As Man United fans prepare themselves for overhauling their fiercest rivals with title number 19, Arsenal will look back at another season without a trophy and what was nearly achieved. The final of the Carling Cup, sixth round of the FA Cup, Champions League 1st round knockout stage and a probable runners up place in the League.
Another season of disappointment that promised so much, but why does this happen so often? Well that is the aim of this article to show football fans 5 reasons why Arsenal never win anything.
Goalkeeper
Manuel Almunia, Wojciech Szczęsny and Łukasz Fabiański have all failed to impress in their time as Arsenal number one. If you look at the teams around Arsenal they all have top goalkeepers or at least of a better standard than what the Gunners can provide. Most teams that win trophies have the best goalkeepers.
When Arsenal went the 2004 season unbeaten they had Jens Lehmann in goal and while he is not faultless he has been one of the better goalies they have had between the sticks. The fact it is one of the most talked about issues surrounding the Arsenal team is of no coincidence. Wenger’s arrogance in refusing to buy a top quality one has come back to haunt Arsenal time and time again.
Defence
It has been a long time since Arsenal have had a defence that could be called solid. They have never been a team that you could bet on keeping clean sheets, only that they will attack the opposition. For all their pretty football, Arsenal are constantly undone at the back. Not since 2004 have they won the title with a back four that consisted with the likes of Lauren, Cole, Campbell and Keown meant they were harder to break down.
That season they conceded the least amount of goals of any team in the Premier League. It is hard to imagine now an Arsenal team built on a solid defence.
Youth Over Experience
Arsene Wenger cannot be faulted on his ability to see the potential of a youngster, nor can he be criticised for making some of those youngsters into the best players in the world. However balance is a word that Wenger needs to learn. It is all well and good buying youngsters with massive potential and placing them in the first team but you need experienced players around them.
When the going gets tough and the pressure is on, you need old heads who have done it all before to deal with the pressure, Arsenal simply don’t have this. They just have players who have experienced failure time and time again. Neither the defence nor the midfield has an organiser who can boss team mates around telling them where they need to be next. Wenger’s comments of his kids that they have enough experience to win trophies is starting to wear pretty thin.
No Plan B
At times, Arsenal can play the best attacking football in the Premier League. Their quick passing and movement is a joy to watch. However, while their style is the most attractive it doesn’t always work, and when it doesn’t, they don’t have a plan B. Arsenal seem incapable of playing any other way, if you cant play through the middle or wide, knock it long, While this isn’t the most attractive football if it gets results then that is the most important thing.
Don’t kid yourself Arsenal fans, winning is the most important! No one cares about pretty football unless you have trophies to back it up. Arsenal will never look at the opposing teams threats and match up to them, they simply their same game every time and it doesn’t always come off.
Nicklas Bendtner
Okay while the Dane cannot be to blame for all of the Gunners mishaps over the years, he can be blamed for missing the majority of chances that come his way. Seriously does anybody rate him?
Any Arsenal fans wish to keep him? Every now and again he can show some class or skill but this is maybe in every 20 games or so. What is worse about Bendtner is that he actually considers himself one of the best, talking before the World Cup he spoke about becoming one of the best strikers in the world, maybe he should consider stand up comedy. One final thought is that I would rate him at approximately £5 million, he is rumoured to be leaving in the summer for £15 million, how on earth is he worth that much? Surely Arsenal must cash in if this is true.
