Time to Question the Manager

Forget the win against Galatasaray. The Turkish giants are somehow managed worse than us. 

Arsenal got knocked out of a cup, and took just 1 point from 2 matches (without leaving London) in less than 2 weeks.

Arsenal entered this season with a new-found emphasis on "keeping the ball," as if possession is the be-all and end-all of modern football. A 4-1-4-1 formation has been used with this directive in mind.

At the beginning of the season, while Mesut Ozil was rested after his World Cup campaign, most supporters believed this formation would be scratched as soon as "the world's best #10" came back. Ozil returned. The ineffective system has remained in place.

A late victory against manager-less Crystal Palace brought 3 points. And then the Gunners drew 4 matches out of 5, with the lone victory coming against a flu-ridden Aston Villa side in Birmingham.

Sunday's 2-0 defeat to Chelsea means this is Arsenal's 2nd worst start ever in Arsene Wenger's career.

The new formation has looked terrible. The lack of depth in defense and defensive midfield has been exposed. The best players in the team have been misused (Ozil in nearly every match) or quizzically dropped (Alexis vs. Spurs) in the name of "keeping the ball."

Arsenal has the third-highest wage bill in the Premier League--higher than Chelsea's this year and higher than Liverpool's last year. 

Arsenal is not in a transition period like Manchester United. Arsenal spent twice as much as Manchester City on new transfers this summer. 

And this Arsenal team is worse than every other Arsenal side in Wenger's reign that did not lose 8-2 at Old Trafford.

There is no excuse. Arsenal has underachieved for years. But this year, the underachievement is worse than ever.

The "strategy" to "keep the ball" is failing.

In the Spring of 2012, Arsenal kept an attacking 4-2-3-1 formation but instructed the defensive fullbacks to play conservatively and not get beaten. The result was a skyrocket up the table, catching the Sp*rs before they could remove their "Mind the Gap" shirts, and securing Champions League qualification when it seemed impossible.

That next fall, just after the addition of Ozil, the same conservative tactics remained. And Arsenal enjoyed good results, leading the table for most of the year until January.

But as the fixtures got more difficult, that defensive solidarity was abandoned for some reason. Suddenly all that mattered was scoring goals, and the fullbacks both pushed forward with reckless abandon whenever Arsenal had the ball, leaving gaping holes at the back.

Results suffered. 

Humiliating losses at City, Liverpool, Chelsea, and Everton pushed Arsenal back down to 4th place. 

But rather than blaming the over-aggressive, foolish deployment of the fullbacks, Wenger was able to deflect the blame onto an inability to "keep the ball" in midfield.

The rest of the Arsenal players (and a majority of the fanbase) echoed the manager's viewpoint. All of a sudden, keeping the ball was Arsenal's #1 form of defense. You can tell this by examining the criticism of players like Mathieu Flamini.

Flamini, the only midfielder in the entire Arsenal squad with even the slightest amount of defensive ability, has been blamed for goals conceded because he sometimes loses the ball in midfield. 

Admittedly, when he does lose the ball, there are so few players in defensive positions behind him to clean up the mess that it does lead to goals.

It's true, in the current tactical setup, players like Flamini keeping the ball at all times is crucial to prevent the concession of goals.

But this in England, not Spain. 

Players get kicked, Fouls aren't always awarded. And every player in England, no matter how good their first touch is--or how quick they can find an accurate pass, will sometimes lose the ball in midfield. 

The recent past has proved that a more conservative approach with the Arsenal back-line has brought defensive solidarity while also preserving the potency of Arsenal's attack.

So rather than blaming midfielders who can actually defend, like Flamini, for goals conceded, Arsenal's manager, players, and fans should be concerned with the obvious vulnerabilities of Arsenal's foolishly open tactical system.

But the collective conscious of the club has become obsessed with "keeping the ball," justifying this new, ineffective formation.

And simply put, these tactics are awful.

I cannot rationalize Wenger's decision to abandon the conservative defense-first approach that worked so well in 2012. He has been more conservative this year, but in the wrong areas. And in so doing he has marginalized the most considerable amount of individual talent (Ozil and Sanchez) that is available to him.

Arsene Wenger is misusing the resources available in order to implement his own ill-conceived philosophies, rather than utilizing a system that maximizes his players' qualities. Wenger's system is failing to provide his team the best chance of winning matches.

And at the end of the day, getting the most out of the players available is Wenger's job.

Frankly, Arsene Wenger does not do this job as well as his competitors. 

And therefore, Arsene Wenger remains the single biggest liability holding back Arsenal FC. 

Just 2.5 more years to wait.

EPL Roundup: Arsenal Build Momentum as Rivals Slip

Any memory of last week's terrible trip to Dortmund should be well and truly forgotten after Arsenal thrashed Aston Villa at Villa Park 3-nil on Saturday. The Gunners scored 3 first half goals in 3 minutes to end the contest before half-time.

It was a very encouraging performance from Arsenal, who were without a doubt aided by a horrible illness that had struck many of the Villa players before (and during) the match. Still, Villa threatened early and might have taken the lead if not for a great save from Szczesny on a Villa set piece.

Arsenal had conceded a goal from their first shot on target allowed in all four of their opening Premier League fixtures, and with Ciaran Clark unmarked on the far post, it looked like it was going to be five out of five. But Szczesny did really well to save and keep the clean sheet.

Ozil finally played further forward in a central role, and he responded with his best match of the season so far. Playing just off of new striker Danny Welbeck, the two combined excellently for the first two goals. Welbeck played in Ozil with a great through-ball assist on the first, and Ozil responded with a perfectly-placed cross to Welbeck for the second. When Kieran Gibbs put his cross in a dangerous area in the next attack, Aly Cissokho put it in his own net.

It was a great response by Arsenal after being, frankly, played off the pitch at Dortmund in midweek. And afterwards, Arsenal supporters watched with glee as each of their rivals dropped points in the ensuing matches.

First was Liverpool, who fell 2-nil down in the first 10 minutes at West Ham. a Raheem Sterling rocket made it 2-1, but a late finish by Morgan Amalfitano clinched 3 points for the hosts.

The Liverpool defense is in shambles at the moment. They conceded on an early set piece for the second straight match just as they did a week ago at home against Villa.

Then new "left back" Alberto Moreno allowed Diafra Sakho far too much time and space in the box and he responded with a fantastic chip into the far corner. Moreno had a great goal against Spurs, but he has looked downright clueless defensively.

Right back Javier Manquillo hasn't been much better. And Dejan Lovren, who cost about as much as Mertesacker and Koscielny combined, has also struggled. And of course Steven Gerrard is struggling yet again to be the "shield" in front of these new players. Liverpool had just the eighth-best defensive record in the league last year, they spent over 35m on new defenders to fix it, and they somehow got worse.

Brendan Rogers was forced to add a third center back after just 20 minutes, but it wasn't enough to get the two goals he needed. Liverpool is now in 11th, losing 3 of their opening 5 matches.

Then on Sunday Manchester United looked like they had taken confidence from their thrashing of QPR last week into Leicester. Their shiny new expensive toys were looking great, Falcao made a great assist and Di Maria scored an incredible chipped goal to go 2 nil up. Leicester when right down and scored from the resulting kickoff.

When Ander Herrera made it 3-1, it looked like game over. But the Foxes responded with 4 goals to win 5-3. The best part? All the United players in utter shock when a foul wasn't given their way in the build-up to Leicester's second goal.

Manchester United had just found out what it was like, for so many years, to play against... Manchester United.

Like Liverpool, United have some serious problems in defense. Like Liverpool, part of the problem is a lack of protection from midfield. Their simply isn't enough balance in the United team. They don't look good at all right now. Ed Woodward's thoughts on the matter? "Maybe we need another striker."

And then Chelsea faced Man City at Eastlands. The Blues scored from a good counter attack after Zabaleta had been sent off, and it looked like Chelsea's perfect start to the season would continue.

But Diego Costa hit the post when he might have scored, and Chelsea were eventually undone by none other than Frank Lampard, whose late volley was enough to secure a draw for City and keep Chelsea from opening up a sizeable gap on the competition.

I've never been so happy to see Frank Lampard score a goal in my life.

Arsenal will take a huge amount of momentum after seeing everything go their way this weekend into the North London derby* Saturday. Next up, however, is a Capital One Cup match for the reserves against Southampton tomorrow night.

* to top off the hilarity, the Spuds lost 1-nil at home to West Brom on Sunday, who were bottom of the league heading into White Hart Lane. Not exactly a title rival slipping up, but icing on a very delicious cake

5 Stages of Grief: Manchester United Edition

Imagine you spent your summer supporting Manchester United.

If you're like me you probably want to stick a knife in your eye right now. I don't blame you. But stick with me, it isn't reality. This is all hypothetical. Just pretend for a few minutes.

You had just suffered through your club's worst season in the Premier League era. You put all the blame on 1 man who had been at the club for 9 months, David Moyes. You were eager and more than willing to throw Moyes under the bus. And you suddenly felt better.

Next up was Louis van Gaal, a man who had won things everywhere in Europe. Problem solved! Soon you'd be back on top!

Imagine yourself watching the World Cup, thoroughly impressed by your new manager as he coached Holland. Imagine your glee when his team annihilated the defending champions 5-1 in their first match.

You watched each Holland match and got more and more excited, convinced that the new boss was a genius who would easily fix all of Moyes's mistakes. He'd do it in his first training session!

You loved the new tactics, 3 at the back with wing backs pushing forward. You told yourself "Valencia can be twice the player of Daryl Janmaat!" And "Holland's center halves are nowhere near as good as Evans, Smalling, and Jones--consider the defense fixed!"

