The 2012/13 season is over, and the task of reviewing it feels rather like writing a school report for a gifted child who refuses to apply themselves. “Shows considerable promise. Capable of excellent work. Must do better.” The praise and the concern arrive in equal measure, which is either a sign of a club in transition or a club that has made mediocrity its comfort zone. I genuinely cannot decide which. The question, as ever, is what happens when the going gets tough.
The praise
Let’s start with the positives, because there are genuine ones and they deserve acknowledgement. Arsenal have qualified for the Champions League for the sixteenth consecutive season. In an era of unprecedented financial disparity, where clubs backed by nation states can assemble squads costing half a billion pounds, that achievement is remarkable. It speaks to the quality of coaching, the consistency of selection, and the fundamental competence of a club that, whatever its failings, knows how to remain competitive.
Santi Cazorla has been outstanding. The little Spaniard arrived in the summer with relatively little fanfare and proceeded to demonstrate that he is one of the finest creative midfielders in European football. Two-footed, intelligent, tireless, and possessed of a passing range that makes the impossible look routine, Cazorla has been the single brightest spark in a season that often lacked illumination.
Theo Walcott finally delivered on his potential in the first half of the campaign. His goals against Newcastle (seven-three, seven-three, good God) and Reading were the work of a player who had finally understood what he was capable of. That he faded in the spring is a concern, but the autumn version of Walcott was genuinely exciting.
And Jack Wilshere returned. After fifteen months on the sidelines with an ankle injury that at times looked career-threatening, Wilshere came back and played with the same fearless brilliance that had made him the most talked-about young player in England. His performance against Barcelona in the Champions League — taking the ball from Xavi, driving at the Barcelona defence, absolutely refusing to be intimidated — was one of the highlights of the entire season.
The concern
Now for the uncomfortable bit. Arsenal finished fourth, sixteen points behind champions Manchester United. Sixteen. That is not a gap that can be closed with a couple of shrewd signings. That is a chasm that requires serious investment, serious ambition, and a serious reassessment of the club’s priorities.
The collapse in form between January and March was, by now, so predictable that it barely qualified as news. Five defeats in eight league matches at precisely the moment when title contenders need to be at their strongest. The same pattern, the same excuses, the same weary acceptance that this is simply what Arsenal do in the new year. It is not good enough.
Watching Robin van Persie score a hat-trick to win Manchester United the Premier League title was, I think, the lowest point of the season. Not because he scored — he was always going to score — but because of what his departure represented: a club that could not keep its best player, and a player who left because he didn’t believe the club could match his ambitions.
The defensive frailties remain a source of genuine alarm. Arsenal conceded 37 league goals, which is acceptable in isolation but looks rather less impressive when you consider that they were scored in clusters — the six-three at Manchester City, the five-two at Reading, the kind of capitulations that suggest systemic weakness rather than individual error.
The Van Persie shadow
It is impossible to review this season without confronting the Van Persie question. Robin van Persie scored 26 Premier League goals for Manchester United. Twenty-six. He won the Golden Boot. He won the league. He did everything he said he would do when he published that extraordinary statement on his website explaining why he was leaving Arsenal. He was right. We were wrong. And it hurts.
Van Persie’s departure was the logical conclusion of Arsenal’s contract management failures. A world-class player in the final year of his deal, unwilling to sign an extension, sold to a direct rival because the alternative — losing him for nothing — was even worse. The fee of £24 million was reasonable in the circumstances but laughable when measured against the goals he has since scored and the title he has since won.
Where do we go from here?
The honest answer is that I don’t know. Arsenal need to strengthen in several positions. They need a striker who can score 20 league goals. They need a defensive midfielder worthy of the name. They need, above all, a signal from the board that the age of austerity is over and that the club is ready to compete — genuinely compete — for the biggest prizes.
Wenger’s contract expires next summer. His decision about whether to stay or go will define the next chapter of the club’s history. If he stays, it must be with the backing to build a squad capable of challenging for the title. If he goes, the club must find a successor who can honour his legacy while delivering the trophies that the final years of his reign have lacked.
Praise and concern in equal measure. That is the verdict on 2012/13. The praise is sincere. The concern is deep. And the summer, as always, will determine which emotion proves more durable. Read the companion piece on the changing of the guard for more on where the squad goes from here, and have a look at our season reviews archive for historical context.