It's time for an Arsenal cull

Expert Opinion

10Apr

It’s time for an Arsenal cull

by Adrian Clarke

It’s now almost 15 years since Arsène Wenger looked me in the eye and told me that I’d never play for Arsenal again. He wouldn’t have enjoyed delivering the bad news and I certainly didn’t like hearing it but the correct, necessary decision was made. As tough as it was, myself and rest of the ‘dead wood’ within Arsenal’s squad needed to be shifted in order for his Highbury revolution to begin in earnest.

Just over 12 months later, Wenger’s new-look Gunners squad won the Premier League and FA Cup double.

Since then Wenger has generally been a half-glass-full kind of guy. Look past the frown and deep into those dark blue eyes of his, and you’ll almost always find the Frenchman staring intently at the positives.

In recent weeks, Wenger’s optimism has been well founded. On the back of Arsenal’s courageous return from the abyss, eight wins from nine matches has given him immense pride in the players he entrusted with the shirts, and rightly so.

But despite the euphoria over their latest well-earned victory over Man City, I’d still urge the Arsenal boss to remove his red-tinted glasses and pause for a moment’s contemplation.

Character is one (albeit extremely satisfying) thing but facts are another and after 32 matches Arsenal have still enjoyed six fewer wins, endured six more defeats, scored 15 fewer goals and conceded 14 more than Manchester United. They also have 18 fewer points than the Premier League leaders.

Yes, they’ve shown tremendous spirit and bravery to peel themselves off the Old Trafford turf and smash five past Chelsea and Spurs en route to the top four, but the Gunners have fallen some distance short. This, after all, is a club that should be winning titles.

So how can the Arsenal boss close the gap on Sir Alex Ferguson’s champions-elect?

His task should begin by rewinding the clock and getting ruthless.

It must be a summer of tough love at the Emirates. The bar has to be raised and that means a swift, decisive cull is very much in order.

Just like me way back in 1997, it’s obvious that some players’ days as a first teamer at Arsenal are numbered.

In this category I’d place unwanted goalkeepers Manuel Almunia and Vito Mannone, dodgy defender Sebastien Squillaci, surplus midfielder Denilson and the talented but under-utilised Henri Lansbury. The same can be said for Carlos Vela and Nicklas Bendtner, who have had enough chances to impress and fallen just short.

It mustn’t stop there, though. Other bold, painful choices have to be made.

Starting at the back and despite joining only in August, it’s apparent that Andre Santos can’t defend and he just doesn’t look like title-winning material. Back-up defender Johan Djourou is in the same boat.

It’s also time to give up the ghost and concede defeat on Abou Diaby’s fitness. If there’s a bargain hunter out there willing to take a punt on the gifted Frenchman, Arsenal should let them.

In attack, three more misfits must make way for others to come in and blossom. Andriy Arshavin’s love affair with north London has long since lost its sparkle, Park Chu-Young isn’t of a sufficient standard and after a promising start Marouane Chamakh is clearly climbing the walls in readiness for a return to mainland Europe.

The collective exit of these fringe players could recoup at least £50millon in transfer fees and approximately £600,000 a week in wages. Alongside the existing war chest that’s not an insignificant amount of cash.

Where it should be spent is Wenger’s prerogative, but if you imagine the current spirited side boosted by the return of Jack Wilshere and the continued development of Emmanuel Frimpong, Francis Coquelin and Ryo Miyaichi competing for places along with possible newcomers such as Lukas Podolski, Jan Vertonghen, Younes Belhanda, Yann M’Vila, Aly Cissokho, Cheik Tiote and Olivier Giroud it makes me smile. A lot. And the beauty is, it should cost the ever-scrupulous Wenger hardly a penny extra.

Competition for places and genuine strength in depth are trophy-winning formulas, but that’s where the Gunners come up short.

Evolution is no longer enough. The gap is too great. The gulf is too wide. It’s time for Wenger to go back to the beginning. It’s time for revolution number two.

Related articles:

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Video: Van Persie tipped to join Real Madrid, if he leaves Arsenal

Mike Calvin: Is this the Premier League team of the year?

Follow Adrian Clarke on Twitter @sms_adrian

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Comments

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Pga-1950

excellent article but don”t agree on Santos
Faloo

Down to earth. Good piece. Wenger should stop being father to these players. Time to be a shrewd manager.
Millz

All those players would hardly cost a penny extra? Really? I reckon to buy all those players it’d cost a total of around £100 million, so that’s £50 million more than the revenue generated by selling the players mentioned above. How on earth do you describe that as hardly cost a penny extra. I agree the deadwood you mentioned need to be sold, but to believe they’ll be replaced by m’vila and co then you’re living in cloud cookoo land.
Dfidid

Disagree about santos.
Alastasir Kerr

Don’t disagree with a word of that – hopefully Wenger is thinking along the same lines.
CM 01/02

