A problem which I highlighted a few weeks ago has slowly reared its head at the Emirates. Everybody except it seems Arsene Wenger can see that Arsenal are going to struggle this season. Champions League football may be beyond them.
The faithful Arsenal fans that loyally left Highbury for the curse of the Emirates, only want to see one thing this summer. They want Wenger to spend big. United look like they have strengthened a title winning team and excitement surrounds Chelsea. Liverpool have added well while Man City have the means to add whoever they want provided they want money over medals) and the chasing pack of Everton, Tottenham and even maybe Sunderland are all going to be fighting over those Europa League places.
The signings Wenger has made this summer are not what the fans were looking for. After last seasons general failure from a new African forward we will see another try his luck this season. The area where Arsenal were perhaps the strongest was attacking players. Meanwhile two top keepers have moved clubs with Wenger seemingly uninterested and Freidal was a free transfer don't forget. If Wenger doesn't buy a good stopper they won't win anything again this season. In defence it is not as drastic as it first looks. Gary Cahill and Chris Samba potential targets but I fail to see why more has not been done before Arsenal went on their pre-season tour. Get the players you want in, lose those that don't and build team bonding from there. The other area Arsenal are crying out is an old school tough tackler. A Roy Keane or Vieira. However those players seem to be at a premium this summer with everyone wanting to add some steel to the middle of their teams. Joey Barton is a surprise name being chucked around but that may be all there is left by the time Wenger acts.
I worry for the man who foolishly feels his job is safe but I have one statistic that might wake him up. Since Arsenal won the FA Cup in 2005 and moved into the Cursed Emirates, apart from Sir Alex Ferguson at United only David Moyes has kept his job for so long without winning a trophy. While Moyes can call time whenever he likes at Everton it is no longer a luxury Wenger has. Look at Ancelotti if you think I'm being melodramatic. With Arsenals tough start to the league and a potential European banana skin to overcome, calls for Wengers head may be reality by as early as September or October. I really do worry about the troubles at Arsenal.
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