Manchester United destroyed teams in their preseason tour of the US, and your expectations grew and grew with each demolition. Surely the famous Guinness International Champions Cup was the first of many trophies you'd win this year!

You loved the new signings. Luke Shaw was the British Roberto Carlos! Forget Pogba! You had Herrera!

And then the injuries piled up. Shaw, Valencia, Evans, and Carrick were all out for the opening match against Swansea. Van Persie wasn't fully fit yet. But surely you'd still win! Nothing could stop this team!

And when United lost to Swansea, you made excuses. You were in Denial.

The injuries, the new tactics, the commercial tour of America as opposed to a proper preseason. "Our best players are all injured, we just need time," you told yourself. "It will all turn good, I know it."

But then you watched United draw with Sunderland on Sunday, and your confidence began to falter. Van Persie was back, but you still weren't creating chances. And you couldn't defend either.

You became Angry. Some winger named Will Buckley ripped you apart in his first ever Premier League match. Who the hell is Will Buckley? What is going on?

You took out that handy pitchfork, on which you so satisfyingly skewered Moyes in April, and pointed it directly at executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward.

"Woodward you imbecile! We need better players! You said you had all that money to spend, so spend it!"

The Bargaining began. If you just had better players, world class players, that would fix the problem. Woodward needed to get those world class players right away.

Woodward obliged. Yesterday it became clear you would soon have Angel Di Maria in your ranks. What a player! The man who single-handedly won the Champions League!

"Who cares what he costs? Who cares that he doesn't fit in the 3-5-2? Angel Di Maria is twice the player Ronaldo ever was!"

You were excited when you woke up this morning. You watched with glee as Di Maria held up that gorgeous red Chevrolet shirt. You thought you might go out and buy yourself a pickup truck.

Next you'd watch United build their confidence by thrashing some lower league team that you hadn't ever heard of in the Capital One Cup. It was all set up for a wonderful Tuesday.

Never in your wildest dreams did you think United would get embarrassed 4-nil. To MK Dons.

Suddenly you are humbled. In 10 days, the club you support looks nowhere near challenging for the title and you've already been knocked out of one of the cups. In 10 days, all of that excitement--from van Gaal at the World Cup, the new signings, the great preseason form--its all gone.

You hit Depression.

There is only one more step to go.

Acceptance.

The fact is, your beloved Sir Alex left behind an awful squad of players. The club is paying a long-term price for Ferguson's last grasp at glory.

Your defense was getting worse by an average of 5 goals per season over Fergie's last 3 years. The unit declined as Vidic, Ferdinand, and Evra aged. The signings of Smalling, Jones, and Alex Buttner didn't fix the problem. The weakness grew.

Sir Alex also allowed the midfield to deteriorate. Fergie converted Giggs into a center mid and brought Scholes out of retirement instead of letting his younger players get valuable experience and grow.

Even when Sir Alex played younger players, he played the wrong ones. He played Tom Cleverley and Anderson ahead of Paul Pogba, so Pogba left. Now United can't give Cleverley and Anderson  away as no club will take them, and Pogba is the best young midfielder in the world.

United's squad was nowhere near good enough to compete for any trophies last season, and they still aren't good enough right now.

Time to accept it.

Arsenal Resilient Against Everton

I'll be honest, I didn't know how to respond to this match until now.

At halftime I was on the war path. I was furious.

When it was over, I was relieved, but I hadn't got over the first half yet. I was still angry.

24 hours after it ended, I watched it again. And then I watched one more time. My opinion changed drastically.

Without a doubt, Arsenal put together their best performance of this young season at Goodison Park. More unlucky than poor in the first half, the Gunners made several astute tactical adjustments at half-time to get a well-deserved point.

Credit where it's due. Last spring Roberto Martinez's tactics befuddled Arsene Wenger. Not this time. Wenger's subtle tweaks did just enough to break down a disciplined Everton defense twice in the final 10 minutes.

I think it's best to divide the review in halves to better make my point.

1st Half

The intial setup was curious. Mesut Ozil lined up on the left wing and Per Mertesacker was on the left-hand side of the two center halves. Neither looked comfortable early on in the 4-1-4-1 formation.

Last year Ozil was given a free role behind the striker in a 4-4-1-1, but based on the first three matches, Wenger has changed his tactics considerably this year. Both central midfielders have been given license to push forward all match--when we have the ball and when we don't. Wilshere and Ramsey often pushed forward to pressure the opposing center halves in possession, and the outside players (Ozil and the Ox in this match) were given responsibility to track back and man-mark the opposing fullbacks.

Everton lined up in the same exact 4-3-3 formation that had worked so well the last time. Steven Naismith was the False 9 in front of a 3 man midfield of McCarthy, Barry, and Osman, and he had a large amount of defensive responsibility to get back and outnumber Arsenal's midfielders in the middle of the pitch. Romelu Lukaku and Kevin Mirallas played as wide forwards. Both set up on the half-line when Arsenal had the ball to give Everton early options for the counter-attack, and neither was asked to track back and mark the Arsenal fullback when Arsenal had possession.

One of the reasons Everton's 4-3-3 worked so well against Arsenal last spring was the numerical advantage it gave Everton in the center. When Naismith tracked back, Everton often outnumbered Arsenal 4 to 2, and they stopped Arsenal from enjoying the methodical possession game we want to play. Arsenal's 4-1-4-1 formation helped somewhat, if only because it added a 3rd central midfielder to the numbers. But the Arsenal central midfielders still struggled.

McCarthy, Barry, Osman, and Naismith harassed Wilshere and Ramsey every time they took possession, and both struggled initially. Ramsey and Wilshere couldn't spring attacks due to a lack of familiarity with the central striker, Alexis Sanchez.

I will say this: Sanchez looked a lot better than I had remembered when I rewatched the match. His runs were very dangerous as he often got in behind Distin. But the Arsenal midfielders never tried to connect with a long ball over the top. Perhaps this was because we haven't had a center forward who made those types of runs in a very long time, but I think it was more likely due to the pressure Everton's midfield put on Arsenal's playmakers.

When Sanchez did check back to his midfield, he received the ball in Giroud-esque positions in front of the Everton defense. But it isn't his first instinct to quickly play the ball back to a midfielder in the Giroud mold. Sanchez wanted to keep the ball on his feet and dribble, and he often did so right into 2 or 3 Everton defenders.

In all: 1) Sanchez is not a natural center forward. It will take a while for him to learn how much time and space he has in that role. And 2) Arsenal's midfielders had no idea how to find Sanchez in positions that would play to his strengths.

By no means was Saturday proof that Sanchez does not have what it takes to play the position in England. As he adjusts to the role, and as the Arsenal midfielders adjust to him, his play will improve considerably. Sanchez simply has too much raw talent to fail.

As the match went on, Ox and Ozil frequently drifted into midfield to ease the pressure on Arsenal's midfielders. This is often how Arsenal wants to play, but it was foolish against Everton. We were playing right into their hands. With Lukaku and Mirallas failing to track back, Arsenal's numerical advantage was on the wings. Everton never had more than two players on the wing at any point when the Gunners had possession. Arsenal could have set up triangles on the wing to passed around the two Everton defenders to create chances, but far too many of Arsenal's first half attacks failed as they tried to force themselves through the middle.

Everton didn't have much possession, but when they did, they often found a lot of time and space in central midfield. Wilshere and Ramsey didn't have enough defensive discipline early in the match. They were pushing too far forward and were not in position to pressure Everton's midfielders when the Toffees had the ball.

3 times Barry was given free reign to pick out a pass in a 10 minute stretch. The first led to the Coleman goal. The second led to a Naismith flick-on, which found Mirallas and nearly led to a second. The third played in Coleman on the right wing and Monreal did really well to win the ball. Arsenal were lucky to only be punished once.

Yes, Ozil lost his mark on the first goal. But more should have been done to prevent that pass from coming in in the first place. Wilshere and Ramsey weren't putting in the same defensive effort as their opponents, and Arsenal were getting punished as a result. That lack of pressure was the true root of Arsenal's problems in the first half, not Ozil's inability to track back.

The second goal was bad refereeing. Plain and simple. The referees missed both the foul on Mertesacker in the build-up and wrongly ruled Naismith onside.

Lukaku clearly made contact with Mertesacker before the ball got to him, therefore playing the man before the ball. It was not incidental contact. Mertesacker was in position to win it and was shoved off his position. That is a clear foul. No doubt about it. Same as the offside decision.

But Arsenal were not blameless either. Chambers showed his inexperience, rashly getting beaten on the left touchline rather than sitting deeper and controlling the situation. It was a clear error by the youngster, but he showed remarkable resiliency as the match went on. The boy learns from his mistakes quickly.

2nd Half

Giroud came on for Sanchez and Arsenal immediately looked much more comfortable in attack. Still in the 4-1-4-1, Arsenal was clearly much more comfortable playing with Giroud as the focal point than they had been with Sanchez. And Giroud, after a dismal performance at Besiktas on Tuesday, was much more energetic and effective.

Right away, Chambers played an excellent 25 yard ball to Wilshere which bypassed the Everton midfield and put the home side under pressure. Wilshere switched to Monreal on the left wing, and Monreal played another cross field ball back to Ox. The Ox had found space in between Baines and Osman, and he played a superb pass to Giroud. Giroud had peeled off to the far post really well and was unlucky to score with his first touch. But it was undeniably Arsenal's best attack of the game at that point.

As time went on, the subtle adjustments showed. First, Wilshere was tasked with putting the pressure on Barry in midfield. He did so with ferocity. Wilshere was maybe lucky to stay on the pitch after a hard, late tackle on Barry early in the 2nd half, but the main problem with Arsenal's defending had clearly been addressed at half time. Barry was no longer getting time and space.

