© EuroFootball.com
After another season has ended, the section "Thoughts of Fans" on EuroFootball.com invites enthusiasts to review the past football year of the supported clubs and share ideas about the near future. In London, the review of the season was written by a forum member Sleimas, who is passionate about the 'Gunners'.
A different season
And again. The same old story. Kids versus men. "Arsenal" collapsed at a crucial moment once again. These thoughts, probably, would come to mind for most when asked to briefly describe this season for the 'Gunners'. Once again, they attempted to fight for all possible titles, but ended up with nothing.
However, such an evaluation of this year would be a mistake. This season was different from the previous ones. It was significantly worse. Why, you ask, as the results were almost identical. Fourth place in the league - quite traditional, knocked out early in the Champions League, lost to this year's league champions "Manchester United" in the FA Cup. The loss in the League Cup final was painful, but it was just a secondary tournament. A victory there would have changed little. And yet, the mood compared to that which prevailed among "Arsenal" fans after previous dry years was much gloomier. It could be said that after this year's fiasco at the end of the season, everything that had been building up over the past few years simply erupted, but I dare to argue with this statement. The defeats in previous seasons were painful for fans, but looking at it more rationally, one could say that the mere involvement of "Arsenal" in the fight for one title or another was a surprise, and the loss was just a logical end to the battle with a stronger opponent. Nobody expected that in 2006 an "Arsenal" team with almost no healthy defenders would reach the Champions League final and resist the "Barcelona" club there. Or that in 2007, having sold the long-time leader Thierry Henry, "Arsenal" would challenge "Manchester United" in the fight for the Premier League title. These years were different not because "Arsenal" won nothing, but because of how they lost.
The majority of fans did not entertain high hopes before this season, success did not predict to the players of "Arsenal" and the experts. However, it quickly became clear that the old leaders "Chelsea" and "Manchester United" took a step back and with their lineup were no longer stronger than "Arsenal", and the ambitious "Manchester City" was clearly not ready to compete with the old giants in the title fight. The fact that the 'Gunners' did not yield to the aforementioned clubs with their lineup is confirmed by the fact that this year "Arsenal" finally managed to challenge them in head-to-head matches. For a long time in the Premier League, "Arsenal" played well. The results were not miraculous, but they were not far behind from "United". So all the chances were in the hands of the 'Gunners', but at the crucial moment, "Arsenal" collapsed again. It fell as before, but this year "Arsenal" did not withstand the rhythm of other stumbling leaders, and they collapsed on their own. Internally. At the decisive moment, the team did not seem prepared, did not seem to believe that they could win. The body language of the players in many matches clearly indicated - we can't. Just after the whole world watched the NBA Finals. They ended with a huge debacle of LeBron James. It's hard to argue that LeBron James is not one of the best basketball players in the world, but at the crucial moment, he became his own shadow. The situation of "Arsenal" is analogous. Undoubtedly, it is a very talented team. As in previous years, there were moments when watching the game of "Arsenal" made you forget to breathe, as you watched fantastic level of football. However, when it came to the most important moments, the fear overshadowed talent. The season can be symbolized by the League Cup final against "Birmingham City". Silly mistakes, missed opportunities. I respect Birmingham's team, but at the same time I say - that final was primarily lost by the 'Gunners', not won by "Birmingham City". Of course, it was not the first season when "Arsenal" was psychologically weak, but the difference between the potential and the result achieved earlier was not so massive.
What is the reason for all this? The look here, probably, immediately goes to A. Wenger. One cannot underestimate the fact that some players did not play as they should. One cannot underestimate the injuries of some of the key players, but the obvious tactical errors of the coach and failures in signing players (or not signing them when necessary) are evident. One can accept the defeat to the team like "Barcelona", but it is hard to find an explanation for dropping points in the second half of the season in matches against teams like "Sunderland", "Blackburn Rovers" or "Bolton Wanderers". Psychological problems, which clearly haunted the team in the last months of the season, undoubtedly fall under the coach's competence.
Evolution or revolution?
Here comes the question - what to do next? It is difficult to predict the future, but I think the coming season will be crucial for both A. Wenger and the "Arsenal" club. Failure would probably mean the end of A. Wenger's career at "Arsenal". I doubt that a radical revolution will be undertaken this year. The club leaders promise an active summer and acquisitions, but all of them will be an attempt to strengthen the current core of the team. This would undoubtedly mean that A. Wenger will be the coach of "Arsenal" next season. Although undoubtedly proving his worth, this strategist in recent seasons has not always been flexible enough tactically. When acquiring new players, he usually managed to find talented and not overly expensive players, but there may be questions about his reluctance to give up the services of veterans who do not match the level of the team and their replacement with higher level footballers. At the moment, the question of whether A. Wenger can still lead the "Arsenal" team to the path of victory remains open.
Another big question arises when discussing the team's captain C. Fabregas. And no, you did not guess, that question is not related to the "Barcelona" club. It does not seem that Cesc is preparing to do everything to escape from "Arsenal", and A. Wenger will stick with his super-star as long as the situation allows. More concern should be raised by the injuries that have plagued C. Fabregas for two consecutive seasons. It seems that the role of the leader in the "Arsenal" team, which also manifested itself in a huge number of matches played and long summers with the Spanish national team, did not benefit C. Fabregas' body. Perhaps a free summer will help the Spaniard recover and solve entrenched troubles, but groin injuries, which are the main problem for Cesc, are not uncommonly chronic and difficult to resolve. Questions also arise about C. Fabregas' suitability to be the captain of "Arsenal". Although over the years Cesc undoubtedly tried to become a true leader of the team, he has not yet fully proved that he can rally the team around him and become a unifying and leading figure.
There is also not a completely clear situation with the club's management. S. Kroenke managed to take control of the shares and acquire control of the club. At the same time, this American stated that the direction the club is following will not change. The goal is a self-sustaining, independent football club. However, most fans look cautiously at S. Kroenke and are not sure about his intentions for the club. The increase in ticket prices at the Emirates stadium caused a wave of resentment, and for their public relations goals, A. Usmanov - the second-largest shareholder of "Arsenal" effectively takes advantage. The current club management will have to do a lot of work to convince fans of the correctness of their actions and gain their complete trust.
Finally, one should not forget about the obvious gaps in the current composition of "Arsenal". The team clearly lacks at least one capable center-back. This is perfectly highlighted by the tragic "Arsenal" defense during set-piece situations. The goalkeeper issue is also related to this. W. Szczesny has shown that he is a truly talented player, but it cannot be guaranteed that next year he will be able to cope with the role of the main goalkeeper. Finally, one of this year's best players - S. Nasri, has still not signed a new contract with "Arsenal". His loss would mean a huge step back for the club, and fans would be prompted to seek culprits within the management.
In conclusion, one could say that "Arsenal" is facing serious, but not radical changes this summer. It is possible that the coming season will be the last in which A. Wenger can prove that he is still the right person to lead the club. It is unclear what direction the club's results would take without this man, but it would definitely be a completely new chapter in the history of "Arsenal".
Would you like to contribute to this section? You can find all the necessary information about participation in "Thoughts of Fans" by clicking here.
