Internationals Are Over, What Must Arsenal Do Now?

The Gunners have already endured ups and downs in this young Premiership season.  Now that international breaks are taking a break, what must Arsene Wenger's men do to stay competetive?

Being four points behind table-topping Chelsea after the second international break does not seem like a dilemma on the surface, but considering Gallas and co. have dropped 8 points to the likes of Fulham, Hull City, and Sunderland, it's not surprising that many Arsenal fans are looking pessimistic as the League restarts.  If the Gunners are to contend for the title this year, 5 things need to happen (in no particular order):

1. Drop underperforming players. After the match against Hull City, Wenger opted to forego any drastic changes in the squad and put his faith in his players' desire to prove themselves winners.  They responded with an emphatic win over painfully poor Porto, but then had another dismal display against Sunderland.  In every loss and draw this year, most of the players have seemed to lack any desire to do, well, anything at all.  Wenger has yet to shake things up in the lineup, and if certain players continue to think that their places are guaranteed, they won't feel the need to perform any better.

2. Scrap the 4-5-1 formation. Wenger has seemed reluctant to be as aggressive in the attack as in the past few years, and it is obvious that he lacks faith in the squad when the conservative-minded 4-5-1 is employed against a side like Sunderland.  Wenger used the 4-5-1 last season when there was an over-abundance in midfield.  With the likes of Hleb, Rosicky, Gilberto, Flamini, Diarra, Walcott, and Eboue all fighting for a starting position, it was an alternative option that Wenger had at his disposal to grind out results against the likes of Chelsea and Liverpool.  This year, Arsenal simply lacks the necessary players in midfield to make this formation successful.  It did not work against Sunderland, it will not work against better sides.

3. Drop Gallas as captain. It was a mystery as to why Arsene Wenger chose Gallas as his new captain last season over the obvious choices of Gilberto and Toure.  The bigger mystery is why Gallas has retained the armband.  Everyone knows about his meltdown at Birmingham last season, but at least that could be written off to the horrific event earlier in the game.  What is even more disconcerting is what seems to be almost a complete lack of effort at times this year.  Has he scored vital goals? Yes, but that is not what Arsenal need him to do.  He is a defender first and foremost, and so far this year, the most memorable moments of William Gallas' defending have been of him standing on the ground and watching idly as strikers from teams who should be battling relegation jump over him and score goals from set pieces.  He has berated his own teammates for similar actions, but what does he expect when he, their captain, has the same attitude?  Number 3 also ties in with number 1, as Gallas being captain means Gallas being undroppable, and an undroppable Gallas means a Gallas who doesn't seem to care much when he's on the pitch.

4. Give Ramsey a chance. It is obvious to everyone, even Cesc Fabregas, that Arsenal lack quality in central midfield. Ramsey, in his short stints as a sub, his start in the Carling Cup, and in his recent international matches, has shown that he is quite talented, and that his potential is enormous.  Wenger has said that his progress in training mirrors that of Theo Walcott, so why not let the Welshman start?  Denilson has worked hard and had some decent games, as has Song, but something needs to be done in midfield and how much could it hurt to give Ramsey a start against Everton?  Yes, Diaby is supposedly fit, but would most likely shatter a shin within ten minutes after kickoff.  Ramsey is the obvious choice to start with his recent performances, and should be justly rewarded on Saturday.

5. Defend against set pieces. This is the most obvious problem, but an even bigger challenge is coming up with the solution.  Every team that faces Arsenal knows exactly how to exploit the defense.  Everyone at Arsenal knows it is a problem, but how to fix it?  Some fans are calling for the taller Djourou to replace one of the center backs.  Silvestre is an option as well, and with Gallas out for supposedly (or should it be hopefully?) the next two weeks, both players should have the opportunity to take their chances.  It remains to be seen whether the Gunners can fix their leaky set piece defense, but it has to be done if they wish to contend.