An Arsenal Nightmare with Plenty of Blame for Everyone

Did you hear the sky had fallen? Maybe you had heard the world had ended? No? Then you were one of the lucky Gooners that weren’t on social media after our humiliating loss to Liverpool.

Let’s make no qualms about it – it was a humiliating defeat and no one should be happy with it. From the moment the first goal went in, Arsenal were punch drunk. Staggering around like someone on the end of a Mike Tyson haymaker – by the time we found our feet the match was essentially over.

Prior to the match, we talked about how Arsenal’s greatest weapons in was its bench, its defense and midfield. None of them mattered and none of them were effective in any way shape or form.

The fundamental problem I had in the wake of the loss was the gross overreaction many had. Now before anyone reads that with disdain allow me to clarify – every Gooner should be upset at the loss. It’s a sign of the raised expectations our form has brought about this season. For a team that looked so consistent this was anything but typical. It was abject.

Typical to any time something goes wrong we look for someone to blame. In the case of this match, the three key figures were Arsene Wenger, Mesut Özil, and Olivier Giroud. The problem is that there are some fundamental truths we didn’t want to accept or even acknowledge:

1. It’s okay to accept that Liverpool were the better side on the day. They were hungrier and fought as if their lives depended on it. They were at home and a season of promise has been good but it has also had its moments of questioning. They came out from the get-go and went hard and fast and deserved the win for their effort.
2. EVERYONE associated with the club on that day except Szczesny was to blame for that loss. Wenger got it wrong (in my opinion) in having Monreal at the back against the speed Liverpool had up top. Gibbs may not have stemmed the loss but he would’ve likely been better suited to handle Liverpool’s attack. Additionally, not one player made a substantial contribution that would’ve begged the others to follow. I was particularly perturbed with Jack Wilshere’s growing adolescent rolling on the ground after a tackle, rather than jumping back into play.
3. If the ref had any issues it was missing the offsides on Skrtel for the first goal. That goal killed Arsenal. But the ref can’t be blamed for the team’s failure to respond.

Yes, Mesut Özil wasn’t effective against Liverpool but to single him out as the reason for our loss,  ignores the fact that for most of the time he had three men pressing trying to cancel him out. That’s called respect for what Özil can bring to a match. It’s been common practice by the bigger teams to negate his presence. When that happens its requisite that others step up, sadly no one did.

Has Özil been worth the 42m spent on him? It is the question people ask. I would have to say yes. For a couple of reasons – he’s still performing better than other big names in his position throughout Europe and people need to realize the kind of game he plays and what he offers. I think people expected that for the cost of the player that he would dominate play or take a match by the scruff of its neck and drag the team screaming with him. That’s not his play. I still feel there is more to come as he acclimates to the league and learns his opposition. Özil is going to give moments of sublime creativity in finding the right pass at the right moment to hit the running player. The problem for him is he isn’t and it creates an illusion (in my opinion) of ineffectiveness. If, there were more people making runs through gaps, like Walcott was prone to do, I firmly believe we’d be singing a different song about Özil. As it is, without the guile of Walcott or at a minimum ANY players making those kinds of runs – he is seen as not effective. Still he is worth every cent of the money that was spent to get him. If for any reason that had we not gotten him and learned of our trying to sign him, people would be crying that Arsenal simply did not do enough to get one of Europe’s finest midfield talents.

As for Olivier Giroud, I openly admit that another option to Giroud is needed. A more dynamic and mobile presence is needed to stretch out defenses in a way that the stronger Giroud doesn’t do. However, Giroud alone was not to blame for this loss. Sure, he could’ve buried that chance he had when it was 1-0 but he didn’t and there was no guarantee that even if he had taken it, it would’ve gone in.

Giroud it was claimed went missing. Well, so did 9 other players.  Giroud is fantastic holding up play and bringing in other players but when players aren’t near him to feed off of this then how much of it is his fault? I shouted on Saturday for our midfield to close the gap between themselves and Giroud to take advantage of this but it never really occurred. Not until it was too late and Liverpool were intent to sit back.

Wenger, as manager he will always bear the brunt of the criticism. That’s part of the job. And yes, he shouldn’t avoid criticism. He had it wrong both in set up of the team and not being flexible enough to make changes when the game clearly warranted it early on.

Blaming the loss on the fact that Wenger didn’t buy Julian Draxler or a striker in January may be the most absurb criticism I heard on Saturday. The primary rationalization was that the signing would’ve lifted morale. Excuse me while I laugh. First, I’ve never been one to believe that Özil’s signing was the catalyst for our jolt to the top. The evidence clearly shows that the team staying together without any significant changes and feeding off that continuity and faith by the manager was the real reason. With the exception of Flamini and Özil this was the same squad that had the best Premier League record to close out the 2012/2013 season.

If these handsomely paid, professional players need a signing to boost morale I worry about the mentality of players in general.  Additionally, at the time of the match Arsenal were top of the table by 2 points. They could’ve been five points clear (even for a short time) had they won. How they hell can they not have morale or be pepped up for that game?

No, signing someone is not the reason we lost but it was an apt enough hammer for the anti-Wenger brigade to flog the manager yet again.

Before I leave that point, I need to mention before I am told I am a Wenger-sycophant – that if I see a point that Wenger needs to be criticized on, I will do it. I have always tried to approach this blog with balance. I wear my Arsenal heart on my sleeve but I just am not prone to gross over reactions.

So where do we go? In every test this season Arsenal have managed to turn things around. After losing to Villa, Arsenal went on an impressive run that was halted by ManU and RvP’s shoulder. After that they navigated their tricky fixtures and the loss to City with capturing points in all their subsequent matches. They even made the Emirates a fortress where they have yet to concede a goal in their last 5 matches (in all comps.)

They face another stern test as Manchester United come in. If there is a fan base more angry than Arsenal supporters this week its United fans. United are going to need to make a statement as are Arsenal. United are gettable and Arsenal have the team to do it. The question is do they have the heart and mentality to come back from this and get back to winning? I think they do. But it’s not me that matters, it’s them.

Look, be angry and upset we lost. It comes with new expectations. As Arsenal drove to the top we began to hope and believe that our barren years were over and we rolling over in that manner on Saturday rightly raises some questions again.  They need to answer them.