As Arsenal fans, we are used to hearing the words ‘potential’, ‘promising’ etc when used to describe either individual players, or the team as a whole. It is both a source of praise for us (a focus on developing players should be celebrated) but also a stick for other fans to beat us with (particularly Spurs fans), when we end the season without a trophy.
Apart from the odd murmur, we haven’t really ever fallen out of love with Wenger and his ideas, despite some shocking performances this season (AC Milan, Man Utd) and a barren run of trophy less seasons, with the end of each season promising lots, despite the familiar end of season collapse.
Are we, as Arsenal fans, therefore, the most blindly positive/stupid fans in the league? Should we be making our voices louder for change, not just in the team but behind the scenes as well?
In Wenger We Trust
Everybody is aware that Wenger is untouchable. Arsenal is Wenger’s team; The Emirates is Wenger’s stadium; and there are, few, if any, voices behind the scenes seemingly able to influence his decisions and judgement.
Is this wrong? On paper, Arsenal have not won a trophy for 7 seasons. The gap between us, and the title winners, is growing each season; and problems which should have been addressed years ago, are still all too apparent (the coaching staff, medical team, motivational issues etc). By rights, and at any other leading club in Europe, Wenger would have been sacked 3 or 4 seasons ago.
His influence can be seen by our relatively small (and stable) coaching staff. Wiki tells me that our first team coaching staff consists of Wenger, Rice, Promorac, Peyton and Colbert. Spurs, by contrast, have coaches for strikers, assistant coaches to the first team coach, all of whom sit with Harry Redknapp on the touchline. Ours, by contrast, features only Wenger and Rice.
The stableness of the coaching staff is in contrast to Man Utd, who change the assistant manager every few seasons, as first as the coaches and reserve team staff. Man Utd have had seven different assistant managers since Wenger was appointed, compared to our solitary, Pat Rice.
Indeed, Boro Primorac joined Arsenal in 1997; that’s 15 years of the same voices on the training ground; the same ideas.
Man Utd also allow ex-players – such as Scholes, Solskjaer, to gain coaching experience with the reserves and youth teams. With the exception of Steve Bould, we have not gotten into this habit. Why is Vieira working for Man City, and not us? I would love to see Bergkamp managing the reserves or youth teams (where he works for Ajax); Keown working with the defenders; Tony Adams etc. This would, I believe, be of benefit to Arsenal, particularly the younger players.
Why aren’t we, therefore, calling for more change?
The Barren Trophy Spell
Our last major trophy came in 2005, when we beat Man Utd on penalties in one of the worst FA Cup finals in memory.
Our team that day included such world class talents as Ashley Cole, Kolo Toure, Patrick Vieira, Fabregas, Gilberto, Pires, Bergkamp, Ljungberg and Van Persie; with Henry injured. The future should have been ours; we had a world class stadium, with world class players, and a world class manager.
Has paying off the stadium really caused the barren spell? Arsenal still spend large sums of money - Podolski (£12m); Arshavin (£10m+), Mertesacker (£8.8m), Arteta (£10m), whilst our wage bill, according to some estimates, being £129 million a year (the 5th highest in the league). The wage bill includes:
Arshavin - £80k per week
Almunia - £60k per week
Squillachi - £60k per week
Bendtner - £52k per week
Chamakh - £50k per week
Diaby - £50k per week
Vela - £50k per week
Denilson - £50k per week
Djourou - £50k per week
Millions, being wasted. Who is sanctioning these wages for such average, young players?
I do not believe that the cost of the new stadium has caused the barren spell; nor do I believe that the millions available to Man City and Chelsea has caused it; I believe it is down, in part, to the failure of Wenger to adequately replace players whilst wasting money (and failing to move on) on poor players.
Arsenal vs. title winners - point’s gap
The gap is getting wider; not narrower. From 11 points in 2010, the gap this season is currently 19 points; despite notable victories against Man City, Chelsea, Spurs and Newcastle.
Familiar collapses against poorer teams; end of season poor runs; poor starts to the season etc. These are familiar tales which repeat themselves from season, to season. Again, back to an earlier point – why haven’t lessons been learnt?
Do We Love Wenger Too Much?
