View From The Sphere

Don’t we have a right to voice our frustrations Wenger?

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A lacklustre draw with lowly Aston Villa last Saturday has left Arsenal in sixth place in the Premier League, 10 points behind leaders Manchester United.

To be fair, the game was controlled largely by Villa. They closed down our players quickly and kept us in our own half at times, passing from left to right. Even when we did manage to go forward we didn’t really pose a threat. Other than that one chance that fell to Laurent Koscielny in the six-yard box, we found it hard to create goal-scoring opportunities throughout the 90 minutes.

The performance had the Arsenal boo-boys up on their feet once again, voicing their anger at Arsene Wenger.

That outburst made Wenger react angrily to questioning from several fans and journalists about his substitutions once again.

The Frenchman was subject to chants of ‘you don’t know what you’re doing’ from travelling support after replacing in-form striker Olivier Giroud with defensive midfielder Francis Coquelin with two minutes left to play.

When a journalist asked him to explain the reasons for the substitution, Wenger responded passionately:

‘What is the thinking behind the substitution?

‘I will not explain every decision I make.

‘I have managed for 30 years at the top level and I have to convince you [journalists] I can manage the team?’

When asked about the supporters’ chants, he responded sarcastically saying:

‘I don’t want to comment on that. I do my job and do my best for the club. Why should I create a rift? I have given you the answer.

‘I leave it to you to judge. I try to be as good as I can be. You are all great managers!

‘I read the newspapers every day and I can tell you that you are always great managers!

‘You judge the game for the papers and I sit here and explain to you our game. How many games have you managed?

‘I promise you if you manage one I will sit in the stands and chant: ‘you know what you are doing!’

‘You can discuss every substitution. You think what you want. I do my job and I let people judge it.

‘I do that every day and I do my best every day. I know why I do it.’

But do we have a right to express our feelings of frustration towards Wenger and how things are going? Yes. It’s as simple as that.

When you support your team passionately and they don’t perform, as required, it’s natural to feel disappointed and angry.

My worry here is that Wenger is constantly hiding behind the fact he has managed for 30 years plus. So what if he has?

His choices on the night showed why he has come under such pressure from the fans during that period. He should really be sorting it out and fixing things as he’s clearly very experienced in doing so.

To be honest, I believe Wenger is slowly losing it tactically. Giroud’s removal may have been due to the knock he picked up late on, but he seemed fine to me, so I saw no need for him to come off.

Another point I could pick out is why Wenger always substitutes Lukas Podolski. At first we could say he is not match fit, unused to the Premier League etc. But 13 games into the season there is no excuse for the German to come off all the time. He does seem to get tired, but at least he makes an effort to keep working up front, and taking off arguably one of your best strikers when you need a goal is down-right suicidal.

Theo Walcott’s current contract dilemma, I’d say, is also down to Wenger. If he truly wants Theo to stay he’d make it happen.

And finally. Aaron Ramsey. Why does he play so much? He isn’t getting any better. Give his role to Coquelin until Abou Diaby returns from injury – whenever that is. Or let Jack Wilshere play, week in, week out. Wenger didn’t seem to hesitate when throwing Robin van Persie back into the starting XI when he recovered two seasons ago. So why not Wilshere? He is miles better than Ramsey and can rotate with Coquelin should he show signs of rustiness.

What I’m getting at here is fans have a right to voice their concerns about their club. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. When something is wrong let the respective parties know. Keep quiet and they could think all is well when its not.

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huge Arsenal fan, love the team and all that comes with it.follower of all kinds of sports, football being my first love, yet to attend my first arsenal game but i am planning too, some time in the not to distant future. i enjoy writing as well, that's how i ended up here, never looked back....

28 comments

  • MartyP says:

    He is not a humble man, and he has remained for many years, but he, like many “professionals under value our experiance as well. WE do support our team, but are smart enough to recognize when someone is o the pitch that should not be there. We recognize and know starategies, and like he have grown up with the game. I coached, my boys do, have badges, but so did my grandfather and his nephew coached at some of the major clubs of Europe. That sustitution of Coquelin for Giroud was bizarre.The failure to sign Theo in the face of some sources saying they are offering Jack 100,000, given Poldolski 90, is criminal. Let him walk at your peril SAF will take him off your hands. They have sent their promising young players a message, that they are now an apprenticeship program. He needs to be humbled, but it will come at our expense.

