I don’t expect major improvement under Arsene Wenger. Improvement requires a coach with a strong personality who can motivate players.
After months of speculation, Arsene Wenger finally put pen on paper by signing a two-year contract extension. It could prove to be a costly signing.
Does Wenger deserve a new contract? No.
Courtesy Clive Mason/Getty Images and The Evening Standard
Owners need to leave their comfort zone and make bold moves to get the club back to the top. Arsenal’s decision to stick with Wenger is hardly bold. It begs a question: Is this club satisfied with a 5th-place finish?
Wenger thinks big things are possible. “We’re committed to mounting a sustained league challenge and that will be our focus this summer and next season,” he said.
Will that happen? It’s unlikely.
Arsenal needs a manager with a strong winning mentality, a manager who has what it takes to get positive results when it matters most. You can’t win a title by winning one game and losing the next two or three. You have to show consistency over 38 games in the Premier League. Arsenal also needs to show tactical flexibility to win difficult games.
Wenger does not rise to the level just described. And it shows in the team’s ability to attract big-name players. Finishing outside top four will make it even more difficult to come to terms with top-quality players.
Wenger’s perspective on player quality is telling: “We don’t need a lot. We don’t need many. But we need maybe top quality.” That’s more easily said than done.
Courtesy: Mirror
Arsenal recently announced the signing of Bosnian defender on a free transfer, Sead Kolasinac from Schalke. Is Kolasinac good enough to improve the team? Only time will tell.
A better bet is the need for this team to pay over-the-odds to bring in marquee signings. I’m just not sure whether the club is willing to spend that kind of money.
The major issue facing Wenger is uncertainty surrounding the future of Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil. The pair have yet to commit to the club and big clubs will be sniffing around to test Arsenal’s resolve.
Face it: players like these most certainly want to go to a club that offers Champions League football.
Although Wenger has said that the duo would not be sold, it remains to be seen how long the club can hold on. We’ve had similar cases in the past when Van Persie and Samir Nasri left the club because they questioned Arsenal’s lack of ambition. Both players ended up adding major trophies to their cabinets.
It’s really going to be a tough road ahead for this club.
What Arsenal needs most are players who display mental toughness, a trait that has been lacking on this club. Losing six in nine games over seven weeks–as Arsenal did last year–isn’t acceptable.
And the ledger next year will be tough. With Europa League football on ground, it will be interesting to see how the team can cope with Thursday night football, together with Premier League games, and other domestic competitions.
I just don’t see how it’s possible to expect major improvement under Arsene Wenger. Improvement requires a coach with a strong personality who can motivate players.
Fans are losing patience and the call for Wenger to step down will likely intensify if results don’t improve.
There is no better time than now to make a what seems to be inevitable change.
