Where would Gunners be without that man?
By David Swaden
When we lost to Blackburn, and with it went our last realistic chance of a trophy, I shouted some things at the team that I am neither proud nor ashamed of. The team and the manager deserved the stick they got, our vice captain has admitted as much.
That day, my furious gripe was that Wenger’s Arsenal continue to play the tap-tap style that made us world beaters in 2004, with little to no variation in style in the last 8 barren years despite the heavy weight of evidence for change.
Eight years ago, that style was, more often than not, blowing teams away. Rarely, if ever, were we outplayed, and a “no-contest” sort of game that we have come to see against Man Utd, Barcelona and the first leg against Bayern was nowhere to be seen.
So if it was so effective then, why so toothless now? The unfortunate truth, in my humble opinion, is that the players Wenger has at his disposal, due to whoever you wish to blame, have gradually deteriorated throughout recent times. Now, we have well meaning, perhaps talented, but hardly ever gifted players. This means they see the game just that little bit slower than the Invicibles, their touch is just that little bit less deft, their X factor that little bit less devastating. The result is hesitant and predictable interplay that is usually easy to read and shut down.
At the same time, as Wenger readily confesses, his style will never create the conditions for a miserly defence. So increasingly we’re seeing an ineffective attack added to what, let’s face it, was pretty much always too porous a back line, not the greatest combination.
Le boss, quite simply, is a purist, not a pragmatist. He is unable to shift from the unshakeable belief that football should be played a certain way, his way. If proof were needed of how single minded this approach is, simply bear witness he has tried to bring some variation to his squad. Enter Francis Jeffers and Julio Baptista, exit swiftly stage right.
So with all this in mind, it might be easy just to write Arsene Wenger off as an anachronism, conclude that another manager could get far more out of these players and that, if he won’t quit, he should be pushed, albeit with a heavy heart.
Indeed, a big part of me has wanted to decide that over the last few years, and particularly this season. I don’t think I have felt more angry with the club than when we capitulated to Blackburn and were then predictably trounced by Bayern. The whole Arsenal establishment seemed to be completely out of touch with what success should look like.
But there is something about Wenger’s steadfast loyalty to his principles, even when all around him mock and criticise, that has to be admired. He does genuinely believe that eventually his way will win out against all others. In a way it is his religious faith.
Yet even that would not be enough to save him on its own. What does, I think, is that this unbreakable faith actually seems to rub off on his players. Sometimes, it can be their downfall. In both cups, they were guilty of just turning up and expecting to win against teams they judge must surely crumble in the path of the tippy-tappy steamroller. But it’s the same faith that also led them to pull off a remarkable result in Munich and last year against Milan. It’s the same one that led to Kanu’s hatrick all those years ago and the same one that has led to many an unlikely top four finish of late.
It’s not that they never lose their belief, in fact for large swathes of the season this seems to happen. It’s just that, even if they have temporarily forgotten, at any given moment the Arsenal squad can remember that they have been built around the cult of Wenger, and that, somehow, all can be well if they stick to its commandments.
Maybe, just maybe, the Bayern Munich result saw Wenger’s inflexible, often logic-defying belief return to the players once again. Just in time for the big finish.
Who knows. But doesn’t this happen ever season. Looks the same to me
You are, true to your nickname, very mistaKen!
It’s too early to tell wgere Arsenal would be without this man. I ascribe to the theory no one is indispensable unless he is winning 98% of the time.Btw it’s too early to tell whether he is the one. Me thinks to wait for the season to end .
He has realised blatedly,imho,the flaws in his game plan.Excuses have been given all the time.If the gunners can clinch 4th,he shd get another chance , If not,he has to bite the bullet.
Assuming he stays,he must adopt a slew of measures .He knows what they are.No more the project y.
His social wage structure shows that AW is in fantasy land.
All you Fantasy Football Managers have been proven totally wrong about him in the past,present and will be in the future.
Are you insane?
Wenger is completely out of touch.
After 2 wins against teams that if we are being honest both owe as much to the opposition not having good matches as us having a good game you think he has eradicated a dreadful season and 8 years with no silverware?
2 games and the AKB’s crawl out of the woodwork again waxing lyrical about how lost Arsenal would be without Wenger.
Do you people forget that Wenger inherited one of the best defenses in football and a competitive team, even some of the transfers he is credited with arrived at the club before him.
He had a solid team with experienced players to work with and it showed!
Fast forward to a time 8 years ago, that defense had all left Arsenal and the effect their experience had over younger players, which was invaluable, had been lost.
When they went, results also went and this was compounded by Wengers flawed transfer policy went into overdrive selling quality and replacing it with mediocre.
I won’t entertain arguments that he had no money to spend, a good manager would have stood his ground and made the board give him a transfer budget but I believe that Wenger was to blame for this, he has openly admitted he had money to spend for the last few seasons but he hasn’t spent a lot or to be honest made the best acquisitions with the cash he has spent, the list is long and we all know who they are, pure nonsense signings.
Anyone who can’t see that the infrastructure that was already in place was a major force in the success of the club and now that infrastructure has been stripped away and replaced with Wengers own influence is frankly blind.
You mentioned defense; remember when under Steve Bould’s influence and defensive drills we kept clean sheets at the start of the season? Remember when Wenger got jealous of Bould’s success and after snapping at a press conference “it isn’t all him” [Bould] he promptly sidelined Bould from defensive drills and we started to slide.
This is not about Wenger and his pride, how dare he put himself above Arsenal!
That should have been a sackable offense but right now Kroenke doesn’t give a s**t about results just money and no one else holds Wenger to account so ridiculous transfers and disgraceful coaching decisions go unchallenged in the current reign of yes men at the club.
I dont think you are an Arsenal supporter.do you know Thiery Henry was Wengers product.?no because you are a muppet.arguments without facts thats bull keyboard warrior.
Yes I am an Arsenal fan, that is why I am so pissed off be Wengers mis-management.
Of course Henri was a great player but one player is not the club and Wenger sold him (and many more) for below market value.
Do you think we would not have found another top player nor had any success if we had never signed Henri?
Wise up, such a childish view.
Other top managers don’t leak top players in The same way that Wenger does.
See many players turn their backs on Fergie? Let me help you, you don’t!
Can’t you people see that most of the success was not Wenger but the support at the club.
If it was all Wenger then why have we not had more success as he became more involved in the club instead of less.
It will never cease to amaze me how blinkered Wenger supporters are.
Hmmmm!
Yeah let’s just rewrite history to discredit AW. There are things that need to change, policies amended etc. But not this tired rubbish of the ‘great’ team he inherited again. Top clubs will always have some great players when managers change. Did people care that Mourinho had the likes of Lampard and Terry to help him win the league. Or Benitez had Gerrard and Carragher to help him win the big one? Did they fcuk.
The back four inherited was on its way out. Check out the mediocre performances they had put in since our success with George had stopped – our last league title was in ’91. AW revitalised them by offering protection from PV4 and Petit. Then recreated the whole defence with the invincibles. Give the man his due and stop the ridiculous revisionism just because you hate him now.
Did he inherit Jens, Lauren, Cashley, Kolo, Sol and the likes of Gilberto and PV4/Petit too?
Also, he has let players leave too cheaply? Are you for real? He has made sensational amounts of money on superstars AFTER we had their best years. Recently some have left in their peak but you cannot say overall he has not extracted maximum value with player sales. Also no mention of the new training ground, huge investment on the stadium, and the obvious spending restrictions that brings about.
Hands up if the Invincibles still give you butterflies
Arsenal! Arsenal! Arsenal!