The news of only having the ability to bring in players via loan this transfer window, coupled by our current form and the languid one nil defeat away to West Ham has put a damper in the mood of our fan base. Adding to the unrest, news has been circulating that our head of recruitment Sven Mislintat looks to be headed out the door. Presently, we're a mess on and off the pitch.
Narrowing the focus away from the behind the scenes pantomimes
(because good, bad or ugly, the on the pitch stuff is what I enjoy writing and
speaking about the most), we should keep in mind just how fickle this game can
be. We’ve recently witnessed just how
quickly things can change on the pitch in football, i.e. Manchester United. Not long ago, we were eleven points clear. Now they are level on points with us and look
an entirely different team. Probably
worth noting the big difference being their squad is much more balanced than
ours if we’re being honest.
Unlike Manchester United’s ascension closing the gap, our decline
in form has been a bit more of a measured slope opposed to a volatile drop. We’ve stayed in the hunt for the top four all
season, however since the festive period you can see it has started to
gradually drift away. Truth of the
matter, we haven’t come close to reaching the levels we saw in the 4-2 thumping
of Sp*rs. There has been suggestion that
our run of form has remained the same since the autumn, which is slightly
bollocksy if you ask me. Notwithstanding,
we have been guilty of acquiring points in some matches which, statistically we
didn’t deserve (just simply look at our outperforming xG).
However, on the overall form spectrum it’s a bit silly to say we were as
bad during our unbeaten run as we’ve recently been (look no further than performances against Southampton,
Liverpool, Brighton, and West Ham).
Confidence breeds form and form breeds confidence. Although our unbeaten run was probably a
pinch more of confidence rather than stellar form, both are now well under
siege and in dire need of a revival if we want any chance in regaining a top four finish.
Observing the performance from last Saturday against West Ham, our squad is
in desperate need of an infusion and spark.
Without extensive elaboration, we came across as lethargic on the whole,
largely incoherent, short of ideas going forward, and for any lack of a better
description, no clear playing identity.
Oddly enough, we have two attack minded midfielders we could have
benefited from. However, one was
completely left out of the squad. The
other on the bench. Surely their
inclusions this Saturday against Chelsea would not only give the team a much-needed
lift, but also provide our fan base a much needed boost given current events
and the current negative aura surrounding the club.
Mesut Ozil is understandably not the ideal cog to have in
your side if your principle aim is to be dogmatic and structurally sound
defensively. However, it’s not as if we’ve
been executing and demonstrating this quality in any capacity when he's excluded (with exception to beating Sp*rs). Looking beyond the lazy analysis of some, Ozil
does give you work rate. It’s just not
of the aggressive hard talking type of work rate which some believe is the only
kind that exists. Whether you chose to
believe it or not, there are no extensive structural sacrifices made
defensively with his inclusion. On the
offensive side, we all know what he can produce. Although he’s not going to consistently have
performances as he did against Leicester, he is always capable of a magical
pass as demonstrated against Burnley.
Although Aaron Ramsey will not be an Arsenal player next
season, I’ve admired his steadfast professionalism this season as his role in
the side has been a constant subject of question. He’s stood in as captain on numerous occasions
and has made vital contributions (many times as a super sub). He’s demonstrated he still has plenty to
offer, especially pitching in on the offensive end where we’ve looked quite lost lately. Although he may not ‘be a fit’ in Unai Emery’s
plans, his guile, versatility and aptitude in midfield and in the final third
are something we could really use more of during this difficult spell. Of all our players in the squad (minus Petr
Cech), Ramsey has the most Premier League experience. An attribute you’d hope we would fully
utilize.
The
upcoming run of fixtures will prove to be pivotal for us, starting with
Chelsea this weekend. A win would put us
within 3 points of 4th, and a loss 9 points adrift. We were in a very similar position last
season, and the games that ensued after we entered 2018 eventually placed us on
our own island between the ‘mid-table elite’ and a top four challenge. Emery needs to do something to harness some
momentum and get us back on track, quickly.
Otherwise, we’ll be in the same predicament as last season watching our
top four challenge drift away. He needs
to make us believe again as we did during the autumn. I’m not suggesting that re-enlisting
Ozil and Ramsey back into the XI is the end all solution and will do the
trick. However, I believe actually
utilizing two of our best players would be a great start and could help restore
some of our glasses from being half empty to half full. Considering Unai Emery's latest remarks on Ozil, reported today by David Ornstein suggesting "it would be best for him to leave the club," I remain pessimistic of such measures, but still hopeful we can escape this negative tide.
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