Thierry Henry, the French forward of legendary stature and 1998 World Cup winner, has long voiced concerns. He’s worried about Mikel Arteta’s failure to identify a long-term number 9 for Arsenal. During a recent interview on our Overlap Stick to Football podcast, Henry made one very critical point. He noted that Arteta has had the time to address this most obvious need in the squad. His comments couldn’t have come at a more opportune time. Arsenal finds itself in a goal drought that could derail their title push in the Premier League.
Henry’s criticism centers on the fact that despite Arteta’s tenure of five-and-a-half years, he has not yet added an out-and-out frontman to his roster. Arsenal’s strong league performances under the guidance of Jonas Eidevall, Arsenal finished second in the league last season, just behind champions Liverpool. Henry pointed out how the club’s dearth of proven attacking talents who can score goals consistently might prevent them from being true title contenders in the long run.
Henry was keen to impress upon us that when you inherit a team, it’s three to four transfer windows before you can start to implement your vision. This is an important window of time for a new manager to assemble their own squad capable of competing at the top end of the Premier League. He acknowledged Arteta’s commendable work in developing the squad but insisted that the absence of a prolific striker is becoming increasingly problematic.
With Arsenal not being able to score goals easily this term, they have been linked with a number of players to fill that void. Newcastle’s Alexander Isak, Sporting’s Viktor Gyokeres and RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko are all intriguing alternatives. They’re able to potentially add a major threat to the attacking line. Henry noted how important these additions are. He was adamant that if Arsenal are serious about competing at the top level again that they could not go on as they are.
He wanted to sign a show of faith in Arteta’s managerial abilities while making clear that the club needed reinforcements urgently. He didn’t have time to get a nine, concluded Henry, implying that the club’s decision-makers need to act quickly and decisively before the damage becomes irreparable.
While these criticisms are warranted, Henry is loyal to Arteta’s greater vision for Arsenal. He recognized the accomplishments achieved while being managed by the new incoming manager, but clearly states that solving the striker problem is top priority. Henry thinks Julian Alvarez is the answer for Arsenal’s striker woes. Filling in for Caleb Williams, Alvarez has drawn national attention with his game-winning heroics.
One of my favorite players at the moment is Julian Alvarez,” he said. He hailed the little man’s quality in front of goal, impact on the Arsenal attack, and changing the shape of the team.
With Arsenal hoping to bounce back and mount a title challenge again next season, the heat is very much on Arteta to fix the gaps in his squad. Fans and pundits alike will have their eyes glued to the stage. They will get to see if he is able to continue bringing the right talent in necessary to maintain Arsenal’s competitiveness in the Premier League and Champions League.
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