It is a new season but the horror story does not seem to end for Arsenal supporters, as they watched the team concede four goals at home within the hour mark. The 4-3 defeat against Liverpool may seem respectable now but it is only after the team recovered substantially to score goals in the final 30 minutes. Just when calls for Arsene Wenger’s departure seemed to died down, restlessness amongst Arsenal supporters grew and was widely evident on Sunday with loud boos.
New Signings
Arsene Wenger has often been criticised for his indecisiveness when it comes to new signings. The Frenchman is not the one to publicly admit his mistakes, but he must have regretted the numerous transfer opportunities – like Drogba and Ronaldo – that Arsenal passed up in the last decade. All top clubs have strengthened in almost every area of the pitch, but Arsenal fans have had nothing to get excited about since the arrival of Granit Xhaka.
Yes, Arsenal have spent £30 million on Xhaka but we are now in a period when even Crystal Palace – with all due respect – are ready to spend the same amount of money on Christian Benteke.
Injury Problems
Arsenal seem to be going through a never-ending problem with regard to injuries. Wenger may be criticised for his decision not to sign players in large numbers, but few would have expected the kind of injuries the club are left to face in the defensive side of the pitch. Or should they have been more aware given the issues in the last few years? Lauren Koscielny, Per Mertesacker, and Gabriel were all unavailable against Liverpool.
Wenger should either look into the training regime or focus on buying less injury prone players in the future.
Admitting Problems
Wenger has to be one of the most positive managers in the Premier League. Rarely does he criticise his own team or players. The Frenchman often comes up with excuses or he resorts to giving false belief that the situation will improve. Should Wenger be looking at the kind of works he chooses in the postmatch press conferences? Sometimes an ugly truth may do the job rather than a beautiful lie. Wenger showed recently that he may set up his team in a defensive style and go against his philosophy if it meant three points. Perhaps, it is about time he changed his philosophy with regard to press conferences as well.