Arsenal Legend Martin Keown believes that Arsene Wenger is still the right man to bring success back to Arsenal. However, he does accept that the team may need ‘radical surgery’ to once again become Premier League champions.
Keown had an impressive career at Arsenal winning the Premier League on three occasions in 1998, 2002 and in 2004 – he is now back at Arsenal working towards his coaching badges. Keown recently stated:
‘The season didn’t end on a high note for Arsenal but I am very confident in Arsene Wenger, he will come under pressure now but no more than he puts on himself.’
It is obvious by Martin Keown’s comments that he has a lot of respect for Arsene Wenger and disputes claims that Arsenal have forgotten how to play with grit and determination. He also suggests that Arsenal have in fact adapted to the way the game is being played these days:
‘Arsenal have gone away from being physical but the game has become more technical, The average height at Barcelona must be about 5ft 8in. They have tiny players. Maybe they have tried to copy Barcelona but trying to emulate them is very difficult.’
Keown believes that a lot will depend on what happens with Cesc Fabregas this summer, and while he does not want to see him leave the club, he does feel his departure would force Arsene Wenger to make bigger changes that wouldn’t occur if he was to stay at the club:
‘To me, it hinges on Fabregas. If Fabregas stays it might be more of the same in terms of the system, if he goes, it would inject a lot of money into the club and you would then see a lot of activity.’
I believe he makes a very good point here. Arsenal seem to work their game around Fabregas, and of course, nobody would like to see the Spaniard depart this summer. However, I have a feeling that this is inevitable, and hope we put the money from the possible transfer to good use.
In terms of what Keown would like to see, it is obvious to me that he wants to see Arsenal succeed again, and that he still believes that the best way for Arsenal to do that is by ‘becoming more ruthless’ and ‘returning to their own qualities’.
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I’m not really that confident in him, he is very stubburn, he needs to adapt his tactics and bring world class personnel. I don’t think he will and I fear it will be another trophyless season.