A man can die but once – unless they’re an Arsenal fan
The title of this post is taken from Shakespeare, specifically King Henry IV. I was toying with that or “Frailty they name is Arsenal.” But I think this title kind of sums up how I think we all feel right now. And its true – a man can die but once – unless you’re an Arsenal fan than right now you’re dying every week.
We all have many reasons for feeling the way we feel. If you are on the always sunny side of the Arsenal camp then you die each week because hope keeps diminishing. If you are on the dark as Hades side of Arsenal fandom than you die each week because the storied club you support continues to let you down.
Being an Arsenal fan is akin to death by a thousand paper cuts. We certainly look the deal for a good portion of matches only to have the victory snatched from us and our hearts torn away. Such was the feeling especially over these last two matches.
Frankly in both cases on Arsenal were a dominating force in much they way they always are. They controlled the ball, passed it well and created plenty of chances. Against Tottenham, we did more than that. There really was an urgency to the team that hadn’t been seen for a while. That urgency carried them to a 3-1 lead. Unfortunately, the gas ran out of the tank and the team gave wayand wound up drawing 3-3.
There a few of you happy to see that. I’m not. Because I hate losing and to me even a draw you fight back on is as good as a loss. Hell it has more ramifications than a loss. As it has to Arsenal who now even though equal on points with Chelsea sit in third 6 points off United.
In this match against Spurs we did exactly what we set out to do and similarly to the first match attacked their right side. Wenger rightly believes that Dawson and Assou Ekotto are the weak links on that side and A Ekotto can be caught trying to go forward with Bale. Walcott was having a field day with that and it perplexed me why we seemed to move away from it in the second half.
Walcott was superb this match and for much of his time on the pitch gave the Spurs defenders fits. Why we didn’t exploit that more than we were is beyond me. It really could have gotten the game wide open. Towards the end it thought Theo, like a lot of teammates started looking like he was gased.
As for Gareth Bale up until his injury he was a non-factor. I will go to my grave singing the praises of Bacary Sagna. He is without a doubt the best RB in the EPL. He had Bale in his pocket all afternoon. Sagna’s crossing improves game over game and once that is honed, he will be one of the best RB’s in Europe. He has speed and defencive skills, all he needs is a little more offencively. There is no doubt why he made the PFA Starting XI for the season.
Then there is Szczesny. My god if he isn’t the articulation of evertying we have seen in a goal keeper. From his rash chances on the ball, the last one resulting in the PK and his wink after knocking out Bale – very reminiscent of Jens Lehmann. To his getting beat on the near post and reminding us of the Spanish keeper who shall remain nameless. The second goal, I can’t blame him for it. He never saw it. Van der Vaart was in the way and if he hadn’t jumped when he did, he would’ve been singing in the boys choir at St. Paul’s in London. It wasn’t a bad game or a good game. But I firmly believe this our future number 1 and that he will be someone of whom songs are sung.
All in all if I were a neutral I would’ve thought this was by far the best match of the EPL season. And it was. But I am an Arsenal fan and I am very serious when I say we are hard pressed to be confident enough to think we can win something. But in a season when noone clearly wants to win this thing, anything can happen.
Sticking with my Shakespeare theme – let’s turn our focus on Wenger shall we?
To Manage or Not to Manage that Is the Question
Yesterday during my interview with World Football Daily (you heard I was on the show right?) I was asked if I was concerned that it seemed Peter Hill-Wood and the team did not have a plan “B” for Wenger. The host Kenny Hassan – asked what happens if there are of losses and removing Wenger is a must. It looks like the club have noone in mind. I took that a step further and oddly enough this is an idea that is starting to get some further traction.
I told Kenny that I just read Graham Poll in the Mail who asked “Has Wenger lost the Plot?'” In the article were a series of images of a clearly frustrated and unhappy Wenger. Gone was the passion of the man who took the club to great heights. This clearly looked like a pained man. I concluded in the interview that I wondered if Wenger could walk away from the job he has held this past 15 years simply because the passion is gone.
Funny enough today John Cross of the Mirror articulated the same thing and sure enough a slew of similar articles and blogs popped up.
We asked the question a while back – how does a manager who achieve what he achieved suddenly stop knowing how to win. For a few years the drought may have been understandable. Shift in priorities, looking at new talent – a few years adjustment wouldn’t be hard to understand. But that few years has turned into 5 possibly 6 years without winning.
Wenger, the man idiolized and praised soon found himself criticised and questioned. In the meeting with the fans two summers ago, Wenger almost walked away on the club (rumours had him going to Madrid). It is clear being uncomfortable with the questioning and not winning is wearing on Wenger. He no longer holds court with the press. His outbursts at matches have become childish. Nothing seems to work for him right now. For a man so used to being in control and being loved and admired this is not what I think he thought would happen with this squad.
It could happen. Wenger could just walk away. Or decide to move to the board. The board seems more likely – at some point. It would at least keep the good players that idolize Wenger here. If Wenger were to outright leave to another locale – a lot of players quite possibly even budding starlets like Wilshere could leave. Wenger needs to stay on some how in the club.
