“If Chelsea keep it up no one will catch them.” Those were the words of Arsène Wenger after their 2-1 League defeat to Swansea on Sunday. While his comments are no doubt true and the Blues certainly look as though they are going to run away with the League, they aren’t the words that the Gunners faithful would have wanted to hear.
Just 11 games into the season it already looks as though the season, at least in the League is over for the Gunners. The Frenchman’s words painted the picture of a man who was consigned to his fate, someone who was once again going to be left chasing fourth spot. Although they look set to get out of their Champions League group, they are out of the League Cup and the FA Cup is looking like their only source of silverware this season.
But the question every Arsenal fan would be wondering is, how did it all get to this? After all it was only in May that Arsenal won the FA Cup, their first trophy in nine years. And although they didn’t win the League, they led it most of the season and were in the end unlucky, thanks to injuries to not have won it. But, barely three months into the season, the Gunners look like a side that has no clue as to where they are headed.
What is the reason? Injuries? Yes, they have certainly played a part in their current dismal form. Lack of quality in defence? True again but injuries have certainly played a part in this as well. But the single biggest reason why Arsenal are once again struggling to find their feet in the League is their manager.
While it is true that Wenger has done a lot for the club, his stubborn resistance to change things when they are clearly not working is holding the club back. Over the past few years, it has been very clear that the purse strings have been loosened and the Frenchman has been given the go-ahead to sign world-class players without worrying too much about the cost. Yet, aside from the arrivals of a couple of world-class attacking players in Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez, the squad has relatively been the same.
What that has meant is that areas that needed addressing, haven’t been taken care of. The Gunners started the season with just six senior defenders in the entire first-team squad, which, given the injury-prone nature of their squad was never going to be enough. So it has proven to be, as injuries to Mathieu Debuchy and Laurent Koscielny have meant that the Gunners have had to play Nacho Monreal, their second-choice left back in the centre of defence.
It is one thing to not have too many options, but it is quite another to stick with the same when you are thoroughly getting thrashed by your opponent. That is precisely what happened in the game against Swansea, where poor Calum Chambers was left all alone against Jefferson Montero, who was ripping him apart. While it was clear for all to see that he was struggling, Wenger did nothing to change it. After the game, he said that he realised that his side were struggling on the right side, but said “I have no experienced players on the bench.” Which was once again his own fault for not replacing Thomas Vermaelen when he left and buying adequate cover in defence.
In central midfield, the Gunners continue to lack a leader and a physical presence who can take the game by the scruff of the neck. This is nothing new and has remained the case since the departure of Patrick Vieira in 2005. Their lack of a world-class defensive midfielder has meant that they have committed too many men forward in attack, when they didn’t need to and ended up conceding goals that they shouldn’t. Without an organiser in the centre of the park, the Gunners have looked slightly unbalanced at times this season, especially when are going in search of more goals.
All of these prove Wenger’s unwillingness to address the problem, having acknowledged it. If the Gunners are to move forward and not be stuck perpetually in fourth place, they either have to bring someone else in, or hope that the 65-year-old changes his ways. While the former might seem like the easier option, the lack of a genuine replacement means that they might have to stick with the Frenchman for a little longer. In the mean time, the club and the fans will be hoping that Wenger has learnt from his mistakes and rectifies them in January. If he is doesn’t, then it is going to be another one of those seasons for the Gunners.
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