Whenever I used to hear the name Arsenal Football Club, I used to think titles, trophies, and competitors. But that has all changed. They are without a trophy in the last 8 seasons, and with the players manager Arsene Wenger has had at his disposal, you just wonder, how? It is difficult to give a definitive reason as to why this has happened. The expectation levels at this club are very high, and some fans have, in recent years, grown increasingly frustrated with the lack of silverware at the Emirates.
They have also lost some of their star players because of this, most notably, Cesc Fabregas, Samir Nasri, and Robin van Persie. They have all since gone on to win league titles with their respective clubs. They have also had to face not being able to play Jack Wilshere due to his injuries. They had their “Golden Age” when they had the likes of Henry, Bergkamp, Vieira etc, but these are players haven’t really been replaced by Wenger and it is one of the reasons they have struggled in each competition in terms of their own competitiveness and flair.
They have always been near the top of the Premier League table, or thereabouts in terms of a title challenge, but in recent years, they have fallen at the final few hurdles and have had to settle for either a 3rd or 4th place finish. This, in my eyes, is not good enough for a team that has won the Premier League title 3 times. They may have been competing with the likes of Manchester United, Manchester City, and Chelsea, but there are really no excuses for a title challenge only lasting for 3/4 of a season.
In terms of a good Champions League run, this is something which may need extra investment in to be real contenders for this trophy. Let’s be truthful, the draw may not have been too kind to them at times, but it is the “luck of the draw.” Depending on whether you finish 1st or 2nd in your group can have a huge impact on who you face in the last 16.
Some of their players haven’t got the extra bit of Champions League experience under their belts, which has hindered their progress at times, but it is also something I feel Wenger needs to look at and have a re-think about his transfer targets. Meanwhile, the League and FA Cups have fizzled out too early for Arsenal. They haven’t had any real chance to lay down a marker to their rivals by putting in brilliant and consistent performances.
Picture yourself as an Arsenal fan, knowing that your club hasn’t won a single piece of silverware in the last 8 years, consider Arsene Wenger’s options as well in that time, would you be happy? I certainly wouldn’t be. Arsenal are one of the biggest clubs in Europe, and a club that size should always be competing for the top trophies on offer to them.
But in fairness, they have declined as a club. It is a totally new-look Arsenal to what it was 2-3 years ago. They have the likes of Santi Cazorla, Lukas Podolski, Theo Walcott, Jack Wilshere etc. all making an impact of some sort. These players are very experienced, whether that be in Europe or in England, they are experienced. They need to stand up and be counted now though, since they need a consistent run in a cup and a very good season in the league in which they are genuine title contenders. Even if they don’t win a trophy, it will certainly ease some of the mounting pressure on the players to be successful. It will be a sign that the club is going in the right direction and is progressing instead of declining.
When you look at who Arsenal are interested in - Suarez, Rooney and Higuain - it is certainly a sign of intent from Arsenal, but you have to think, would those players really join a club like Arsenal? But what necessary signings do they really need? Well, when you look in the current transfer market, who is out there for Arsenal? They do definitely need another striker to bolster their attack. Higuain is very much affordable, and he does actually seem interested in a move to the Emirates. He is a player that would improve the Arsenal squad and possibly make them a more threatening side once again.
They don’t really need that much tweaking, but whatever tweaking does happen, it will be for the better. It should improve the squad. With that, I see no reason why Arsenal cannot challenge for the title this season, and if all goes well, the Gunners may be in for exciting times ahead for their future.
Written by OneFutbol