Arsenal: Heroes are needed, and it’s obvious who to turn to

Arsenal need heroes to save them from this situation, but the heroes aren’t who you’d think they are. Even if it should be obvious.

Arsenal‘s situation is one that could use a good rescue. And we’ve been waiting for that good rescue for about a month or so now. Always waiting, never actually finding the hero(es) we need, who’s up to the task.

That’s because we’re asking the wrong people. When this situation first began, it was clear that Unai Emery took the “play your best players” approach. And I won’t fault him for that. That’s the safe way to go. Trust in the superstars, make them earn their keep.

That has failed, and I think it’s safe to say that it isn’t going to be Mesut Ozil or Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang that lifts us out of the dumps. It’s more likely that they will see the situation and push for an exit. They don’t have time to waste trying to put out a fire.

No, those aren’t the kinds of players we want to ask for help. They are passengers at this point, they’ll do what we expect them to do, but rarely anything more.

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The players you want to turn to are those players who are still in the phase of respecting the club above all else. Not caring about who is in charge, or what happened last week, or what the fans are doing. Mostly because even fans have the decency not to lambast youngsters. (Although… it’s just a matter of time.)

Youngsters are the answer here. Guys like Bukayo Saka and Joe Willock. Players who still feel morally obligated to the club, who genuinely want to help, who see the club as their home and, on a more individual level, who want to prove that they are the solution to the problems.

That’s the mindset you want to count on. It was so obvious against Southampton when both Willock and Gabriel Martinelli immediately felt like they were ten speeds higher than everyone else. Sure, exhaustion is a factor, but these guys really wanted to change things, and lo and behold they did. Without them, the game ends 3-1.

Give them the opportunity to magnify that effect. If nothing else, it can’t be any worse than what’s happening now. At least we will see effort and heart, where once there was so little. Flip the script, give youth a chance.