Milan 4 Arsenal 0
Wow, I wasn’t expecting that. Having described Milan as ‘very beatable’ in my post yesterday afternoon, our dismal performance proved me totally wrong.
Judging by verdicts passed by supporters and media after the game, I was in a minority and quite a few people were not surprised by the defeat. They saw it as the very definition of chickens coming home to roost after years of continually selling players and picking inferior replacements.
I agree it turned out to be a match that, had it been played on a computer, you would have paused and pressed restart.
After an opening 10 minutes that was steady at worst, Sagna played a pass to nobody, seemed to shrug at Walcott who was only barely nearby and then showed zero interest in recovering the situation.
It was a precursor to 80 more minutes where the effort was lacking throughout the side, the invention was non-existent and the will to win was nowhere. To make matters worse, there can be no excuse in missing key players – Wilshere apart, this was as strong as it gets.
But our form over the past month has been reasonable and didn’t offer any suggestion we would put such an abject display, so you can argue it was a freak result.
Plus, let’s remember we’ve done better than other favoured sides to reach this far in the competition. Compared to Man U, for example, we had a far stronger group to contend with and did the job required so our European campaign has not been a total disaster.
But it doesn’t escape the fact that, season by season, our team is declining and our targets get lower and lower.
What happens next?
Looking back on my posts from the end of last season my view was that Wenger should have been replaced given the years of repeated mistakes, his unwillingness to consider new ideas and that more players were getting worse than getting better under his guidance.
In some ways, ignoring my fury at the Blackburn debacle, my verdict has soothed somewhat this season despite everyone else’s ire increasing as results have barely improved.
Doubtless another collapse like last season’s March meltdown might re-strengthen my resolve that Wenger should go.
But what has changed is my view of the board. While in the past I thought their aspirations were being held back by the untouchable Wenger, now they appear just as clueless and unwilling to stop the rot.
I do look forward to the day Wenger is replaced. If nothing else, it will make supporting Arsenal a lot more interesting than the all-too predictable season we currently go through. But when there are no obvious candidates to fill his shoes, and when we have an American owner who remains silent in the shadows, removing him would lead to hope rather than expectation that we’d improve.
I don’t trust the board’s judgement more than I trust Wenger’s so who is to say they would pick a better manager than the one we already have?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Arsenal FC News 24/7
Let's cut to the chase here. I read a blog earlier suggesting Arsenal should offload ten players; I'm not going to name them again, to any real Gooner I think you already know. But im also not going to blame the manager out and out either. Why because none of us are told the truth behind all the smokecreens.
ReplyDeleteThat is why I want Stan the man, to get off his horse, get over here and tell us the truth about why he bought our team. Was it just for profit or does he have an ounce of passion in him. I for one have no idea when he last attended a live game. Most owners even chelski's and Ali man city, attend their games.
Then i want him to explain how he believes our squad as it stands (or more so sits in the sickbay), will remain profitable. No business can survive without its consumers! To keep its consumers, you need to maintain a good product, a product that everyone wants, a product that attracts sponsors, people who need to invest because a good product means return on their investment. Yes you can build swanky offices in the swankiest part of the country but if your product fails, so your swanky building crumbles and down the pan will go all the hard work and investment built up over the past 125 years.
That my fellow that is it in a nutshell. A successful business has to invest in its people and it's product or end up in the scrap heap. So Stan, if you think your the man to lead our team into the future so that my grand kids can experience the passion I have for the past 45 years, get your thumb out of your arse, take an interest in British football and start taking action . Stop leaving the crap to your manager to explain. Or are you the same as some of the losers you pay week in and week out to destroy the Arsenal! Maybe you're a closet spurs supporter. But if you can't be manly enough, sell out the Russian who at least has the balls to talk!
Wenger makes the board money. They care more about money than trophies. Therefore they will never get rid of Wenger.
ReplyDeleteCorrect, the board is only interested in generating revenue not the football and Wenger is the right man for this kind of job. This kind of attitude will bite them in the end cause there will be no more good players to sell away and no more big profits to be made. Arsenal is no longer able to attract young talents to the club.
DeleteKroenke is as tightfisted as Randy Lerner at Villa,there is only one road ahead and that is get the fat Russian to buy us.
ReplyDeleteI do not see how you can in any way argue it is a freak result. It is in fact a very typical result these days from this team. They collapse when it matters.
ReplyDeleteI'm from Malaysia. Woke up up at 330 am with high hopes that Arsenal will play their heart out. Instead I was served with horror and disappointment on the plate. It's time for Wenger to off-load all the passengers in the team. It's time for major reshuffle. We need at least a consistent performers in the team who can really contribute week in week out. Chamakh, Arshavin, Djourou, Walcott, Ju Young, Rosicky and another 4 passengers must start to find a new club. Walcott has shown in many games that he's ineffective against a defensive team. His football IQ has reached it's max. Maybe Glen Hoddle was right about him. He's just mediocre. Wenger can't be putting his confidence into these names anymore. No more! I don't really favour Ramsey too. Maybe he can fill in the bench instead of being regular. There's always a point when Wenger must know when to say enough is enough. By clearing these names, Arsenal can save a lot in weekly salary. Get these savings for a player with real stature, with winning mentality and with touches that can win a game. The bench we have now is totally crap!
ReplyDelete