Mertesacker had been booked in the first half, but his positioning and reading of the game was absolutely impeccable in the second half. He made lots of great tackles and interceptions all half.

And his partner grew into the game greatly. Mertesacker was caught out by Lukaku like he had been on the second goal, but this time Chambers kept his position and made Lukaku slow down and think. The result was another Mertesacker interception, as Chambers and Flamini had given their teammate enough time to recover.

As the match wore on, Arsenal had a clear target in possession: to exploit the numbers on the wings by getting 3 players wide to take on Everton's 2. It was a slower build-up, but Arsenal were methodically poking and prodding Everton's tactical weakness on the wing.

In the 70th minute Cazorla and Campbell came on for Wilshere and Ox. I expected the formation would change to the 4-4-1-1 we used last season. It didn't. Cazorla took up Wilshere's defensive role, even tracking back to the endline a few times, and Ramsey was still given free reign to roam forward.

Ramsey continued to struggle. Attack after attack ended with an overly ambitious Ramsey pass or an overly ambitious Ramsey shot. I love Ramsey's confidence--he can do incredible things on the pitch, no doubt about it--but Aaron should remember that his great run of form last season sprung from the simplification of his game. When he's doing the little things right, Arsenal is a much better team.

Like on Arsenal's first goal. Arsenal again took a numerical advantage on the left wing, slowly passing in triangles around Coleman and McCarthy, but we weren't able to find the final pass to set up a goal. Mesut Ozil was clearly frustrated at the lack of targets after his cross went out for a throw in. Then we scored.

Cazorla showed nifty footwork to put in a great left-footed cross to Ramsey for the tap-in, but in my opinion, Ozil created that goal.

Hear me out now. When Cazorla took the ball, Ozil took a fantastic, intelligent position just tucked in behind Coleman and McCarthy. The two Everton defenders were confused and indecisive, neither wanted to pressure Cazorla on the ball and risk opening up a pass to the German. And Cazorla made them pay with a fantastic low cross between the two Everton center-halves and the goalkeeper, right into the run of Ramsey who had timed his run so well.

Ramsey was Arsenal's worst player Saturday. He was poor in possession and failed to pressure his opposing midfielders when we didn't have the ball. And despite that, Ramsey scored the vital first goal to start the comeback. This is how you can tell Ramsey is becoming a world class player. Even when not at his sharpest, Ramsey makes an impact. That's what the best players do.

With Everton now feeling the pressure, Arsenal looked to even the score. I was impressed by two crucial plays by Joel Campbell, one that might have saved a goal and another that sparked the equalizer.

First, a bad Cazorla pass was intercepted as Debuchy pushed forward. Everton took the ball and had numbers down our right wing, but Campbell slid in well and won possession back.

Then, a pass was played in to Campbell at midfield. The Costa Rican's first touch was a bit heavy and Everton saw an opportunity to pounce. Both Osman and Naismith rushed in and challenged Campbell, but our young forward showed good strength and quickness to play a composed pass back to Chambers.

Like he did to start the second half, Chambers played a fantastic 25 yard ball that bypassed the Everton midfield and sparked the Arsenal attack. This time it was to Ramsey, but Ramsey's attempted cross to Giroud was well over-hit.

Monreal never gave up on it. He chased down the loose ball and quickly crossed it back in for Giroud. The delivery was perfect, as was Giroud's header.

From 2-nil down to 2-2 in ten minutes. It was an excellent 2nd half performance. And a real confidence boost heading into the crucial match against Besiktas on Wednesday.

Everton Takeaway: The Toffees will be unhappy not to close out a victory for the second straight week after drawing at Leicester 2-2 last weekend. But they can be proud of how they played in the first half. Dangerous on the counter and tough to break down, Everton look to have enough to trouble lots of teams. But they failed to put the nail in Arsenal's coffin to get a third goal, and Arsenal slowly figured them out.

Arsenal Takeaway: If you ignore the 15 minute stretch after Everton scored their first goal, Arsenal bossed this entire game. Everton's second goal never should have stood. The Gunners corrected their defensive mistakes and adjusted their attack to account for their opponent's weaknesses at halftime, they brought on a more familiar center forward who made everyone more comfortable, and were perhaps a bit unlucky just to score twice. It was a first rate performance in a difficult stadium early in the season, and a good result to match.

Man of the Match: Nacho Monreal. After an awful performance the last time Monreal played at Goodison, I'll admit I expected the worst when I saw Nacho lining up against Lukaku yet again. The Spaniard was terrific. His defending was great and his crosses were truly first rate--crowned of course by the brilliant cross for Giroud's equalizer. Arsenal created chance after chance on their left side largely because Monreal was causing problems all match. It might have been Nacho's best ever performance in an Arsenal shirt.

EPL Week 1 Review

It was great to have the Premier League back this weekend. With 26 goals scored in the 10 matches, there was plenty of entertainment to go around. But how often do you get to watch bird poop fly directly into Ashley Young's open mouth? 

The Champions Man City did just enough to win their opener at Newcastle. Sp*rs enjoyed a last-minute win at West Ham, keeping a clean sheet despite conceding a penalty and losing Kyle Naughton after his hand-ball in the first half. Sunderland's Seb Larsson equalized at West Brom, the Baggies conceding late from a winning position like they did so many times last season. Leicester rescued a draw against Everton in their first match back in the Premier League. Aston Villa won at the Brittania Stadium--one of the more difficult places to win last season. And QPR had a penalty saved late to lose to Hull City. 

I covered Arsenal's victory over Crystal Palace in full detail on Saturday. Here's a look back at 3 more of the weekend's best matches.

Manchester United 1 - Swansea City 2

The Louis Van Gaal era started with a thud as United lost to Swansea at Old Trafford for the first time in club history. United was missing 8 first team players but that is no excuse for a club of their stature. Everything about the home performance was unconvincing. Van Gaal has a lot of work to do with this average group of players.

Credit Swansea, who utilized their numerical advantage on the wings against United's 3-5-2 formation to create both of their goals. Gylfi Sigurdsson created one goal and scored the other in a man-of-the-match performance. 

When Swansea had the ball on the wing the United midfield didn't give the defense enough help. Swansea could easily cut the ball back to the top of the box and find their players unmarked. Ander Herrera looks like he will need quite some time adjusting a more defensive role in physical England, and Darren Fletcher was equally poor, failing to track back on several occasions. Neither is the bulldog ball-winner Nigel De Jong was for Van Gaal's Dutch World Cup team. 

The other major thing I noticed watching this version of Van Gaal's 3-5-2 was that the outside midfielders, Young and Adnan Januzaj (who came on for Jesse Lingard after the young player was injured on his debut), played much higher up the pitch than in the Dutch version. 

At the World Cup, Holland's formation often looked more like a 5-3-2 than a 3-5-2. These players' positioning was the root of United's problems. Too often Wayne Routledge, Nathan Dyer, and Sigurdsson were able to get in behind Young and Januzaj, stretching Jones and young Tyler Blackett out to the sideline, making the entire defense outnumbered and under pressure. 

I would not be at all surprised if Ajax's Daley Blind, who played in Young's left wing role so well for Holland, is brought to Old Trafford this week. His father, Danny Blind, is one of Van Gaal's assistant coaches. 

In addition, I think United will try to target more central defenders, such as Sporting's Marcos Rojo or Mehdi Benatia of Roma, who are more familiar with playing in this type of system as it is more common in Italy and South America. There simply aren't enough quality defenders at Old Trafford right now, and the ones that are there have played with 4 at the back their entire careers.

The 3-5-2 was so ineffective that Van Gaal scrapped it at half-time, taking Chicharito off for Nani and switching to a 4-3-3. But the home side weren't much better in the new formation.

Wayne Rooney did score the equalizer, and he nearly took the lead with a free kick that hit the upright, but other than that I felt he was very poor. Many of his passes were played too late and intercepted. Far too often the United attack ended with him. Juan Mata was largely invisible, and it said a lot that United perhaps looked their most dangerous when Marouane Fellaini was brought on late as a target man in a desperate effort to equalize the scoreline.

Swansea played well and deserved the 3 points, but United looked extremely poor. With David Moyes no longer around to play the scapegoat, finally attention is being given to the lackluster squad Sir Alex Ferguson passed on to his successor. 

I would highly recommend reading the Mail's exclusive interview with Moyes, published Saturday, in which Moyes claims he wasn't given enough time to succeed or fail at Old Trafford, as he had planned to run the club through a multiple-season rebuild. If you can read between the lines, Moyes clearly feels he was thrown under the bus by another man who was struggling in his new role at the club--Ed Woodward.

Woodward, who took over for David Gill as chief executive last June, has been in charge of negotiating transfers for 3 windows now. He has spent over 110m on Fellaini, Mata, Herrera, and Luke Shaw. What a waste of money!

The clock is ticking. This window will be closed at the end of the month, and United need several more players if they are going to get back into the Champions League, let alone challenge for the title. United can't afford to fail to bring in these players if they want to reach their former glory, but they also literally can't afford for Woodward to overpay for any more of their targets. 

Needless to say, the next few weeks will be very anxious ones for Manchester United supporters across the globe.

Liverpool 2 - Southampton 1

The post-Suarez era began at Anfield on Sunday and the Reds looked boring without him. A moment of brilliance opened the scoring, as Jordan Henderson played a fantastic through-ball with his weak foot to Raheem Sterling, who timed his run perfectly to score with ease. But the Reds didn't create much after that, and Southampton were unlucky not to score from a fantastic James Ward-Prowse whipped free kick that got caught in the wind and was heading for the upper 90. Simon Mignolet did really well to save but he paid a price, crashing into his far post in the process.

