With the added pressures a club of our stature has each season, it is becoming increasingly clear that maybe a full season away from European domestic football will be the best thing for us!
Claiming even just a top four place is not as easy as it used to be, and it is becoming an even bigger battle for the BIG teams in England, competition is coming from all angles and from many other teams in the Premier League, such as the likes of Everton, Burnley, Wolves just to name a few. The harder it gets the less likely we are to be able to get there, especially given our performances over the past two seasons.
This all became clear when we lost both a top four finish and a Champions League spot, when it finally took its toll in 2017 as we failed to qualify for the next two seasons, falling even further down the table and only being able to claim a Europa League spot. An unfamiliar territory for our beloved club.
The longer the seasons we play and the increased competition we have surrounding us in the Premier League, the clearer it becomes that Arsenal will continue to face an uphill battle to retain that once predictable top 4 finish if things do not change for the better.
It seems as though Arsenal are in such a position that they find it hard to keep going in all competitions and come February time they are pretty much on the way out of all competitions and only have the fight for top four left to try and chase. The added pressure and the constant injuries that Arsenal sustain over the winter period unfortunately all play a factor in the demise come February.
Maybe the time has come for Arsenal to go one season without being in either the Champions League or the Europa League and to focus on only the Domestic cups, such as the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup, and to finally fight for first place in the Premier League.
One season out of every competition though may give Arsenal the push we need to maintain fitness, rotate as and when needed, and just focus on becoming real challengers and winning the League that has evaded us for so many years. It remains to be seen whether having a season out of all European competitions would be the best move, but if it worked for Chelsea then why can’t it work for us.
So would one season out of all European football be such a bad thing?
Shenel Osman