No trophies and familiar, often repeated problems. Yet Wenger is, for the most part, still heralded as a great manager.
Is this right? How long will the board, and the fans, accept failures? Is finishing third, even classed as a failure? What are the targets that the board sets for Wenger at the start of the season? 1st? 2nd? 3rd? 4th? Champions League quarter finalists?
Are we in danger of accepting mediocrity in exchange for nice football? The football is only nice when we are winning. At times, when we lose, the football can look awful (from a coaching point of view). Witness Wigan’s first goal at The Emirates and the way they counter attacked from an Arsenal corner. I cannot imagine other top teams conceding goals like that to such poor clubs. That failure can only rest at the coaching staff’s doors. And yet, these incidents happen season after season.
His ability to sign top players must be questioned also. Gervinho, Andre Santos, Mertesacker, Park (Park!!! Why did we sign Park???), Chamakh – just a few examples of recent signings which have not worked out yet, and in all likelihood never will. Do you trust Wenger to sign the players needed to take us to the next level?
Why so positive?
Despite the above, I still hear positive noises from Arsenal fans regarding potential etc. This has only increased since Wenger made moves for Podolski and M’Vila.
However, do these moves go far enough to solve the problems? In terms of the playing squad, over 10 players could (and should) leave the club this summer. However, these players – such as Diaby – are on lucrative, long term contracts. Why, for example, would a club be willing to spend money on such an injury prone player as Diaby? Will we be able to offload these players? I have my doubts unless the club is willing to accept bargain basement fees.
The coaching staff needs to be addressed as well. I know for a fact that Neil Banfield is extremely highly rated by FA Coaches – he should, therefore be promoted to be working with the first team, as well as a new assistant manager (and not just a yes man for Wenger).
Also, the club needs to take into consideration the spending power of our rivals. There is little doubt that Man City and Chelsea will again, spend big this summer. Man Utd, as well, will no doubt spend money on the centre midfielders they sorely need, whilst Spurs and Liverpool will strengthen.
Van Persie, as well, may not stay. Podolski, for me, is not a ‘centre forward’ and I do not think he has been brought to play that role – he will be playing on the left of the front three. If Van Persie goes, who will we sign to replace him?
Scapegoats
This season’s main scapegoats have been Aaron Ramsey & Andrey Arshavin; in seasons past it has been Senderos, Almunia, Bendtner etc.
Aaron Ramsey has had a difficult season. Clearly, his injury has taken something out of his game. To me, he looks like he has lost a certain amount of speed, which for a team like ours, is crucial. He dithers in possession, where the way we play dictates that balls need to be played quickly, particularly in the final third.
Should individual players be made scapegoats?
If we sell Ramsey, will we suddenly start to win trophies?
I think not. Ramsey has only played 40+ games this year because of Wilshere’s injury – which we were originally told was not too serious – one or two weeks maximum.
Is venting our frustrations at individual players good for the team? Certainly, some players thrive on proving their critics wrong. Roy Keane, for example, always played better when he had a point to prove. Others, like Walcott, can wilt under the pressure, and instead of influencing games, always seek the safe option.
Going back to an earlier point, it is for Wenger and his staff to identify players which can handle the pressure, and to either move them on, or to bring in sports psychologists to give them the tools to cope.
Who is to blame?
The answer, lies somewhere in the middle. The board is to blame for accepting that finishing 4th is acceptable; Wenger is to blame for being stubborn and poor decisions in the transfer market; and the players are to blame for individual errors, complacency etc (though one could say this again goes back to Wenger).
Where do we stand?
This blog has been written, purposefully, from a very negative point of view, and I will write a future blog from the other side of the coin later this week.
However, I do get frustrated that mistakes are being made, season after season. It seems we still concede soft goals; drop points from winning positions against poorer teams; rush into last minute signings (why on earth did we sign Squillacci); fail to rejuvenate the back room.
Where do we stand therefore? Are we a top 5 club, never really challenging for the title, but content to finish in the top 4 each season, with the occasional Champions League run? As long as the football is pretty, is this enough?
Or is Wenger the man capable of taking us to the next level; to identify the coaching staff, and players, required to challenge the Manchester clubs for the league title?
I hope that this blog can generate some thought on the failings of Arsenal; let us know your feedback.
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