In the second half the Saints grew into the match, creating more chances than the hosts. New signing Dusan Tadic was the best player on the pitch. His first touch was always great, and his creativity was first-rate. The Serbian created an absurd 133 chances at Twente last season, and it was easy to see why. He combined really well with fellow newcomer Ryan Bertrand on the left wing, befuddling Liverpool's Javi Manquillo, and his back-heeled flick to Nathaniel Clyne led to Southampton's equalizer.

Minutes later Tadic was at it again, cutting a pass back to the excellent Ward-Prowse inside the penalty area. Ward-Prowse passed it square to an unmarked Steven Davis when he might have shot, and Davis's effort was too close to Mignolet.

When Southampton manager Ronald Koeman withdrew Tadic in the 77th minute, the Saints lost a bit of momentum. Liverpool took advantage. They got the lead again when Daniel Sturridge flicked Sterling's header in at the far post after Southampton struggled to clear the ball from multiple crosses. It was a poacher's goal by Sturridge, but a fortunate one. Southampton's 6'4 center-half Florin Gardos was not yet fit after his recent arrival from Bucharest, but he almost certainly would have done better to clear the ball than the vertically-challenged Maya Yoshida. Also, the referee missed a fairly blatant handball by Rickie Lambert early in the build-up.

Southampton was able to create another great chance before the match was over. New signing Graziano Pelle had struggled to deal with the physicality of Martin Skrtel in the first half but he grew into the game, and imposed himself strongly in the second. His chest-down to Morgan Schneiderlin set up the Frenchman with a golden chance inside the box. Schneiderlin's rocketed a half-volley toward goal, and Mignolet somehow got a fingertip to it to push the ball onto the crossbar. The rebound fell to Shane Long, but the Saints' most expensive signing of the summer somehow pushed his header wide of the empty net. 

Liverpool escaped with the three points yesterday. The Reds were the worse side on the day, failing to create much and allowing Southampton to get chances in dangerous positions. Due to the scoreline, many parallels will be drawn with Arsenal's 2-1 win at home against Palace, but in truth the two matches were entirely different. While Palace struggled to complete passes and only had 2 shots on goal, Southampton bossed large portions of the match at Anfield and often looked like the better attacking team.

It was just the first day, but my first impression of Liverpool is that they will have a lot to worry about this year. After spending nearly 50m luring away 3 of Southampton's best players in the summer, this was a match they were supposed to dominate. This version of Liverpool was slow, lacking creativity. 

And Southampton, who some picked to be relegated this year, looked like they will have nothing to worry about. I could easily see them replicating last year's 8th place finish. 

Burnley 1 - Chelsea 3

Newcomers Burnley scored the opener and then were absolutely torn apart by Chelsea, whose 3 goals came in 20 minutes after Scott Arfield's goal.

Nemanja Matic bossed the game, Bratislav Ivanovic was outstanding and Diego Costa marked his debut with a goal, but it was the performance of Cesc Fabregas which shined brightest. His assist to Andre Schurrle for Chelsea's second goal was incredible, as he softly cushioned a half-volley perfectly into the path of the German for an easy finish. Watching him make such a great pass in Chelsea blue nearly made me vomit. 

Chelsea looks like they'll have the creativity to open up defenses much easier this year. They sometimes struggled against the lower sides last year, especially away from home, but the additional quality of Costa and Fabregas (and a full season with the excellent Matic) should be enough to overcome some of last year's issues. And when Mourinho wants to break out his famous bus against the bigger clubs, he still has Mikel and Ramires to jam the midfield. Of all of the EPL's clubs on display this weekend, Chelsea clearly looked like the most improved.

But in all fairness, Burnley were absolutely dreadful. Chelsea passed in circles around Burnley's 4-4-2, Burnley failing to put any serious pressure on the ball even when Chelsea had it in their defensive third. And on the rare occasions when the home side won possession, they could hardly string 3 passes together before gifting the ball back to the Blues.

While watching I got the feeling that lots of goals are going to be scored at Turf Moor this year, and not by the Clarets either.

The Ramblin' EPL Preview/Predictions

The EPL season starts on Saturday. Last year, the league had one of its biggest-ever gaps between the top and bottom teams. 8 teams finished with 40 points (the traditional safe zone) or fewer. Man City and Liverpool both eclipsed over 100 league goals scored.

It looks as though the rich will get richer. Most of the top teams strengthened this summer, and some of the teams in the bottom half 1) struggled to keep their best players or 2) failed to strengthen enough to take a step forward. This is how I see this year's league playing out.

Predictions

1. Man City - The Citizens were the dominant team in the Premier League last year, scoring more goals than Liverpool and conceding fewer goals than every team except Chelsea. City added a very expensive, if inexperienced, center half in Mangala and a very experienced, if inexpensive, right back in Sagna. Both will add depth and quality to their defense. Fernando was added to replace Javi Garcia. And Lampard was curiously "loaned" from Man City's subsidiary club--New York City FC. The two midfield additions should help City manage when their talisman, Yaya Toure, is at the African Nations Cup. City have the same attacking firepower they showcased last season, and they have improved at the back. They are the favorites to keep league title.

2. Chelsea - The league's best defense got a whole lot better this summer. First it was a case of addition by subtraction - selling David Luiz to PSG made Chelsea more disciplined defensively. Then Chelsea brought in quality players. Courtois might be the best goalkeeper in the Premier League right now. Diego Costa and Fabregas are upgrades on Eto'o and Lampard in the attack. Filipe Luis will shift Azpilicueta over to his more natural right back position, which will improve the Chelsea defense and attack. My main question with Chelsea is a philosophical one. Hazard was vocal in his frustration about playing Mourinho's preferred conservative tactics last season. Will Mourinho be able to keep his players happy? Or will there be a mutiny on his hands when the Chelsea players get tired of parking the bus?

3. Arsenal - The Gunners opened the checkbook this summer and bought Alexis Sanchez. He immediately adds directness and pace to the Arsenal attack, but he also will need time to develop an understanding with Arsenal's other attacking options. We might not see the best of him until the spring. Debuchy is an upgrade on Sagna at right back, Chambers looks like a real gem of a prospect who can play multiple positions, and Joel Campbell will get his chance as another fast, direct attacking option. Arsenal already possessed the best group of young attacking midfielders in the league, but as of yet have not addressed their two weakest areas - holding midfield and a lack of depth in defense. Ideally they can address both areas with one signing before the window closes. A player who can play both in defensive midfield and central defense would be a perfect fit. Until then, I do not think Arsenal has enough depth to win the league, but more than enough quality to improve on last year's 4th place finish.

4. Manchester United - A new chapter begins at Old Trafford with new manager Louis Van Gaal. Rooney will partner van Persie in a 3-5-2 - a formation that gives both players freedom to roam to the wings without getting in each other's way, something the two have struggled with in their first two years together. Mata will pull the strings in his preferred central role. On paper, the 3-5-2 is a perfect fit for United's 3 best attacking players. But there are still problems in other areas. New signing Ander Herrera will need to carry a group of below average central midfielders (Fletcher, Fellaini, Carrick, and Cleverly). I can see why Van Gaal pursued Vidal so aggressively, his midfield options are far worse than his competitors'. And United's weakest area for the last two seasons has been central defense. Van Gaal's tactics address this weakness by adding a third central defender to the back line. This strategy worked wonders for Holland in a 7-game tournament, but the problem is, if Smalling, Jones, or Evans gets injured or suspended, there are zero experienced options to replace them. Van Gaal has actively pursued left-footed center backs this summer. First he missed out on Vermaelen and now Sporting has pursued legal action to keep Marcos Rojo from forcing a move to Old Trafford. I do think United will add Rojo before the deadline, and in the end, I think United will squeak into the top 4. The additional rest and preparation they will be afforded by virtue of avoiding European competition will be enough to get United back into the top 4.

5. Liverpool - Liverpool knows how nice it is to avoid European play. They won't have that luxury this year. They also won't have the league's best player anymore, as Suarez was sold to Barcelona. In Sterling, Coutinho, Lallana, and Henderson Liverpool has a good group of talented young midfielders. Daniel Sturridge was perhaps the single-biggest beneficiary of playing with Suarez last year. I don't see him holding up as the Reds' main man while also playing in more matches. Sturridge's injury record is troublesome. His new backup, Lambert, is a shorter version of Grant Holt. Lots of money was paid for Alberto Moreno and Dejan Lovren to fix Liverpool's leaky defense, when in my opinion the root of Liverpool's defensive problems lie further up the pitch. Steven Gerrard can pass the ball, but his ability to be the "shield" in front of the defense is pathetic. Lovren, who played behind the excellent Schneiderlin at Southampton last year, is going to need to cover a lot more ground in Liverpool's setup. The added fatigue of Europe, the loss of Suarez, and the lack of defensive protection from midfield will expose Liverpool this year. I see them finishing closer to sixth than fourth.

6. Tottenham - New manager Mauricio Pocchetino will take over and immediately improve Spurs after suffering under the tactically inept Tim Sherwood for half a year. The squad will need to take a step forward in Pocchetino's system. After a full year getting adjusted to England, it will be a make-or-break season for the several players bought with the Gareth Bale money a year ago. While I doubt Erik Lamela will ever live up to his transfer fee, I do think Pocchetino will have Spurs playing better than they did last season. Unlike other teams, Spurs have an abundance of first team players, 32 to be exact, and should be able to adequately handle Europa League commitments. In all Spurs will have the quantity to stay in the top 7 and stay in the Europa League, but not the quality to crack the top 4 and secure Champions League.

