After yet another defeat it’s customary to point fingers at the ones who may have been at fault.
After yesterdays 2-1 defeat to Manchester United, I found out that it wasn’t any of our players fault, but that of Arsene Wenger.
Wenger, our beloved manager who has led the club to great success over the years, finishing no lower than fourth since his arrival and pushed forward the development of the Emirates Stadium, which yesterday was filled with several fans chanting ‘you don’t know what you’re doing’. All this coming after the Frenchman decided to take off the best player in Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who was replaced by Andrey Arshavin, because the youngster was suffering from fatigue.
Now I can’t justify that claim, all I know is it really didn’t go down well with everyone in the stadium, including captain Robin van Persie, who looked shocked by the decision. The Dutchman’s facial expression said it all, this made worse by bringing on a player who looked disinterested and leaving on Theo Walcott who was, to put it in a nice way, ‘horrible’ on the day.
This is a point I have been waiting for someone strongly tied to the club to make, and so it was.
Before the United game, former Arsenal midfielder Stewart Robson believes that the blame lies not with the players, but with the manager, and I agree completely. We can’t sugar coat and protect him anymore. Wenger has lost the plot.
Robson said:
‘It’s not just the defenders. Arsenal can’t defend anywhere around the pitch.
‘The manager has got to stand up. He has to demand the players work harder on defending.
‘And it’s not just the defenders. Arsenal can’t defend anywhere around the pitch. The midfielders couldn’t defend when Swansea started to pass the ball [last week].
‘Sometimes the players [at Arsenal] get off too easily. It’s always the pitch’s fault, the ref’s fault, the FA’s fault for playing games in too short a period of time. But Wenger has to have a defensive strategy.’
As the saying goes, ‘you control midfield, you control the game’. That is the powerhouse of any team, the bridge between victory and a humiliating defeat. The defence contributes too, but the centre of the park is where games are won and lost.
Yes our midfield isn’t what it used to be and our defence clearly isn’t the same either, but when Alex Song, Mikel Arteta and a non fatigued Aaron Ramsey are available it’s a very solid trio in midfield. Bacary Sagna, Laurent Koscielny, Andre Santos and Thomas Vermaelen in defence make for a strong back four, despite what pundits think.
Wenger’s inability to spend in recent years, as well as injuries, has cost us dearly. Wenger said spending money isn’t the solution! Then what is? You cannot rely on the youth academy forever, and I doubt you’ll find a five star player on a Bosman free.
Its time Wenger stopped making excuses and blaming others and looked in the mirror – the man who complains about the way the ball bounces is likely the one who dropped it.
I still believe in the Frenchman and think that he is still one of the best mangers in the world and right man for our club, but the pressure has now got to him and needs to re-think his strategy.
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What one thing do you think makes him one of the best managers in the world and I can give you many more reasons why I do not think this is the case!
If you cannot find or deliver the end product (trophies) after paying all this money for a big stadium that will generate enough funds to compete in the transfer market(as was promised at the time) then you cannot justify your existence as one of the finest manahgers the world has ever seen! (Quote from OnDGooner)
F**k off Wenger!
Offense wins games, defense wins championships – that’s been a tried and true competitive philosophy.
If your opponent cannot score that always leaves the chance that you can score. Even if your offense is rubbish, there’s the chance that they can nick something out of nothing from a set piece or just sheer luck. However, if you cannot stop your opponent from scoring then you’re as good as done or you have to always try to outscore them over 90 minutes. That’s a gamble.
There is one thing Wenger should realise, that when the team starts 2 drop in form, rating, ranking and in the league fans and coporate bodies wanting sponsorship deals will find their way, nobody want 2 put his money in an unprofitable rubbish. He is an economist he should understand that