Arsenal: Why the Cech-Leno issue is bigger than it looks

Arsenal succumbed to their second successive Premier League defeat, this time a 3-2 away loss against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. Plenty of club supporters have argued that the fact Petr Cech is starting ahead of £20m signing Bernd Leno is the most credible reason why Unai Emery is yet to secure his first league victory as Gunners boss.

Having conceded five in just two matches, one might see their viewpoint a little clearer.

So, why is Emery not starting Leno then?

The complexities of the modern game has made it clear that a manager can no longer have such detailed and instrumental control both on and off-the-pitch. With the introduction of a football director, scouting and recruitment superiors as well as other personnel roles, the manager has no choice but to accept the support provided before placing 100% focus on the pitch and players available at his disposal.

However, this leaves identifiable loopholes. Unai Emery appears to have made an early decision in keeping Cech as the club's first-choice goalkeeper, leaving Leno waiting patiently for his opportunity from the substitutes' bench. This would not cause such an issue, but for the German's transfer fee.

If you're willing to splash £20m on a 26-year-old shot-stopper, the last place supporters expect to see him is on the bench. However, this is where the loophole lies. The move to acquire Leno's services from Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen was actually made by the club's head of recruitment, Sven Mislintat - formerly chief scout at Borussia Dortmund.

Leno during media obligations as part of Arsenal's pre-season tour

Potential power shift?

Why did Emery not cancel the transfer then? While Unai may have a say on what transfers are made in various positions, Mislintat is ultimately seen as the man who makes the final decision.

So, Emery might have to use players that he may not necessarily want, provided Mislintat believes they are important to the team. However, Mislintat is unable to decide who starts on a weekly basis and who has to bide their time from the bench. This in itself is the problem and could spark the beginning of a potential power tussle in future.

You might think it cannot possibly be that bad, right? Perhaps. Cech could remain the unquestioned starter, Leno would feature in cup matches and against lesser opposition and no issues would arise as a result. Naturally, he'll be seen as a long-term successor for Cech once his decline becomes more clear.

However, this loophole remains. If Mislintat continues to sign players that Emery does not want, Arsenal will be left with a squad that is not deemed good enough or suitable for the manager's tactical game-plans.

What is more likely to happen though, is a tussle for power that has publicly and negatively affected a number of top clubs in recent seasons. For Arsenal's sake, given they are in transition post-Wenger right now, you can only hope they don't join the list.