Arsenal: Arsene Wenger’s Realistic Checklist For Remainder Of Season

The Premier League season is winding down to a close and Arsenal has too many questions. Here is a realistic checklist for Arsene Wenger

With barely two months left in the season, there’s an air of uncertainty floating all around Arsenal. From the players looking devoid of optimism, and almost certainly dispirited, what exactly can be addressed to salvage, at least, a top four finish, and consequently, a run at next season’s Champions League?

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That being asked, it is entirely up to the gaffer to find that extra kick and that extra glow. So here is a realistic checklist to finish off the season.

• Find a leader in the dressing room

Back in the day(the good ol’ Highbury days), if problems arose, you had figures like Emmanuel ”Manu” Petit, Tony Adams and good ol’ Patrick Vieira. They held each other by the scruff of their necks, and sorted things out. As per The Sun, where Alan Shearer writes that ”Arsenal’s DNA has changed drastically from the Invincible era…” referring also in relation to last month’s defeat at Stamford Bridge

He goes on, with hindsight  to say that this current crop of players would have been easier to deal with at the 1998 FA cup final.

"I wish I had faced an Arsenal team with this mentality when we met in the 1998 FA Cup final. I would be sat here with a medal to show for my time at Newcastle rather than just memories"

A leader, and most importantly, a firm voice is required to lift low spirits, and bring up a fighting one when things are not going according to book. I understand that we have a leader in Per Mertesacker, but I’m afraid it is not showing at the moment.

• Sort out the contract situations

For a long time, we have been hearing speculations that both Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez are leaving in the summer. This can have an impact on two of our most important players, both on and off the pitch. For all I care, give those two whatever they want. We finished paying off the stadium ages ago and we’re making a healthy profit. We cannot afford to lose both the sprocket and wheel at this moment in time. Enough said.

• Give Lucas Perez a platform to showcase his worth

This comes probably too late in the season, and given he has a thigh injury set to keep him out of the side for around three weeks, it’s depressing.

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On the bright side, however, we hope that the international break does him some good, and if he won’t be available for our crucial home battle against City, then he could at least feature in the London derby against West Ham.

Why do I feel Lucas is underrated? Because he has had to play almost all over Europe to get a stage on which he can shine bright enough to get a call-up to the Spanish national team. He played in Greece, Ukraine and in his native Deportivo La Coruna . Why should he come here only for all that hard work to be squashed due to lack of game time? He is an extremely able athlete capable of proving his worth for this club.

• Zonal marking from corner kicks (seriously?)

According to Danny Higginbotham speaking on Sky Sports HQ;

"When you’re doing zonal you’ll tell the person stood next to you to stretch their hands out. What that’s supposed to do is stop gaps appearing for the opposition to run through."

Craig Dawson scored a brace, heading home from poorly defended corner kicks. He made his runs from deep, jumping and winning the frail aerial duels. If we can’t defend set pieces using zonal, then why don’t we just switch to man-to-man? What’s the point?

• Bring some dynamism into the team

We basically approach play using two tactics. Either play Olivier Giroud up top, have him hold up play and get flick-ons onto runners from midfield and approaching wingers on the flanks. If Giroud hasn’t started, we play Alexis up front, having him try to cut inside to get a shot on, or simply bring crosses into the danger area. Limitations being, Giroud lacks pace, and Alexis can’t play as the target man.

Solution? Play Lucas (when fit) up top,  getting through balls over the top, using his pace and explosive power. As evident in recent games, he is very much like Alexis, as he likes dropping deep and picking balls, or starting his runs from deep to latch onto balls while counter-attacking. Why not have two like-minded players up front?

And finally:

• Come clean about his future

Nothing breeds complacency more than uncertainty. Players take advantage of an uncertain atmosphere and take things just too easy. They have it in their minds, probably, that if he does go, then the repercussions of under-performing will not be as severe, and if he is staying, then they’ll use that as a scapegoat as to why they under-performed in the first place.

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So please Mr. Wenger, if you’re reading this (probably not), please consider shedding some light on your future at Arsenal Football Club, both for yours, the players and the fans’ sake.