No doubt it will be just another day at the office for Wenger, Gazidis and the team unlike the fans but we need to consider how it has come to this and where it is going from here, in a measured way, without necessarily any knee jerk reaction. Since moving to the Emirates there is no questioning the fact that the team has gradually got weaker and less competitive than previously eg the Invincibles team. The cause of this has been the policy of selling players still in their prime eg Adey, Kolo, Cesc, Clichy, Nasri and then compounding the issue by not signing or developing adequate replacements . The drive for increased profits is hurting the playing side and Wenger either cannot or will not object, it should not have come to this. Looking forward to rest of the season, i think it is basically a write-off in terms of challenging for anything other than a cup. Why? Connsider this, we have 7 pts fro 7 games. I can't see us getting more than 4 pts from the next 3 games. (Sunderland, Stoke and Chelsea). To be in contention for the top 4 we will need around 75 points, so we would need 64 pts from 28 games i.e over 2 pts a game, that's basically winning 18 and drawing the other 10 i.e going undefeated for the rest of the season in the PL. How likely is that? More likely we are going to bounce along at the same rate as we have started and will be lucky to average a 1.5 points a game giving a total of 53 points. not enough to qualify for the Europa cup even. The only solution is to buy some real quality players in January or we are sunk. I would in the past have called for Wengers head but my view now is he got us into this mess and the least he can do is to get us out of it.
There may well be something in this Tuffers. The business model and other agenda seem to have taken precedence over our performance on the pitch. Statistics tell a lot and given our form which extends back to March of this year being 19 points from 18 matches in the EPL, no matter how much one may wish it, I too find it difficult to imagine we will find 68 points or more from the next 31 games. Not an impossibility in the ordinary course but not with this team I'm afraid. Yesterday's was a game we needed to win or at least draw but this was a step too far for us. We falter against weaker sides ( Blackburn ) and we are unable to match our main competitors. Now they disappear into the distance while we fall further into the lower half of the league. I don't see us in contention for the Europa Cup either unless we really up our game and that would be dependent on personnel and tactics, none of which we have in great abundance Arsene can bring in Steve Bould or Martin Keown or Lee Dixon to do defensive work with the players but the man apparently believes our defence improves with each game. He simply cannot see the need for this while everyone else including the players have been crying out for it So he should but is he the right man to do it considering he cannot even address our defensive issues nor are his tactical moves of great benefit to us. I don't like saying this but I think Arsene may have reached his peak with us. The helpless manner by which he saw the team slide to oblivion in the quest for the league title said everything. And while that was going on, he still insisted it was mathematically possible. I don't see our team improving under this manager and if this persists then we will end up in a worse situation because our key players will not stay nor will we be able to attract those we need. If RvP, Wilshire and Szcsezny leave, where will we be? It's something one cannot even bear to contemplate. The best thing for us and Arsene too might be for him to offer the reins of the club to his successor but on his own accord. The board needs a shake up too and this emphasis on the business model needs to be looked at with a view to improving the performance on the pitch. Otherwise, it's simply wither Arsenal.
Such are the fine lines in football I wonder whether a 1-1 draw would have had the same reaction ? I mean, Chesney made some excellent saves and though he should have got more on the winning strike and dealt with it his overall performance was outstanding. We, as always, produced some excellent football and created enough chances to have won the game, a more polished professional team would have, so I take the view this team can't be jusged on now but in a montsh or so when they've been together for a reasonable period of time. What concerns me more is yet another show of poor sportsmanship from AW in refusing to shake Clive Allens hand. There are times in defeat you just have to accept the result but these constant shows of petulance do nothing to help AW or the repuation of Arsenal. Yes he's disappointed, we all are, but shake hands and show some dignity FFS...
The strategy remains pay off the Emirates debt, and try to retain CL entry (a money spinner). This also implies holding back the players wages.............. Many would agree - but other owners are willing to pay stratospheric sums. We have allowed the conservative (perhaps ambitionless) attitude to invade the dressing room, hence top players are able to vote with their feet. The policy of attracting or buying youth has an appeal, but Wenger has not produced anything like enough players for the first team. Many are good - but good enough to challenge the top teams - no! Sadly the club falling from top billing is now complete - and we are easy meat. Its going to be a tough job to claw our way back.
Well Mr Grizzly, I did in my post say that a win or draw was what we needed. The point is that while we played well, it was not enough and not throughout the entire match nor over the entire pitch I believe there is every chance we will improve our game but what remains is that there are problems on the pitch, most glaring being the defence. The players have been asking for defensive coaching but Arsene refuses to accept that this is necessary. This has been discussed before with links posted of quotes by those who ought to know so it is Arsene Wenger who is blind to the needs of the team. On that count I gather Martin Keown has an interesting insight which was expressed this morning http://www.talksport.co.uk/sports-n...-keown-hits-back-allens-two-bob-wenger-claim? This game can get so emotional that managers and coaches can get caught up in unsporting gestures. Regards
I agree Mr Dutch Master. These money-driven types who run our club forget that it is a club that plies it's living in the sporting arena. Therefore it has to perform. In sacrificing performance on the pitch they in turn affect the business they wanted so badly to promote. Foolish and foolhardy, yet these men remain guardians of our beloved club. I call it an absence of a duty of care. Negligence if you like.
'On that count I gather Martin Keown has an interesting insight which was expressed this morning http://www.talksport.co.uk/sports-ne...-wenger-claim? This game can get so emotional that managers and coaches can get caught up in unsporting gestures.' Maybe I'm just a old git that doesn't get caught up in the excitement but I'd prefer everyone just did the 'right' thing and move on. AW is a target for everyone now because of his petty behaviour over the years, if he rose above it all by shaking the hands of everyone who puts a hand out for him on the touchline and gave opposition occasional praise where deserved he's gain more respect. I do believe that his behaviour is dependent on results, he's not alone of course but more than one wrong doesn't make a right....
