Article lifted from the BBC Football website... Lacking Mentally The question Arsenal have failed to answer on so many occasions since "The Invincibles" went 38 games unbeaten to win their last title in 2003-04 is - could they stand it when the heat was on, when the physical and mental pressures were at their height? At Everton and Manchester City they looked in control at half-time, less so at the Etihad perhaps, and twice they have become unsettled and eventually beaten by teams who have applied sustained pressure. When it came to the pressure points, Arsenal were brittle and cracked. They have been fragile and revisiting damaging old habits that refuse to die. Arsenal looked tired. Once Manchester City went ahead there was, from an Arsenal perspective, a grim inevitability about the outcome. And, most worryingly of all for Wenger, it seemed like mentally his players knew it. In the 12 seasons since Arsenal last won the title, in only two of those campaigns has the margin between the Gunners and the champions been in single figures. Twice the gap has been more than 20 points - so a systematic pattern has emerged rather than an extended hard luck story. Where was Mesut Ozil? When Arsenal needed him, he went missing. At Goodison Park, he carelessly squandered a potentially decisive chance when the score was 1-1, and when Ashley Williams powered in to head Everton's late winner, Ozil was heavily criticised for turning away from the challenge, appearing to flinch as the defender charged in. And at Manchester City, when Arsenal were struggling to gain any foothold and their defence was being placed under constant examination, Ozil's presence could best be described as peripheral. He was on the margins rather than a vital outlet. Ozil flourishes when the sun is shining but takes shelter when it starts to rain. Ozil failed to fill in as Arsenal's other stellar performer, Alexis Sanchez, tired visibly and was starved of service in the second half. Ozil won only 25% of his personal duels against City, lost the ball 14 times and played just one key pass, where that is rated as a pass that assists an attempt on goal. The final straw of Arsenal's frustration was a last-minute free-kick mix-up between Ozil and keeper Petr Cech that saw a short ball played rather than the obvious launch into the penalty area. With that he was gone, down the tunnel and with nothing to strengthen his hand in current lucrative contract negotiations with Arsenal. The serious clubs will look at his performances this week and question whether he has got it in his locker to add to their elite resources. Ozil is flawed. Wenger aims anger at ref again Everton manager Ronald Koeman did not spare Wenger's feelings after he complained that referee Mark Clattenburg's performance played a part in their loss at Goodison Park. "I am not surprised by Wenger and his comments. It is the third home game in a row that I have won against Arsenal and three times it was about the referee." It was the same story at the Etihad Stadium as he turned his ire on referee Martin Atkinson and his officials as Leroy Sane looked barely an inch offside for City's equaliser and Wenger complained David Silva was offside in front of Cech for Raheem Sterling's winner, although it is questionable whether he was hindering the keeper. Wenger said: "It is very difficult to accept in a game of that stature but, as it is well known, the referees are protected very well like lions in the zoo, so we have to live with those decisions." Wenger's complaints may be valid, but history suggests it is rather more than errors by officialdom that have been behind his succession of failures to mount a title challenge. In Wenger's defence, it is only two defeats and the season has only reached December - the problem is that that table will now tell him and Arsenal they will need something akin to a four-game swing to pass, for one, Chelsea while they go on an extended run of success.
This is damning stuff, I think we can all agree on that. To my mind, this article makes a very strong case in favour of the WENGER OUT! campaign.
Another hiab anti Arsenal, living in their shadow and laybye thread. Oh joy. What a boring plum you are.
Bod said it a while back and I agree. Arsenal will not win another league title while Whinger remains in his job.
"...his succession of failures to mount a title challenge..." That is probably one of the most damning lines I think I have ever read, in any article, about anyone in football, any where in the World. Also, the attack on Ozil is brutal, but I don't think it is undeserved. Do you lads agree? PS: In all seriousness, I would ask that wumsters stay away from this thread. If you have nothing to add to the debate, there is no need for you to be here. Thanks.
So what? How does that have anything to do with Wenger's failure to win the title over the last 12 seasons, or to even mount a creditable challenge?
No it wasn't. We were still in the race for a lot longer than them. Just cause we dropped away doesn't change the fact that we gave the best fight of the two of us.
That's the front page of a Swedish newspaper, posing the question as to whether Wenger is "amazing" or a "turkey"? I think we all know the answer to that one, eh, lads!
I'm glad HIAG has posted this thread. You just know that when Arsenal finish above Spurs again it's going to end up being yet another wum **** up
Its tedious man. Arsenal finishing above Spurs is a given. Hiab being a monotone boring ****, even more so.
Why i only occasionally frequent this board now. No football, just hiab. Monotone boring drivel. Luckly, unlike the Spuds board. I have a thriving board to retreat to. Get rid of hiab, this board would thrive.
I think HIAG should have a little corner where we can all go to poke fun at him. Fortunately, he knows **** all about football, so he tends to steer clear of any serious football threads.
