Arsenal FC: The excruciating transition phase

It was not so long ago that supporters at the old Highbury stadium would be exhilarated by a goal scored by one of the Arsenal stars. A force in English football, some might feel that Arsenal are just a shadow of their former self. Those were the days in the early 2000s when Bergkamp, Henry, Overmars, and the others would bang in goals for the Gunners. This team achieved that, what many had dubbed impossible. The Invincibles' season of 2003-2004 and beyond, when they went unbeaten in 49 matches - a record unlikely to be broken by any of the squads near to the talent and class of that Arsenal dugout.

Arsene Wenger was at the helm during that successful phase. The main man. He changed the club from top to bottom. The Frenchman was head of football, scouting, training, just everything. The system worked exceptionally well in the initial period and it won them titles. But, the new Premier League brought challenges along with it.

Gone were the days when Keane and Viera would battle it out on the field for their respective clubs, of Bergkamp dribbling past defenders to score a wonder goal, of Henry running wild to celebrate an equalizer. Winning titles on enemy soil was a thing from the past - a feat that Arsenal have achieved twice in the PL history.

Even though the club had players with great potential, Arsene's army could not edge past the league leaders in seasons that followed. The departure of talented players like Samir Nasri, Emmanuel Adebayor, Bacary Sagna, Gael Clichy for Manchester City only added salt to the injuries of the Arsenal faithful.

There was a growing sense of resentment amongst the fans aimed at Arsene Wenger - a man they supported for two decades. He had quality in his side which was failing to deliver. Some of his signings were unexplainable and Arsenal was lagging behind their rivals in the league.

The man of purpose, drive, and integrity seemed lost and finally stepped down from the helm a year ago - a bittersweet moment for all the fans who had seen him deliver 3 League titles and 7 FA Cups. He did come close to Champions League glory in 2006 when the Gunners succumbed to FC Barcelona in a 2-1 defeat.

Unai Emery was appointed as the manager of this great club in the summer of 2018. Departures of Coquelin, Cazorla, and Walcott meant there was space to be filled in the Arsenal squad. Bernd Leno, Sokratis Papastathopoulos, Lucas Torriera, Stefan Lichtsteiner, Denis Suarez and Matteo Guendouzi were recruited by the club.

Once more, Arsenal was a joy to watch. Unai's Arsenal went on a 22-game unbeaten streak in all competitions which ended when they lost 3-2 to Southampton. But inconsistency soon crept in and the North Londoners lost a string of games. The new boss has been busy implementing his own tactics that brought him success in Sevilla and Paris.

Unai Emery on the touchline in Naples.

Emery has favored youth over experience which has not gone well especially with Mesut Ozil. The former Real Madrid playmaker was a star player in Arsene's side. He is now subject to misery and is used more as a utility player. Mesut's frustration with the manager was visible when he hurled his jacket towards Emery in rage at Goodison Park. Ozil was subbed during the game versus Everton FC which Arsenal eventually lost. There is clearly something not right between the pair. Mesut Ozil has a contract with Arsenal which keeps him tied to the Emirates till 2021, but his future at the club remains uncertain under the new boss as he'd be wanting to get more game time.

On the other hand, players like Iwobi, Aubameyang, Guendouzi, Maitland-Niles, Torreira have flourished under Unai. They understand the manager well and he gets them. In this transfer window, Arsenal will be looking to offload quite a few logs of wood from the squad. Strengthening of the backline is on the agenda for Unai and the board of directors.

It is just a matter of time until one finds Arsenal fighting for the league with the likes of Man City, Liverpool, and Tottenham Hotspur. Giving up is not in the DNA of this club. They have done it in the past and they aim to do it again. Arsenal legend Tony Adams once said:

"Play for the name on the front of the shirt and they'll remember the name on the back."

The north London side just needs to sign players who would give their all for the club and the fans. And what better than winning the league title at the new White Hart Lane, just like they did 15 years ago.