It will be an interesting 5 games of the season. If it continues to go wrong – it will get worse for Arsena and I would not be surprised if he just decided he wanted to retire.
That I am sure will make a lot of people happy. But be warned – while I don’t think any manager is irreplaceable – changing managers does not necessarily mean our fortunes will play – quite possibly it could signal even a downturn worse than what the club is going through. But on the other side it could lead to new winning seasons. There is just no way to know.
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Slowly but surely, the clear-out begins…
“Denilson will be one of the first to leave after the Gunners put a £5million price on the midfielder.
Sportsmail understands the Brazilian has accepted his five-year career at The Emirates is over and has already started looking for a new club, while the likes of Emmanuel Eboue, Gael Clichy and Nicklas Bendtner could follow.”
@macmac007,
I’ll believe it when I see it.
In the same article the French Twat says:
“However, the Arsenal boss warned: ‘We decided to develop our own players because we can’t buy Cristiano Ronaldo — he cost £85million and we can’t do it.’”
The fucking incredible punk still does not get it! That is the mother of false arguments.
I have no hope we would sell anybody other than Almunia. Wanker still lives in cuckoo land.
Chelsea move 3 clear of us on 3 nice goals, including one from ‘Nando who is (finally) off the 50 million pound bagel…..
At least our pitch is far nicer than their pond….
So now we have to answer with a win ‘oop Norf….. Hopefully Kos and Dj (JD?) can handle Kevin Davies, who is as strong as Peter Crouch is tall….
Which all begs the question: Why has the easiest, most enjoyable part of being an Arsenal supporter been watching (and hoping that) our rivals (would) stumble?…..(Oh, and on that note, the Baggies prove–again–that they’re at least as good as we are, getting the same single point we did at White Hart Lane…..)
United get it done when they have to.
9 point lead with 5 to play?
It’s been over for a while for Arsenal, but I don’t think Chelsea can even catch them now.
I’d want to discuss the future, but there isn’t one with Wenger in charge.
Him leaving, is the ONLY way forward for the club. Talking idiotic non-sense as always… says Arsenal won’t be spending big in the Summer, as we hear EVERY year… and you know he will go on about us being close… (to ruin in actuality)
We’re in 3rd now, and that or 4th even, will be spun into “another success story”… it is FINANCIALLY for the club and board. We know that, and that is all that matters to some.
Just a sad depressing scenario for those who want to see the club where it belongs… trying to win trophies and fighting to be among the best on the pitch in the world. :skeleton:
United score in the 84th minute to break a nil-nil….And then they DON’T panic and DO hold out for the three points….All while resting several players ahead of the CL semis. Impressive, sort of, at least…..
With 30 milliion Euro Anderson in central midfield (and playing decently) it eventually fell to Rooney to play as Cesc AND RVP in a “midfield general” role. The goal however, came from Antonio Valencia (broken leg and all) crossing to Chicharito, while (subs) Evra, Giggs and Owen occupied the defenders….Who knows, maybe next year it’ll be Ramsey crossing to Carlitos Vela, while the more usual suspects pull the strings or serve as decoys…..As always, I shan’t be holding my breath: for the young players to emerge or for the manager (whoever he may be, wink wink) to make the correct subs and/or allow our better players to orchestrate matters….
That should do it for the title chase and Arsenal should concern themselves with turning in respectable performances in our final five matches, maybe something better than the 7 points (from 15 possible) in our most recent 5…..
At least warmer weather is on the horizon….
For the umpteen and last time guys, Arsenal’s greatest deficiency is in COACHING and not with the quality of most players.
Yes, we have a few lads who should be ushered out to Timbuktu or some other forlorn and desolate part of the universe. However, these players are the chosen few who have come through a flawed system which provide rewards for mediocrity. How can you blame teenagers who can afford McClaren Mercedes without knowing the joys of on field success?
How can we blame young players who are not coached in football 101 but rather in horizontal ball possession with no end result.?
How can we blame GK’s when they are not even coached in ball distribution?
How can we blame these young players when they are inserted and forced to play in positions which neither suits they physical or emotional make up?
How can we blame these young players when they are not taught to attack the offensive box but rather wait around hoping to find that one perfect pass to unlock the defense?
How can we blame these players for not shooting on sight when they are taught to pass the ball into the goal?
In the long run, it all comes down to POOR coaching.
@Caribkid, I think this is a very important idea. We have a fairly young squad, and I think it may get even younger over the summer if players like Rosicky and Arshavin move on (and Chamakh stays on permanent holiday)…..
In truth, compared to US sports, we get very little information about the type of coaching the players receive, but it does seem that they have enormous freedom and that they are encouraged to express themselves in their play. Earlier in the season many complained about Alex Song venturing too far forward and when questioned on the matter, Wenger said something to the effect that it was natural for mid-fielders to want to add goals to their game….
The problem, if this is the approach, is that w/o older, more seasoned players who have a good mind for such matters, the younger players are figuring these matters out for themselves. At times I watch players like Nasri, Walcott and Bendtner gluing themselves to the touchline, when clearly they are needed more centrally. With RVP venturing all over the attacking end of the pitch, the need to get bodies in the box is all the more pressing.
