Arsenal: Freddie Ljungberg Correct And Yet Naive

 Freddie Ljungberg has stated that Arsenal must get off to a fast start if they harbor hopes of winning the Premier League. Unfortunately, without investment, that is unlikely to happen.

The Premier League is a marathon and not a sprint. However, even in a marathon, it’s important to get off to a good start, and that is exactly what Arsenal will have to do in the 16/17 season.

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Freddie Ljungberg is a man who understands the importance of getting off to a great start. In the great 03/04 season where Arsene Wenger led the side to a truly incredible invincible season, the squad won their first four games in emphatic style, including a 4-0 pummeling of Middlesborough away from home.

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It set the club up for a record breaking year and now Ljungberg is highlighting the importance of a great start:

"” We have a good squad and a good foundation. We need to have a good start to the season, keep playing as a team as we always do and believe in Arsène and each other. We are a big club and have a great team, so we always have a chance of winning the Premier League.”"

Clearly, the start of the season is absolutely vital. However, are Arsenal actually in a position to make such a start?

Well, much has been made of Arsenal’s injury crisis, and it is becoming a concern that could well set the Gunners back in their quest for that elusive Premier League title. Because of Wenger’s ridiculous resistance to spend money in the transfer market, Arsenal are set to enter the season with Yaya Sanogo and Chuba Akpom as the only fit strikers. That is a problem inherently. However, when the fixture list is surveyed, the worries are only compounded.

Arsenal start the season hosting Liverpool. They then travel to champions Leicester and Watford and are back at the Emirates with Southamton coming to North London to end a very tough opening quartet of games.

Olivier Giroud will not be unable for all four of these games, but it will take him time to find his sharpness once again. I am not confident in the striking options whatsoever for Arsenal to win even three of these four games.

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Getting off to a quick start is important. Unfortunately, without investment in a plug and play striker, Arsenal are looking at a tough opening set of fixtures. Wenger needs to dip his hand in his pocket, as Ljungberg’s comments allude to.