Annus horribilis – Arsenal style

Well, it’s been two days since the end of the season. A brief wave of relief has come over me as writing match previews has been rather hard these last few weeks. A lot has been said in the aftermath of the season. There were positives, and lots of negatives and maybe this will be paintful. Maybe it will be cathartic, but let’s take a look at where it all went so wrong.

I think we would be negligent if we didn’t  mention the fact that a lot of players, even ones we had hopes for, didn’t live up to the expectations of their past feats or the expectations of playing in a club like Arsenal. The list here is long, the names are very familiar – Denilson, Diaby, Bendtner, Rosicky, Squillaci, Almunia, and Arshavin are a few. To me the biggest disappointment is Arshavin.

The man can be pure magic when he has the desire. Even when he shows a half arsed attempt he is better than 2/3 of the players in the EPL but for much of the season ran up and down the pitch with little or no impact. I will give him the goal against Barcelona that a historic win for Wenger’s side but overall many of the matches he was part of – he simply disappeared. I know players will not be able to play every game at a high level, through a 38 game EPL season and all the cup ties, players become fatigued and their form ebbs and flows. But this wasn’t about form for Arshavin – he simply looked like he couldn’t be bothered.

Now, I’ve singled out Arshavin, because frankly in the list of players I mentioned earlier he is by the greater talent. I have come to expect half-arsed performances from the others. Rosicky only because I do not think he has ever recaptured that “Little-Mozart” form before he was riddled with injuries. The rest well that hangs on Wenger’s head for believing in players who clearly shouldn’t ever have been picked for this squad.

But as you review some of the major matches of this season they articulated what we’ve been saying all along – when it comes to this squad even the talented players to not have the mental fortitude to get it done. Sure there are other issues like a defence that spends more time spread than a cheap hooker. Like having one capable forward, one who might work if he can grow into the English game and one who thinks he is better than he already is. These are a few but really the biggest is the mental ability to get over the hump when it is needed.

In almost every loss – except at the end when the title was decided, Arsenal were playing with a chance to make up ground on leaders – be it early in the season when Chelsea were leading or later when United were, in each one the bottled it. The made mistakes, didn’t come out sharp enough or waited until the 70th minute to get going.

I lay out my case:

September 25, 2010 – West Brom 3 – Arsenal 2

With a win Arsenal can pull closer to league leading Chelsea. In the match Arsenal were lucky to not be down within the first half as Chris Brunt missed a penalty that was awarded when Manuel Almunia (remember him) brought down Peter Odemwingie in the box. But that is misleading because for the first half most of the match former Arsenal player Jerome Thomas gave Arsenal fits.  Odemwingie put the visitors ahead in the 50th minute and the lead was further locked in when an Almunia blunder caused the Baggies to go ahead 2-0. West Brom went up 3-0 on a rocket from Thomas in the 73rd minute. Samir Nasri scored twice for Arsenal but the result was deciving as too many mistakes and mental errors cost the Gunners a chance to catch up to Chelsea.

November 7, 2010 – Newcastle 1 – Arsenal 0

Another chance to catch Chelsea. Another missed opportunity. For much of the match Arsenal were in a general malaise. They were unfortunate as two shots hit woodwork but a mental error in the 45th minute but Lukasz Fabianski cost the gunners a goal from Andy Carroll.  Through all their pressure they could not break down a determined side.

November 20, 2010 – Spurs 3 – Arsenal 2

Here was the first real sign of the things that would really plague this team down the stretch. It was the North London Derby. A chance to go top of the league was at stake. Arsenal started brightly and the first half was what we had hoped for from this team in terms of its ability and skill. The Gunners outclassed and outmanned their cross town rivals and in front of a home crowd got lathered up into a frenzy. But in a tale that would be all too familiar the Gunners could not hold a lead. They could not seal the deal and move into first on the table.  With a goal in 5 minutes at the start of the second half – the faithful and players alike began to have a distinct sinking feeling that Gunners could not find a way to hold on. And they weren’t wrong.  First, during a Van der Vaart free kick raised their arms to protect their face and the ball hit it leaving little choice for Fat Phil Dowd but to award the PK. And then int he final bone headed move of the day, PL newbie Laurent Koscielny brings down Bale just outside the box in the ensuing free kick a Kaboul header sealed the collapse and served as a portend of the last few months of the year.