Likewise, in midfield the balance between attack and defense is difficult for players to determine on their own, witness the Song debate above or the complaint that Denilson only passes backwards or sideways. In his few outings I actually saw the Brazillian pressing to shoot or deliver more killer (forward) passes early, but when these ideas failed he retreated into his old ways. Similarly, Wilshere seems increasingly self-conscious the closer he gets to the opposing box, though clearly he is absorbing the influence of Fabregas the more he plays with the captain. Overall, and quite naturally, it seems there is a lack of selfishness (the good sort) among the younger players.
My point is that we really don’t know the directions the players are being given, but it does FEEL as if they aren’t given too many and that there is too much onus on the youngsters to figure it out as they go. And, of course, the “protective” (or at least non-critical) statements of the manager belie the rudderless play that many of us observe.
And, with the failure to garner results, the always positive statements ring all the more hollow. Many have given up on the manager and hear only lies. Better results (trophies) might turn things around, but we have entered a new era where literally millions are seeing things (in HD) as they happen. We NEED forthright communication from the management and the modern manager (which I think Wenger aspires to be) should do better….
And it probably wouldn’t hurt the players, esp. the younger ones, to likewise receive REAL critique and direction…..
@Caribkid,
I would disagree only slightly, as we have been consistently short of talent in a few vital areas for some time now. Even with better coaching (and tactics), we’d still be coming up short up the middle defensively and at keeper.
So I’d say, yes, coaching is certainly part of the problem. But it’s a subset of the overarching failure of how the team has been MANAGED.
Same guy, but touching on more of his responsibilities.
@Vibes,
I didn’t want to go there in full yet, but it’s all part and parcel of management. In this case, management by one, whose ideas are simply rammed down the throat of everyone else, including the fans.
How dare we mere “peasant” fans not understand the higher moral and ethical values being imposed upon us by a superior being.
@Caribkid,
I hear ya. man. But every now and then the royalty says ‘Let them eat cake…” one too many times. And once the peasants have had enough of that…
I’m not holding my breath, but at least there are revolutionary rumblings and it seems as if we’re less alone in our thinking (formally known as ‘blasphemy’).
good articles in this thread, very enlightening…
and unfortunately, Wenger is already saying Arsenal won’t buy big in the Summer…
even if we won’t buy big, what exactly does SAYING SO do for us in any positive sense?
He needs to step down or be sacked at season’s end…
The reign is OVER. He has FAILED in the last 6 seasons…
The non-sense about
“who will replace him” is insanity…
A new manager MIGHT do well, or might not… NOTHING is guaranteed, but we already know what Wenger staying will bring… the same exact thing as the last 6 years, and that simply isn’t good enough.
“By my troth, I care not; a man can die but once: we
owe God a death: I’ll ne’er bear a base mind:
an’t be my destiny, so; an’t be not, so: no man is
too good to serve’s prince; and let it go which way
it will, he that dies this year is quit for the next..”
“A man can die but once” is a lament, he wishes he could die more than once, in service of his king. Feeble is refusing payment for service in Falstaff’s army and instead choosing death with honor in service of the lord as payment.
I think a lot of Gooners could take example from Feeble
@ Bob
If you didn’t understand the point I was making you are thicker than I would have thought possible. I’ll try and make it simple.
Regardless of who was or is Manager of Arsenal, there have always been triumphs and disasters, troughs and crests…….more I feel than other Clubs. Hence our continued failure to prosper on our occasional success. We win a title but cannot retain it.
For those who are interested Les Pettites Goonerettes has a direct translation of the article that was done with Cesc. Here it is for your reading pleasure.
____________________________________________
DB: As a kid of 16, what were your views on Arsenal?
CF: I knew they had a great manager, who put stock in youth players and played football stars like Henry, Bergkamp, Vieira, Pires. I didn’t follow the English league, I saw the highlights on Sundays. That was probably why it was so difficult to come here, since I wasn’t really aware of where I was going…
DB: Now, 8 years later, what has changed?
CF: Pff. Everything. I have also changed a lot, physically, and I’ve matured as a person. If I sit down and analyze it, I’ve learned so much during my time here, I have also made mistakes and now I am definitely a more complete person.
DB: Do you consider yourself a child prodigy?
CF: No. Well, maybe at the beginning, yes. But not anymore. I have already spent a couple of years with injuries that haven’t let me develop in the way that I would’ve liked. At 17, I played 51 games; then a year later, at 18, won the league and played in the Champions final; and I played in the World Cup at 19! I remember my beginnings perfectly, but many don’t. Those first three years, everything happened so quickly, it was amazing. I evolved the most during that time, it was the most drastic change I’ve made. Once I reached 21, starting after the Eurocup, I’ve had more injuries, less continuity, and it’s been harder for me to progress.
DB: Let’s split it up in parts: Your first season in first team, at 17 years, this isn’t just any team…
CF: It was a legendary team! The year of The Invincibles, who won the Premier without losing a single match. I started there and I was among the lineup between 15 and 18 during which we still hadn’t lost. That year, I played 51 games, and a lot of them as part of the starting lineup. The truth is that I feel like I was a part of that; in total, there were 49 league fixtures without losing.
