Arsenal FC: 5 Things Arsene Wenger Must Change at the Emirates Next Year
Sometime, at a certain point in life, you can sum up a man in a single word.
Sagacious.
This was arguably the most accurate description for Arsenal's Arsene Wenger back in 2001. The man had the vision, the charisma and the attitude. He fielded experienced players and gave the younger players a chance to shine. He implemented "Wenger Ball" and had a team that can play dirty when required.
The Gunners were on top of the world. They were true champions.
Fast forward 10 years, and there is only one word that can do Wenger justice...
Diffident.
Out-gunned, out-numbered and out of his mind. Wenger has lost the plot.
The calamity isn't in the six year trophy drought, it's in the five years where the Arsenal manager saw the weaknesses, yet failed to cure them. Where he saw so much, yet did so little.
Arsenal fans are running out of patience, and Arsene Wenger is running out of time, with Kroeneke in the picture things might change, but this is mere speculation, and so far, there is nothing solid to suggest radical change.
Wenger stated that he intends to make changes. Perhaps the Frenchmen can be forced to spend after all, but it's not just about the money. There are other things Wenger needs to change at Arsenal FC, if they are to win anything in the future.
Instill a Winning Mentality in the Squad
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The most obvious flaw at Arsenal.
The Gunners don't have the mentality of a real champion. They can place first in the league for 37 league games and then lose it all in the final game against a team from the lower half of the table.
The Gunners have the talent, yet they can't handle the pressure. This won't change until Arsene Wenger makes some drastic changes. One of which is to place an experienced player among the Arsenal players, someone who is a proven champion.
Arsene Wenger dismantled his older generation of players, Pires, Henry, Gilberto Silva, players who could've helped the squad collect their thoughts and remain calm. That's what players like Giggs, Scholes and Ferdinand do for United, whereas Wenger gets rid of all the older players when they pass a certain age.
In fact, the last player to retire at Arsenal was the legendary Dennis Bergkamp. While Lehmann will technically retire at the end of this season, Arsenal are yet to have an outfield player over 30 years of age play game in game out and eventually retire at Arsenal. That would actually invite players to join Arsenal, rather than be a team for youngsters to make a name themselves so they eventually can join another team.
Wenger needs to change his philosophy in order to create a winning mentality at Arsenal FC; otherwise, the Gunners will collapse in the final stretch of the campaign like they always do.
Spend the Money Available
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A new owner. Filthy rich. And most importantly, willing to help the club move forward.
While many fans are angered by the 6.5 percent increase in ticket prices, they might appreciate the fact that this money might finally be spent on reinforcements, especially when Wenger himself admitted that Arsenal can do with a few changes.
However, if that money isn't spent on strengthening the squad, then all hell might break loose, and no one can blame the fans for demanding Wenger's removal.
Wenger doesn't have to go all out and shell 30 million on a player, but he can at least spend 20 million on a player that can make the difference.
Because, quite frankly, 20 million in this day and age is nothing in comparison to what the European giants spend on a single player, especially when said player is going to bring silverware to the club.
Offload the Sub-Par Players.
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Wenger is a patient man.
Sometimes his patience costs the Gunners points, which eventually cost them trophies.
Manuel Almunia is a good example of that; fans have been begging Wenger to sell the Spanish goalkeeper. Wenger would do well to study whether Denilson, Diaby and any other inconsistent player should remain or leave.
Wenger also needs to address his players' shortcomings rather than defending them all the time. While defending Fabianski eventually paid off, it backfired on many occasions, most notably against Porto in the Champions League last year.
Selling the players who are not worthy of wearing the Arsenal shirt would be a step in the right direction.
Keep the Older Players
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At the end of May, Andrei Arshavin will be 30 years of age.
To Arsene Wenger, this means that Arshavin will not be renewing his contract for much longer. To be precise, players at Arsenal over the age of 30 can only renew their contract one year at a time.
While this was okay in the past, where players like Bergkamp, Adams and Dixon renewed their contracts time and again and eventually retired at the club, nowadays, players don't feel safe with Wenger's philosophy. After all, when was the last time a player over the age of 30 made it at Arsenal with ease?
Almunia? Certainly not.
If stats are to be believed, the most successful period of a player's career isn't anywhere near his 20s, but actually his 30s, specifically at the age of 31.
At 31, players have the experience of veterans and can physically keep up with the younger players.
Inter's squad last year was filled with players around that age. Milito, Samuel, Lucio and Cesar, players who were the backbone for Inter's successful treble last year.
Milito, along with Sneijder, was worthy of the Ballon D'Or more than anyone else, is older than any first team starter in Arsenal's midfield.
Another player who was outstanding at the age of 31 last year was Diego Forlan. The Uruguay captain took Atletico Madrid to European glory, winning the Europa League and the UEFA Super Cup, and also taking Uruguay to finish fourth in the 2010 World Cup, one of the biggest surprises of the season.
Wenger needs to hand Arshavin a new contract and make sure aging players remain at the club. A 31-year-old Arshavin and Rosicky might do Arsenal a world of good, so long as the manager puts faith in them.
Also, buying a player at the age of 30 and above would be a great investment for Wenger in the short-term. It would mean that the younger players have someone who's "been there" before, someone who can show them how to shrug off the disappointments of this season and move on to win trophies for the club.
Sell Cesc Fabregas
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The team was built around him. He's the captain of Arsenal. One of the best midfielders on the planet.
So why would Wenger sell the Spaniard?
Simple. Because his heart is no longer with the club. Fabregas wants Barcelona; the whole world knows that. Forcing him to stay will only get his price to drop drastically, and sooner or later, he will leave the Gunners. Why not make the most of it?
Arsenal can do just fine without the Spaniard. Ramsey and Wilshere have what it takes to fill the gap, so long as Wenger buys an experienced veteran to play alongside them.
Fans can't say that Arsenal won't win trophies without Fabregas; it's not like the club won anything with him until now, and who would they rather see as captain? Fabregas? Or the loyal RVP? Who has time and again committed himself to the cause, stating that he can't imagine himself wearing another shirt.
Should Barcelona offer the desired price, then Arsenal should sell the Spaniard and reinforce with the money acquired from the sale of Fabregas. They have a list of players who can fill the role of Fabregas, such as Nasri, Ramsey and Wilshere, not to mention the fact that Wenger can buy someone else to replace the Spaniard.
Fabregas has spent around eight years with the Gunners. His latest comments were wiser than ever before, where he claimed that he was responsible for Arsenal's loss against Barcelona in the Nou Camp and that a player like Puyol won nothing until he was 26 years of age, and that even the bigger teams struggle. He sounded like a man willing to commit to the Gunners again, but after this season, it remains to be seen whether or not he'll remain loyal to the cause.
He's the kernel of this Arsenal team, and no Arsenal fan would want him to leave the club, but if that's what he wants, then he should return to the Nou Camp without hesitancy.