Agree, but not easy to sell mediocre players on high wages. Wenger tried to get rid of several of the mentioned players above but only managed to lend them out. Santos, as you wrote, was signed in August, Djourou recently signed a new high wage contract, I think both will stay.
Chamakh and Park can be sold to French clubs, the former for an acceptable sum. Vela for a close to nothing to Spain, Bendtner for maybe £5M and Lansbury for £1M. Squillachi and Almunia for free. I don`t see £50M coming in.
John

Bit of an open door isn’t it? AFAIK, Wenger tried to get rid of quite a few you mentioned last summer. Totally disagree with your assessment of Santos and I would be tempted to give Bendtner a last chance. I think he’d be pretty decent as a 3rd striker (after VP and Podolski) and he could be a good plan B for teams like Stoke. If he is willing to accept such a role that is , of course (okay, unlikely).
Badboy_stays

I agree with most of this article, but don’t agree on santos. However, even if arsenal were linked with most of these players listed above.. Where would Giroud fit in the team if Arsenal have already apparently signed Podolski? Djourou though,is a pile of poo. Younes Belhanda would be good addition also. But i have faith in wenger, i believe he will sign the right players for the gooners. we can tell bendtner to defo piss off
Guest

Agree with nearly all of what you said but very harsh on Santos. He missed 4 months through injury and after a few shaky games at first he was looking really solid before his injury. He’s only started 7 Premier League games so I think it’s very unfair to say he should be sold. He deserves more of a chance than that.

Aly Cissokho has had a terrible few years, so even if I was of the opinion Santos should be sold, he definitely isn’t the answer.

Agree with the rest of your article.
Galviniho

I think what you have seen is people with hunger make a massive difference. Arteta/Koscielny/Vermelean/Rosicky/Sagna/RVP/Szcezney are players with that and others feed off on it like Gibbs, Song, Walcott. I don’t agree on Santos he is quality but the rest aforementioned can go. If we got in 3-4 quality players we’d been challenging. Podolski, Dempsey, M’Villa would provide that and they have the hunger to assist the squad. I have also been impressed with Johnson from Norwich this season.
Archwaygunner

good article, imo, I think Santos is worst LB I’ve seen in 50 yrs watching arsenal. No idea at all how to defend, and slower than my mum.
Albo1uk

Excellent article. Think you are a little unfair on guys like Santos, and maybe Djourou. Every squad needs squad players, and Man U right now have a few average players who nonetheless do a job…

But the general gist is bang on…
Dan

I largely agree, wouldn’t mind seeing Lansbury get a chance before we ship him out though.
Poooooooooooooooooooo

Lansbury deserves a chance before being let go of. The guy has started only one game as of yet and scored the opener in that one.
D arsenal

you ignored one of wenger’s many qualities which he proved for all of us to see, which is he trusts players like song, RVP, kascionly and zscz even rosicky who were written off by many of us early on. i didnt like the fact that you mentioned diaby and santos among other names like squilacy and almunia. but a good article.
http://twitter.com/pikengooner jerry matthews

great article but Santos is good player..he doesn’t have pace but his interception is impeccable and runs forward restricts the opposition fullbacks
Abelprince

What is this man smoking. Santos is a good player and he do make a difference in attack. Half the time his ability in attack to hold the ball, dribble and shot from outside usually prevents the other teams fullback from booming forward. This same ability allows him to foray in the opponent back. Diaby is a good player and should not be sold, I still have faith in Vela and I think should be given enough chances like Theo has. look what he is doing in Spain almost averaging a goal a game. Bendtner i’m 50/50 with him his ego is a problem for me. The others can be sold.
Lturner282

Because we already have 40 – 50 million in the bank from last summers sales?! 50 mill plus 40 – 50 mill = 90 – 100 mill
Clive Knowles

I really like Henri Lansbury, he is a quality player who helped Norwich gain promotion last season. He can drift in and out of games a little, but I believe he has the potential to make the step-up to the Premiership
Psonara

A very good article. Must be commended. You are right, it must start here. Wenger knows his team well and I am sure he doesn’t want Arsenal to lose. The difficulty is that Wenger continues to believe in the development of young players and that’s where the problem lies. When the Invincibles won back in 2003-04 season, the medium age of the group was 27! Can you think of it? The medium age today would be around 22 or 23. Wenger has to reshuffle his packs and weigh time for youngsters to grow vs money wasting (with the stadium debt and incoming players) and trophies. The team must act now!
Peter Wrigley2

I dont get it with Djourou he’s just not good enough wenger keeps faith with people like this for too long just as he did with Sanderos, he needs that Jimmeney Cricket on his shoulder like David Dein was.
Tjmunro

Agreed with all the above except Lansbury. One last season I think. Maybe it’s time for him to try a different position?

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