Could Arsenal in the Europa Conference League be positive?

For many, getting into the new UEFA European Conference League is an embarrassment, far below Arsenal and its proud history. Yet in truth, as applies to Everton as well, this route might be the best thing for the Gunners.

The competition isn’t an embarrassment, but an opportunity. Only losing in this competition could even theoretically qualify as an embarrassment, yet doing so is just life, and without this risk, there is simply no real reward for being involved in the competition in the first instant.

Yet with this all understood, Arsenal, were they somehow able to qualify for it at this point, would have to be heavy favorites to win the league in its inaugural campaign. Having become mainstays near the top of the Europa League for several seasons, the Gunners would be among the most talented outfits in the tournament. That does not account for everything, of course.

To win these competitions, you need the best team, not necessarily the best players. While some of the great victors of each nation or European competition routinely do have a number of elite players, this is not always the case.

Could Arsenal in the Europa Conference League be a humbling and positive experience for Mikel Arteta’s side?

A team is how all of the players preform in concert with one another, and certainly the best players can theoretically play better with one another than the more mundane talent might be able to. Yet it is also true that players with better snugness with one another can out-play even the most talented individuals, should they not be in sync with their own squad.

As we have seen with Arsenal, great talent can be muted in an instant by great team cooperation, and it might just be that competing at this level helps to create the camaraderie and understanding on the football pitch that translates to better, future performances.

Certainly falling so far from the Champions League is disappointing, yet the path to glory rarely remains so sterile and picturesque; this tournament would be better than nothing, and winning it in its first season would be a step back into the Europa League, which is sadly where this club is.

Arsenal: Europe is Europe, and getting there is certainly no small matter

Getting into Europe is massive for any team, regarding the squad sizes, the wage and transfer money and so many more things. Players are not only attracted to clubs by the money, but by the competitions they play in and how routinely they succeed within those tournaments. As an opportunity to play academy stars up until the very latter stages it’s a genuine chance for player development.

For Arsenal, things are a bit more complicated because of the history of the club, yet it does remain true that the club will certainly not get all of the top names in part due to their recent string of poor form over the last few years plus.

Would players be more interested in coming to the club if they were in the Europa Conference League than out of Europe entirely? Absolutely. You can sell a player on coming to north London, winning a European trophy in his first season, while being responsible for reinvigorating the Gunners domestically.

The team won the FA Cup last season, as well as this year’s Community Shield, and so Mikel Arteta has certainly earned himself more time than Unai Emery got, and even that was in my opinion, unfair to both our former coach as well as the club and its players.

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The coach must show the public the path and vision he has for the team, and that means that more pieces will have to come in, as older pieces leave. With Willian and David Luiz leaving, wages will be more readily available for the players the club is looking to bring it, and there are plenty of other potential names that look to be joining them on their way out too.

Granit Xhaka will leave, as will Sead Koalsinac; Hector Bellerin might finally be leaving, along with Ainsley Maitland-Niles; Lucas Torreria and likely Eddie Nketiah. With this broad exodus (and more), the club will have both money and roster spots to accommodate talent both young and old, fresh and grizzled.

As I stated in a piece just the other day, there are so many players at each level that the club can look at in the transfer period that were Arsenal on the offensive during these next months, they could really score some powerful pieces across each level of their preferred team shape. After the massive mistake of attempting a “Super League”, it feels to me that the Kroenke’s have little other option, European qualification or not, should they truly intend not to sell the club, but to pour money into the outfit over these succeeding transfer windows.

They have taken the full brunt of the fan disdain since they purchased stake, and eventually complete control in the club, as their track record has not suggested they quite understand how the game or business works in England or Europe.

Should they continue to miss the plot so to speak, the pressure will only mount from supporters as they could feasibly act in ways similar to those Manchester United fans who continue to protest the Glazers. I support both movements of #KroenkeOut and #GlazerOut of course, and would also support #FSGOut if the Liverpool faithful were more into it. In any event, ownership and their administration have little choice but to get it right every window, or suffer the international mockery that would follow.

The Europa League would likely ease pressure on every part of the club, including ownership, and were that to occur, it is likely that Arsenal could improve quicker than without the additional tournament, its revenue and roster/wage considerations.

While it is frustrating for those whom fondly remember days of near constant success, this lesser tournament could be a lifeline should it be reached as the Premier League season comes to an end; Arsenal would do best to grab onto it if they can, and give themselves a leg up across the board for the next season to come, relative to the Gunners’ future state without qualifying for some European competition for the coming season beyond this summer transfer window.