Life’s a Pitch: Trying times at Arsenal

It’s a challenging time to be an Arsenal fan. Sitting in sixth place in the Premier League and despite having both money to spend and obvious deficiencies in the squad, barring a last-minute move for Malaga left-back Nacho Monreal, manager Arséne Wenger preferred to wait until the summer to pursue any significant transfers.

Sure, they’ve got an exciting attack, able to penetrate any defence. But when their own back-line does such a convincing impersonation of the Keystone Cops each match, it’s preventing the Gunners from winning enough matches. This much was clear from their draw against Liverpool at the Emirates.

Arsenal have built a reputation for scouting players for so long and dawdling over buying them that other more responsive clubs often nip in and steal their transfer targets. They were strongly linked with the likes of Florian Thauvin, Yoann Gourcuff and Mohamed Diamé, as discussed on the Life’s a Pitch sofa, this past couple of weeks without closing out a deal for any of them. You imagine their late capture of Monreal only came about because of the injury to Kieran Gibbs against Liverpool.

So, the Gunners head into the second half of the season with pretty much the same squad that has laboured through the first half. And as pundit Martin Lipton points out, he expects Wenger’s men to be unable to overhaul fellow top-four rivals Tottenham this time, who he believes will avoid their now traditional March/April collapse because of increased squad rotation.

Another team with an uphill battle to snaffle a place in the Champions League places is Liverpool. David Walker wonders just how much progress has been made in the past 12 months and whether replacing Kenny Dalglish with Brendan Rodgers has brought about any improvement.

One player who could kick-start the Reds’ charge is new signing Phillippe Coutinho from Inter Milan. Italian football writer Adam Digby explains why he thinks the Brazilian is worth the fuss.

And keeping on the Liverpool theme, resident writer Mike Calvin believes the autumn appointment of psychologist Steve Peters can help cure the Merseysiders’ performance anxiety issues. One look at the improvement in Stewart Downing and Jordan Henderson proves his methods are working, Mike points out.

Elsewhere, we round up the latest transfer news, assess whether those deals already done will be a hit or a miss and the struggles at both Newcastle and Aston Villa.

Expert pundit videos

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Can Liverpool hang on to Luis Suárez? Have Chelsea secured Isco? Are Arsenal going to bring in Yoan Gourcuff? The Life’s a Pitch panel have all the answers…
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Thauvin to Arsenal, Villa eye Boateng, Stekelenburg to Fulham?

The Life’s a Pitch team run the rule over transfer speculation involving Thauvin, Stekelenburg and Boateng.
On the move? >

“Newcastle are teetering on the edge”

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Toon gloom >

“Spurs won’t have another March-April collapse”

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The battle for north London supremacy >

Lively opinion blogs

Why Liverpool and Saints target Coutinho is worth the fuss

Italian football writer Adam Digby outlines the many reasons why Liverpool and Southampton are jostling to sign Inter Milan starlet Philippe Coutinho.
The real deal? >

Liverpool’s mental wobbles could soon be a thing of the past

Mike Calvin explains how Liverpool are trying to rid themselves of the performance anxiety issues which have made them so inconsistent.
All in the mind >

Is Paul Lambert committing career suicide at Aston Villa?

It’s all going wrong for the Villa boss, and Mike Calvin wonders if the collateral damage from their nightmare season will cripple his future prospects.
In the mire >

Why MK Dons are good for football

They’ve been pilloried throughout their nine-year existence but it’s time for giant-killing MK Dons to be given the credit they deserve, writes Mike Calvin.
Time for acknowledgement? >

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