Alexis Sanchez questioned the “hunger” of his team mates after Arsenal’s loss to Barcelona in the first leg of the Champions League. That interview was finally aired on the 3rd of March by which time, Arsenal had also lost to Man Utd and more devastatingly to Swansea in the league to deal a crippling blow to their title aspirations. The club slipped further back as Leicester consolidated their league position with Tottenham looking the most likeliest of challengers.
The latest player to cast doubt is Mesut Oezil during the international break. “Looking at our season so far, we have to be honest and admit that we mucked it up ourselves,” Özil told the German website spox.com. “We did not play to our potential in the games against the so-called smaller teams. You immediately get punished for that in the Premier League.”
The significance of two of Arsenal’s marquee names really questioning the effort and desire of the club to win the title in one of the league’s most open ended seasons, their best chance in 11 seasons cannot be understated. Sanchez’s heart is a huge one, and he’s given it his all while at Arsenal, while Oezil, a self effacing genius, needs his cast of ruthless assassins to finish off his sublime touches. Both are no strangers to success, whether its club or country. This is not a Samir Nasri or RVP glory trip. They have worked under coaches who come under enormous pressure at Barcelona and Real Madrid where success is no guarantee of retaining a job. There is no cushy relationship between the boardroom and the coaching staff to maintain some economic imperative.
There is no longer any need to do so, as the new TV money which flows in gives every Premier League side a huge leg up, which means Arsenal now has to sweat the little details that actually win matches. Like tactics, finding new ways to score goals, minimizing defensive errors, keeping key players injury free, or getting the midfield balance right.
More pointedly Arsene Wenger needs to do more. The problem is he’s never had to play for a decade now looking over his shoulder. Arsenal football at the present moment is ad hoc and its not even pretty unless you come up against Everton, a club as porous as the Maginot line, in the last match before the international break. It’s “maintenance football.” A certain attacking credo, reactive enough to retain league respectability, but in the end lacks what it takes to become a byword for elitism. Those spaces are already taken. Commitment is not enough. Wenger’s best players are telling him it is not enough.