of CEO Ivan Gazidis, as well as club icon Arsene Wenger.
The struggles of Arsenal over the last decade or so has not been kept a secret in global soccer, with the North London club often being referred to as the laughing stock of the Premier League. Supporters of the team seem to develop a blind confidence in August of every year, wishing that the upcoming season will finally be the one that retains the trophy for the first time since 2003/4.
But the complacency and stubbornness that Wenger emloys with the side acts as the biggest barrier against sustained success.
Manchester United, for example, appointed former Chelsea manager José Mourinho in June. Mourinho provided the club with a shortlist of players – some more needed more than others – that he believed could bolster his side into a potential title-winning team.
What did United do? It paid almost $300 million over the course of two months to bring in the pieces that it strongly believes will bring the club back to its glory days. This no-nonsense approach to transfer-related sagas is the Achilles’ heel of Arsenal.
It is no secret that Arsenal would only need a world-class center half as well as a clinical finisher up front to become a favorite in the league, but one would have to look back a decade and see that the Gunners never really replaced club legend Thierry Henry, as well as former Spurs captain Sol Campbell.
Robin van Persie, for example, came under much scrutiny by the Gunners’ faithful when he decided to leave the club that gave him unquestionable backing and support, even through the darkest periods of his career when he was plagued with countless injuries. The Dutchman was without question Arsenal’s best player for the two season priors to his departure in the summer of 2012, and even though the entire English soccer community believed that with one or two reinforcements, the team could genuinely have a chance of winning the title.
Van Persie stated that “the little boy inside of him” felt as if it were time for a change if he wanted to achieve his ultimate goal of a Premier League medal. Lo and behold, Manchester United won the league the following season. Following van Persie’s departure, not only did multiple players want to leave Arsenal to find bigger and better paths for the careers, but less world-class talents wanted to make the switch to North London.
The bottom line is if the club doesn’t make the necessary moves to aim for a substantial piece of silverware, it will continue to maintain the current dubious reputation that it is desperately trying to shed.