7. Everton - The Toffees are the opposite of Spurs. They have quality in their team, but not quantity. Last year's 5th place finish will add Europa League matches to their schedule. Lukaku and Barry were brought in on permanent contracts after impressing on loan last year, but consequently most of Everton's resources were spent keeping the status quo, rather than adding players they'll need to push on and build on last year's finish. Roberto Martinez is one of the league's best managers, but with an aging defense and a lack of depth throughout the squad, Everton will struggle to replicate last year's great form.

8. Stoke - Stoke is one of the league's best teams at home. The Potters are decent defensively but a bit toothless in attack. Mark Hughes attempted to address the problem by bringing in two new forwards: Man U and Barcelona castoffs Mame Biram Diouf and Bojan Krkic. Hughes has had his struggles at either ends of the League with Man City and QPR, but he seems at his best with mid-table clubs like Stoke. Can he build Stoke into a dark horse for Europe like his old teams at Blackburn?

9. Southampton - Southampton may have lost more assets than any club this summer. Their manager and 5 starters stepped up to bigger clubs. While many are fearing the worst (some even picking the Saints to finish in the bottom 3) I actually really like the moves Southampton made to replace what they lost this summer. The defense will be weaker and might concede more shots, so Southampton bought Fraser Forster. Forster is a big upgrade over Boruc in goal. Ronald Koeman is an experienced manager and he has bought two of the best attackers from the Dutch league in Tadic and Pelle. They will replace Lallana and Lambert. Tadic was the best player in Holland last season according to whoscored.com, and he has impressed in preseason. Only time will tell if Pelle can transition into a better striker than Lambert. Eredivisie forwards can be unpredictable in the Premier League. You never know if you're paying for Bony or Alfonso Alves. Saints' recent acquisition of Shane Long, who has scored goals wherever he's played in England, seems like a wise insurance policy. If Southampton can keep Schneiderlin, I think they are a safe pick to finish mid-table.

10. Swansea - Like Man United, Swansea will have the weight of European play lifted off their shoulders this season. Fabianski (like Mannone at Sunderland last year) could shine as the replacement for Vorm in a first team role. Argentine international Federico Fernandez is a big upgrade on the departed Chico Flores in defense. Sigurdsson returns to the club where he was at his best. And even if Swansea cannot keep their star striker Wilfried Bony, experienced Frenchman Bafetimbi Gomis could fill in and do well. Swansea had the 8th best goal difference in the league last season, they were better than their league position often reflected. Without the distraction of Europa League football, I see the Swans as a safe bet for a mid-table finish.

11. Crystal Palace - Tony Pulis worked wonders after being hired last winter, adding several crucial players in January and leading Crystal Palace on a rampant run of form in the second half of the season, securing unlikely safety from relegation with ease. Pulis is not the neutral's manager. His teams are often extremely conservative and pragmatic, but also effective. I can't say I particularly like him or his preferred style of play. But I can admit that it works. The Eagles failed to strengthen with new players this summer, and still have a somewhat weak squad, and they really struggle to score goals, but Pulis keeps teams in the Premier League. He'll do so again with Crystal Palace this season.

EDIT: According to reports, Pulis has resigned. Suddenly Crystal Palace's Premier League future doesn't seem so secure.

12. Newcastle United - Newcastle was one of the league's biggest surprises in the first half of the season. Then they sold Yohan Cabeye. The wheels fell off as Alan Pardew headbutted an opposing player and the Newcastle players simply stopped caring about winning and losing. In the second half of the year, Newcastle was one of the league's worst teams. Cabeye and Remy, their two best players from last year, are gone. Hatem Ben Arfa, probably Newcastle's most talented player, has been frozen out by Pardew for an "unprofessional attitude" (which is rich, coming from Pardew). New players have been added to steer the ship back on course, but most are not from England, and therefore Cabella, De Jong, Janmaat, Riviere, and Ferreyra will all need time to adapt. Newcastle should still have enough talent to stay up, but not enough to put together a genuine threat for a European place.

13. West Ham - Big Sam gets his teams to be solid defensively and direct in attack. That's what he does. And the West Ham fans aren't happy. They want attractive, attacking football. New signings Enner Valencia and Mauro Zarate will need to add flair and creativity to the West Ham attack in order to keep the Hammers' fans off Big Sam's back. All I can say to the West Ham fans is: be careful what you wish for. While sacking Big Sam might move the parked bus away from The Boleyn Ground, it might take the club right back to the Championship. Allardyce has an average, aging squad playing about as well as can be expected. It took multiple loaned players to keep West Ham from the drop zone last year. Anyone replacing Big Sam would not have an easy job changing the club's philosophy and keeping them in the Premier League.

14. Leicester City - One of the 3 new teams in the league this year, Leicester City is an unknown quantity. They haven't spent money on proven players this summer, and could struggle to stay up. The last two Championship winners, Reading and Cardiff, have gone straight back down the following year. Leicester will want to reverse that trend, and I think they will. The Foxes took 102 points last year. 2 other teams have ever eclipsed the 100 point mark in the Championship's history: 05-06 Reading and 09-10 Newcastle. Both clubs enjoyed long stays in the Premier League while relying mostly on the players who got them up. I think Leicester could do the same. It won't be easy, Leicester faces Everton, Chelsea, Arsenal, Stoke, and Man U in their first 5 matches. But I think the Foxes will have what it takes to stay in the Premier League.

15. QPR - 'Arry is back! I can't wait to see him give transfer updates from his car window on deadline day. Unlike Leicester and Burnley, QPR is very much a known quantity. They only spent one year in the second division, and rely on lots of players with plenty of top-level experience. And they've followed the safest formula to stay in the EPL: augmenting the team with proven top-level players, both young and old. The additions of Ferdinand, Caulker, Mutch, and Isla should be enough to keep QPR up.

16. Aston Villa - Their owner is actively trying to sell the club but no buyers have emerged. The chief executive quit and no one really knows why. Their manager has done well on a shoestring budget but now has deal with Roy Keane breathing down his neck. Things don't look good behind the scenes at Villa Park. Because the owner is eager to sell the club, very little funds have been made available for Paul Lambert to strengthen the squad. As a result, Aston Villa will need to avoid injuries at all costs this year, because their squad is extremely weak. The first 11, when Benteke, Weimann, Delph, and Vlaar are fit, is very good. But the replacements aren't. Villa could really struggle to stay up if the injuries pile up.

17. Hull City - Like Everton and Liverpool, I don't think Hull will be able to cope with the additional load of European play this year. I see them having a season like Swansea did last year - struggling to get away from the relegation zone and finally pulling into safety when they get knocked out of the Europa League. The 12 million pounds made from the sale of Shane Long will need to be reinvested in multiple players. To be fair, Hull has spent well so far this summer. Ince, Snodgrass, and Robertson all look like great prospects for the Tigers. Perhaps Steve Bruce will find a few more players to add the depth Hull will need to compete on 2 fronts. But Bruce will want to avoid his dreaded second-season-syndrome, too. After impressive first seasons at Wigan and Sunderland, he has been sacked in his second season at both clubs. Bruce will hope the third time will be the charm.

18. West Brom - Who hires the managers at West Brom? Time to fire that guy! Pepe Mel barely kept the club up, and he was sacked. Next up: Allan Irvine. Seriously, who is Allan Irvine? A Qualified Insurance Broker of course! (He was also David Moyes's former youth team coach.) Irvine has his work cut out for him. West Brom has no quality strikers and an old back line (somehow made older with the new acquisition of Lescott). I see the Baggies finally getting relegated this season.

19. Sunderland - Unable to bring back Borini and desperately trying to keep hold of Wickham, Sunderland doesn't look like they will be good enough to stay up this term. After miraculously pulling out of the relegation places last year, this version of Sunderland is weaker, less talented and more injury prone. Their two best attackers, Borini and Scocco, are gone. Jack Colback was one of their better players for a few years, and he joined rivals Newcastle. The dependable Korean Ki has been replaced by Jack Rodwell, who misses more games injured than he plays. I honestly don't know what Poyet is doing with the Black Cats. I don't see him in this job at Christmas, and I don't see Sunderland staying in the Premier League.

20. Burnley - This is what I know about Burnley: their best player is a right back who doesn't defend and their manager, Paul Dyche, is nicknamed "the Ginger Mourinho." Their biggest purchase of the summer has been Michael Kightly. I read one Burnley supporter's preview of the season ahead, which proclaimed: "I predicted Burnley would finish mid-table last season, and I won't underestimate Dyche again." I didn't have the author's intended reaction to this assertion. Instead of believing in the "Ginger Mourinho's" ability to overachieve, I'm thinking a squad that was picked to finish mid-table in the Championship a year ago will be completely out of place in the Premier League. Burnley is going right back down, to the disappointment of red-heads everywhere.

Arsenal Signs Alexis Sanchez

An Absolute Masterstroke.

Arsenal has bought a world class player. And with the money spent, Arsenal might just play a big role in financing the departure of the EPL's best player for the second season running.

First, Sanchez is a great addition to the team. His speed, strength, and dribbling ability helps him create his own chances. He has a good eye for a pass and can create chances for others.

According to WhoScored.com, Sanchez was Barcelona's second-best player last season, behind only Messi. The best Barcelona player not named Messi. Think about that.

Sanchez scored 19 goals in just 27 starts, the second-most on the team, despite being the 3rd or 4th attacking option behind Messi, Neymar, and sometimes Pedro.

Sanchez should compliment Giroud very nicely. Having trained at Barcelona for three years, Sanchez possesses the intelligence and movement to find Giroud for 1-2s and break open defenses even in tight spaces. But Sanchez also thrives in space. The prospect of Ozil finding passes for the Chilean to start a break is mouth-watering.

Make no mistake, Sanchez joins Arsenal and instantly becomes the team's #1 attacking option. Ozil will provide the supply. Giroud will provide the link up play and occupy the center backs. Walcott will provide spacing by threatening to get in behind the defense. Ramsey will make late runs in to the penalty area. And Sanchez will be the fulcrum of the attack.

