Forget the Arsenal transfers! We need to replace Arsene Wenger, says Supporters’ Trust board member

Arsenal are eight points off the top four
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Tim Payton1 February 2018

It’s the hope that kills you - a cliche often applied to football supporters but never more apt for Arsenal fans than in the last 48 hours.

From the despair of another awful away performance at bottom-of-the-table Swansea to the thrill of a transfer deadline-day signing of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and contract renewal of Mesut Ozil. It’s been a dizzying transfer window.

As well as the deadline-day deals, we’ve seen Sanchez swapped with Mikhityran, club stalwarts Theo Walcott, Olivier Giroud and Francis Coquelin sold and whole host of younger players depart.

Clearly it provides excitement which, as football fans, we all crave.

But will it solve the issues that were so apparent at Swansea and other games this season?

This is an Arsenal team that lack leadership when it matters and are struggling desperately to get to grips with basic defensive requirements.

To get back to the top level, Arsenal need a new defensive spine to their team. That means scouting and recruiting world-class players at goalkeeper, centre-back and defensive midfield to augment the undoubted attacking talent.

Back in April 2017, the club’s chief executive, Ivan Gazidis, told me that he was a catalyst of change and then went on to brief this to the media creating a very public and hostile response from Arsene Wenger. At that stage it looked very likely that he would go at the end of season. But much to the chagrin of almost all Arsenal supporters a contract for another two years was signed.

But change has certainly accompanied Wenger’s more recent tenure. As things stand now it is very difficult to say with any confidence what will happen next or who is really in charge at Arsenal. Yet rule No1 for a successful club is stability and certainty. It needs addressing sooner rather than later and my view is that a change of manager is now essential.

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