Arsenal: 8 Steps Arsene Wenger Has Taken To Revive The Gunners

3. Reports Now Coming In

You know, there are some who've said Mesut –zil's Arsenal run, thus far, has been a bit of a disappointment. 5 goals in 23 appearances, granted yes the 2nd highest assister in the league with 8, one behind Wayne Rooney with 9 but for all the hype; for the £42.5M they paid-- totally obliterating their previous club transfer record-- has he really been value for that money? –zil is a brilliant, world-class player, whose best traits aren't immediately obvious to the eye. Appearing lethargic, disinterested and overly casual at times, compared to the tireless running of Ramsey, Wilshere and even Giroud, –zil has hardly been without his critics this season. Some have questioned the true degree of his impact on the side, quoting, instead, the likes of Ramsey and Wilshere's development and the defensive improvements as the true reasons for Arsenal's progression. In that, the question is asked, how much of an impact has –zil really had? Leaving aside the goals he has scored and assists he has made; the capability of transitioning play, seamlessly, from defence to attack he does enable; the ability of retaining possession in the face of the extreme pressing measures most sides tend to employ against Arsenal, with top-drawer technique; his interaction with the full-backs to provide the much-needed width Arsenal often require and his unrivalled vision, the psychological impact he has had upon the rest of the squad has been supreme. Having Mesut –zil in your dressing room and on your training pitch, being able to study and learn from him and knowing that a world-class player deemed your team a club worth joining, means you can beat anyone, if you want it. You add all that together and what you have are 'opinions' of his misplaced value born simply from the minds of someone wanting an excuse to write a few words on a blank page. When Wenger got –zil to sign, he took his club to the next level. And that's all there is to it. 2. €œWAIT... I KNOW THAT GUY!€ Dropping your club captain from the team sheet is something no manager should ever wish to do. It is a risky, precarious manoeuvre that chances driving a firm wedge between players and staff in the dressing room. Just ask Iker Casillas. Yet this was a choice Arséne Wenger made on an away trip to Munich last March that I seem to feel I've mentioned before. They kept a clean sheet that night, with the partnership of Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesaker marshalling the back-line. Since then, club captain and previous first-choice centre back Thomas Vermaelen has been forced to watch his team go from strength-to-strength from the familiar position of the cold Arsenal bench. In his place, the Arsenal team has been led out onto the pitch by Mikel Arteta and the man who took his spot, Per Mertesacker. For his part, Vermaelen has responded marvellously; not allowing his own ego to stand in the way of the greater good of the team and operating in a supporting role, from the sidelines. €œThere's more to captaining a side than walking out first onto a pitch,€ in his own words. The sternest defences in recent memory have been built around a centre back partnership that MUST stay the same. Vidic and Ferdinand, Puyol and Pique, Nesta and Maldini (or Cannavaro), Terry and Carvalho, you name it, at the core of every great defence is a centre back partnership that doesn't change. For several years, Arsenal have suffered from an abundance of chopping and changing at CB-- some of it by misfortune with injuries, others from inadequate players playing inadequate football. Injuries this season to Aaron Ramsey, Theo Walcott and Olivier Giroud have threatened to derail Arsenal's title challenge but, as of yet, failed to do so. However, the true killer blow to said challenge would be the loss of either one of Wenger's first-choice centre backs. Not –zil, Wilshere, Ramsey, Giroud or anyone is more vital to Wenger's chances than Mertesacker and/or Koscielny. After years, Arsenal finally have a stable, solid defensive set-up. Now, they need to keep it.