Sanchez was forced to play the Walcott role at Barcelona. The team didn't run through him, it ran through Messi. A reduced role in a less direct style of play didn't suit Sanchez's qualities as a player. His adaptation to a very unique style of play was delayed by injuries in his first season at the Camp Nou. He was good, but not great in his lone season with Pep Guardiola.

Guardiola left and Tito Vilanova tried to keep the team playing the same way in 2012. Sanchez struggled to fit in and he began to feel the wrath of the Barcelona fans. Read this excerpt from BarcaBlaugranes.com's 2012/13 Season in Review.

"Expectations were fairly low for Alexis Sanchez going into the 2012-13 season as just about everybody expected him to fail. And at first all those critics appeared to be right as Alexis struggled to find the back of the net. It took him 15 La Liga appearances to find the back of the net for the first time - week 23 (April 10th) against Getafe. It wasn't for lack of trying though as Alexis consistently found himself in dangerous scoring positions, but just couldn't find a way past opposing goalkeepers..."

"But it was like that goal against Getafe was all that Alexis needed to break the slump he was in. Over the last three months of the season the forward made 12 league appearances, nine starts, during which he scored 7 goals and added 6 assists..."

"Alexis didn't change his game to get better production - he played the same way he did before, but once he started bagging goals the confidence returned and Alexis started playing without the constant pressure."

Remind you of anyone? You could substitute 'Alexis Sanchez' for 'Aaron Ramsey' and use the above language to describe each players' 2012/13 campaigns.

Both struggled with confidence as they were put under pressure by the fans. Both continued to work hard and never gave up. Both kept finding dangerous positions. And both worked through the tough times to come out world class players on the other side.

It's no surprise Sanchez improved further under the coaching of Gerardo Martino, who started the transition away from Guardiola's tiki-taka to a faster, more direct attack.

Sanchez had shined in this style as the main attacking option with Chile and with Udinese--where he was so good that Barcelona shelled out serious money (roughly the same transfer fee that Arsenal paid today) for the 22-year-old in 2011.

Sanchez thrives in space, and tiki-taka built up the play too slowly for Sanchez to truly showcase his ability. When Martino encouraged the team to attack more quickly, Sanchez was able to take the momentum from the spring of 2012 and keep it for an entire season.

Sanchez scored some magnificent goals for Barcelona this year, and perhaps most impressively, he saved his best work for against the biggest opponents.

His Classico goal in October was spectacular. In February, he put Barcelona ahead in the 6th minute with a chip from an impossible angle against Valencia. And in Barcelona's final match of the season, Sanchez's near-post rocket flew by Thibaut Courtois to put his team, albeit briefly, in position to win the Spanish title.

Arsenal's struggles against the big teams last season is well documented. The Gunners won just once in 8 Premier League matches against the Manchester clubs, Liverpool, and Chelsea. In Sanchez, Arsenal has secured a player who shines in the big moments. Sanchez has technical qualities that will improve the team. But I believe his mental strength, which will strengthen the team psychologically, is the best aspect of this transfer.

Arsenal needed a world class forward, and got one in Sanchez. He is a great signing for the club, just like Mesut Ozil was last September. And the parallels continue.

The purchase of Mesut Ozil helped Real Madrid raise the funds needed to purchase Gareth Bale last summer. Arsenal bought a world class midfielder with funds that were used to steal away the Premier League's best player from our biggest rival.

It seems very likely that Arsenal's transfer payment for Sanchez will be directly reinvested by Barcelona to poach Luis Suarez from Liverpool, again removing one of the world's best players from the Premier League from a club that has reasserted top-4 credentials.

Arsenal's money could now be spent luring away Liverpool's most intimidating player (in more ways than one). Just adding Sanchez would likely have been enough for Arsenal to leapfrog the Reds next season. And just losing Suarez would have likely knocked Liverpool down a few pegs. Arsenal's money just might make both happen.

THAT is money well spent!

EPL Season Review: Arsenal. Part 2: the Squad

I spent last night basking in the glory of USA's highway robbery fortunate victory against Ghana. The US scored in the first 30 seconds, and hung on for dear life as the Ghanaian team dominated possession and out-shot the US 3 to 1. They finally found an equalizer in the 82nd minute, only to fall behind from a corner 4 minutes later. Next up, Portugal. I can't wait until Sunday.

Today my focus returns to North London, where I still have half a season review to do.

I discussed the strengths and weaknesses of the manager already. Today I'll get into the nuts and bolts of the squad.

Goalkeepers

Szczesny had an up-and-down season, which is to be expected for a player of his age and experience. He did very well against the lower teams, particularly when tested physically on set pieces. But in the biggest games, he still seems to struggle with the additional pressure. His sending off in the first half of the first leg against Bayern in the Champions League killed any hope of advancing in the tournament. He has an unfortunate habit of being at his worst when his team needs him most.

Fabianski is now a Swansea player, but he played a vital role in ending the club's trophy drought by starting every FA Cup match. His penalty heroics against Wigan and great saves against Liverpool and Everton got us to the final. And once we got there, he had one last going-away present for the fans: a heart-attack as he rushed 40 yards off his line in the 118th minute. In all seriousness, Fabianski had some awful times at the club, but was much better in his last two years. He will fight with Michel Vorm for a place in the first team at Swansea next year.

Viviano was loaned from some Italian club and never played. But I did hear he sang "Jingle Bells" beautifully at the team Christmas party.

Defenders

Mertescienly is the best defensive partnership in England. Individually, neither one is as complete a defender as Man City's Vincent Kompany, but the two players compliment each other so well that they formed the most effective central pairing in the league. Mertesacker's positional discipline and ability to read the game provides stability to the back line, while Koscielny's tackling ability and pace makes up for Mertesacker's lack of speed to recover when an attacker does get in behind the defense. The two players form an excellent base for the team to build around.

Vermaelen is captain, but no longer an important member of the team. He isn't quick enough to be a good match with Mertesacker and isn't disciplined enough to partner with Koscielny effectively. After a great start to his Arsenal career, Vermaelen has faded quickly, to the point where I'm not remotely bothered by the rumors of him agreeing to terms with Man United this week.

We had 5 wins (2 AET), 4 draws, and 5 losses when Vermaelen played over half the match this season. Our overall record in all competitions? 37 wins (3 AET), 8 draws, and 11 losses. He was involved in 50% of our draws and nearly 50% of our losses while taking part in just 14% of our victories. He's paid like a key player, but is an unreliable squad player at the moment. Surely we can get a more reliable squad player on much lower wages, so I wouldn't mind seeing Vermaelen go, even if he's joining a domestic rival.

Sagna is a player I did not want to see play in Manchester next season. He has been our most consistent player for the past few seasons, but he let his contract run down, and joined City for more money, more years, and a better chance at winning trophies than we could offer. Fair play to him. He's been a reliable player for the club for 7 years and has earned the right to do whatever he wants with his career. I won't cheer for him at City, but I won't hate him either. I know a lot of people think Sagna will sit on the bench behind Zabaleta, but I could see him partnering with Kompany in the middle. He filled in well at center back for us whenever called upon.

Gibbs continues to progress. He made some crucial tackles and clearances last season, and his pace on the left wing provides a good outlet in attack and recovery in defense. Very few players run past him. While he has been injury-prone, at least we won't have to worry about him playing for England in the near future. Young Luke Shaw has seemingly passed him in the pecking order, meaning Gibbs should get plenty of rest during international breaks next season.

Monreal has done the opposite. 18 months ago he was genuine competition for Gibbs at left back. Now he's clearly second choice. The speed and physicality of the English game is too much for him.

Jenkinson loves the club and it showed when he scored in the last match of the season. He is fast, has insane fitness levels, and has a decent cross. Yes Jenkinson is still very raw in the other parts of his game. I'd still like to see him play more. I don't really see what Serge Aurier would add that Jenkinson doesn't already offer. For me, Jenkinson should get a chance to develop as the first choice right back next year.

Midfielders

Arteta isn't a good enough defensive midfielder to win the league because he struggles to deal with pace and physicality, and often succumbs when a strong opponent puts him under pressure. But he's a great player against the lower teams because he is a reliable distributor of the ball and finds intelligent positions to receive it. Arteta is a great player when we have the ball, but a liability when we don't.

Flamini was brought back to the club for free after his contract at AC Milan wound down. He was a crucial player early in the season, when we were in our best form, because he provided the steel in defense that Arteta lacks. He didn't play as often in the second half of the season, which was largely his own fault. He missed the 1-5 loss at Anfield and 0-3 loss at Goodison on two separate suspensions. Flamini is an aggressive player, and will most likely run into more disciplinary issues next year. All the more reason to strengthen in the defensive midfield position this summer.

Ramsey was our player of the season. What else can be said that hasn't been said already? He was magnificent when healthy and sorely missed when injured. Ramsey is a player we will build around in the seasons to come.

Ozil came on the deadline and showed his class right away against Sunderland. Afterward, he struggled with injuries and had an up-and-down season. The penalty miss against Bayern was certainly the low point, but he did show his class in flashes. Sometimes it can take a full season for a player to adapt to the English style of play, so hopefully we see a more consistent Ozil next season.

Cazorla was actually better in his first season in London than he was in his second, but I think this was largely due to his position. After being used centrally in a free role two years ago, the addition of Ozil pushed Cazorla out the wings, where he sometimes struggled with the additional tactical responsibility. He often was out of position when his fullback needed an outlet pass down the wing, and failed to track the opposing fullback on defense. But he did show his class as well, scoring great goals against Liverpool at home and against Hull in the cup final.

