It’s sad when the relationship between a player and club breakdown. These days its likely to be because a player wants to opt out of his contract early, he isn’t getting the sufficient game time he craves or he may have had a bigger, better offer, such is the case with Alexis Sanchez.
In this case, its totally futile to think the player will reconsider or change his mind and trying hold on to him is like trying to grab a smoke with your bare hands. Things have gone beyond bad and now the player’s form has dipped to such a degree that he would struggle to get in Southend United’s reserves.
Any manager would drop Sanchez and cast him aside, but Arsene Wenger insists on showing complete loyalty even when it’s not deserved. Alex Ferguson, for instance, wouldn’t have hesitated and Sanchez would have been plonking his bum on the bench until further notice or until such time that the Manager had sold him on.
He had no respect for those that put themselves before the club and team and for anyone that wasn’t prepared to give 100%. Yet the Arsenal boss seems determined to be the only gentleman left in the universe by allowing the Chilean to sail through games on 20% of the skills he has at his disposal.
He needs to be dropped immediately, not just because of a dip in form or his desire to join City or PSG, his latest suitors, who are said to be preparing a bid. Dropping Sanchez will send out a clear message to others that you still have to work hard, show commitment and desire or be prepared to watch from the stands until hell freezes over or Spurs win the league. Yes, that long!
Wenger can ill afford this situation in his last full and final season beginning in 2018. His last hoorah needs everyone on board or they need to be thrown over the sides.
This is not a new situation, remember Anelka “le sulk” who was made into a superstar only to then start behaving like one ‘tantrums and dummies’ spring to mind and it was with a certain amount of relief when he went through the Highbury exit door to perform like a Scalded chimpanzee for another club.
In the event of Sanchez and others leaving, it’s almost time to go shopping for replacements but this time, there’s no room for late bids, incompetence or indecisiveness.
The lack of quality and consistency is there for all to see and the weak recruits now need upgrading with top quality. Wenger has spent years hoping that he will find talent cheap and make them into household names like he used to.
The truth is that Arsenal needs developed players rather than developing players. Ones able to scrap it out and fight for every point and every 50/50 ball. Lemar will not be on that list I suspect because of his inflated price tag and word is that he didn’t fancy a move to North London anyway.
Nadiem Amiri and Nabil Fakir are certainly on the radar and worth buying at the right price, along with Wilfred Zaha, Stephen N’Zonzi, Leon Goretzka and one would hope Virgil van Dijk. This would certainly be viewed as an early Christmas gift by fans and may go some way to fixing what’s broken and act as a sweetener for Sanchez departing to another club.
With the transfer madness about to commence, there’s always mention of Draxler but he has other ideas such as playing in the Bundesliga which will probably suit his immediate ambitions. Jonny Evans has been mentioned as an Arsenal target but could Wenger justify a large sum of cash on a competent if not genuine world class defender.
On the other side of the coin, there will be departures Ospina, Walcott, possibly Mustafi and hopefully, Xhaka and Coquelin as Wenger admits defeat. Arsenal fans will hope the targets were handed over weeks ago and that they will not have to endure a similar disappointment or embarrassment to the previous one.
Wenger needs to get busy if he is to salvage any credibility, he deserves one last triumph.
