5 Things We Learned From Arsenal’s Average Season

After a season full of highs and lows, Arsenal are one club which can reflect on another roller-coaster campaign. Here, ‘Gunner333’ gives us 5 things we learned from Arsenal last season.

A poor start left the club seven points behind Tottenham back in March, but an end of season come back meant the Gunners got fourth spot ahead of  their North London rivals. Here is what I believe are the key things we have learned this season and what we should consider as of August 17th:

1. Steve has made an impact

Our defence has been a weak point for us  in previous years and is an area which Wenger has been criticised for not improving in the past. This season, however, has been a different story. The summer addition of Steve Bould as Wenger’s No.2 looks to have been a good appointment, with 12 less league goals being conceded compared to the 2011/12 season and we finished with the second best defence behind only Man City. Pat Rice will obviously go down as an Arsenal great but Steve’s excellent defensive knowledge has given us that extra boost we required for this season.

2. More Goals!

This is something Arsenal fans will be tired of hearing but is also a fact that needs to be addressed. Defence is solid, midfield is fantastic but we still lack a certain firepower up-front. There have been some huge set-backs for the Gunners recently with rumours suggesting that we will miss out on both Higuain and Jovetic, two players thought to have been targeted by Arsene Wenger. There is still the possibility a top class striker will come to the club though and the fact we got fourth spot may entice Europe’s best.

3. Great end once again

Just a few months back it seemed that not even the most optimistic  Gooner would have suggested Champions League qualification was a possibility, but once again we closed down the gap and jumped ahead of Spurs in the final few games. We stuck together and went on a ten game unbeaten run until the end of the season, if we can carry this sort of form into next season we will set ourselves up to go further and perhaps even challenge for a title next term.

4. Increase the tempo

At times we can destroy defences with our pace up-front but that is often through a counter attack or two. We now need to increase the speed at which we play in other areas. There have been many times this season where we have passed the ball lifelessly with no pace or meaning and the attack has fizzled out. In future we must be more precise with our passes and speed up our play.

5. Average season but still need a trophy!

Fourth spot and a place in the Champions League knockout phase would be fantastic to the majority of clubs, but Arsenal have higher standards than this. Wenger may be  his own worst enemy after being so successful in his early days as we Gooners have come to expect a lot, but eight years without a trophy isn’t good enough and we need to get that ruthless attitude back in the squad. The pressure is on Arsene now and you feel no trophies again next season could see the Frenchman leave the club.

What did you learn about Arsenal last season? Feel free to comment below!