Over the many years Arsene Wenger dedicated to the Gunners, never has he failed to qualify them for the Champions League. A robust youth system established, a style of play that is easy on the eye and more than a thousand games later, is it time for him to look at new horizons?
When playing in the zone, Arsenal are a beautiful side to watch. Fluid passes, triangle formations and wonderful angles are created by the talented individuals handpicked and nurtured by Wenger. Despite the impressive feats achieved by him, the absence of silverware hurts the North London club the most. From manning the Invincibles to over-looking agonizing exits, is it time for Le Professeur to step down? Does Arsenal still have the firepower to overcome the growing pack of European superpowers?
Wenger faced defeat by Bayern (image credit: Google)
The summer of 2013 started with little hope. The losses of Cesc Fabregas, and Robin van Persie still hurt, and a history of early exits from domestic and European competitions seemed to have dented the morale of both the fans and the management alike. With money to spend without denting the coffers, fans, pundits and the players themselves wanted Wenger to spend on building a side capable of challenging for honours. With each passing transfer window, fans’ expectation would rise and more often than not they would be disappointed.
Midfield-heavy and almost striker-less, Arsenal went on to top the group riding on the skills of record summer signing Mesut Ozil and Aaron Ramsey, who had hit a purple patch before getting injured; before the flaws in their approach grew too big to be ignored. High defensive line, injuries and over-dependence on a few players made for a cocktail of both bad luck and poor performances. As dogma and the reluctance to change calls for some major introspection, Arsenal’s chances of landing world-class players are as scant as ever. Players like Julian Draxler, Luis Suarez, Gonzalo Higuain, Adrian Lopez, Lars Bender were just some of the names that were linked with a move to the Emirates over the last year.
Ozil could not inspire Arsenal (image credits: Google)
A dreaded feeling of familiarity now deflates the hopes of the Gunners, easily the most patient of all English supporters. Another worrisome aspect of the Gunners’ chances is the injury woes, which is the worst in the league. What made them so brittle after riding high? Bad training techniques or bad physio staffing? Wenger’s tactics and his approach to the game have been questioned time and again and a little rework would certainly put the Gunners in a position to claim the glory they deserve.
As a curious mix of aging soldiers vet the young guns at the Emirates, the Gunners have to look no further than the Merseyside teams Liverpool and Everton for inspiration. A fresh start, new tactics and management style can do wonders to a team. Everton has silently risen from a mid-table team to a top-4 contender in less than a year, while the Reds have reached their best position in the league in many years. Brendan Rodgers and Roberto Martinez have not only led their teams to great heights, they also have breathed a new lease of life into the Premier League Division.
The mood in the Arsenal camp is that of despondence. A sense of inevitability seems to overtake them with every faltering step in their month of miseries – March. A change is imminent. Better options and effective ideologies is definitely the need of the hour to get the North Londoners firing again.
