One way or another, this summer was going to be the culmination of previous years of struggle; the embarrassment, frustration, the countless reminders from anyone who didn’t have an association with the club that Arsenal haven’t won a trophy since 2005.
But the culmination the fans were promised wasn’t to be. Instead, Arsenal threw the ball into their own net; gave away a penalty in the final minutes of a hard fought, emotional rollercoaster of a game. Arsenal have pushed the self-destruct button in a way no other club can.
Arsene Wenger says he’s not afraid to spend, that the club are willing “to do it” if they find the right players and importantly those who are better than what they have. Gonzalo Higuain was available and went. Was he not better than Olivier Giroud and Lukas Podolski, or indeed any striker the club have had since Thierry Henry? Willian is going to lead the exodus at Anzhi, but are Arsenal even contemplating a move, or can they not compete against the likes of Tottenham or Liverpool? What indeed was all that effort put into finishing fourth for? The fist pumping and celebration, only to be outdone by teams who have finished either just out of the Champions League places or out of Europe altogether.
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It’s a shocking display of mismanagement that Aaron Ramsey ended up at centre-back against Aston Villa. It’s even more stunning that Arsenal allowed Gabby Agbonlahor to waltz through the midfield and defence as if he’d just arrived from Barcelona this summer. Here’s a question: will he ever do that again in his career?
But only Wenger could think that a midfield of Jack Wilshere and Ramsey, neither of whom are particularly skilled or experienced at handling defensive duties in the middle of the pitch, could overcome a Premier League side, it doesn’t matter who the opposition are. Arsenal were deserving of everything they got on Saturday. Well actually to rephrase, Wenger got everything he deserved. The fans, on the other hand, have been taken for a ride, and I’m sure the players aren’t too impressed either.
Is Wenger losing the plot? Maybe a little bit. He said the media got everything they wanted after the 3-1 defeat. Hardly. Everyone has been telling Wenger exactly what will happen, but unfortunately none are as well remunerated as the Arsenal manager. It baffles then that he or anyone else at the club couldn’t see this coming. Or, likely that they did but chose to ignore.
The problem is, for a lot of fans the lines are distorted. Some are failing to distinguish between Arsenal the club and Arsene Wenger, as if one needs the other to survive. There’s an image, wrongly created, that suggests “real” Arsenal fans must back the manager 100 per cent, otherwise “go and support some other team.” But as long as the manager has that pocket of unconditional support, he will continue to do as he pleases – like go into a season with only 17 players and talk his “squad” up as title contenders – much to the detriment of the club.
That £40 million + £1 bid for Luis Suarez was disastrous and summed up Arsenal perfectly, both in inexcusable penny-pinching and also in their lack of experience, astuteness and respect at the summit of the market. Ok, maybe all that was needed for the player’s alleged clause to kick in was an extra £1. Why should a club pay £100,000 extra when £1 will do? Because it’s good etiquette, it maintains a level of peace and good will between clubs, and ultimately it shows that Arsenal aren’t one of the most ridiculous and baffling football operations in Europe.
There is only one outcome from this summer, and that’s another mad and reckless dash to find anyone or anything that can do a job. It’s gone beyond challenging for titles and making the most of the resources you have; instead, another Andre Santos may rock up at the club and eat into the wage bill because Wenger sees him as a better investment than a title-winning centre-forward.
It’s no longer a matter of whether or not Wenger has sullied his reputation with the club; we’ve moved well past that. But once again, it’s not to show that there is a lack of appreciation for what he’s done, but more that fans are aware that Europe is moving much faster than the Arsenal manager is willing to.
Contract extension talks should not so much be shelved as completely set alight. It’s now a case a damage limitation. The next couple of weeks will define the remainder of Wenger’s current contract. Being dumped out of the Champions League by Fenerbahce isn’t unlikely, despite how many times Wenger has “come good” at the final hurdle. That train will eventually come to the end of the track.
Is Wenger deserving of the heavy criticism he’s currently facing?
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