It’s horrible to see people who love each other very much fighting. But then, when a relationship is in trouble, sometimes that’s what’s needed. Brutal honesty can be difficult to bear, but from the inevitable conflict that occurrs, a greater mutual understanding can be arrived at, wherefrom problems can be overcome. (I should at this juncture point out that I gained this knowledge almost entirely from watching Sex & The City with my ex, and have thus far been entirely unable to apply it successfully in my own life.)
In the wake of the crushing defeats to Manchester United and Chelsea, the bond between Arsene Wenger and Arsenal fans appears to under considerable strain. Yesterday, at a Q&A between Arsene Wenger and shareholders, it seems to have descended into a full-blown blame-game.
I should point out that I have seen no footage of the event, nor was I there. There is some suggestion that ArsenalTV will screen it tonight, though I am yet to have that confirmed. These quotes are therefore without context, and it’s worth bearing that in mind when perusing my clumsy analysis.
The first bone of contention arose after a supporter questioned the players’ desire. Arsene retorted:
“It is easy to sit in the stand and say that they are not up for the fight. What they have done in this season in a negative environment shows what they can do.”
I would rather suggest that what they did (or failed to do) in the first half of the season went a long way towards engendering that negative environment. He then compared the home fans with the away fans, stating:
“There is a massive difference between the away fans, who are absolutely fantastic, and the home ones. It is always that negative way of thinking, that the players do not care. If we do not get there next year [playing in this style] then I am responsible and will stand up for it. But what this team needs is people who are fans of the club.â€
I am a fan who goes primarily to home games, but I have no doubt when I say that the away fans are (as a rule) more vocal and more supportive. But this is true of every club in the league. I don’t actually think our home fans are hugely more difficult to please than many other sets – look at the way Bolton fans have dogged Gary Megson, despite him doing an admirable job. There are fans who will groan at the first pass that goes astray, but I remain convinced they are in a minority.
That said, the relationship between the fans and the players is as poor as I can remember it. In the space of this season Eboue, Adebayor, and Bendtner have all been booed. Bendtner and Eboue have escaped of late, but that in itself shows how fickle these reactions are. Yesterday a shareholder labelled Silvestre “geriatric”, and Arsene was reputedly more than a little irked. As Goodplaya and I discussed in conversation last night, I suppose the fan who did so would similarly complain about the lack of experience in the squad.
Arsene is keen to take responsibility, and so he should be. But perhaps if he is that keen to protect his players, he needs to give them the tools they need to succeed. And by “tools” I of course mean “additional, better players”.
There are disgruntled fans, but there is a simple way to appease them: trophies. And winning a trophy – the FA Cup, say – does not always come at the price of bankruptcy– sometimes it comes at the price of fielding your strongest XI in the semi-final. I think it is the underlying suspicion that prizes are no longer what motivates Arsene that leads to such frustration. Is this a squad assembled to win plaudits or prizes?
“I believe he was disturbed at the start by a little bit of bad feelings from the fans because he was close to leaving the club and it unsettled him a little bit. And after, he had a big [hamstring] injury [that kept him out for two months from early February]. He looks now in training very, very sharp and back to his best. I don’t want to go especially into any individual assessment of who we want to keep and who not, at the moment, and normally Adebayor is part of our plans for the future.”
It’s not exactly the kind of strong talk he has used when expressing his desire for Robin van Persie and Cesc Fabregas to remain at the club, and if there is interest at around the £20m mark, I expect Adebayor to depart this Summer.
It’s a situation that makes me sad, really. Adebayor came here as a nobody and many fans fell for his boundless energy and fearless determination. I remember several games where we were chasing goals and Adebayor would be running to get the ball and placing it for goalie to take goal-kicks. He was a cult hero of sorts – not the most ability, but all the will in the world.
He is unrecogniseable as a player now – far more reliable in front of goal, but far more casual in style. I firmly believe he is a less effective player for it. In his former guise, he was the ideal foil for a goalscorer – I once hoped he’d prove to be the Heskey to Eduardo’s Owen. Now, he acts the goalscorer himself, casually strolling about and waiting for an opportunity to come. It does not make the most of his natural gifts, and it does not suit our team. And, in terms of attitude, it’s just not on.