Wilshere was often played "out of position" on the wings this year, where I thought he did really well. He doesn't have the pace of a true winger, but is a very decent wide midfielder because he is a composed passer, he takes intelligent positions when we have the ball, and he had a great season in front of goal. Wilshere scored 5 goals from 30 shots this season, by far his best as a scorer. I wouldn't mind seeing him play outside more next season. Ramsey was used as a right midfielder two years ago, and Wenger suggested it aided his development because he learned how to create space for himself despite having limited room next to the sideline. Wenger explained that once Ramsey moved back to the middle, he flourished with more room, being able to create space for himself in all directions. Perhaps Wilshere can make the same transition.

Rosicky has seemingly put his injury problems behind him (unlike Diaby) and he was a great squad player for us this season. He scored some fantastic goals against Sp*rs, and was a dependable player off the bench all season. Only Diaby and Walcott have been with the team longer.

Zelalem tore up the preseason tour of Asia just one year after playing for Olney Rangers in the Washington DC area. Injuries kept him from the Capital One Cup team, and he only made one appearance all year. I expect big things from Zelalem in the future, both with Arsenal and with the US national team, as he declined an opportunity to play for the Germany youth team and reportedly applied for a US passport last month. 

Kallstrom joined on loan in January despite failing his medical, and he was injured for the first 3 months of a 5 month loan. Kallstrom has the best agent in the history of agents.

Forwards/Wingers

Giroud is a good player with some clear limits to his game. He isn't going to run past anyone, and he isn't the most consistent finisher in the world. But his link-up play is top notch. I've never seen a player his size be so good at one-touch passes. He's a 1-2 machine. Our midfielders can play the ball to Giroud and keep their run going, knowing Giroud will find them with a pass immediately. His clever backheel to Ramsey won us the FA Cup.

But we relied on him too heavily. Giroud started 44 matches, and appeared in 7 more as a substitute. As the season went on, he wore down. His movement at the beginning of the season was great, he made lots of runs into dangerous positions. But as he wore down, he made less runs, and failed to make as much of an impact on matches as he did early in the year. Unfortunately he will spend the summer in Brazil and won't get the summer to rest. We need another center forward to compete and rotate with Giroud next season to help share the load up front.

Podolski was the first choice left winger for most of the season, where he scored some great goals. Podolski doesn't help much on defense and can sometimes struggle when he drops into the midfield and tries to contribute to the short-passing play. He isn't a tici-taca sort of player. But when he can find space in dangerous positions, Podolski is a clinical finisher and a great crosser who can provide the quality needed to score goals. I also think he is important to team chemistry because he has a laid-back personality and a good sense of humor. The other players really seem to like him. There are rumors that he might leave the club this summer, but I hope he stays. There's no reason he can't be a great sub to have off the bench when we need a goal when Walcott returns from his injury.

Walcott had stomach surgery in September. He came back in late November. We played him for 5 full matches in 16 days in December/January, and he tore his ACL making a cut. Fatigue causes muscle injuries, and it's clear Walcott's fitness was not strong enough to play so much so soon after he came back from the stomach surgery. He played so much because he's the most important player in the team, though. His speed creates a constant threat to get in behind the defense, forcing the opposing back line to play more conservatively, which gives our stable of creative midfielders more room to create. Hopefully Walcott's recovery goes well and he can make a big impact next season.

Oxlade-Chamberlain battled a few injuries but continued to show flashes of quality. He is fast, strong on the ball, and has a good shot on him. Sometimes his first touch lets him down, but in general, the Ox looks to have all the makings of a great player in the future. Whether he does so on the wing or in the middle is the question. Ox has all the attributes required of good winger. He is quick, can cross it well, and makes good runs for his teammates. But Wenger has said he thinks the Ox's position is more central, where he could be a box-to-box midfielder in the Ramsey mold. I don't think he's ready yet. I'd like to see him on the wing--where losing possession isn't as costly (see Chelsea, away)--until his first touch and distribution is more reliable.

Gnabry was a very important player for us in the middle of the season, scoring a great goal at Swansea and putting forth a man-of-the-match performance in the FA Cup victory against Sp*rs. A teenage former sprinter who is strong on the ball and confident using both feet, Gnabry is a dark horse to take Podolski's place as soon as next season.

Sanogo was bought from Auxerre and got injured at the U-21 World Cup as the lone striker for the victorious French team. He is an extremely raw player, but his athletic ability is clear to see. Big, fast, and strong--Sanogo imposes himself on every match, with extremely little end product. Sanogo will need time to develop into a player who can create chances for himself or others, but at the moment he is certainly a handful for any defender to mark. I'd like to see him loaned out next season to gain first team experience.

Miyaichi was picked to be on the bench at Munich, only to realize we hadn't registered him to play in the Champions League. Whoops!

Bendtner rubbed his junk against a taxi in Copenhagen. Adios Nicklas!

On Fabregas

Cesc Fabregas is coming back to London.

To play for Jose Mourinho.

While most Arsenal apologists will find reasons to rationalize the club's decision to decline to use a widely-reported buy-back clause and let him join a direct rival, I won't.

My honest opinion: Arsenal Football Club screwed up. BIG.

Cesc Fabregas was the best midfielder in England for two years before he left for Barcelona in the summer of 2011. There was no Yaya Toure in 2011, and Cesc was better than Frank Lampard or Steven Gerrard. He was the best midfielder England had to offer.

Cesc Fabregas has spent 3 years at Barcelona, where he struggled to fit in with Xavi and Iniesta. But Barcelona made room for him. And a new manager scapegoated him for a poorly-constructed team's failures.

I know a lot of people want to say he was ineffective and a bust at Barcelona. Here are the facts.

Fabregas made 96 appearances for Barcelona in 3 years, an average of 32 per season. Despite numerous injuries.

Fabregas scored 28 goals in his 96 Barcelona appearances. 0.29 goals/appearance. This nearly doubled his production while at Arsenal, where he scored 35 goals in 212 appearances, an average of .16 goals/appearance.

The fact is, Fabregas got better in his three years at Barcelona. And now he will join Arsenal's direct rival.

Arsenal finished in 4th place last season. Chelsea 3rd. By not utilizing the fabled first option, Arsenal has let Fabregas significantly strengthen a direct rival in a position where they sorely needed help.

Am I surprised? No.

Arsenal Football Club already has a world class player in Fabregas's preferred position. And Arsenal Football Club doesn't particularly care if it's actions (or lackthereof) improve a direct rival.

When the company sold Robin van Persie, the buying club won the league the next season, largely due to van Persie's excellent performances.

Fabregas, Diego Costa, and Chelsea have a good chance of winning the league next year as well.

Arsene Wenger spent 42 million pounds on Mesut Ozil last summer. Ozil plays Fabregas's preferred position. There is you're ready-made excuse, apologists.

Cling to that all the way to 4th place next May.

Am I frustrated? Yes.

When Arsenal bought Mikel Arteta, he had always been an attacking midfielder. A creative playmaker. But his experience helped him transition into a deeper defensive role.

Mikel Arteta became Wenger's first choice defensive midfielder because he is intelligent and technically capable. He can distribute the ball and he is positionally disciplined.

Arteta was 28 when he signed for Arsenal. He is now 31. And his days in the first team are numbered.

Cesc Fabregas is 27.

Fabregas could have made the transition to a deeper playmaking role just as Arteta did three years ago.

Wenger clearly has not valued physicality or tackling ability in his central midfielders recently. Flamini is the team's physical tackler, and he failed to take Arteta's place as the season progressed. Rather, Wenger values Arteta's intelligence and technical ability to keep possession over Flamini's rugged physicality.

Personally, I don't agree with Wenger's logic. I would much rather have a ball-winner like Flamini in the team than Arteta, because I think the Arsenal team is weak without the ball. That being said, I can rationalize why Wenger values Arteta's discpline and intelligence over Flamini's recklessness.

But the rationalizing ends today. If Wenger would rather have an intelligent, technical midfielder at the base of his midfield than a rugged, physical tackler, Cesc Fabregas is an clear improvement over Arteta. Arteta was obviously the weakest player in Arsenal's first 11 last season.

Signing Fabregas for his buy-back clause would be a no-brainer, unless Wenger has decided to inject more physicality into his midfield. Time will tell if a different midfielder will take Arteta's place before the season kicks off next August. Perhaps Javi Martinez or Lars Bender could be on their way to North London. Or an unknown star from Serbia we've never hear of. Whoever it is, he better be great.

Because if no replacement comes, understand this clearly:

Letting one of the 10 best midfielders in the world join a direct rival, when Arsenal had all the leverage, is a colossal mistake.

Arsenal Season Review Part 1: Arsene Wenger

Arsenal finally had a successful season. The Gunners ended the club's trophy drought before it could reach a decade by winning the FA Cup last month. Having led the league for a majority of the season, however, many Arsenal supporters still have a bitter taste in their mouths as a promising season in the league was decimated by yet another plague of injuries and poor results against the biggest clubs. With that being said, after the opening defeat at home to Aston Villa, if any of those supporters had been offered: 1) 4th place, 2) a big name transfer, and 3) the FA Cup they would have taken it in a heartbeat. All three seemed impossible in mid-August.

As this blog is mostly about Arsenal, this Season Review will be in much greater depth than the others. I have decided to split it into two parts. First I will evaluate the manager. In my next post I will evaluate the squad.

Bare with me, I ramble a bit below.

Arsene Wenger still divides opinion like no one else. Celebrated for nurturing a tight-knit group with great chemistry in the first half of the season, Wenger was unable to steer his ship back on course for the title after his team suffered injuries and humiliating defeats in the business end. Still, a 4th place finish is not shameful by any means. Wenger will manage the club in the Champions League for the 17th consecutive season next year. If nothing else, Wenger is remarkably consistent.