DB: Is it the best team that you’ve played for?
CF: Without a doubt. Really, I don’t even need to think about it. It was a year in which I developed so much. In fact, sometimes I wonder if I was a better player at 17 years than I am now. But when you look at it, you see that that’s not true. What happens is that before, I played for a winning side and it was incredible. You felt like if you made a mistake in a game, nothing happened because your mates would fix it for you. Those legends made you better. I have always said this: there’s nobody like that team.
DB: Things have changed a lot [discussing twitter]. Do you feel pressured to always show a better performance?
CF: Yes, yes, of course! I completely understand that, if I miss even one pass, I know I’m the man that everyone in the world is watching. I don’t like to say that, but it’s the truth. If I play badly, I take responsibility and I shoulder the pressure from the fans. It’s something that had never happened to me, but since I became captain, it’s a reality. Only Van Persie and I are left from that generation and it means a lot of responsibility. It is what it is.
DB: But you won’t deny that you like it…
CF: Of course I like it! What happens is that there are times that Twitter is too much. WHy? Because football is a team sport. Nobody wins by themselves. You can win two or three in a season, but not a title. Sometimes, everything that surrounds me is too much, but that is part of the responsibilities of captaining a very young squad. The most important thing for me is that injuries respect me because otherwise, everything becomes really complicated. Continuity is what has gotten me where I am today.
DB: This Arsenal is a very young team, but from the outside, it gives the same feeling as always. Does that seem right?
CF: Look, I think that the key is having a good combination. That’s why I feel very, very fortunate to be playing at the same club where I started. Because I was alone, Van Persie too, and the two of us grew up with our idols. We learned from the best. Now it’s different because we’re all so young that we don’t have anyone to look up to and say, WOW!
DB: Well, now the young guys on the team look to you and want to learn from you…
CF: I don’t know about that. I’m only 23 and it’s important to remember that. I started so early that it looks like I am 27 or 28. Then you look again and you see that I’ve got a lot to go. That’s why I was really lucky. The kids learned from the adults. Now it’s a bit more complicated. If you put Wilshere in the team that I played with before… it’s different. I’m not saying that it’s better or worse, though. Before, we had references, winning players, who were strong. They were players you could learn from quickly, just by playing with them.
DB: Does it bother you that Wenger’s name is associated with you as someone that guides your steps, or decides for you?
CF: Hey, he’s the boss, I have a contract, and he has every right to decide. But truthfully? No, it doesn’t bother me. You could interpret it that way from the outside, but it’s not like that. I can always speak to him frankly and honestly, and he accepts a lot of what I tell him.
DB: It looks like we have to find a ‘culprit’ for your stay at Arsenal…
CF: I don’t know, but it looks like if I don’t take the next step, I’ll never take it. I’m 23 and if I leave this summer, I’ll be 24; if I leave next year, I’ll be 25; if I leave the year after, 27! Things have to happen with patience in mind, and you have to wait for the opportune moment. The day I leave Arsenal, I’ll do it with my head, not just because. Besides, who guarantees that you’ll play with the new team? Or what if I don’t develop further? Here I have the good fortune that, at a personal level, and despite not winning much [silverware], I’m becoming much stronger. I talk to Puyol a lot and he tells me that he didn’t win anything until he was 26! Puyol! A man who has won everything in the football world! Patience and perseverance are important in life.
DB: How do you explain that a manager like Wenger, who hasn’t won anything for many years, remains so little contested or questioned?
CF: It’s so much easier to understand now because I have been here [in London] for many years. But it’s clear to me that if you come from Spain, and you tell Emery, Guardiola, and Mourinho who have been here, say, three years without winning anything, it’s understood that they’re not going to continue. But it’s different here. The Boss is an intelligent person, and the club values other things as well: that the team always goes to Champions, that you fight until the end, that you support youth, that the club is economically stable. I suppose that for the directors, that’s important, although I imagine that there are moments when you would have to take that step: Either you win, or you don’t.
DB: That’s where I wanted to end up. The label that follows Arsenal is “They never win anything but… what practical football!”
CF: It’s true. When I started, we won the Cup, and eventually got to the final in Champions League, that, well, we didn’t win it but you think: “hang on… Barcelona has just beat you when you’re a man down, and in the final minute.” You don’t consider it a victory, but you think: “this is the first time that this team gets to a final in the Champions League, where millions of footballers have played and we’re [emphasis added] the ones who’ve achieved it. But starting from 2007, I began to say something like, “we didn’t win, but we played well.” And afterwards, you realize that it doesn’t work. You enjoy it, while you’re playing in a championship, like this year, for example, when we were in four separate competitions. You say: Yeah! Now I’ve got it all! But then you lack that final touch and here is where you have to make a decision: Either I play to win or I play to make players.
DB: Last year, after Adebayor’s departure, you exploded into the media as a goal scorer. What happened?