  • Jenkinson says:

    So everything is Arsene’s fault!
    Put yourself in his position – you would look a right idiot!
    Yes of course we all have aright to express our opinions but it is deeply irritating to the rest of us if they are nonsense.
    And clearly that annoys Arsene too.

    • chris from Cambridge says:

      Unfortunately Arsene has made too many mistakes to list all of them. Do you really think it is a coincidence that we have won nothing since the 2nd great team – with the last of the famous Arsenal defence – was broken up ? Do you not recognise that 12 – 15 years ago Arsene was a pace setter in England … whereas in the last few years the game has overtaken him ?? Still, what can we expect from a man who is only paid £7m p.a. ???

  • Demola abdulahi,nigeria says:

    Bullshit article as always,hav u managed an ordinary futsal futbal team b4? Wenger make mistakes thoug but i dnt thnk u are sensible enough 2 judge so convincingly.

  • Jason Jacob says:

    I still dnt know why Arsène cant understand we fans. We want good for the club as he want it. Every fans do spend money for their club inderectly and wen u keep investing on sumtin u alwyz want gud result, which we want Arsène 2 put in mind. We are not critizising him but we want good for the club and the good things fans re expecting 4 d club is winning silver ware which can b gotten 4rm winning each game.

  • the king says:

    i just think wenger is blind or dose not see whats infront of his eyes.
    or maybe he knows and just dose not want to say.
    but we are a club have gone down hill.

    fighting for 4th place every year is not really a top club thing to do is it.

    alot of avrage players in the team
    there no money to invest orrrr
    the board wants to make profit and not use any money.

    its a joke each year the club has not used any money. only used money from players sales.

    how can this club be broke ?

    where has the budget gone for the past 7 years ?

    the board are just taken us for fools
    and we just take it.
    we win agains the spuds 5-2 agains 10 men
    and we all forget this stuff.

    • ken lo says:

      Who said we were broke? I cannot understand comments like this when the club has just posted its latest figures. Cant you read?
      Why mwntion Spuds and 10 men? If the boot was on the other foot do you think they would worry if we had ten men or ten women as long as they beat us 5-2 they would be singing from the rooftops.
      Just remember who we signed in the summer…real class players… your right about one thing mate, you are a fool!!

  • Wenger says:

    Thats is exactly why you are not a manager. Fans have right to be angry, yes. But tactical change 2 minutes to the end of the game when the team is on the back foot is logical to me. We’ve seen Mancini do that alot, freeing Yaya to rampage forward with devastating effect. We were having problems creating any chance, Coq. Would free Arteta to move forward more. Derby county has fans, support your club or fuck off to citeh, chelski or qpr.

  • TT says:

    I’d say being in the top 4 every year is very much what makes a “Top Club”

    Top clubs don’t win a trophy one year and disappear down the table for 3 seasons like Liverpool.

    This argument that Top clubs win trophies and don’t just make Europe is countered by the facts, which are that Arsenal are considered a top club still, and the teams outside of United, City and Chelsea that have won a trophy, but not maintained a presence at the top for 15 years, are not.

    At the present time football is a financial struggle. In recent years we have overtaken Liverpool and are now moving in on Manchester United. If we can get FFP to take care of the billionaire’s club, then we will have a good chance.

    We are with in 10 points of the top of the league, on a 5 game unbeaten run, and still in every competition. Arsenal fans should take a look at Liverpool and ask which club is better managed, before they start complaining.

  • Stuart says:

    To be fair, he said he doesn’t have to explain his every decision. You and other people are turning it into something it is not.

  • Stuart says:

    And I thought Gazidis was brought on board to handle contracts was he not?? Well that’s what was said at the beginning so how is it down to Wenger regarding Theos contract?

  • me says:

    GOD….. Sm ppl re jst so ******…… Sm fans jst tlk as if dey cn even manage dier life talk less of a club….. U say we av avrage players… Cn u tell me wich club does nt av average playas?….. Dis article itself is needless….. We ask 4 informations u give us trash…… Go learn ow to write articles nd stop living a fake life…… #RETARD……

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