I'll address what I perceive to be the biggest strengths and weaknesses of Wenger in 4 parts below.

1. Belief/Man Management

Wenger's steadfast belief in his players has been tested through the years. Perhaps never more than with Aaron Ramsey. Two years ago, the Emirates crowd jeered Ramsey every time he touched the ball. He constantly lost possession, his passing was erratic, and he couldn't seem to control his shots as they flied wide of the goal. Wenger always believed in him. He was patient and calmly told the press that Ramsey was getting in the right positions and that his game would turn around. When many other managers might have offloaded a player the fans despised (see Cesc Fabregas, Barcelona) Wenger refused to do so. His patience was rewarded handsomely.

I've written in depth about Ramsey already this year. Simply I think he put together the best series of performances (on a per game basis) by a British midfielder in EPL history. Had he stayed fit all year, he might have put together the best season by an EPL midfielder ever. Only Yaya Toure is a better player at his position. Ramsey was stunning this year. He scored 15 goals (none from set pieces or penalties) and had 9 assists in 36 total appearances in all competitions. Recently voted the club's player of the season, Ramsey proved Wenger right in the most emphatic way possible.

Other key players, such as Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscienly, were doubted when Wenger first brought them to the club. Mertesacker was too slow and Koscielny too unproven. But they are now the best central defensive pairing in the EPL. Theo Walcott didn't have a "football brain." He has become one of the club's most important players. Tomas Rosicky couldn't stay fit. Wenger never gave up on him. Lukas Fabianski was flappy-handed. Until he won us the FA Cup.

While some of the supporters may have serious doubts about the quality of the squad's more peripheral players (such as Jack Wilshere, Kieran Gibbs, Carl Jenkinson, Yaya Sanogo, and even Abou Diaby) it's comforting to know that Wenger believes in them. If nothing else, they'll receive the patience and reinforcing belief that young players so often need to succeed. And we won't see them develop into superstars somewhere else (fingers crossed).

As always, there are two sides to every story. While Wenger's patience was rewarded this year, one doesn't have to look too far back to see where Wenger's unwavering belief in his players was costly. His faith in Manuel Almunia comes to mind. Sebastien Squillaci, Denilson and Mikael Silvestre as well. But in general, I think the belief Wenger holds in his players is his biggest strength as a manager. His patience is something that most managers, on tighter leashes, would never have the luxury to posses. He reinforces his players' confidence and allows them to develop knowing that a series of poor form won't run them out of the club. I can't imagine a more healthy environment for a young player to grow and eventually succeed.

2. Transfers

Wenger may not delve into the transfer market as often as the supporters would like, but when he does he manages the club's economic resources with maximum efficiency. This is due to his excellent understanding of economics and his mastery of markets. He doesn't overpay for players, and he rarely spends a large sum of money on a bad player.

Santi Cazorla is perhaps the best example. Cazorla is one of the team's most important players, and he was bought from Malaga when Malaga desperately needed to raise funds in order to pay taxes to the Spanish government. Malaga's lack of leverage meant we got the player for less than 15m. Compare that to other attacking midfielders who have signed for our rivals. The Erik Lamela fee could eventually rise to 30m. Juan Mata and Eden Hazard both cost more than 30m. Is Cazorla half the player? Hardly.

Lukas Podolski and Olivier Giroud were bought for around 10m each. Compare that to other forwards who have joined our rivals recently. Roberto Soldado cost 26m. Edin Dzeko 27m. I don't even need to mention the fees paid for Wayne Rooney, Fernando Torres and Andy Carroll. Or their wages. Wenger identified two undervalued assets and brought them in, and they've been just as productive as their much more expensive competition.

Mesut Ozil was by all means the exception to the rule. But a major reason why Arsenal could afford to pay 42m for Ozil was because Wenger had been so responsible with the club's economic resources in the years prior.

Arsenal is financially healthy, perhaps the most financially healthy club in England (as United is buried in debt and they will not make any money from European play next season), precisely because Wenger so rarely gets burned on the transfer market. If FFP can lower the market value of players like it is intended to do (over the long run), Wenger might be able to find a lot more bargains in the future. That is an exciting proposition for any Arsenal supporter after so many years with so little transfer activity.

This leads to my theory as to why we haven't been very active in the transfer market in recent years. Wenger has publicly stated that the football market wouldn't be immune to the collapsing European economy. Therefore he expected more situations like Cazorla's to arise, where a club was forced to sell their top players to keep themselves economically viable. AC Milan's need to sell Mario Balotelli is a similar situation, and therefore I'm not surprised at all to read the rumors of our interest in him this summer.

Wenger understands leverage and expected many clubs to be forced to sell as the European economy suffered, but the market wasn't self-sustaining. It actually inflated due to an influx of money from outside sources. Oil tycoons bought clubs and invested enormous sums of money into their team with no intent to turn a profit. The above-market-value fees paid by suddenly-rich clubs for players "trickled down" to the lower selling clubs, and all of a sudden a club could sell one player to raise the 20m they needed to stay profitable instead of selling three.

FFP should, in theory, eliminate this inflation by forcing clubs to only spend within their means. In time, the market should deflate and push the cost for players down. If that happens, Wenger should be willing to buy more players because he will be able to find more bargains. One could be understandably skeptical that this deflation will occur, however. PSG's ludicrous fee for David Luiz certainly wasn't a great sign of things to come.

3. Tactics/Style of Play

I find Wenger's match management to be his clear weakness. His understanding of economics and psychology is fantastic for the long-term growth of the club and the long-term development of his team. But in my opinion, where he holds the club back is in the game-to-game predictability of his tactics and his unwillingness to adapt his style of play to counter the strengths of a particular opponent.

Arsenal sets up to beat an inferior opponent every match. Most of the lower clubs play the same way against Arsenal. They sit back, defend deep, and hope to counter. Arsenal has enough quality and patience to push the fullbacks forward and pass the ball around the 18 yard box until eventually finding an opening. And once they have the lead, Arsenal is usually fairly strong on the counter attack when the opponent pushes forward in an attempt to tie the score.

But when Arsenal played the better teams, especially away from home, they struggled. Liverpool, Chelsea, Man City, and Everton ruthlessly caught the defense out of position when both fullbacks roamed forward, leaving just Arteta and the two center backs to defend against three or more attackers. Arsenal conceded 41 EPL goals all year, and 20 of the goals conceded came in four away matches at Anfield, Stamford Bridge, the Etihad, and Goodison Park. A little more defensive caution against the bigger teams with more potent attacks could have brought better results. If Wenger had tweaked the tactics or the style of play to address his opponents' strengths, who knows what could've happened. Arsenal only finished 7 points off the champions, after all.

4. Fitness Management/Squad Depth

Wenger can't hold his hands up and say his players' injuries are bad luck anymore. They are too consistent. Look at this table of total injuries for EPL clubs from 2002 to 2013:

Team	Total Injuries
Arsenal	838
Tottenham	738
Newcastle	732
Man United	720
Everton	631
Chelsea	588
Man City	563
Aston Villa	532
Liverpool	520
Fulham	463
Total	6325

Arsenal suffered 100 more injuries than the next highest team (Tottenham) over an 11-year stretch. Obviously some of these injuries have been more serious than others, as Wenger famously names a player "injured" when in reality they've just been dropped. But no Arsenal supporter can deny every season the club is tested by a range of injuries to key players.

Wenger and Ivan Gazidis say they are trying to identify the problem, but various theories have circulated speculating why exactly Arsenal suffers so many injuries. The widely reported quotes by Dutch fitness coach Raymond Verheijen claimed Wenger's training methods were "prehistoric" and costly over the course of an entire season. Others claimed Arsenal players are tackled more frequently due to high possession numbers. Wenger even suggested that medicines players take, such as hair growth medication, might play a role in the problem. Whatever the cause, something must be done to fix Arsenal's constant injury problem.

One thing is certain: more matches lead to more injuries. Arsenal is always involved in the Champions League and therefore plays more matches than most of their opponents. All the more reason for Wenger to look to build a deep squad and rotate his players in order to manage their fitness. But Wenger seems to prefer the opposite. Wenger intends to keep a small, tight-knit squad in order to keep his players playing and happy.

I can understand why Wenger would want a small squad. It is easier to manage a smaller group of players than a larger group. But he can't run from the injury numbers. While a larger squad may be more difficult for Wenger to manage, it is required to fulfill the club's ambitions. Therefore I think his stubborn insistence  on keeping a small squad costs the club at least as many points each season as it gains from the tight-knit squad harmony Wenger is trying to foster.

And don't forget that there can be a benefit to having a bigger squad. Sometimes competition for places can be just as beneficial as team chemistry. It's just more difficult to manage.

In Summary

Wenger is the third highest paid manager in Europe, behind only Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola. Is Arsenal getting value for money? It's hard to tell. The long term growth of the club under Wenger's reign is undeniable. But the tactical drawbacks and fitness problems are difficult to ignore.

In my opinion, most of the fruits of Wenger's labor will be enjoyed by his eventual successor. Whoever replaces him will inherit a club with tremendous financial power and a squad of players who have developed well thanks to their manager's steadfast belief in them. But I do think there are managers out there who can improve Arsenal's tactics and better manage the players' fitness. And therefore, while I appreciate Wenger for his decades of excellent service at Arsenal, I do not fear his eventual departure. I look forward to it.

With that being said, Wenger's new 3-year contract means he will run the show until 2017. After finally ending a season on a positive note, Wenger will hope to take momentum into next year and build on this year's success. He may have to change some of his ways in order for Arsenal to win the league again, but one thing is certain: the long-term health of the club will always be in good hands as long as Wenger remains in charge.