CF: Well, I changed my position. I’m playing more like an attacking midfielder, and last year was the first time I took it over. I noticed myself in good physical form, and the majority of goals came while I had Van Persie playing up front. We understand each other really well because of the way he interprets the game.
DB: Do you feel comfortable in the position?
CF: I still feel like my position is a little further back because you see football more in front of you, you assist, you move quickly… You definitely participate more. Now all of the teams know my style and they put a guy behind me. I’m not a player accustomed to turn and receive balls from behind. I have gotten more accustomed now, I have as many touches but I get more chances for the assist and a goal. If the team needs me here, well, I’m delighted.
DB: I don’t know if, in this situation, Wilshere’s presence has influenced. The guy is on everyone’s mind.
CF: It’s normal, he’s a great player. I love him, and you can tell he’s going to be amazing. He’s very strong for his age. I wish I had his leg strength. At the rate he’s maturing and improving, he’s destined to be a legend.
DB: There was a big commotion because Guardiola said that in the Barça family, there are many players like Wilshere. I don’t know if they are alike, but what’s become clear is that Thiago Alcántara will be on the first time for culés. What do you know about him?
CB: They say he’s a good player. I’ve only seen him play a couple of minutes on the first time. But with so little, you can already tell that he’s a player of incredible quality. He’s one of those footballers who don’t occupy a fixed position. He can play AM because he’s got a good feint and a good sensibility of the game, but he can also organize a play. We’ll see how he defines himself with time. To me, it looks like he’ll be good for Barcelona and for the national team.
DB: Fernando Torres to Chelsea…Did you see it coming?
CF: No! The truth is that the way it happened, in so few hours, was completely unexpected. I didn’t imagine that Torres would leave the Premiere League, but I also didn’t think he’d leave midseason. I will say this: I’m sure he made a good decision.
DB: And if Chelsea comes with the millions they paid for Torres, but asking for Cesc… what will you do?
CF: Me? I’ll take up painting… no, I wouldn’t do anything.
DB: Imagine that they try to entice you with a very ambitious project…
CF: You won’t see it. If I leave Arsenal one day, it will never be a switch to another English club. That’s certain.
DB: Did you hear about Jon Toral, another Barça youth player that recently joined Arsenal? Were you surprised by criticisms directed at your manager, due to the similarity between his case and yours?
CF: I think the whole world does it. I was the first, yeah, but there have been other cases that haven’t caused the commotion. Manchester United took Piqué. The only thing that’s obvious here, is that at Barcelona, there are great youth players that can reach the elite, maybe around 60%. But not all of them can do it at Barça and some players are aware of that.
DB: Were you?
CF: Look, in the Barcelona first team are the privileged: the Xavis, the Puyols. Then there are the superprivileged, the Busquets or Pedros, who have gotten lucky. They’ve worked hard, yes, but for them, a trainer came and said: “tomorrow, you play.” This doesn’t happen that often. Everybody has to find their own path.
————–
You can read LPGs full artcile on it here: http://lpgpodcast.wordpress.com/2011/04/22/balongate-a-translation/
@DaAdminGooner,
Brilliant interview. The man is class.
@Mazza,
I was trying to have someone translate it for me but two things happened:
1. You can’t get the site its on – its crashed
2. The ladies at LPG did it for me.
While there is some truth to what the press has been saying in the quotes, the cheery picking and culling of them tends to paint a different picture than the one portrayed in the full transcript.
There is a definite alteration in tone when you read all the statements together.
And yes, Cesc handles this whole interview with absolute class.
for those gooners that are willing to accept losing like this for six years please go and support another club, not even spurs have a losing attitude like this.
It makes no difference who manages Arsenal, the fact remains that support for this great Club is not for the fainthearted. I have been a fan since 1932 and I KNOW. The upsets and triumphs over the years simply have to be accepted and treated in equal measure.
Since the late 30’s we have never retained a championship title, which just goes to show the occasional blight which strikes the Club without mercy.
There should be a health risk warning attached to every Arsenal ticket…….although most of us would prefer to take the risk!
@nicky,
with the greatest of respect nicky to have watched AFC for that long and to think it makes no fifference who manages the club shows extreme ignorance…
if thats the case then why dont we get a league 2 manager in on 20k a year and get rid of wenger who is on £6.5mln a year?
i wont even go into just how bad value that is anyway
:-) Bolton 1 v Arsenal 2….Now that`s something to smile about without getting carried away.
We just need to look to beat Bolton which would be really welcome.
Check my Arsenal Blog’s latest article:
http://delhigunner.wordpress.com/2011/04/21/3-3-draw-completes-the-series-of-unfortunate-events/
Actually it has not been just a weekly death but a yearly one.
Everyone has their wish list of players they want gone and I did too but after the last few weeks, that list does not matter. Even if Wenger got the best players in the world, he would either force them to play in a position that they are not suited to or stick with one formation regardless of the evidence of its failure. Then there is the danger that whoever came to Arsenal will get injured, as clearly injuries are no longer about bad luck (were they ever?). And then what point is there in scoring goals if Wenger refuses to infuse the basics of defending and not ensuring his team can keep a lead for a few minutes. And his ignorance of set-pieces is baffling.
