Arsenal FC: 7 Things the Club Should Have Done During the Offseason

With the majority of the transfer window now over and competitive football back in full swing, fans the world over will be anxiously looking forward to seeing how their club's summer dealings pay off.

For one set of fans though—The Gunners—the summer has been anything but memorable.

From want-away players to devastating first-team departures and a lack of reinforcements at the back, Arsenal seem to have started off the new season worse than where they last left off.

Coupled with the fact that many of the squad players who fans deem persona non grata are still eating up the wage budget and consequently keeping quality replacements out by filling in the 25-player quota, it seems as though Arsenal's season may yet fall to shambles even before the end of August.

Though there is still time to mend some of the aforementioned issues considering the transfer window is yet to close, the overall sentiment surrounding the team and their fans given the trend of seasons past suggests Arsene Wenger will do little tinkering of the current setup. 

So without further delay, I present to you the 7 things Arsenal should have done during the offseason.

Go crazy! 

Sold the 'Deadwood'

Rotating the lineup—Barcelona does it, Manchester United does it and Real Madrid does it too.

Squad players are crucial to every club, and Arsenal is no different. It's completely unreasonable to expect the same players to perform week in and week out, sometimes having to play up to three competitive fixtures in the span of a week.

The problem this team faces is rather unique however. Most of the squad players are, according to a plethora of fans and pundits, not at the level required for a club that holds the sort of ambitions as Arsenal does.

Players like Diaby, Denilson (who is only loaned out), Almunia, Bendtner, Squillaci and even the skilful Rosicky are often branded together and labeled as 'deadwood.' Simply speaking, they fit a category of subpar players that Arsenal do not need, and if the wage bill is anything to go by, simply cannot afford either.

For instance, rumour has it that Arsene Wenger rejected a £10 million offer for Diaby earlier this summer. For a player who sits out due to injury as often as he does, it's mind-numbing to even attempt to make sense of this one.

Denilson is still on the clubs books as he's only loaned out, Almunia is attracting reported interest from Turkey, though a lucrative offer is yet to be received, and Bendtner's wage demands are holding up a transfer for the big Dane.   

Selling those players early on in the summer would have:

1. Generated some extra transfer funds for replacements.
2. Increased the wage budget to allow players deserving a higher pay a chance to receive it.
3. Opened up space on the 25 player quota.

Wenger himself on occasion has mentioned how Arsenal has an excess of squad players whose potential departures would allow him to reinvest in the team.

With less than two weeks of the transfer window remaining, it seems Wenger will either conduct his business late into month or steer clear of doing so altogether.   

Dealt with Nasri's Contract Situation Better

Arsenal fans need little reminding of the ill effects of missing out on a player's contract renewals.

The Gunner's arguably lost their best midfield enforcer since Patrick Vieira—Matheiu Flaimini—on a free due to administrative disabilities or delays, as the boardroom failed to tie him down to a new contract.

Patrick Vieira himself was the subject of transfer speculation many a time during his Arsenal tenure due to the same reason, and now Arsenal fans are bracing themselves for the departure of another French midfield star—Samir Nasri.

Contract trouble produces the most problematic of conundrums to the manager, who has to decide between cashing in on a star player, normally at a discounted price given the remaining length of his contract, or employing his services for another year and risk losing him for nothing.

With Arsenal's midfield maestro Nasri, the situation is a bit more straightforward however. Manchester City have reportedly expressed an interest in acquiring his services and are willing to dish out a £25 million transfer fee.

Though news reports suggest that Arsene Wenger is likely to let the Frenchman go, it's astonishing that this transaction is taking place so late into the transfer window. The club may yet cash in, but with so little time left to find a suitable replacement and breathe him into the club's training regime, one must question the manager's plans and intentions.

Proponents of Nasri, who feel the Frenchman should stay on for his final year on the hope that a victorious season may change his mind are forgetting the one simple fact: Silverware is far from guaranteed, but Nasri's wage payments need to be paid regardless.

Keeping Nasri at Arsenal is essentially equal to paying £25 million + wages for him for one year. It's a ludicrous option and one Arsenal will be keen to avoid.

Another player whose contract should have been dealt with this summer is Robin van Persie. The newly promoted Arsenal captain has two years left on his existing deal, and though he's expressed his love for the club on numerous occasions, there's little guarantee at this point that he'll sign an extension if the upcoming season proves to be unfruitful.

The Dutchman is Arsenal's most important player now, and the club would do well to tie him down to a new contract in order to avoid another Nasri-like fiasco in one year's time.



Put Cesc Fabregas Up on the Market

There are no two ways about it: Arsenal were bullied throughout Fabregas' protracted transfer saga and received a discounted fee from the Catalan club.

As Arsenal's captain, Cesc maybe should have acted differently. However, that's a story for another day. The club though should have acted differently.

Of course, there's no denying that Fabregas' love for his hometown club made the saga extremely frustrating for the Gunners. There were, however, some options open to them, as they could have:

1. Put Fabregas up for sale on the market.
2. Raised his asking price, stood firm on the real value.
3. Told Fabregas that as captain and servant of the club, he must honor his contract.

Putting Fabregas on the market would have undoubtedly raised his price, as mega rich clubs like Chelsea, Manchester City and even Real Madrid, who've expressed an interest in the player before, would have entered a bidding war for him.

Even if Arsenal were unwilling to sell him to any of the aforementioned clubs, the act would have at least alerted Barcelona and prompted them to finally put their money where their mouth was.

In terms of the price Fabregas went for, it's an absolute steal.

It's frustrating for Arsenal fans to see their prized asset leave the club for such a discounted fee in an inflated market where Andy Carroll was sold to Liverpool for the exact same price. Most people wouldn't have been shocked had Arsenal put a price tag of about twice the amount Fabregas went for.

