For so long this season, the Gunners looked as though they were finally about to put to bed their inability to compete in the Premier League, having been stationed at the top for the largest amount of time out of all the competitors. However, some heavy losses to key rivals, most recently a 3-0 defeat to Everton, have left Wenger’s men once again feeling let down by their inability to challenge for the Barclays Premier League, with even players such as Santi Cazorla speaking of their lack of winning mentality.
In my opinion, Arsenal need a complete reshuffle in order to compete for the Premier League all the way next season. I’m not suggesting an overhaul, because you can see that in parts of the season Arsenal clearly have the squad to win plenty of points. However, Wenger is focusing too much on the creative side of the game. For example, playing Cazorla and Rosicky on the wings on several occasions instead of, for example, Oxlade-Chamberlain and Podolski has lead to a distinct lack of pace in the Arsenal team, particularly on the counter attack.
If you cast your mind back to the Swansea game, although Podolski had not exactly been on song all game, his surge down the wing to create Giroud’s goal was simple, effective, and exactly the kind of run that someone like Cazorla would never make. Don’t get me wrong, Cazorla and Rosicky are excellent players, but they’re not wingers. The same goes for Oxlade-Chamberlain, Walcott, and even Serge Gnabry. Their game is simple, but produces better results.
Also, I believe Wenger is suspect of playing attacking minded players in far too deep lying roles. For example, playing Oxlade-Chamberlain, Cazorla, Arteta, even sometimes Ramsey or Wilshere (although their games are a bit more box to box) as the holding midfielder in the team seems to be absurd to me, when he could simply spend a bit of money on a true defensive midfielder!
Flamini has proved to be successful in this role, though he is not the same class of player as someone such as Lars Bender, for example. You look at players like Claude Makelele for Chelsea, and just think about how effective a player like that would be for Arsenal.
Finally, and perhaps most obviously, I believe a new striker is needed at Arsenal. Not just a new striker, but a different type of striker. You look at target men, and you have to say that Olivier Giroud is actually quite effective at his role. He holds up the ball, and brings other players into the game, whilst also netting a few goals. However, that type of striker simply doesn’t suit Arsenal’s game. His technical level compared to that of Ozil, Cazorla, Wilshere, Ramsey and Arteta, to name a few, is quite simply poor. Additionally, it doesn’t particularly suit the style of the Premier League. If you look at Manchester City’s strikers (Aguero and Negredo), Liverpool’s (Suarez and Sturridge), Chelsea’s (Eto’o and Torres), none of them are like Giroud! They’re quick, and technically excellent. Whilst a striker needs to have a bit of strength about him, he also needs to be able to change the game when things aren’t going his way; create goalscoring opportunities for himself, not rely on the work of others.
In conclusion, I think Arsenal need to strengthen in three key areas, and I have identified a few players who would suit these positions (left wing, defensive midfield and striker).
Left Wing
Antoine Griezmann seems ideal to me. He’s quick, a good crosser of the ball, an out-and-out winger and available in the summer. He’s also young, and French, so seems like an ideal Wenger signing to me, and one which Arsenal must capitalise on.
Antoine Griezmann a potential signing?
Defensive Midfield
For the defensive midfield position, Lars Bender seems the likely candidate to me. He’s pretty much the ideal defensive midfielder, and doesn’t join in on the attack very often, which seems fine to me considering the attacking quality which Arsenal possess. He might come a little on the expensive side, but nevertheless I feel as though it is an investment worth making, as he still has a fair few years to go as a footballer.
Striker
Finally, the tricky one; the striker. Arsenal have been linked with multiple strikers, including Mario Mandzukic, Edin Dzeko, etc. However, these are exactly the kind of strikers which Arsenal shouldn’t go for, as, whilst being excellent players, they slow down the pace of Arsenal’s game, and are not quite technically excellent.
Strikers who would suit Arsenal’s game include Karim Benzema, although he may not be available; Loic Remy, although he is yet to prove himself at the highest level; Sardar Azmoun, a young Iranian striker, although perhaps not ready for Arsenal quite yet; Romelu Lukaku, as, whilst being a bit of a target man, he has a bit of pace on him, and also more technical ability than your average target man; Jackson Martinez, although Porto are likely to ask for a hefty fee; and finally, perhaps the most likely signing of the summer, Josip Drmic, a talented young Swiss striker, who Bayern Munich legend Lothar Matthaus claims has already agreed a deal to sign for the Gunners in the summer.
Whatever they do, you sense that the Arsenal fans are becoming genuinely fed up of what seems to be a never-ending pattern of failure, with even more calling for Wenger’s head than ever before.
It really is now or never for Wenger to show how skilled a manager he truly is; for the good of the club, he must surely spend this summer.
Spend – or probably go.
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