Arsenal is being left behind by the other top clubs, and it might be too late to catch up

Arsenal, how the mighty have fallen.
And how we’re allowing the sore to grow.

The latest defeat to Bournemouth highlights how far we’ve fallen.

But why do we allow the sore to fester?

We’re sick.

But then we’re not resolving the sickness. I feel like we’re viewing a bad cut, and not making any effort to treat and heal it.

Why?

I try to respect the views of all Gooners, or all views, period. But then I don’t see how people can justify the continued tenure of Wenger. Wenger is a legend, but then surely his time now is spent.

It’s the same mistakes, the same errors, and the same results.

Let’s compare us to clubs that are getting it together. Let’s say City, Liverpool, or even Barca and Juventus.

If we compare key club facets, let’s examine:

• Ownership (ambition/attention given)
• Strategy
• Infrastructure (ground, training facilities, etc.)
• Finances
• Transfer strategy
• Players
• Manager/coaching staff

I often find that a successful club needs all of these in place, to prosper at the highest level. However, bar infrastructure, it’s clear that we’re falling behind.
Let’s rank each aforementioned club out of 10 on each aspect:

So we’re falling behind, and fast. We score highly on our infrastructure, but this is not enough. A nice stadium with top facilities alone cannot win trophies.

And yes, I score Liverpool ahead of us. Van Dijk, Keita, Ox, etc. are positive steps, as is Salah. And Klopp is young, eager, and Liverpool look capable of being a force again. Are we? FSG are not mismanaging them, contrary to their compatriot Kroenke.

Lewis and Levy at Spurs

United score higher score, as do SPURS. Yes, SPURS. And let’s face it, Levy/Lewis are doing better for them then our board/ownership are for us. Real Madrid, despite a very poor season, score more highly since they will get rid of Zidane in due course. They hold, as the biggest club on Earth, the ruthlessness to proceed, and we don’t.

These points typify my view that we’re not properly aligned. Any organisation needs s to be, and have the entire infrastructure in place. We have the physical parts of this, but the personnel behind such is weak. The appointments of Mislintat and Sanhelli are key steps forward. Though more evidently needs to be done.

Neglect and bumbling

We’re fallen from grace since we’ve not corrected key issues in our team, and club overall.

Yes, our stadium is still top notch. Yes, we’ve made key back-room appointments, and high-level appointments.

But then on the pitch we have:

• Not got a key DM for years
• Only got a top keeper in 2015 after years of requiring one
• Only got a top forward in 2017, after years of needed such
• Poor tactical displays
• Weak mentality from the players
• Same failings in key games in the season
• Lack of defensive organisation

And off the pitch:

• A weak transfer policy
• Lack of ambition from the top level/board
• Weak and outdated internal structure
• Overly powerful manager, who acts as a quasi-CEO
• Top players wish to leave, due to seeing the club for what it is. A club of history, stature, money, and class, but without the internal drive to succeed and truly compete

Huge similarities

The Alexis saga is akin to that of van Persie. But didn’t he leave in 2012? That’s nearly six years ago. We haven’t really progressed, since RvP left for the same reason as Alexis is. We’re nice to play at, a big club, with strong infrastructure, but we’re not competing. It’s said that Alexis wanted to leave immediately after the 10-2 aggregate defeat to Bayern. If I were Alexis, I would leave too.

I believe in life, if the same things happen again and again, it’s not a coincidence. It’s a pattern. And we’re unable to note the pattern, and see the issue more deeply.
Our issues are really unique, vis a vis other top clubs, and we all need to realise this.

Manchester feeder club

Seems that, bar Tottenham maybe, we’re becoming Manchester’s feeder club. Sanchez is the latest in a long line, including RvP, Nasri, Clichy, Adebayor, Sagna, and Kolo Toure. The only consolation is that Spurs have sold more to them, going back to Sheringham in the late 1990s.

It’s shameful, that as one of the biggest clubs in the world, we’re not living up to our billing. And tha we surrender our best players to Manchester United and Manchester City.

North London is a Manchester feeder club but I’d rather only Spurs was, not us included.

So we know there is a festering wound there, persisting without treatment.

We cannot continue to be blind without realising the evident dangers here.

Wenger needs to go. Kroenke needs to go. The board need to go. But that alone is not and cannot be enough.

It’s time the malaise is cleared, since a malaise is apparent around our club.

Marble Halls

MarbleHallsTV is an Arsenal social media account on Twitter, Facebook and Youtube. Been a Gooner since the 90s, inspired by Ian Wright, then Bergkamp, Vieira, Henry, Pires, Campbell, Rosicky, Koscielny, Ozil and Sanchez. A digital marketer/entrpreneur by profession, born in UK living in the Americas now.