Arsenal: Unfinished business works in favor of Stephan Lichtsteiner

Arsenal have so many players to be excited about and Stephan Lichtsteiner may be the least of them, but the World Cup may have changed things.

It’s looking like the haul this summer will be four new players, all playing positions that Arsenal need pretty badly. Each player carries with them their own hopes and expectations, but I think it’s safe to say that of all of them, Stephan Lichtsteiner carried the least.

He’s had a fantastic career, but the simple fact of the matter is that he is is at the tail-end of his career, he’s won so damn much throughout that career, and, with Hector Bellerin already in place, Lichtsteiner figured to be a rotational option/mentor.

This World Cup might have changed that a bit. His intensity and determination was front and center for all those that were still unaware of just how the Swiss rightback worked.

Needless to say, he’s a pretty serious man. He knows what he wants and he will do everything he can to get there. And that includes going through anyone who wants to stop him.

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That excitement was enough to push the expectations for Lichtsteiner up the totem pole a bit, but I’m pretty certain the way in which his Switzerland were bounced from the World Cup will add even more fuel to his raging fire.

For starters, Lichtsteiner was missing in their match against Sweden due to suspension. Meaning he had to watch his team, the team he captains, bumble through an incredibly underwhelming match where they looked devoid of the things that Lichtsteiner has in abundance – fire, passion, determination and maybe even some anger.

It couldn’t have been easy for him to see it all end like that, assuming he doesn’t return when he’s 38 years old – which is obviously rather unlikely.

Which is why I’m getting my hopes up. Given how hard that had to be to watch, not being able to do anything about it, I like to believe that he is going to be figuratively on fire (maybe literally too) to get back out there and start making a difference again.

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I would love to see Lichtsteiner start the season ahead of Bellerin. Call me crazy, but go for the passion over the youthful promise. Plus, I’d love to see it light a fire under Bellerin a bit as well, seeing his spot taken by someone who wants it so much.

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