3 reasons why it might be good for Arsenal if they fail to qualify for Europe altogether

As things stand, Arsenal are having one of their worst seasons in the Premier League. The Gunners currently sit on ninth place on the league table with 22 points from 16 outings, seven points adrift of the top-four, with their hopes qualifying for the Champions League once again fading.

The 2019-20 campaign is Arsenal’s third season in the dreaded Europa League, a competition most Arsenal fans used to look down on. Now the Gunners are Europa League regulars and looking for a way back to the promised land. However, a return to the Champions League may not be the best thing for the club at this time. In fact, the Gunners not qualifying for Europe altogether may be the best possible scenario.

Many will point to revenue being the reason why Arsenal need to qualify for at least one European competition, but who needs that when things are clearly stagnating on the pitch?

Here are three reasons why it might be good for Arsenal if they fail to qualify for Europe all-together.

#3 A chance to rebuild

Let’s face it, there hasn’t been a lower point in Arsenal’s Premier League history than right now. The club are in utter despair and need to hit the reset button. A rebuild includes changing players, managers, backroom staff, philosophy and in some cases, the owners too.

Detox from all forms of European competition would be the best foundation for a complete rebuild of this team. It would give the team the chance to rediscover that Arsenal spirit - the same spirit that made them win titles and consistently finish in the top four under Arsene Wenger. Right now, it’s as if Arsenal are trying to play under the pressure of having to qualify for the Champions League, and it’s clearly weighing the players down.

Wenger’s golden years have set the standard too high at the Emirates and now the club are suffering because of it. They cannot relive those years without rebuilding the entire team first.

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#2 Not enough players playing for the badge

Do the current players care about Arsenal?

An effective rebuild is usually most impactful when it predominantly involves the players. The fact of the matter is, this team have seen three different managers being in charge in the past two seasons, and none have produced the desired results in thatperiod.

It suggests that several Arsenal players are overpaid, overrated and not worthy of wearing the famous Red and White shirt. Even if a player is not up to the deemed required quality, all fans ask is they at least show effort on the pitch.

Most of the current Arsenal players do not, and at times they act as if to play for the club is a chore for them. No player at Arsenal today is irreplaceable and the fans would comfortably swap 25 ‘quality’ players who don’t turn up regularly for 25 players of lesser quality but are willing to give their all over the 90 minutes.

#1 Full focus on domestic cup competitions

West Ham United v Arsenal FC - Premier League

What people seem to forget is that if you want to compete for all four trophies, the club have to play close to 50-60 games a season. For that kind of push, the club need a 25-man squad of ready and able players to compete on all fronts. If you take away all forms of European competition, it reduces Arsenal’s schedule by at least 20 percent.

Lest we forget, at times this season the Gunners have had to play three times a week with games on Monday, Thursday and Sunday, leaving them two days in between each game to recover.

Distancing from the Europa League and the Champions League would allow the Gunners to solely focus on domestic cup competitions - the FA Cup and the League Cup - which are much more attainable, given their current squad quality.

Arsenal have proved with their overall form that they are not capable of competing with the best European teams at the moment.

Edited by Samya Majumdar