Arsene and Arsenal made him the player he was last season, when he terrorised defences and banged in thirty goals. And then he got a fat contract and sat back on his laurels. Maybe it’s because he knows he’s earning as much as he possibly can and no longer has the drive to improve. Maybe it’s because he feels he can’t win anything in this Arsenal side and lacks motivation. Maybe he really is just lazy. Whatever it is, it’s not good enough. I’d rather have the Adebayor we had in his first season – the one who missed two open goals at Portsmouth but covered huge expanses of ground – than his current incarnation: the supposed African Footballer of the Year and £30m superstar.
Amidst all the bickering, there was some fantastic news yesterday: Tomas Rosicky has returned to full training. In many ways, the real test begins now, as we find out if he can cope with a heavier schedule. All things being well (which, admittedly, seems unlikely), he could be on course to return to playing action in pre-season.
This blog has exhausted me a little. Arguments are like that, I suppose. I hope in the cold light of day Arsene and the fans can look each other in the eye and agree that we all just want the best for the club. There is plenty of work to be done in the coming months and years, and I still believe Arsene is the right man to oversee that. And for all his seemingly negative comments about those who fill the Emirates Stadium week-in week-out, it’s worth remembering to whom Arsene felt he owed the greatest apology after our Champions League exit: the fans.
This year has been a failure of sorts, but next year does not have to be. In 2007/08, Arsene’s Arsenal showed serious potential. We mounted a serious title challenge, in a year when nobody expected it. We had, it’s worth pointing out, just finished fourth and sold our star striker.
Let’s believe it can happen again – otherwise, really, what is the point?
The man who writes Goodplaya.com is undoubtedly wise. At the bottom of the article that link will transport you to, should you have the courage to click it, he says this:
“He is not closed-minded. The idea that Arsène Wenger is some stubborn guy who is not open to having his ideas challenged and there is nobody there who can say ‘listen we need someone with experience in the middle of the park or at the back’ just isn’t true.
“He is asking questions of himself all the time and talking to people all the time. He does not believe he has all the answers and I see that as one of his strengths.â€
The mischievous could almost interpret that as a challenge. I hope it was.
Goodplaya’s hope has somehow transformed into a near certainty in my mind: in raising these issues in a public forum, Gazidis is applying pressure to Arsene to show that he is a big enough man to correct his own mistakes. Admittedly it’s just speculation, but it makes a degree of sense. And when was the last time there was a voice from above Arsene applying any kind of pressure at all? When was the last time someone from the board talked about the vaguest possibility of needing “someone with experience in the middle of the park or at the back”? Gazidis has impressed me immensely since his arrival, and I’m hoping his first Summer at the club will be indicative of the influence he is beginning to wield.
Arsene will today receive a more direct grilling from the club’s shareholders. Obviously I’m sure there’ll be some fascinating dialogue, so I’ll do my best to get hold of that as soon as possible. Do get in touch if you’re one of the men wiring Arsene up to the polygraph.
Debate continues to rage (well, not ‘rage’, but certainly gently swash about a bit) over whether or not Theo Walcott ought to travel to the European Under-21 Championships with England. Whilst the sensible thing from our perspective is probably to give him a rest, I’m sure Theo himself is eager to play – and it could prove beneficial. After a three month absence he looks fairly fresh and not in need of a huge Summer break, and a successful tournament could provide a real launching pad into next season. My hunch is that he will go.
Those who follow me on twitter might have heard this clip as a preview of today’s blog content:
For those who’ve yet to see the blue-ming thing, here it be:
Of course opinion will be divided, but I have to say I’m not enamoured with it – particularly the dodgy collar and pinstripe. Sure, it’s not in the same league as the dreaded ‘wh*te kit’ of a few years back, but it’s a hell of a drop off from this year’s fantastic ’89-esque shirt.