Paolo Bandini had a good article a few months ago about the diff training methods between Mourinho and Rafa at Inter. As per him, most of Jose’s training was about ball control, working in tight spaces and building stamina. Whereas Rafa put the players thru a heavy gym weight training schedule. The article tried to compare the increased injuries under Rafa at the start of the season as contributed to his training methods. Bandini then mentioned that Leonardo ditched the weight training and went back to Jose’s training methods. I have not watched enough of Inter to know what their real change was but that article did raise some points about training techniques and injuries. However, it seems no analysis is being done at Arsenal about injuries and to see if it is training causing it.
I would love to see Wenger at Madrid because that will be a rude awakening for him. He will see first hand what happens when fans turn on a team or a manager.
As much as I detest Jose, I do wonder how much his public humiliation of Benzema has to do with how things have turned out? Who would have imagined back in December that Jose would he happy hunting with a cat :) Well Wenger has been hunting with kittens for the longest time but I believe that not everyone was a kitten to begin with but even if they were not, they have become one now. Yet Wenger goes around calling his kittens as fierce lions. And when the little ones beg for help, they are merely told that one day they will be king, so they have no reason to worry. [insert song and story from the Lion King]
In the jungle, the mighty jungle…..
“It could happen. Wenger could just walk away. Or decide to move to the board. The board seems more likely – at some point. It would at least keep the good players that idolize Wenger here. If Wenger were to outright leave to another locale – a lot of players quite possibly even budding starlets like Wilshere could leave. Wenger needs to stay on some how in the club.”
I strongly disagree.
First of all, we have only one world-class player (Fabregas) and three “good” players – RvP, Nasri, Sagna.
Fabregas can leave with or without Wenger, so it makes no difference.
Nasri and RvP are easily replaceable. Sagna as a RB is not mobile enough, career wise.
Wilshere is like Gerrard to Liverpool, he is a North London, Arsenal kid. His loyalty to the club has anything to do with a French manager the same way Gerrard’s had nothing to do with Houllier.
Where will Chesny go to start???
All the other players not mentioned are substandard players who are EXTREMELY lucky to be playing for a club of Arsenal’s size and caliber.
Wenger should be made to go and NOT linger on the board where he can continue to subject Arsenal to his egotistical whims. If he remained on the board it would be terrible for the club.
An extremely long, but excellent, excellent analysis from the Arsenal Truth comments ….
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“Everyone knows what Arsene Wenger has achieved for this club, we all know of the title he once won, of the players he once brought through.
However, it is time for Arsenal fans to start talking about the past, and also time for Arsenal fans to stop dealing in the ‘bright future’ that never comes, and that continues to get pushed back an extra year: in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and now 2011.
I hear an awful lot of different theories on Arsenal players and Arsene Wenger. One thing that is undeniable to the trained eye, is that this Arsenal team is subject to serious mental deficiency, and is psychologically brittle. The evidence is overwhelming, ranging from the 4-4 draw with Spurs, to the home debacle to Spurs this season and the infamous Liverpool fiasco of this week.
The players tend to bear the brunt of the criticism, however there comes a time when Arsenal fans need to stop blaming individuals for crass stupidity and a patent inability to learn; and start looking at the methodology behind the coaching and continuous selection of these players. Year after year, the names change: whereas one time Silvestre was complained about, it moved to Squillaci being inefficient, to Diaby making braindead decisions, to Denilson’s lackadaisical offerings, or before it was Hleb’s reticence to shoot, and now we hear about Bendtner’s first touch.
The names of the players keep changing, but there has been one constant, common denominator: Arsene Wenger. The ingrained loser’s mentality that is now prevalent in the club has been fostered by Wenger’s culture of over-permissiveness, and the refusal to apportion blame where it is due. I have lost count of the number of times I have seen unacceptable behaviour by an Arsenal player, rewarded by the said player walking straight back into the team. As an example: Abou Diaby’s insanity at St James Park. Had Diaby cost any other big club in the manner he cost Arsenal, be sure that he would have been reprimanded in such a manner that he would have been afraid to ever transgress again.
Instead, imagine my horror to see Diaby booting the ball away completely needlessly at Blackpool, in a match Arsenal were in total control of.
We subsequently found out that it was Robin Van Persie who had to administer some semblance of dressing room discipline to Diaby. We are also informed by Arshavin that, after becoming the first team in history to throw a 4 goal lead at Newcastle, that the manager said ‘nothing’ to the players.
This constant lack of discipline has been encouraged by Wenger, who is only too willing to blame anyone and everything but his own flawed management and methodology.
I honestly fail to see how anyone can present a fact-based case, based on recent evidence, as to how Arsene Wenger can remain as Arsenal manager. He is the figurehead of our malaise. A manager who insists that he would ‘sign up for twenty years’ to second place, has no business calling himself the manager of a club of Arsenal’s standing, and the fans should certainly not encourage such a climate of complacency.
