Arsenal missing out on Champions League football could be good for the Gunners
Arsenal might actually benefit from missing out on Champions League football
Arsenal fans need to quit crying and screaming over the possibility that their beloved Gunners might miss out on Champions League football. If they do finish outside the top four, it could do the Gunners’ organization a huge favor.
This argument all comes down to whether or not you believe it’s acceptable for Arsene Wenger to continue to run the North London club in the same fashion he always has. If you’re alright with him continuing on the club’s current path then by all means, pray for the Gunners to finish in the top four. If, on the other hand, you aren’t happy with the overall direction of the club under Wenger, you might want to hold out for a fifth place finish.
If Arsenal are able to carve out another fourth-place finish in the Premier League, Wenger will be permitted to continue with the status quo. Sure, some fans will be livid at the Gunners’ missed opportunity in a year where they really should have contended for a Premier League crown, but those protests will be drowned out by Wenger supporters. All the latter group will need to do is point out that the French manager has, yet again, managed to forge Arsenal into a top four side that plays reasonably attractive football. Wenger supporters might even be able to rationalize the team’s struggles this season as being down to injuries or just plain bad luck.
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Continuing on with the status quo really is the worst case for Arsenal fans. As a Spurs fan, I’d be quite happy to see them continue on in their current fashion, but Gunner fans should be praying for some sort of change. The only way they’re going to be able to compete for a Premier League title in the coming years is if the club is awoken from its deep slumber.
That doesn’t necessarily mean the club has to cut ties with Wenger. All joking aside, he’s done an excellent job over the years for Arsenal and has managed to change his tactics along the way to keep the Gunners relevant. While I don’t think moving on from him would be a disaster for the club, it’s far from a sure bet for success.
Arsenal fans should be hoping that Wenger is put under some sort of pressure. He needs to feel some heat from club ownership to really push the team on to new heights. Specifically, he can’t continue to sit on their massive pile of cash while their squad is in obvious need of investment. Wenger prefers continuity over all else, and that must stop for Arsenal to reach their full potential.
Specifically, he must be pressured to move on from some of his favorite players. Olivier Giroud, Theo Walcott and the like have no business playing prominent roles for a club with title aspirations. Wenger must be forced to move them aside in favor of better, more expensive transfer purchases.
That simply isn’t going to happen if he’s able to scrape out another Champions League qualification. He might add a prominent signing in the summer to tweak the squad slightly, but he’ll resist the overall that’s required.
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Only if Arsenal miss out on Champions League football will Wenger find himself under enough pressure to force real change. That’s why Arsenal fans shouldn’t shed a tear if their Gunners don’t qualify for Europe’s grand stage next season.