Paul Merson has told Sky Sports that Arsenal should be thankful to finish eighth in the Premier League – next season.
The Gunners are 11th in the Premier League table with eight games to go and as things stand, they’re set for their worst finish to a campaign since 1995.
It’s been a dismal first full season for Mikel Arteta at Arsenal and failure to win the Europa League is going to mean they are without European football of any kind next term.
Even after clearing out the likes of Shkodran Mustafi and Mesut Ozil, Arsenal still have big earners who aren’t pulling their weight and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has only managed 14 goals in all competitions since signing his new £350,000-a-week contract back in September.
The future is looking pretty grim at the Emirates Stadium and Merson has told Sky Sports that the North Londoners would be ‘pulling up trees’ if they even finish eighth next time around.
He said today: “It saddens me. It’s an unbelievable football club but at the moment they are just also-rans. When the fans come back next season and buy season tickets, if they come seventh or eighth you would be pulling up trees I would say.”
It’s a very pessimistic view from Merson and one that quite frankly has no bearing on the reality.
Yes, Arsenal could finish seventh or eighth next season, but predicting that now is completely senseless.
They’re in a difficult spot, but the Gunners will undoubtedly strengthen and Arteta – who won an FA Cup in his first half-a-season in senior management – will be that bit more experienced by the time next season comes around.
So to suggest that Arsenal would be overachieving by finishing in either of those two spots is, honestly, lunacy.
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