The popular refrain around Arsenal’s mediocre start to the season has been that with their structural issues no manager can solve their problems. I agree that no manager can solve all of Arsenal’s problems with the current squad. However, many seem to miss the point that if all squads were well-balanced we would have 6-team title races every year. Arsenal’s main aim is to get back into the top four. For that objective you don’t need to have anywhere near a complete squad. Jurgen Klopp’s first full season at Liverpool is evidence. The Reds finished fourth featuring a defence and goalkeeper that could charitably be described as middling.
As witnessed in their 3-1 win away at a hospitable West Ham, Arsenal have an attack that is at the very least, of top 4 standard, while some individual components easily belong in the top tier. Yes, Arsenal’s defence is shambolic and even the best managers in the world will struggle to fix it. That being said, what’s been lost in the sea of negativity surrounding Arsenal in the past year is that for a while they haven’t played with the right tactical setup to make the best use of their strongest assets — their attackers. It might seem like Arsenal have a difficult search for their next manager ahead of them. If I was making the decision, I would base it on one criterion — that their attacking play is fluent. Many teams have achieved a spot in the top four on this basis, and in fact, Arsene Wenger got Arsenal into the Champions League many a time on similar foundations. The Gunners' season isn’t lost if their attack maintains fire till May. ⚽️