February 5, 2011 – Arsenal  4 – Newcastle 4

Okay, I am not going to go over every aspect of this game. it is now on the list as the game of the season. For Arsenal fans for all the wrong reasons. From the petulance of Diaby and the iniability of 10 men to hold a 4-0 lead – it was a microcasm of everything  that is wrong with the squad as it is currently made up. From players who don’t belong in the team to the mental fragility of the squad of all it was there on display.

February 27, 2011 – Arsenal 1 – Birmingham 2 (Carling Cup Final)

In what was the watershed moment of the season, the Gunners began their version of the Bataan death march by completely bottling their first final in a few years. In what was supposed to be a launching pad for this season’s greatness it was a launching pad allright but not as we had all expected.  For much of the match Birmingham had presented themselves a resolute foe. Towards the end however, when it looked like the match would go to extra time, Arsenal looked fairly in control and better for the winner. However, a major mental error on the part of Szczesny and Koscielny gifted the ball onto the foot of Obafemi Martins with an open net at his disposal. With minutes left, the Gunners hopes for their first piece of silverware were dashed. What we didn’t know but some of us suspected was that the catalyst this would become would result in Arsenal finishing fourth in the league and ending the season on a whimpering note.

February 28 through May 22 2011

The crash towards the end of the season started with the Birmingham loss in the Carling Cup final. In the immediate aftermath a team that was in the running for 4 competitions suddenly saw itself in only one as the Gunners crashed out of the Champion’s League and FA Cup within a fortnight of the loss. Then with only the Premier League to play for the Gunners proceeded to go on a run of games that for lesser teams would’ve been relegation worthy. 

In the last 11 games of the season the Gunners meekly worked their way through a 2W 3L 6D record. Hardly championship quality was it.  With the poor run of form the Gunners fell from grace and will now have a shortened pre-season as they must play in a Champion’s League qualifier. The good news on that, the Gunners won’t be seeded which means they won’t face the likes of Bayren or Villareal. The bad news, the malaise could carry over unless substantial changes are made to the team.

All that is left today is for the Gunners to take a hard look at themselves and see where they are and where they want to be. Some of the deadwood players have already come out and said they want to leave. Part of me is wondering if they were told anyway they would be sold.  The problem becomes for those players is finding teams who can handle their wages. But we don’t have to worry about that. We just need to see a seismic shift in some of the players and the preparation of the club.

Arsene Wenger for his part has come out and said this:

“The market will be hyperactive because everyone believes financial fair play will happen soon,” Wenger said, referring to Uefa’s tighter regulations on club spending. “So we are quickly doing the last buying before the stores will be closed. And for the first time for a while, I will be very active, too.”

Additionally, Wenger has already had discussions with Denilson on his exit and the clubs is said to be willing to take £9 million for Nicklas Bendtner. So the movement is there. The key will be what does Wenger do to address the mental frailty that was so on display. Does he get someone like a Gary Cahill who is a vocal leader or does he continue to depend on the likes of Van Persie and Fabregas to lead? Given they were part of the problems this year (in terms of leadership) maybe that is not wise.

Sure there are other issues that need to be addressed. Tactics being one of them, the defence being another but the mentality more than anything seemed to be what this club missed when it mattered most. I didn’t highlight every loss – even I am not that much of a masochist. But the fact is this, had there been someone who could’ve rallied the troops when Diaby gets sent off at Newcastle or when Spurs scored their opening goal in the second half maybe the Gunners could’ve focused and held on. We don’t know because it didn’t hapen that way.

Finally those who say there were injustices along the way that did us in – maybe that’s true. But in every game there were also instances where we were our own worst enemy.  In the end the table never lies. We are where we are because of how we played or in the words of Ronaldo –

“We lost because we didn’t win”

Until next time – Stay Goonerish!!!