Instead, the club put up a discounted price that wasn't even met by Barcelona.

Many would feel that the option of keeping Fabregas then against his wishes when the player clearly wasn't committed to the cause would only be detrimental for the club itself.

However, on the flipside, allowing a player and an interested party to boss the club around sets the wrong precedent.

No player is bigger than Arsenal, and Fabregas is no exception. Had we told Barcelona we weren't interested in selling our captain and played him for the remainder of his contract, we would have seen a renewed ethic and better precedent where a player can't jump ship by simply making some noise.

Signed Experienced Squad Players

Had the 'deadwood' been sold, and the wage bill freed up, Arsenal would have had the opportunity to sign experienced squad players.

Players on the right side of 30, like a certain French striker who showed he can still cut it at the top level during The Emirates Cup, should be brought in to pass on invaluable experience to the younger players while contributing to the campaign when needed.

Wenger's policy of only granting 1-year contract extensions for players over 30 has been detrimental to say the least. In Manchester United, we've seen just how successful a club can be when it strikes the perfect balance of youth and experience. Arsenal's tactics seem to have shot the club in the foot, as players who were part of the team's Invincibles era can still be seen playing at the top elsewhere, or have just recently retired.

That's not to say Arsenal can't do with youngsters who are still finding their feet in the game: they can be extremely useful as well. But adding a bit of experience to a culture of youth that is still largely unproven would have given players like Aaron Ramsey and Jack Wilshere a bit of grounding.  

People forget that Cesc Fabregas himself did most of his developing alongside experienced players like Vieira, Bergkamp and Henry. Then is it any wonder that he is just one of two players on the team—the other being van Persie who also played alongside some of the aforementioned greats—that were proven winners?

Changed the Coaching Staff

As controversial a move as it may be, there's no denying that blame for some of the team's self-destruction over the years must lie with the people who deal with the players on a daily basis.

Arsenal could use a change of ethic when it comes to defending, that much is consensually agreed. Fans have grown tired of seeing the team concede goals and give up comfortable leads. What isn't universally agreed though is that a change in coaching staff is necessary.  

These fans forget that Arsenal's legendary defender Martin Keown was part of the defensive staff during the team's Champions League run to the finals. They also forget that the back-line that year had the best European record, as they played a record number of minutes without conceding a single goal (until the final).

It just goes to show how influential a coach of that sort of stature with that sort of experience can be for a team.

The one part of the team all fans would agree needs changing is the medical staff. As bizarre as it may seem, Arsenal players seem to get injured far more often than opposition's players, despite claiming to possess far better fitness regimes and techniques than their counterparts.

Of course, when players have their legs snapped in half like Eduardo and Aaron Ramsey, the fault simply cannot lie with the medical team. However, when players with ankle injuries miss an entire season, questions towards Colin Lewin, the team's physio, will undoubtedly arise.

It's also worth mentioning that when Colin's cousin (Gary Lewin) was the team's physio during the Highbury years, key players didn't miss out due to injury as much as they do now at The Emirates.  

Replaced Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri

The title of the slide says it all really, and I'm sure most fans will agree with the pressing need to do so, given Wenger himself mentioned that Arsenal cannot be considered a 'big club' if they let go of their two best players (Fabregas and Nasri) in the same summer.

But with Fabregas already gone and Nasri edging ever closer to the exit door, that scenario now looks extremely likely.

Cesc Fabregas was a phenomenal player for Arsenal in that he could sense a run better than any other midfielder, while making ridiculously hard through balls look ridiculously easy. And though finding a like-for-like replacement may be impossible, it doesn't mean Arsenal shouldn't have attempted to do so.

Aaron Ramsey, who is undoubtedly talented, is still some way off Fabregas' level, hence expecting him to pick up the pieces immediately may be a bit unreasonable.

Most importantly though, Arsenal fans need a lift, that mega signing that will restore faith in both the team's and the manager's ability. And since Wenger now has an abundance of transfer budget at his disposal, it's not too premature to expect that marquee player then.

Samir Nasri peaked during the course of the last campaign, and in the process turned into a player vital towards Arsenal's style of play. He was also seen as the perfect partner-in-crime to Fabregas, and he's become an increasingly influential team player.

If or when the Frenchman leaves, it would compound the already gaping void left in the midfield following Fabregas' departure, a void that simply needs to be filled with equal talent.

Cesc may be irreplaceable, but Nasri certainly is not. Regardless, Arsene should have bought replacements in for these players earlier on, as it would have eased their respective transfers out while allowing the incoming players sufficient amount of preseason time to get used to Arsenal's style of play.

Given Arsene Wenger an Ultimatum

The Arsenal boss has become notoriously famous for sturbornly steering clear of making the necessary changes, even in dire straits.

5 years ago, the rift between Arsenal fans over Wenger's importance never existed. Everyone had faith in Le Professor, and was willing to wait for his youth project to bear fruit, as they blindly trusted his judgements.

However, after enduring a sixth trophyless season, the divide seems wider than ever. Wenger's insistence on rigidly sticking to his philosophy is now criticized by fans and pundits alike, as they feel team changes are imperative.

Most importantly, given the rise in competition following Manchester City's advent into the Top Four, Arsenal fans are growing uneasy with the lack of activity from their club, seeing it as an indication of lowering ambition.

Though this may not entirely be the case, what is evident is that Wenger has done little besides bringing in a few unproven players, two of them being youngsters, to convince the football world that Arsenal still holds the same ambitions as it did during the time of The Invincibles.

As controversial and difficult it may be, the Board, Ivan Gazidis and Stan Kroenke should have set Wenger an ultimatum: either do the aforementioned six moves, or face the axe.

Unfortunately so far, all that is still yet to be achieved.