A first-time manager and a first time Sporting Director at Arsenal are just among the bad decisions the Gunners have been forced to deal with as they endure yet another poor start to the season.
Arsenal go into the international week stuck at rock bottom in the Premier League, with no in, and no goal after three matches. They have conceded nine goals and for the first time in over two decades they aren’t in any European competition.
While all the reasons for their decline are being sought, it sticks out that a big percentage of it is down to incompetence from the two men on top – Sporting Director, Edu, and Manager Mikel Arteta. For the first time in the last two years, it seems quite possible that the two may be replaced imminently, and this is just the news to calm Arsenal supporters.
The changes upon these replacements as well as the signings made may not be felt very soon but this is what Arsenal needs, for the short and long term.
In a challenging league, heralded as the toughest in the world, the competitive levels can be unforgiving. From the Premier League odds for Match Day 4 on Wincomparator, it is clear who the favorites are but things can change in a snap and it’s never a surprise. Manchester City for example, are billed favorites to beat Leicester City at odds of 1.59 on 1XBet, but Leicester have two wins over City in the last three meetings. Everton (1.82 on 1XBet) are tipped favorites against Burnley (5 at Bet365) but Burnley have lost once and beaten Everton twice in their last four meetings.
That’s what Arsenal experienced in the opening weekend, losing to newly promoted Brentford. While Arsenal were expected to play second fiddle to Chelsea and Manchester City in the next two games, no one predicted they’d be as poor as they were.
It points to a large picture, the problem at Arsenal – the top brass. Arsenal brought in Edu two years ago on the backdrop of having worked with Brazilian side Corinthians, the Iranian national team and as the general coordinator of the Brazilian national team.
The former Arsenal midfielder was supposed to work with Mikel Arteta, who had a short stint as a player at Arsenal too, to bring back greatness. They have failed; Arsenal is in a worse place in terms of expenditure, returns and quality of the team.
While under Edu’s watch the team has spent over £300m on players, the club has managed to get back less than £80m. A number of bad decisions make the duo look bad, top among them Willian’s arrival from Chelsea, with the 33-year old getting a three-year deal with a reported £220,000 per week deal.
The signing of William Saliba and his treatment also leaves a bad patch in Edu and Arteta’s faces. The Frenchman cost Arsenal £27m but two years on, hasn’t donned the Arsenal shirt. As is that’s not enough, the defender is sent on a third loan spell and Arsenal goes on to spend £50m for Ben White, who plays in the same position.
The tale of goalkeeper Emi Martinez is well documented. Sold for £17m to Aston Villa, before Arsenal spent £30m to acquire another goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale from Sheffield United, just a year after spending £1m to bring in Runar Runarsson.
Meanwhile, Arteta’s key issue has been the inability to relate with players. His approach is what is blamed for Matteo Guendouzi being kept away, the well-known Mesut Ozil saga and Ainsley Maitland Niles’ suspension from training with the first team.
It is not a surprise thus, that the club is reportedly looking at Antonio Conte and others as potential replacements for Arteta while Marc Overmars has been linked with Edu’s job. Arsenal needs a change, before it’s too late.
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