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The Professor Needs to Step it Up | 
There have been many occasions in recent years where the genius of Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has been brought into question. After all, the trophy cabinet has been empty for four years and everyone, from skipper Cesc Fabregas to that little child in the upper tier at the Emirates, is becoming increasingly restless with the club’s underachievements. A majority of the supporters, however, continue to believe that Monsieur Wenger will step it up sooner than later.
As someone who has always defended Wenger’s tactics, I have had a tough time convincing myself regarding the Frenchman’s tactics of late. No doubt that Wenger has worked wonders with a team that is almost entirely composed of youth. But at the end of the day, I feel it is time to listen to the critics, because maybe they are getting at something. Perhaps, after four long years of a frustrating team-building process, it is time for Wenger to improvise his policy and bring some experience to the Arsenal line-up.
I completely support Wenger’s philosophy of avoiding spoiled superstars. But I am sure his wisdom will easily enable him to identify experienced, hardworking players who are not merely huge stars. For instance, Arsenal’s invincibles from half a decade ago were nowhere near the category of complacent big names (aka Adriano, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho). The good thing is that the majority of players in the sport today are actually far from this infamous category.
Considering that there are no excuses left, I am finally beginning to feel that Arsene needs to catch up with the trend and strike a good balance within this Arsenal squad by bringing some experience. So far, he has only managed to sign Belgian International defender Thomas Vermaelen from Ajax. To further bolster his defense, Wenger has also called Philippe Senderos back from his loan spell at AC Milan (who by the way need huge reinforcements too).
I am sure that everyone at Arsenal realizes that two young defensive players cannot make the difference between a trophyless season and a Championship campaign. For Arsenal to finally end this dry spell, Emmanuel Adebayor’s future needs to be resolved quickly so that striking options are finalized. In addition, an experienced holding midfielder is a must. If Rafa Benitez can slam Gareth Barry’s failure to sign for Liverpool, then I will go ahead and slam my own beloved Gunners for their failure to lure Barry to the Emirates.
By the way, what exactly happened to the deal with Felipe Melo? At the beginning of the week, Arsenal were firm favorites to swap the unsettled Emmanuel Eboue for the in-form Melo. But thanks to Wenger’s refusal to offload Eboue, Juventus snatched the player away before any Arsenal fan could even say the Brazilian’s name. If the North London outfit keeps getting snubbed this way, the Finsbury Park area could be full of protest sooner rather than later.
It is clear, more than ever before, this is the time to react. It is true that Andrei Arshavin will no longer be cup-tied while some of the younger players will also come back stronger. But remember, that only means that Arsenal should continue the team building, not bring it to a halt! If Real Madrid can afford the insanity of putting their entire Dutch contingent on the market, then Arsenal can snap up at least one of the three or four big names. If Wenger prefers French talent, then how about signing an established Ligue 1 star such as Lyon’s Jeremy Toulalan or Auxerre’s Benoit Pedretti?
The idea is not to identify specific players for Wenger as I am sure he has enough knowledge to hit the market in search for a player that fits the demographic. Instead, the idea is to propel Wenger towards sealing a few major deals before the Gunners fall far behind in this ruthless summer of recruiting. And that is not to say that great transfers always equate to huge success. Then again, bringing some experience to a team full of developing youngsters can never hurt, can it?
Do you agree with Zain? Have your say in the comments section below!
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Thank you Brian! I appreciate all the praise and I just wish Arsene would listen to me right about now.
As for Vermaelen, I haven’t seen too much of him but apparently he was watched on more than forty different occasions by multiple Arsenal scouts, which means he has to be a solid player. I hope he does for us what Vidic did for you guys!
But on another note, I honestly want established players for a change. Arshavin was our only big signing in quite a while and I hope we don’t have to wait until January to bring in more players like him. If we at least get in a big name defensive midfielder to support Cesc, we can certainly have a better season. Oops, did I mention we also need to avoid injuries AT ALL COSTS!
Zain,
Absolutely phenomenal article. It was a joy to read, and the best article I’ve read in some time.
As a Gunner, are you pleased with the Vermaelen signing and want more of the same or are you looking for other types of players?