Let’s be clear, The UK tumbling out of Europe is one thing, The Arsenal tumbling out is an altogether more serious matter, however, it’s not just us. Why?

My first thought was that having just been reminded about the wretched League Cup, it would be down to our larger league and excessive fixtures. I turned to Bayern as a point of reference. To my surprise, I discovered Bayern only played one less game, although they had 41 domestic fixtures to our 46. Here are numbers of games played last season:

ARSENAL

PL                                 38

FAC                                5

League Cup                     2

Charity Shield                  1

CL                                   8

Total                            54

BAYERN

League                           34

DFB (Their FAC)              6

Supercup                         1

CL                                  12

Total                             53

However, English sides were far more successful ten years ago, despite the same difference in games played between ourselves and our European chums. Below I list how English Clubs have fared over the last 10 years, from the last eight, semis and finals of the CL, and there is a remarkable decline.

English Clubs record CL last 10 years for last eight, semis and finals

2016    City semis

2015   None

2014   Chelsea semis

2013   None

2012   Chelsea win

2011   Spurs, Chelsea last 8. Utd Final

2010   Arsenal, Utd last 8

2009   Pool last 8, Chelsea Arsenal semis, Utd Final

2008   Arsenal last 8, Chelsea Pool semis, Utd winners

2007   Utd Chelsea semis, Pool Final

Some possible conclusions:

1. The more the cash flows into the PL, the worse English clubs do in Europe
2. Leagues in Germany and Spain have a bigger divide between elite clubs and the rest
3. It’s an English problem as much as an Arsenal problem
4. Those four additional League games equates to a winter break
5. It is not the number of games played by English sides that is the only problem, but I suspect it is how competitive they are that really takes its toll.

QUESTION: are we happier to watch more competitive league games on a weekly basis to the detriment of being successful at the top table?

MY VIEW: I want my cake and to eat it, so I’d merely say reduce the fixtures as much as possible to give us a better chance, as I think there are only two alternatives: firstly, more elitism amongst Premier League teams, or, just accept it’s tougher for an English side to be successful in the CL.

Written by MickyDidIt89

fgg says

Alonso -£8m
Vidal – £25m
Thiago – £20m

Not exactly crazy money. Massive transfers still get the headlines in football, but there are thousands of transfers that happen every season that are value for money. Leicester were a prime example of this last season.

Ox
Ramsey
Wilshere
Xhaka

Four midfielders that we already own who have massive potential to be as good as any other midfielders out there IF they are managed in the right way and put into systems that suit how they play. It’s not pipe dreams – we’ve watched these players control football matches and put in stunning performances against top class opposition before, they just need to re-find that form and build partnerships. If we can add the right players around them then there is no need for crazy transfer fees.

This is obviously a massively difficult task, but world class players emerge from all different places. Maybe we’ve already got some in our squad that just need a little spark.

Micky says

I really don’t think drastic changes are needed as most of the important stuff is in place ie stadium, financials etc. Net spend on wages and transfers is also fine

Tweak transfer policy. Take on more Arsenal football people. Relieve Manager of some duties. Adopt zero tolerance for players not giving 100%

All easily achievable

I would tend to agree with FGG’s and Micky’s sentiments. Whether they are directly saying it or not I read their comments in a way that resonates with a particular conclusion that I have reached, which I have personally felt for a while, that Arsene is no longer the best at developing young talent. I have tried not to say this upfront and so blatantly for fear of upsetting, but there it is in plain writing.

I say this still with the deepest regard and gratitude towards him, and I have absolutely no doubt that everything he does he genuinely believes to be in the clubs best interest, which is why I find it sad for him that he doesn’t have the right answers or methods anymore (IMO).

He once arguably was the best developer of players, but too many have lost their way recently to ignore it. Have other managers and coaches just caught up and surpassed him or has he changed himself? I actually feel a bit of both and don’t subscribe to the thought he is the same man he was.

If I was to psychologically profile things, (based on gut instinct not facts or proof), then I would say that Arsene was forced into a change when we moved to the new stadium and money was scarce, and he was forced to develop world class players himself.

This is a great credit to him to stick with us and oversee this and to take this difficult but necessary (at that time) route, and I don’t see how anyone else could have done better. He was without doubt the right, and only, man for us at this time, probably till about 3-4 seasons back.

All this resulted in the classic line “we make our own world class players, we don’t buy them”. This was, however, as much about necessity as it was about taking a moral higher ground.

At the same time I feel Arsene, in having to develop his own players and team, decided to try for a utopian style of football with multi position changing technical players, that can all function in the different positions that they interchange with their team-mates in during a game.

As such I feel he started to collect and recruit a certain style of player almost in a thought of “if I have 10 Maradona’s on the pitch we will beat anyone and everyone”.

This has shown us glimpses of great football  but is often found wanting over a season once you factor in the different types of opposition, injuries, fatigue, weather and pitches.

I often wonder if this utopian ethos has worked deeper into his mind and became too much of a holy grail to Arsene. The problem is that for me it is a utopian idea that doesn’t work, is showing not to work, and that he couldn’t quite seem to relinquish and accept isn’t working.

I also have a sneaky feeling that this is why we aren’t seeing more Arsenal people at the club. I think he gets on very well with a lot of his ex greats but isn’t comfortable with any of them that are strong minded enough to see things differently from him and tell him. I feel he doesn’t want those people around him and really only wants ones that don’t challenge his ideas. This I feel has been to our detriment.

I tend to feel that what has hindered him most is this collection of too many similar players, coupled with this attempted development of multi functioning players in a utopian style of football.

I personally feel players developing different skill sets in different positions (in a Dutch total football way) is for the academy and youth ranks, but once they reach a certain age and level where 1st team consideration is forthcoming, a player (and manager) needs to identify his best role, and then the final development phase is to make them a world class exponent in it.

One thing that hasn’t escaped me is how many players we have that have played in many different positions. Think of Ramsey, Ox and Jack for starters and think of the different positions they have been asked to play in. At least 3 in my mind and possibly 4 in Jack’s case.

Not wanting to get too cliche’d but this has left us top heavy with players who are a bit too much Jack of all trades master of none. The other thing it has done is to force us to play in a way that leads to another cliche. I forget what it is but I know it is one of Chas’ favourites……something to do with footwear and things you find on the head of a rutting stag 🙂

While it is useful to have some adaptable players in a squad, this for me cannot be helpful to the final development of these players and has resulted in some chaotic performance that don’t really tally with the quality of the 11 players on paper.

I actually don’t feel that the base line skill set and quality that Bayern put out was so distinctly different to us but they were a much better football side.

This is why I have felt that what has stopped us from progressing (and possibly winning another EPL under Wenger) recently has been more down to these intrinsic factors. Our transfer activity (or lack thereof) has not been the key factor. It has obviously been a factor in a way, but for me only in the further collection of too many similar players that don’t bring a distinctly different skill set to the squad above what we have already, where better options to improve squad strength and bring something we need more were available.

I haven’t really seen any glimpses of a possible acceptance and change from our manager which is why I have sadly slowly come to the conclusion that he is just not quite what is required anymore at the highest level. He still remains, and will remain, our greatest ever manager.

Written by GoonerB