The dwindling amount of AKBs who sit on the fence and claim that: ‘I want Arsene to stay, I just want him to change’ are effectively and unwittingly, providing a vote of no confidence. This is tantamount to a husband claiming that ‘I want to stay with my wife, I just want her to completely change who she is’.
Alternatively, it would be like demanding an entire government cabinet fired, but for the Prime Minister to remain in situ, despite being the central figure of that cabinet.
Arsene Wenger is incapable of change. He has been indulged for far too long, and Arsenal fans now need to ask themselves whether we can allow ourselves to evaluate Arsenal as a ‘big club’ if the whims of one man are now secondary to the greater concerns of the club. Is Wenger bigger than the club? If we are a small club who would implode under the weight of Wenger’s departure, then yes, Arsenal are a small club whose future depends on one individual.
This is clearly a fictitious notion. Arsenal are a big club, who were in possession of ten league titles long before Arsene Wenger had arrived at this club. There are a number of occurences that take place at this club that are in my view, patently unacceptable.
We are (mis)informed that Wenger does an excellent job ‘despite the financial constraints he is under’.
This is not a fact-based argument and appears rather insipid when one considers that Arsenal have a wage bill of over £110 million. Spurs have a reported wage bill of just £67 million. There is a massive financial disparity right there, but this is never mentioned when Wenger’s so-called financial prudence is uttered. The insistence on renewing the contracts of undeserving individuals has created a false economy, and a system that is the polar opposite of a meritocracy. The manager has assured a mediocre group of players that irrespective of performance, they will not be subjected to competition for places as this may ‘kill’ them.
Could you imagine applying such an absurd notion to a real-life working environment?
Wenger’s other faults have little to nothing to do with finances. Coaching a defence to defend set-pieces costs little, and when Alex McLeish is tactically outthinking you in cup finals, you know there is a major issue. Appointing a number 2 to challenge your authority costs very little, yet Jack Wilshere claims that Jens Lehmann at half-time against Blackpool was ‘like an assistant manager’. Oh is that so? Hence, what is Pat Rice?
The most grating problem, and the reason Arsene Wenger in my opinion needs to be thanked and then shown the door, is that the ‘six years no trophies’ is not the main issue. The main issue, is that Arsene Wenger has the resources at his disposal to rectify glaring deficiencies in the team, but Wenger has continued to show a complete disregard for this, and seems more concerned by bringing his pet ‘project’ to fruition. Wenger makes derisory comments about the fans, yet, these people who ‘have not worked even half a day in football’ seemed to know their stuff about Manuel Almunia, about Denilson’s suitability as a holding midfielder and about playing Van Persie (a number 10) as the focal point of an attack without a number 9 to run the line.
Arsene Wenger cannot, and will not change. That is forlorn fantasy. The more Wenger is challenged, the more entrenched he becomes, and this is evidenced by his outrageous comments in press conferences, followed up by the dim-witted Hill-Wood’s ill-advised, crass commentary.
Those that witter on about money fail to note for instance, that Laurent Koscielny cost more than Nemanja Vidic, Vincent Kompany, Patrice Evra and Ivanvic of Chelsea. Yet the lack of tactical attention to detail will show you that upon careful analysis, Laurent Koscielny has for instance, yet to learn that as a defender you simply do not go to ground inside the penalty area. This proves the lack of attention to tactical detail that takes place at Arsenal and this is a managerial issue that has not been rectified.
A further and more grave issue that has disheartened many Arsenal fans is the leadership issue. Again on this notion, Wenger has shown a patent disregard for the fans when he claimed that ‘in England you like to focus on fighting qualities a little too much’. Before extolling the virtues of the ‘collective expression’ they so treasure in France. May I please be reminded at this juncture which country Wenger manages in please?
The leadership issue dovetails nicely with the Cesc Fabregas scenario.
It has become increasingly apparent, through his increasingly vocal and acerbic public outbursts, that Cesc Fabregas is angling for a move away from Arsenal. Fabregas is a superb footballer, who has been badly let down by his manager, who failed to surround him with the requisite quality to make Cesc believe in this team. His desire to leave is understandable. However I, like many, was extremely disappointed with his shenanigans in the Nou Camp prior to the Barca game. Canoudling and giggling with his future team-mates.
The past three Arsenal captains have all presented us with evidence of the lack of foresight that has gone into the Arsenal captaincy. The captaincy of Arsenal is important, it is an honour to be bestowed and not a leverage tool to appease wantaway star players. Arsene Wenger first did this with Patrick Vieira whom, despite being a superb captain and leader, was desperate to leave Arsenal in our Invincible season. Real Madrid made an official bid of £31 million that was turned down after a protracted saga. After a season of going through the motions, visible through Vieira’s body language, he was sold at a knockdown £14 million to Juventus. So the next time someone mentions Wenger’s ‘constrained finances’, any manager willing to lose out £17 million on a transfer, whilst increasing the unhappy player’s contract; cannot be in dire straits.
The Vieira situation is a mirror of the Cesc situation. Now we are hearing the usual howls of some Gooners claiming ‘Sell Cesc for £50 million and use the money to sign such and such’.
