Arsenal’s seemingly debating whether or not to take the Europa League seriously displays a common and worrying mental trend for the Gunners.
In the run up to their Europa League match against FC Koln Arsenal have shown a worrying disregard for the Europa League and its competition. For the first time in over two decades Arsenal missed out on playing in Europe’s premier club competition.
They did this by showing a lack of competitive spirit and ambition at the boardroom and competitive levels last season and deeply let down their supporters. Arsenal should rather than debating whether or not the Europa League is important be finding a way to win the tournament.
When I was in school most of my mates were either Arsenal or Manchester United supporters. It was a time when Thierry Henry and Patrick Viera ruled London with an iron fist, particularly North London. It’s impossible for anybody who remembers those players in their pomp not to have at the very least admiring memories for the incredible blend of character, charisma, steel and pure unbridled talent that eventually culminated in The Invincibles of 2003-2004. Sadly Arsenal have not even come close to that level since and though for many that is enjoyable it’s a bad thing for English football. Remember this team?
Arsenal are one of the biggest clubs in England and purely based on that fact need to be more competitive than they are. The only way for them to earn their way back to the pinnacle is to do exactly that. Earn it. For too long Arsenal have deemed themselves to be the purists of the English game. The football philosophers who were of a higher class than all the muck they were surrounded with. There was a time when they were but that time is long and truly gone.
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Now Arsenal have been surpassed by Tottenham and Chelsea in London and aren’t even in the top 6 in England. If you look at the squads purely from an elementary level they’re nowhere near the team they should be. Manchester United’s squad is far stronger and deeper. Manchester City’s is as well. Chelsea’s isn’t a lot deeper but they’re far more disciplined and professional and the same can be said of both Tottenham and Liverpool.
Rather than debating whether or not they can be using the Europa League to get back into the Champions League Arsenal should be sweating, grafting and grinding their way to winning it because they should. Football is about winning. End product. Arsenal are the biggest club in the Europa League and they should win it because it would be embarrassing for them not too.
They should win because they want to prove that last season was a mistake and they belong in the Champions League among the giants. Arsenal should win because they owe it to their supporters for years of spineless ticket price hikes without anything to show for it.
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The fact that Arsenal and Arsene Wenger are even debating what the importance of the Europa League is, is disgusting. It shows they learned nothing from last season. Every single match that you ever play you should be trying to win. It doesn’t matter if it’s against Brighton, it doesn’t matter if it’s Koln or Milan. If it’s a friendly or a final. Football matches are meant to be won. Arsenal have seemingly forgotten that in the 14 years since they have didn’t do anything but.