segunda-feira, 30 de maio de 2016

TASHAN DENIRAN-ALLEYNE analyses the Gunners’ season which was all too predictable for fans

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BY MORNING STAR


TASHAN DENIRAN-ALLEYNE analyses the Gunners’ season which was all too predictable for fans

Following back-to-back FA Cup successes, all the noises coming out of Arsenal were positive. The 2015-16 season was going to be their year. The Premier League title was the target, yet it was all a too familiar story by the end.
The Gunners has been installed as third favourites before a ball had been kicked, ahead of Manchester United and Liverpool despite heavy squad investments at both clubs.
Petr Cech had been lured from across the city. Arsene Wenger had finally addressed a problem that he’d ignored for over 10 years and with a couple more additions in key areas, Arsenal were primed for a successful season.
A 1-0 victory in the Community Shield against Chelsea marked Wenger’s first ever over Jose Mourinho and, more importantly, it was a huge mental block passed. The Gunners finally showed they were capable of beating the bigger teams.
However, on the opening weekend of the Premier League season what we saw was a prelude to how the campaign would unfold for the club.
Defeat at home to West Ham had some questioning if a title bid was a realistic target. The response was good, picking up seven points from a possible nine, but fluidity in attack was absent and a prolific striker was desperately needed before the summer transfer window shut.
With Danny Welbeck undergoing surgery on a long-standing knee injury that would rule him out until the new year, Wenger inexcusably failed to bolster his options and instead placed his faith in Olivier Giroud and Theo Walcott.
It was a massive gamble. Giroud had previously shown he’s not quite at the level to score 20-plus goals for a sustained title bid, so why rely on him again? This season was no different as he went 15 league games without hitting the back of the net.
Whereas Walcott is simply not suited to playing the lone striker role and after a decade at the club his best position remains a mystery. Five goals in 28 league appearances — 15 of them starts — is hardly the sort of return that convinces anybody of his capabilities to be a central striker.
Karim Benzema, Gonzalo Higuain and Edinson Cavani were linked in the summer, yet all remained at their respective clubs and it’s fair to say Wenger’s decision not to take a risk on one proved unpopular among the majority of supporters.
In all fairness, Giroud and Walcott did have few moments of brilliance. The Frenchman was pivotal in victories over Bayern Munich and Olympiakos in the Champions League, scoring a hat-trick against the latter to book Arsenal’s place in the knockout stages.
Meanwhile the England man produced arguably the best performance of his career in the 3-0 win over the Red Devils at the start of October, despite not scoring.
If not signing a striker was strange, waiting until January to bring in a midfielder was bizarre.
Club captain Mikel Arteta struggled with injuries as did Jack Wilshere. Mathieu Flamini was past his best before the season began so the arrival of Mohamed Elneny was a welcome sight, although it was five months too late.
Losing both Santi Cazorla and Francis Coquelin to long-term injuries within a week of each other in the winter was a bitter blow. All of a sudden options in the middle of the park were limited and the team suffered as a result.
As good as Aaron Ramsey is, he lacks discipline to play in a double pivot, is quite limited in possession and his tendency to abandon his midfield partner and join attacks at every chance often left the side susceptible to counter-attacks.
Even with the injuries and lack of goals, Arsenal found themselves two points behind Leicester City in mid-February and, with players returning, it appeared that all the pieces were falling into place.
Then came the turning point — back-to-back defeats against United and Swansea.
The Gunners went from being firmly in the race for the title to clinging on to a top-four finish in the space of three days and ended March a massive 11 points adrift of the leaders, a margin too great to claw back.
Wenger will look back on the second half of the season and rue dropped points against Tottenham, West Ham, Crystal Palace and Sunderland — his side lead in three of those fixtures — as it proved crucial in the final standings.
Arsenal finished the season as runners-up, after pipping their north London rivals on the last day. Yes the table doesn’t lie after 38 games but even the most loyal of supporters will admit to a degree of fortune.
A 3-0 loss away at Sheffield Wednesday in the League Cup fourth round was humiliating as was the home defeat by Watford in the FA Cup, which denied the Gunners a chance of a historical three-peat.
Performances in Europe followed a familiar theme. Finish second in the group, draw a big side — this year it was Barcelona — leave themselves with too much to do from the first leg and eventually get eliminated.
There were some positives throughout. Cech made a huge contribution, Hector Bellerin is growing with experience, Alexis Sanchez found form after a difficult start to the season, Joel Campbell was an unsung hero and Alex Iwobi’s introduction to the senior side was a breath of fresh air.
Star of the season for Arsenal? Mesut Ozil.
The fact that he failed to break the Thierry Henry’s assist record despite creating a Premier League high of 144 chances further shows how much Wenger needs to invest in a striker this summer in order to fully reap the benefits of the German playmaker.

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