Arsenal: English Is The Key To Success

Robert Pires rightly claims that it is an English core that is key to success in the Premier League. It is something that Arsenal do not have.

The success that Arsene Wenger enjoyed during his early tenure was substantial. Hired in 1996, he proceeded to lead his team to a double 1998, another double in 2002 and an Invincible season 2004 among other domestic successes. Arsenal were the best team in the land.

It was a phenomenal era for the Gunners. They were the only club capable of challenging the might of Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United, boasted a ruthless blend of physical power and technical excellence. They were a domineering presence, on and off the pitch, they played at a searing intensity with great precision and beauty.

More from Pain in the Arsenal

Since then, Wenger has been unable to replicate the same relentless success. There are many reasons for his repeated failures. A lack of transfer funds; the emergence of Chelsea and Manchester City; the evolution of the modern game that caught up with his revolutionary ideas in the late ’90s and early ’00s. One man who was instrumental in the team’s success during those times was Robert Pires.

Playing as a chicken-legged winger, Pires developed a formidable partnership with Ashley Cole down the left flank. He was intelligent in his movement, drifting in off of the wing, and creative in his play, linking up with Dennis Bergkamp and Thierry Henry to devastating effect. When asked about the issues that his former team have struggled through more recently, Pires claimed that their lack of characters, lack of leaders and lack of English presence is a primary reason for their struggles:

"“The message from Wenger [must be] to say, ‘the season is not finished. We are six points from the Champions League [places] and we have to fight. We need character, we need leaders. We have (Mesut) Ozil, (Alexis) Sanchez, Laurent Koscielny. Koscielny is a very good captain but we maybe need some English players, the likes of Tony Adams, Martin Keown and Lee Dixon.”"

It is certainly a key shortcoming that has plagued Arsenal in recent seasons. Chelsea have anchored their titles on John Terry, Frank Lampard and Gary Cahill. Manchester City boast the characters of Joe Hart and James Milner. Their neighbours have always possessed a personality-driven English core. Wayne Rooney, Rio Ferdinand, Michael Carrick et al.

Next: Arsenal: 3 Improvements Granit Xhaka Must Make

Arsenal, meanwhile, rely on players like Laurent Koscielny and Mesut Ozil for their leadership. They may be talented individual players. But as leaders, as characters in the dressing room, as men who bring together collective success, they fall short. It is a trait that Wenger anchored his squad on early in his time in England. To replicate that success, he must do so again.

Home/Arsenal News