Arsenal’s Future And Wenger’s Worries
There has not been any real success for Arsenal after the record unbeaten campaign in 2003-2004 Season. After that they barely managed to win anything and the fans are now getting impatient. The only focus was on winning the Champions League and came close in 2006, which ended with the loss in the final against Barcelona. The pressure is there on Arsene Wenger, although the Gunners fans are still backing their manager. One thing is certain for the Arsenal that they would always deliver their promises of exciting football; however, as many people would love to watch them play they would never back them because of the inconsistency. The team is always performing well in the start of the season but falls shortly in the end.
The main reason is the lack of experience in the side, as many players are still young and still lack the commitment to play throughout the season. The problem occurs when these players are performing well in one match and are selected for the next one, but then they fail to deliver the expected performance. The team needs to be strengthened by getting hold of some senior players. Arsene Wenger’s strategy is to promote young players and build them into strong players, but this is not working as many players tend to leave Arsenal, especially after they feel that they would not win anything with the club.
Another problem that Arsenal had been facing over the years is the injuries to major players at critical times. The same thing happened to Eduardo De Silva and Samir Nasri in 2007-2008 Season. Last year Robin Van Persie remained out during the major part of the season. Also, when Febregas gets injured and stays out for longer periods the problems are faced immediately. The major reason is that the squad lacks real depth and there are not enough strikers or playmakers available. Nicholas Bendtner has proved to be a weak player and Eduardo is not famous for his goal scoring abilities. So, Febregas takes on the responsibilities to create and score goals in the absence of Van Persie. The injuries to these two players always bring a bad spell for the team.
Although, in the last two years there were two good additions to the side, Samir Nasri and Andreas Arshavin, but still the problem prevails. Both have proved to be good players and occasional goal scorers, but are not suitable to a role of a playmaker, as they both posses a little tinge of selfishness. Recently, Marouane Chamakh has been added to the squad, who has had a good run with his previous club, Bordeaux. He is supposed to be an excellent player in the midfield, and it might seem that the manager is working on finding a replacement for Febregas, but his first season at Arsenal is not supposed to be exceptional. He would take his time to adjust to the conditions and game-play in England, which is totally different from the style in the French League.
The real problem for Wenger is to hold on to Cesc Febregas. Yet, if he fails to stop him then he should at least try to get a hold on Yaya Toure. The defence is also a major problem for Arsenal and Toure presence in the Defensive Midfield role would be an advantage for Wenger. The younger players like Ramsey, Nasri or Diabi and the senior players like Rosicky and Arshavin can then take on the role of the central midfielders, instead of Febregas.
Although the full backs of Arsenal are quite good but they lack some quality in the central defence. Thomas Vermeulen was bought last year and he had a good season, as he scored quite a few goals for the club. However, he has not proved himself as a good defender. Also, in the absence of Thomas or Gallas, there is no quality player to fill in their shoes. The defence has been hurting Arsenal for a very long time, and this year it would be inevitable for Wenger to buy a good solid defender.
Arsenal’s future, right now, does not look bright. But, with some extra effort and some extra cash the problems can be solved, and Arsenal can again rise to the glory. The first priority, after a long dry run, should be winning the league again and maybe FA Cup. I believe that this year would be a last chance for Wenger because the fans have had enough and now they are desperate for the trophies.
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