Three Arsenal players Wenger has to drop v Bournemouth
Two weeks have passed since Arsenal were mauled at Anfield in a 4-0 defeat to Liverpool, a result just three games into a season which has crushed any residing optimism at the Emirates Stadium.
Pundits and commentators up and down the country tore into Arsene Wenger and his players during and after what felt like a public execution at the hands of Jurgen Klopp’s flying Reds.
Beleaguered and beaten, Wenger has remained in charge past the international break to fight another day but surely even he must realise something has to change.
The Frenchman needs to send some sort of message out to his players to wrestle the complacency out of them.
He also needs to have a long, hard look at his own failings and deploy some key changes ahead of Bournemouth’s visit to the Emirates Stadium – a game set to be met by Arsenal supporter protests in and around the ground. Currently Arsenal can be backed as short as 1.36 to win (source: My Betting Sites) but there needs to be some team changes to deliver this.
Three players who need to be dropped
Aaron Ramsey
The Welshman was naturally in fine form again playing under Chris Coleman for his national side, having put his horror show at Anfield behind him. Whether it was his own ill-discipline or tactical instructions from Wenger, the naivety of his positioning was beyond comprehension.
Ramsey had actually started the season in fine form, coming on to dramatically turn the game in the 4-3 win over Leicester while also being one of the better performers despite losing away to Stoke.
But Arsenal can’t afford to crowbar him into the team while everything else is falling apart around him. He’s simply not going to oust Mesut Ozil from the no.10 position so for the time being at least should taken out of the starting XI.
His role in centre midfield should be given to Jack Wilshere against Bournemouth. Arsenal need to stick or twist with the former England international and if he can get back to near his best, he’d be a far more natural fit alongside Granit Xhaka.
Danny Welbeck
It’s difficult to be critical of Danny Welbeck but even his biggest supporters would have to agree he shouldn’t be one of the first eleven names on the team sheet. His inclusion to start against Liverpool was met by a collective sigh from Arsenal supporters, especially considering Alexandre Lacazette was sat on the bench.
He’ll do you a tactical job and run defenders into the ground, sure. Will he score you the winning goal? Probably not. Arsenal fans have yet to see Ozil, Sanchez and Lacazette unleashed as a front three. The Emirates faithful haven’t got much to look forward to right now, at least give us this Arsene?
Nacho Monreal
A first-team stalwart for the best part of three seasons at left-back, the former Spain international has somehow found himself as one of the go-to centre-backs in Wenger’s back three. While he has pulled off a handful of impressive performances in the position, he’s been exposed an equal number of times.
Alongside Cech and Koscielny, Monreal is arguably the most natural leader in Wenger’s team and has held an influential role out on the pitch and in the dressing room, but that is no longer enough to warrant a place in the team. Certainly not at left-back, or left wing-back ahead of Sead Kolasinac.
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