%20rotate(-8.06)%22%2F%3E%0A%20%20%3Cpolygon%20class%3D%22cls-1%22%20points%3D%22336.19%20136.81%20330.16%2094.25%20326.06%2071.19%20326.44%2071.13%20335.22%2093.54%20352.29%20134.52%20373.95%20131.46%20362.7%2052.01%20350.02%2053.8%20356.05%2096.36%20360.15%20119.42%20359.77%20119.48%20350.99%2097.08%20333.91%2056.09%20312.25%2059.15%20323.51%20138.6%20336.19%20136.81%22%2F%3E%0A%20%20%3Cpolygon%20class%3D%22cls-1%22%20points%3D%22402.91%2059.3%20412.36%20126.02%20427.17%20123.92%20417.72%2057.21%20431.59%2055.24%20429.79%2042.51%20387.23%2048.53%20389.04%2061.27%20402.91%2059.3%22%2F%3E%0A%20%20%3Cpolygon%20class%3D%22cls-1%22%20points%3D%22463.51%20118.77%20458.69%2084.71%20474.68%2082.44%20479.51%20116.5%20494.36%20114.4%20483.11%2034.95%20468.26%2037.06%20472.96%2070.25%20456.96%2072.52%20452.26%2039.32%20437.4%2041.43%20448.65%20120.88%20463.51%20118.77%22%2F%3E%0A%20%20%3Cpolygon%20class%3D%22cls-1%22%20points%3D%22540.5%20107.87%20538.77%2095.68%20518.91%2098.49%20515.77%2076.29%20535.63%2073.47%20533.93%2061.5%20514.07%2064.32%20511.11%2043.42%20530.98%2040.61%20529.25%2028.42%20494.53%2033.34%20505.78%20112.78%20540.5%20107.87%22%2F%3E%0A%20%20%3Cpolygon%20class%3D%22cls-1%22%20points%3D%22299.03%20155.17%20301.29%20171.58%20542.78%20138.39%20540.5%20121.97%20299.03%20155.17%22%2F%3E%0A%3C%2Fsvg%3E)
A new signing is all Arsenal need to reinvigorate
By Josh Sippie
Arsene Wenger is under intense pressure to make a new signing for Arsenal and the media was at it again following a painful affair at Newcastle that saw Arsenal through by the skin of their teeth after their season-high scorer “own goal” put in another for the Gunners to one up Olivier Giroud, who was riding the bench.
More from Pain in the Arsenal
- 3 observations from Arsenal’s victory at Goodison Park
- 3 standout players from 1-0 victory over Everton
- 3 positives & negatives from Goodison Park victory
- Arsenal vs PSV preview: Prediction, team news & lineups
- 3 talking points from Arsenal’s victory at Goodison Park
“We are out there and working on it and I’m optimistic. This kind of thing is very difficult to predict,” he said via the Independent.
Watching the Newcastle match, it was incredibly apparent that something about this team has to change, but it is not a matter of who is the weak link in the chain because there really is not a weak link. Most will tell you it is Olivier Giroud, some will say it is Coquelin’s lack of offense, some will point to Ramsey or Cazorla, but the fact of the matter is this is the same squad that took the second half of last season by storm, except now we have Petr Cech.
This club should be winning, but it is not. It appears as though the team is painfully complacent as a unit. Wenger is absolutely right in saying that this team has everything it needs to win. It really does. But they seem to lack the motivation to do so.
There are two possible solutions. When Arsenal was embarrassed by Southampton on New Years, Wenger made wholesale changes and it worked wonders. Given how balanced this squad is, wholesale changes may not have the same effect, but it might have been what he tried with starting Theo Walcott.
The second option is simple: Sign someone. If no strikers are available, sign a winger. If no wingers are available, sign an attacking midfielder. It quite literally does not matter who, just sign someone. I get that it is against the Arsenal way and that it has to be the ‘perfect signing’ but right now, any signing will upset the balance of the team. That is a good thing. It will rattle the players within the squad.
Right now everyone is dug into their starting roles with no signs of urgency when they hit the pitch. They know who is on the squad and no one feels threatened. Bringing in another star athlete or two will be like a slap in the face. Suddenly these guys have to step up their game. They know Wenger’s transfer policy and they know that if he spent money on someone, he must believe that they deserve to start.
More from Arsenal News
- 3 observations from Arsenal’s victory at Goodison Park
- 3 standout players from 1-0 victory over Everton
- 3 positives & negatives from Goodison Park victory
- Arsenal vs PSV preview: Prediction, team news & lineups
- 3 talking points from Arsenal’s victory at Goodison Park
Did Manchester City need Kevin De Bruyne? Not at all. But by signing De Bruyne, pressure is put on David Silva, Jesus Navas, Raheem Sterling and the rest of the attackers to put their best foot forward in every step of every match. They know that their job is at risk.
This is the basis of the internal competition that Arsenal have going. It is just that right now there is so little competition. Bringing in an Isco or a Kuba or a Krychowiak tells all the Arsenal players that they are no longer safe. They have to step up their game to maintain their spot. Even if it is a potential dud signing like Aleksandr Kokorin, at the very least it lets Olivier Giroud and Theo Walcott know that they are not playing up to scratch and they better kick it into gear because the gaffer is not going to let personal relationships get in the way of winning trophies.
Arsene Wenger has a reported 40 million pounds still to spend. Spend it. If the signing fails, at least it shook things up and that is all this team needs right now.
Next: Arsenal starting XI remains unsolved