Arsene Wenger has been uncharacteristically ruthless this season, dropping players that have underperformed with no worries about their stature in the squad.
Thomas Vermaelen might be the Arsenal captain, but Wenger was quick to bench the defender as his form continued to go downhill.
The same is the case for Wojciech Szczesny, who thought the No. 1 goalkeeper slot was his own, only for it to be taken away after a series of error-prone performances.
Gervinho has also seen very little game time following his woeful season, and Wenger might be ready to make a lot more cuts come the end of the season if his players do not perform up to the standards that he expects.
"The current players have to prove between now and the end of the season that they can be part of our plans next year," Wenger said
"We have five players for the England team and 22 international players. So we have to analyze. What will decide our attitude, my attitude, is how we do now until the end of the season.
"What is important is we look at how we finish the season, how well we play -- and make the decisions on who to buy and who to sell at the end of the season. This will be influenced by the way we play in our last nine games."
Wenger has basically told his players to prove they are worthy of wearing the famous red and white shirt of Arsenal, and their ability to come together and make that top four place their own will eventually have a big say in the manager's transfer plans.
"They have gone through difficult times and have responded well," Wenger added. "They have shown mental strength as we lost against Blackburn, Bayern and Tottenham.
"So, as well, they could be scared that the group implodes. We have shown a strong response against Bayern and Swansea, and that shows that the group is mentally strong.
"What is for sure is that we had some blips in this season, but we did not expect the defeats to Bradford and Blackburn.
"But, overall, the attitude of the team has been great and when everybody is here we have a strong team. What is important is to analyze where we can improve at the end of the season."
Of course Wenger will bring a few new faces next season, but the number of players coming in will also depend on the ones going out, without counting the near-definite exits of Andrey Arshavin, Sebastien Squillaci, Marouane Chamakh, Nicklas Bendtner and Johan Djourou.
Bacary Sagna could be sold in the summer, with his contract set to expire in 2014 and a new deal nowhere on the horizon, which could mean Wenger will look to bring in a new rightback.
Gervinho could also be let go, with Galatasaray reportedly showing an interest while the jury is still out on the likes of Tomas Rosicky and Thomas Vermaelen.