As long as Arsene Wenger is in charge, that money will never be used. I am still to this day, waiting with bated breath to see what will happen to the £41 million we received from Manchester City for Kolo Toure and Manu Adebayor.
Arsene Wenger is not doing the Arsenal job out of love and charity. He is remunerated to the tune of £6.5 million per year. He has not won a single trophy in six years and attempts to persuade the world that finishing top four – whilst managing the team with the third/fourth highest wage bill in the league – is an achievement. It is not an achievement. And when a manager is being paid more than Alex Ferguson and Pep Guardiola, you really need to begin to ask yourself what fact-based justification there can be for keeping him in his role. We are often asked by the AKBs ‘who would you replace him with?’
Big clubs do not rely on the strength of one man, they evolve and never fear change. They show adaptability. Better managers than Arsene Wenger, who have won more trophies than him have been moved on from big clubs. At Bayern Munich, Louis Van Gaal came within a whisker of winning the Treble last season, won a domestic double, and Bayern are currently in the Champions League qualification places. Van Gaal was handed his P45 last week for unacceptable performances.
Wenger has been demonstrating four years of unacceptable performances, and not once in this time has he ever demonstrated the humility and grace to apologize to fans of the club for some of these displays. Think back to all the travelling Gooners that went to Old Trafford for the FA Cup in 2008, when he threw the game, fielding a weak team that was hammered 4-0. Think back to Newcastle this season, a new unwanted Premier League record as a 4-0 lead is tossed.
The other oft-pronounced myth about Arsenal’s ‘beautiful football’ is one that needs only slight investigation to disprove as nothing but a subjective theory. Going 360 minutes in the league without a single goal from open play is not ‘beautiful football’. Going to the Nou Camp and producing zero shots on or off target throughout 90 minutes; when even lowly teams like Almeria and Hercules manage this, is quite simply unacceptable (another unwanted record), no matter how good Barcelona are. Beautiful football, as Evra so cruelly and correctly highlighted, is the kind that succeeds and wins trophies; which is the reason Barcelona are rightly lauded as the master exponents of the art.
Next season will be an action replay of this one unless drastic changes are made, and these need to begin at the top. Wenger has done great things for the club in the past but has now morphed into an autocrat, unchallenged upon his throne and this needs to change. Perhaps Ivan Gazidis, whose appointment was comically ratified by Wenger (a bit like a prisoner choosing his own parole officer) , could actually perform duties beyond his spouted ‘Arsenalisation’. The Arsenal board are just as complicit in our lack of success as Wenger is, and this should never be forgotten.
Arsene Wenger can, and should be replaced. He has been given more than sufficient chances. A new manager coming in to this Arsenal squad would have the job of instilling a new mentality, based on a meritocracy, and not who he likes best, or who he sees as the future of French football. There are managers out there: Villas Boas at Porto is young, hungry and served his tutelage under Mourinho.
‘Oh but he is unproven’ I hear the cries.
Is winning the Portuguese league less of an achievement than winning the J-League in Japan then? Besides is ‘the Arsenal way’ not to do with giving youth a chance? Villas Boas is just 34 years of age. The fact that he is unproven strikes an ironic chord, since unproven players seem to be order of the day at Arsenal, and the club has no problem playing and paying a bunch of unproven players.
Failing this, Pep Guardiola leaves Barcelona in 2012. So Wenger can be given his final season to prove that he cannot win the league by making a profit, and Guardiola can take the reins in 2012.
Even Wenger’s signings these days are underwhelming: you have a striker on £80k a week filing his nails on the bench, even when the team are desperately chasing a goal with 20 minutes to go. What does that indicate to you about Chamakh’s quality when the much-maligned Bendtner is consistently trusted ahead of him? The less said about Squillaci the better.
Merci pour les memoires Arsene, but I think it’s time we started seeing other people. Arsene took us to the precipice. Now Arsenal need someone else to actually push the club beyond there.”
@Fred, Wow. A few things that I wanted to mention are listed here. Excellent indeed. I didn’t know that Wenger was paid more than Fergie? If that is true then that is interesting because there was a time that George Graham was higher paid than Fergie. GG, who was still at Arsenal, shared that info with Fergie who then took that to Man it’s board in order to get his salary increased.
@Sachin, Meant Man Utd’s board..
@Fred,
Yeah I read that yesterday as well. Best summarisation I’ve by read so far by a mile.
One word describes this article, “AMEN”.
Now, let the AKB’s challenge this one.
Arsene and the Board really overstepped the line when they started to berate their supporters, without whom, there is no Arsenal. That was the final straw which made me realize how out of touch with reality the Arsenal “Ivory Tower-ites” are.
Will things change this summer? No. Unfortunately, although Kroenke means well, he is not the firebrand type of owner like a George Steinbreener, Mark cuban or John Henry, who are unafraid to stir the pot in order to reach the highest level of excellence. He will try to slowly integrate his ethos in the club and as long as we are financially stable will let things run it’s course.
Remember, Kroenke didn’t choose Arsenal, Arsenal chose him as he represented the current Board’s modus operandi in stark contrast to Usamov..
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