Arsenal FC Manifesto: The 10 point plan for 2015/16
With the General Election around the corner, party manifestos have been released and are currently under intense inspection by the media and public.
We consider what the equivalent documents may look like for Premier League clubs, starting with Arsenal.
Currently lying in second place, sitting seven points behind Chelsea and having played a game more, it looks as though it will be 11 years without a title for the North London club, despite an impressive recent run of form.
The Gunners ended their nine year trophy drought last season with victory in the FA Cup, and reached this year's final thanks largely to an extra-time clanger from Reading goalkeeper Adam Federici.
Expectations have been raised though, and fans are looking for the kind of success Arsene Wenger achieved during the first half of his managerial tenure.
Here is Arsenal’s 10 point plan for next season:
KEY PRIORITIES
1) Offer A Sustained Title Challenge
Arsenal have not challenged for the title at the death since they last won the league in 2004. Despite leading the chase for the majority of the campaign last season, a poor run of results meant they ended the year in the all too familiar fourth place. Arsenal must provide a serious tilt at the title next season and maintain aspirations into the latter weeks of the season.
2) A Stronger Start to the Season
Arsenal’s poor start to this season was well publicised, and had certain factions of fans calling for Wenger’s dismissal. Four wins in their first 12 left the club in eighth place, and it is only thanks to an exceptional run of form since the turn of the year, coupled with recent stutters from Manchester City and Liverpool, that has salvaged the league season.
3) Address a propensity to drop points in must-win games
In seasons past, on the rare occasion that Arsenal appeared to be well placed to mount a title challenge going into the last third of the season, it is easy to point to certain results in particular that have put paid to these aspirations. A 102nd minute equaliser conceded against Liverpool in 2011, a 3-2 defeat at Wigan in 2010, and perhaps most infamously, the 2-2 draw at Birmingham City in 2008 were necessary points dropped at key moments in respective campaigns, each time shifting momentum away from the Gunners. This term, Arsenal have dropped 12 points from winning positions in the league, second only to Chelsea of all the top seven sides, and double the amount of points they have gained from a losing position, another stat that needs to be changed. This again ties in with mentality and the need sometimes to win games ugly.
ECONOMIC POLICY
4) Keep Key Players
Over the course of the last decade, Arsenal have built up the tongue-in-cheek reputation of becoming a feeder club to the likes of Barcelona and Manchester City, losing star names such as Cesc Fabregas, Alex Song, Emmanuel Adebayor and Samir Nasri to clubs in closer pursuit of major honours. However, the tide now seems to be turning. Arsenal have paid off the debt accrued by their move to the Emirates stadium in 2006, and now seemingly have financial muscle to flex – evidenced by the marquee signings of Mesut Özil and Alexis Sanchez. Couple this with the fact that, bar the loss of Bacary Sagna to the aforementioned City, Arsenal have managed to keep hold of the core of their squad over the last few transfer windows, and Arsene Wenger appears to finally be able to completely shape a new team.
DEFENCE POLICY
5) The Fabled Defensive Midfielder
Many have spoken this season of the need for a physical presence at the base of Arsenal’s midfield. Even after the re-emergence of the phenomenon that is Francis Coquelin, many are still calling for Wenger to spend big on a defensive midfielder who would make the Gunners a more imposing side. However, Coquelin’s return to the first team, after being recalled from a loan spell at Charlton in December of last year, has coincided with Arsenal’s excellent 2015 form. He has completed 90 minutes in all but one of Arsenal’s current winning streak of eight games, and has led the way in multiple defensive statistics since the New Year. Therefore, it appears that the only issue is Coquelin’s lack of height – a shortcoming not reflected in his exceptional aerial ability. That many still believe Arsenal need to become a more intimidating outfit in order to truly challenge for the title is perhaps naive – it may well be that it is a change in mentality when coming up against more physical sides that is required as opposed to the signing of a brute to shore up Arsenal’s midfield.
THE EU
6) Go Deeper in the Champions League
Provided that Arsenal avoid a complete collapse in form over the course of their next six league games – they currently sit nine points clear of Liverpool in fifth - it seems as though, for an 18th consecutive season, they will qualify for Europe’s premier club competition. However, the North London outfit have failed to reach the quarter-finals in the last four attempts, with this year's defeat to Monaco proving disappointing considering the calibre of their opponents. Furthermore, UEFA have confirmed that the seeding for the group stages will give preference to European league winners, meaning that Arsenal will likely drop out of the top pot. This year aside, Arsenal have been punished for finishing second in winnable groups with last 16 draws against Europe’s elite – teams they would prefer to face in later rounds of the competition. Arsenal need to target reaching at least the last eight, perhaps even the semi-finals – something they have not achieved since 2009 – in order to truly count themselves among Europe’s best.
EDUCATION POLICY
7) Sort out long-term futures of Jack Wilshere and Theo Walcott
Whilst injuries have troubled both men, messrs Walcott and Wilshere have struggled to replicate form shown in previous years. Wilshere in particular has been unable to recreate performances delivered during his breakthrough season four years ago. He is unlikely to go anywhere, yet perhaps needs to truly find his position. Undoubtedly still an exciting prospect; he needs to make pinning down a starting place in a talented Arsenal midfield a priority. Walcott, on the other hand, has passed the age when he was once considered a ‘prospect’, and since his return from injury this season, has struggled to involve himself in games. His long-standing request to be played through the middle has been rebuffed by the fantastic form of Olivier Giroud and Alexis Sanchez this term, with Danny Welbeck providing able back up. With his contract due to expire next year, Wenger must make a decision on his future. Walcott would be sensible to seriously assess his options – he is in a far less powerful position to bargain than last time this was an issue, two years ago.
LAW AND ORDER POLICY
8) Improve Disciplinary Record
Something that has been partially addressed this season, yet it remains to be seen whether Arsenal’s disciplinary record will continue to improve. The Gunners have received the most red cards, and conceded the most penalties of any current top five clubs over the course of the last five seasons. And although only two men have received their marching orders in the league this term, dismissals in the manner of Calum Chambers’ against Stoke and Olivier Giroud’s against QPR are unnecessary and can prove costly.
CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGES
9) Do Not be afraid to resort to ‘Plan B’
The cliché that Arsenal are unable to beat their title rivals away from home has been somewhat dispelled in the second half of this campaign after wins at both Manchester clubs. However, Arsene Wenger’s more pragmatic approach to these games – allowing the opposition to keep possession and taking chances on the counter attack – could perhaps be used more often. This development in Arsenal’s play could be deployed to great affect in tough away games when points cannot afford to be dropped cheaply. Arsene’s ‘Plan B’ is certainly a step in the right direction; it just needs to be used more often.
10) Outline Plans for the Future
Next season will mark Arsene Wenger’s 20th as Arsenal boss, a truly incredible managerial feat. However, his tenure cannot last forever, and at times in recent years, a lack of trophies and strings of poor results have irked some fans enough to call for his sacking. Although this seems impossible, it is certainly sensible to view these years as the twilight of Wenger’s tenure, and therefore there will arise the need for a replacement. In light of last season’s debacle at Manchester United after the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson, Wenger and the Arsenal board will be wary not to allow Arsenal to follow suit. Le Professeur has a reputation for both meticulous planning and privacy, therefore it's unlikely that this one will play out in the public eye, yet it is arguably the most important policy of the lot for an Arsenal side soon to enter a new era.