A win in this year’s title race would cloud the issue. With Manchester United chasing glory on three fronts and with a tougher run in than their North London rivals, the concept of a first championship in seven years is impossible to ignore.
Yet, having seen the difference between moments of promise and substantial success at three distinct points this season, not to mention several others over the last few years, Arsenal fans must be starting to realise that one championship success this season would not make the squad’s long-term issues evaporate.
If Wenger needs evidence of this, he only needs to look back at very recent Premier League history. Last year’s domestic double winners, Chelsea, have experienced the perils of believing a Premier League title represents the end of a journey rather than the beginning of one.
The Blues rightly celebrated the capture of their first ever double, however, took the success as an indication that their squad was strong enough to capture further glory on all fronts this time around. Considering the comparative merits of the squads around them, it must be appreciated that last season’s competition was one of the weakest in the Premier League era. As a result, their threadbare squad continues to be exposed this term.
Arsenal’s exits from this season’s cup competitions have highlighted one particularly worrying problem. Whilst of course a number of decent performances against the division’s lesser lights are imperative for domestic glory, and the Achilles heel of Wenger’s sides in the past, there remains only one positive result against any significant foe across the whole campaign – a home win over a horribly out of form Chelsea. Defeats to Barcelona, United (twice), Tottenham, Braga, Shakhtar Donetsk and the return league fixture against the defending champions, hint at a side with major problems in games that will inevitably define their season.
Wenger has long had a reputation for being a stubborn manager when it comes to the way he handles his player evaluations and choices. As things stand, there is an increasing likelihood that he will be compelled to bring in experienced, potentially expensive squad reinforcements in the summer.
However, should the championship trophy hold pride of place in the Emirates’ trophy cabinet come the start of next term, the door would be left open to a very dangerous and potentially damaging status quo if the Frenchman takes potential success this time around as an indication of how he should construct his squad in future years.
Agree? Disagree? Have the keys to the Emirates trophy cabinet? Leave me a comment or find me on Twitter.
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Erm, i hope we don’t win it this year because it gives us more chance of winning it next year?… i’m not sure you’ve thought this through.
A better chance of winning things in the long-term. The worry I think is that Arsenal could win it this year and then go on another six-year drought.
Still, I do find it difficult to agree with such a negative attitude.