Arsene Wenger is Arsenal's problem, Arsenal should get the likes of Luis Enrique and Diego Simeone; Gabriel Odhiambo.

Mesut Ozil

Arsene Wenger is Arsenal's problem, Arsenal should get the likes of Luis Enrique and Diego Simeone; Gabriel Odhiambo.

Good evening to all our readers out there, let's check out a chat interview with an Arsenal fan, Gabriel Odhiambo.

SSN: Can we know you?

Gabriel: I am Gabriel Odhiambo.

SSN: Which team do you support?

Gabriel: I support Arsenal.

SSN: Why Arsenal?

Gabriel: It is Arsenal because when I got to know football I found their style of play quite interesting, they also have a rich history and at the same time they had the best of footballers that I admire up till date.

SSN: Since when have you been supporting Arsenal?

Gabriel: Since the year 2006.

SSN: That's a long time. Arsenal then and the present Arsenal, what's your take?

Gabriel: Okay, Arsenal of then was great with great and committed players, the Arsenal of today have good players as well but I will call them average players most of whom have graduated from academy. Arsenal right now is stable financially but they

 do not do what is expected of them in the transfer windows.

SSN: What is expected of Arsenal to do in the transfer windows?

Gabriel: Arsenal is one of the biggest clubs in the world history, so they should go for the quality and best players around the world. By that I mean Arsenal should spend big in the transfer windows and bring about five quality players not like the recent ones they have been bringing.

SSN: Arsenal have signed Mesut Ozil, Alexis Sanchez and Alexandre Lacazette in recent years, is that not enough?

Gabriel: It is not enough because these guys have been brought in different transfer windows, they never came together. When a team like Arsenal get Alexis, and you bring him along with Elneny and Debuchy, that will not help the team. A good example of a team doing well in their transfers is Manchester City, when you bring in highly rated players like Sane, Walker, Mendy, Ederson, Bernardo Silva, that will help the team. So Arsenal should exactly do that in the transfers, bringing in highly rated players in the team in just one transfer window.

SSN: Do you think Arsenal are well placed to compete with the likes of Manchester United and City in the transfer windows?

Gabriel: Yeah sure, Arsenal are well placed, it is a team that have invested over the years ever since they moved to the Emirates by selling their best players, playing in the champions league every season except this season, having won other trophies like the FA cup and so many others hence they should be able to cope with other big teams during the transfer windows.

SSN: Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger once said that Arsenal cannot cope financially with the likes of City, United, PSG, Real Madrid and so on, but it's as if you are nullifying his statement

Gabriel: Yes I remember he once said that but again Arsenal's Chief executive Ivan Gazidi said Arsenal has the potential to compete with these team. Arsenal shareholder Alisher Usmanov also said the same thing. So I would nullify Wenger's words going by what the other two very important people said.

SSN: The Premier League this season, how have Arsenal performed?

Gabriel: Arsenal has not performed well.

By loosing to bottom ten table teams like Stoke City, and other small teams like Watford, and also not being able to perform against the top contenders like City, United, Liverpool, Tottenham and Chelsea.

SSN: Arsenal won against Tottenham and drew Chelsea though

Gabriel: Ooh yes against Tottenham they won sorry for that. But then a draw against top teams would be better if the team is winning against the small teams.

SSN: What exactly is Arsenal's problem?

Gabriel: I would say the coach is the problem. He takes a lot of time to identify his best eleven, this always leads to inconsistency in the team. He wants to guarantee every player a chance in the team whether the player is good enough or not. Again his philosophy of football is outdated and cannot allow Arsenal to get goals against good defenders. Another one is his weakness in the transfers. And also the commitment of the players to play for the team is a great problem.

SSN: How do Arsenal solve these problems??

Gabriel: Arsenal can solve these problems by getting a new manager, I would suggest either Luis Enrique or Diego Simeone on my side. But getting a new good coach will help Arsenal. Again by introducing director of football to the team that would not give much power to the coach on issues of how to run the club, introducing new and good scouts to help during the transfer windows and then spending big during the transfer periods by bringing in already established good quality players.

SSN: Don't you think Arsenal will have problems when Arsene Wenger leaves? Considering how United had problems after Sir Alex Ferguson left 

Gabriel: Okay I would say these things I have said should be initiated mutually from this season until the last season Arsene Wenger will use. I understand former Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund's Head of scouts might be the director of football at Arsenal at the start of next year. And there are already new scout recruits set to start work February next year, all these changes can be done such that in Wenger's last season when they start looking for a good coach then all will be fine.

SSN: Will Arsenal make the top four this season?

Gabriel: Yes Arsenal is going to make the top four this season though it is going to be a hard struggle between Arsenal and Liverpool. So yes Arsenal will make it.

SSN: What's your first four team this season?

Gabriel: Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal.

                                                          

SSN: Arsenal face Liverpool this Friday, what's your take?

Gabriel: I see it as a difficult game for both teams as both are fighting for a chance in top four. It will be a game of many goals considering Liverpool's attack is dangerous and their defence is not good enough. I give Arsenal home advantage to win the game by 3-2.

SSN: What will be your starting line up for Arsenal?

Gabriel: I will go by 3-4-2-1 formation.

SSN: Which players should start?

Gabriel: Cech, Koscielny, Mustafi, Monreal, Bellerin, Xhaka, Wilshere, Kolasinac, Alexis, Ozil, Lacazette 

Subs: Ospina, Welbeck, Iwobi, Giroud, Mertesacker, Niles, Walcott.

SSN: You think this team can break down a very fast Liverpool side?

Gabriel: Yeah, when you look at the defense we have Koscielny, Mustafi, Monreal, it has been very solid only conceded three goals when they played together, then the wing backs Bellerin and Kolasinac should be able to counter their wings, Bellerin has speed, kolasinac is tough, then the midfield we have Xhaka and Wilshere, that is so much creativity to avoid loosing possession easily. Then the attack has creativity in Ozil, speed in sanchez, then of course goals in Lacazette.

SSN: How many trophies can Arsenal win this season?

SSN: I see two.That is the Europa league and the Carabao Cup.

SSN: They will come up against the likes of Manchester City, Bristol and Chelsea in the Carabao cup, do you think they will scale through?

Gabriel: If you look at Manchester City even from Tuesday's game it's clear they are concentrating on the Champions league and English Premier league so i give them a little chance. An optimistic Arsenal can eliminate Chelsea.

SSN: That will be all, thanks a lot.