Arsenal will struggle this season, according to Paul Merson.
Gunners legend Paul Merson predicted a challenging campaign for Arsenal this season, when writing his column for Sky Sports, but came up with a novel idea for his former side, if they are to stand a chance of being successful in the Premier League.
The north London outfit’s fifth placed finish in the league last season saw them miss out on Champions League football for the first time during Arsene Wenger’s tenure, and the Frenchman now faces the task of balancing his side’s progress in Europe’s second tier competition with mounting a sustained challenge for the league title.
Paul Merson and Phil Thompson
Merson though, explained his novel idea to help the Gunners achieve success in both competitions this season, when writing his column for Sky Sports:
“People talk about Arsenal in the Europa League, maybe suggesting they won’t bother trying in it, but Arsene Wenger still has to fly out somewhere on the Wednesday, won’t get back until the Friday. It is still tiring. Therefore, I would tell Steve Bould to be in charge of the Europa team, and Wenger could work at home with the Premier League team.”
Although the idea seems to be a fairly worthwhile suggestion, Wenger is renowned for his stubbornness and his insistence on total control over everything that happens at Arsenal, so there is little chance that he would be open to taking on board Merson’s advice.
Something quite clearly has to change at the Emirates though, and wouldn’t it be refreshing for Wenger to implement his former player’s idea this season, and provide Bould with a real chance to prove his managerial credentials.
Petr Cech and Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
