However Arsene Wenger may choose to dress it up, Arsenal’s season is more or less over. After Tottenham sent the Gunners scampering back to the Emirates off the back of a 2-1 defeat, a top four finish is beginning to look impossible.
Tottenham have the bit between their teeth and Chelsea have the players and the squad necessary to drag themselves over the finish line. Arsenal, on the other hand, just don’t seem capable of turning up to games and are lacking some serious strength in depth.
They’ve been booted out of the FA Cup and Capital One Cup by Blackburn Rovers and Bradford City respectively. Their Champions League tie against Bayern Munich is now a dead rubber thanks to a 3-1 home defeat in the first leg.
Indeed, in every situation where the club has been challenged, the players, the management and the system has been found wanting. This is a club that has lost its way. Whether or not a change of management is going to happen (I wouldn’t bet on it), it’s more or less essential that Arsenal dive into the transfer market and pull out a few gems.
Because without adequate investment, this club will simply repeat the disappointments of this season ad infinitum.
One noticeable aspect of Arsenal’s season has been the inability of their midfield to dominate the opposition. Yes, Jack Wilshere and Santi Cazorla can knock the ball about nicely, but they can’t intimidate other players and really stamp their mark on a game.
This has led to fans crying out for an ‘enforcer’. An Alex Song/Gilberto Silva type player to come in and give battle in the centre of the park. Arsene Wenger sold Alex Song last summer and brought nobody in to replace him, despite their being plenty of candidates.
One of these candidates is Maxime Gonalons, the defensive midfielder who is currently captain at Lyon. He’s renowned for his physicality, tenacity and his willingness to run and run for 90 minutes. Whilst he won’t win any prizes for technical ability, he’s a smart holding player who plays to his strengths well.
Isn’t that exactly what Arsenal are missing? Discipline in front of the back four? Somebody with the passion and drive to make interception when other players switch off?
He’s already claimed that he ‘dreams’ of a move to a Premier League move and I can only hope that Arsenal are the ones who make this happen. (Source: The Express).
What’s your take? Would Maxime Gonalons be a good addition to this Arsenal squad?
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All this has bee said before if tot end above arsenal with the run in they have they will deserve it people forget same scores in games last time