For several years, the talk has been over how Arsenal’s team have been a little too nice, a little too easy to roll over when the going gets tough. They’ve won three FA Cups, sure, but the biggest trophies continue to evade Arsene Wenger and he came under immense pressure and scrutiny from fans earlier in the season as it became apparent his side were never going to catch the title-chasers.
Indeed, as a new top six takes shape in the Premier League, all fighting for major honours, Arsenal will be the only one not in the Champions League for 2017/18, the biggest sign of them falling short. Habitually, the argument for where they most need to improve has been to sign a defensive midfielder: with immense attacking talents on display, it’s in the moment of transitions they have suffered most, holding counter-attacks at bay or offering protection to the back line.
It’s a reasonable argument, but it only solves half the problem. What Arsenal have been lacking too often, what they continue to lack, is leadership and organisation, and it’s this type of player, rather than a role, where they must invest if they aim to compete next term.
Technical quality only makes up one portion of a team, or indeed a player. Laurent Koscielny is often heralded by the Gunners fanbase as one of the league’s best centre-backs; on a technical aspect perhaps that’s right—he’s composed, uses the ball well, can make challenges and has recovery pace. But he also makes errors of judgement, can be undone with his timing and positioning and, as was evident in the FA Cup semi-final, has the odd moment of madness.
When Koscielny was at his best, he was alongside Per Mertesacker. Now, the German was never a rapid player, nor the most adept at playing out from deep, but he did have incredible positioning, was dominant aerially and in one-on-ones in tight spaces, and above all else, was a communicator. That’s what brought out the best in Koscielny: someone beside him talking, pointing, demanding.
Shkodran Mustafi was the same. At Valencia, he had the commanding Nicolas Otamendi alongside him: Otamendi would push out, Mustafi hung back. Otamendi directed, and enforced, Mustafi swept up the pieces. One needs the other, and a central defensive pairing always needs a balance and a duo who fill in each others’ blanks—but when both lack leadership and direction, there’s a problem.
In midfield it’s a similar scenario. There’s aggression and tenacity, determination and the will to put in challenges. Francis Coquelin, Granit Xhaka, even Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain when he’s in midfield. But direction, organisation, leadership? The type that Roy Keane, Javier Mascherano or Manu Petit offered, constantly barking at team-mates, directing positional play and being the on-pitch voice of the coaches?
There is none at Arsenal. There has been none for some time, and it’s a huge part of the reason why a) they struggle defensively at times and b) they crumble under the biggest pressure moments.
Wenger switched systems in the last few months of the season, a long-overdue process, in a bid to fix these problems. More defensive cover with three at the back can alleviate the symptoms, but the best sides always find a way to goal in the biggest games.
It’s not just tactical or technical means which deliver titles, it never is. Mentality plays a huge role too, perhaps the biggest when the margins of success and failure are smallest, and it’s there that Wenger still needs to improve his team if they’re to have a chance to re-enter the top four and push for far bigger honours than the FA Cup.