Wenger has gone from refreshing - youthful - entertaining - intelligent - ambitious - respectful to ---- stubborn - irritating - childish - blind - myopic - ignorant. Like most leaders or dictators - he just cannot see his own failings .....
Wenger does what your board allows him to do. Changing the manager will achieve absolutely nothing apart from increasing the likelihood of your sacking the new guy in 12 months time. What you need to do is change your board, and that is a far harder thing to achieve. If you changed your board for a more dynamic, 21st Century bunch, Wenger would, too, would have to change with them, or resign (I can't see him being sacked). Personally, I think he'd resign, and take up the post at PSG.
I think people are getting a little carried away, it's not best to comment immediately after a loss or a disappointment. On balance it was not the worst performance, missing our best midfielder and CB, what the main problem for me is - the defence is still disorganised and giving up cheap goals and chances with little prospect of improvement minus Tommy V. A really good experienced defensive coach would say to the fans, look we are making moves to try and improve this area, instead we seem to be blindly ploughing ahead with a failed approach and repeating the same errors. Spurs are a decent side so it was no shame to lose that away game, it's the performances like the Blackburn game that are most worrying and will be repeated now that Sagna is added to that injury list. Jenkinson is nowhere near ready for this level and it's unfair of us to have thrown him to the Lions as has happened several times.
Losing to Spurs is always painful, but the Blackburn defeat was worse. Their winning goal was a shot that's usually bread and butter for Szczesny, it could quite easily been 1-1 and we would all have been saying it was a decent point, so I don't think we should be going over the top. But that said, it's another loss - and we desperately need to rectify the hemorrhaging in our defence otherwise we're going to end up losing a few more high scoring games to teams that we should be beating. As for Clive Allen whinging about Wenger not shaking his hand. Wenger said that he'd already shook Redknapp and Bond's hands, does he have to go through the whole coaching team? Clive Allen is just upset because Wenger didn't see him as being important enough Clive Allen
I'll bet you can show Arsene more than a thing or two Mr G. I think Arsene is becoming a very frustrated figure at Arsenal. Ivan Gazidis revealed possibly unintentionally when he came out ' in support ' of Arsene the other week that Arsene was a manager who in his words, "... wanted to understand the financial realities, wanted to understand how to develop the club...". Gazidis also said in the spring of this year that the club would grow success, not buy it. Arsene it was said elsewhere saw the business model and offered as his side of that vision, a club that would remain in contention ( for trophies ) and without having to spend massively to bring in players. It also meant that departing players like Henry, Pires et al would not be replaced. They would instead be ' grown '. To achieve that ( being in contention and in accordance with the business model ), Arsene and Arsenal developed their youth policy which for the three seasons to 2010 allowed the club to do exactly that ( remain in contention ) and a reliance was placed on a maturing team of gifted young players to eventually achieve success. For this team to be successful, the team of youths needed to stay together. However it didn't and while Arsene could no longer keep Fabregas, he vainly attempted to hold on to Nasri until the board impressed on him that getting £25m for a player who was going to walk away for free in a year from now was the better option. However, these were key players who had developed their skills with the club and in leaving, all their years of preparation would have gone with them were replacements of a similar calibre not sourced. And that Arsenal did not do and for a long time over the summer until it was too late for the players who were eventually bought to do anything that would resemble a closely-knit team. All these setbacks has taken their toll on Arsene so instead of the manager who directs his team from the sidelines, instead his frustration spills over and worse still, rubs off on the players. This is compounded by the lack of doing some very necessary tactical and strategic work in training, particularly with our defence. The problem has now built up to a level that it has become too big for one man to handle, especially as the one man refuses to delegate or share his responsibilities. Still though, it is no way for a manager to behave, to get caught up in the emotions of the sport when he should be managing matters. Arsene needs to take certain measures, make certain decisions, for the good of the club. This summer, if RvP, Vermaelen, Walcott and Wilshire refuse to countenance an extension of their contracts, then the road back will be a long one. If no ambition is shown by the club in the next transfer period, then that road will be even longer and rockier.
Good summary Gunner but there is a problem which remains and that is the management that refuses to make changes such as utilising a defensive coach so the club can reverser it's fortunes. While the team played well, it was not good enough as we didn't create much nor did we take the chances when we were afforded them. Then with the defence in disarray it all became a cocktail that amounted to a glass being half full at the best of times but more realistically one that was half empty. Cheers Friend
LOL pal I was waiting for someone to mention the B word. While we didn't look too bad for a lot of yesterday you have to admit, we didn't eventually look that good either. However, there is no need to bring out the blades
Arsene has I believe reached the limits of his ability to do anything with us and that is simply because he himself will not see changes to his approach. There are some very obvious and glaring areas that needed his attention. Tactically he had been having difficulty and for my money, ever since that day when he should have played Arshavin against Chelsea in the FA Cup tie. That was some two years ago now. Then the absence of a Plan B for the past few years also meant that the attacking prowess we had was blunted for obvious reasons apart from which your forwards can occasionally fire blanks anyway. It happens in life but tactical ineptitude only compounds the difficulties. Now of course the defence needs work, all of which Arsene does not appear to address, nor want to. His tactical changes are still questionable and the other main area of our play, defence is totally ignored in terms of the need for coaching. If Gus Hiddink can make a difference to Chelsea, if Ole' ' Arry can bring about change in your side, why not someone new and suitable at Arsenal? We need to buy Mr Hiddink out of his contract with Turkey or convince him he can do both jobs by letting him select his own team of players and coaches. Keeping Arsene on is good for everyone else since like Raffa during his time in the north west, it makes us easy pickings for too many of our opponents.