All I can ask is: why blue? Blue is a colour that has ancient associations with sadness, stemming from the idea in Greek mythology that the blue of the rain signified the tears of Zeus. It’s raining where I am today. Presumably because Zeus is crying about this rubbish kit.
There’ve been some midweek stirrings in the Arsenal press office, principally to deny the somewhat malicious rumour about Pat Rice retiring. After beginning as idle speculation on a few blogs, the story made it as far as The Times, who really ought to know better. The problem with the story is that it is borne principally out of the incorrect belief that Pat Rice doesn’t really do anything, and that even if he did Arsene would be unwilling to listen. CEO Ivan Gazidis’ comments in a recent meeting with the AST were clearly intended to dispell that myth:
“The idea that Arsène Wenger is some stubborn guy who is not open to having his ideas challenged and there is nobody there who can say ‘listen we need someone with experience in the middle of the park or at the back’ just isn’t true.
He is asking questions of himself all the time and talking to people all the time. He does not believe he has all the answers and I see that as one of his strengths. ‘He is not someone who takes the easy route to protect himself. He will place the protection of his players above that.
He is not going to go out and say ‘this guy is not good enough’ or ‘this is where we are weak’. He has the ability to make difficult decisions when they have to be made, but until then, he protects and supports the players he has.”
Pat Rice is going nowhere. He loves the club and remains an integral member of the coaching staff, as well as being an important link with the club’s history.
Should Manchester United avoid defeat at Wigan tonight, they could clinch the Premier League title against us on Saturday. Were that the case, it ought to motivate our squad to spoil the party – though it’s hard to know what motivates this current bunch.
After the immediate success of Andrey Arshavin’s move to the Emirates Stadium, it was inevitable that the media would be swamped with the stories of other Russians keen to bathe in English football’s milder climes.
With our own Soviet Superstar struggling to come to terms with his left-sided role, it’s no surprise that he’s been asked by the Russian media about the possibility of Arsenal making a swoop for Arshavin’s international colleague and CSKA winger Yuri Zhirkov:
“Yes, I know Yuri well. But the problem is would he like to move to Arsenal?â€
Zhirkov, nicknamed ‘The Russian Ronaldinho’, excelled in the European Championships as a left-back, but is more suited to an attacking role. He’d undoubtedly be a good addition , though I suspect defensive reinforcements will take precedence.
Pavel Pogrebnyak, meanwhile, played alongside Arshavin for Zenit St. Petersburg. He was close to joining Blackburn in January as a replacement for Roque Santa Cruz, and is now being linked with a move to North London:
“It is the first time I’ve heard about Arsenal’s interest, but, of course, I’m pleased that the club is interested in me. I think that for any player to get the opportunity to work with Arsene Wenger would be a big step forward.â€
If the first he’s heard about Arsenal’s interest is a question being asked about Arsenal’s interest by a hack fabricating a story about Arsenal’s interest, then it’s probably fair to assume that Arsenal’s interest, like The Tooth Fairy, The American Dream, and Brad Pitt’s character in Fight Club, isn’t real.
Elsewhere, Kolo Toure has declared himself “in love†with Arsenal and eager to sign a new contract – something I’d fully support. Toure might’ve lost a yard of pace, but he’s still one of the few players you can rely on to give his absolute best.
Right, that’s all that’s going on, really. The club appears to have entered a brief mourning period after a traumatic week. Hopefully we’ll get over it/ourselves in time for Saturday’s renewal of hostilities at Old Trafford.
Arsenal 1 – 4 Chelsea (Alex 28, Anelka 39, Toure og 49, Bendtner 70, Malouda 86) Highlights here; Arsene’s reaction here
Before yesterday’s game, not only had we we twenty-one Premiership games unbeaten, but we had also managed not to concede a league goal since Robbie Keane scored for Liverpool on the 21st December.
It’s a good job we had , too. Without the impressive run we had between January and May, we might well have failed to pick up the invaluable fourth position, regardless of Aston Villa’s capitulation. Yesterday’s crushing defeat, much like our exit from the Champions League, was a timely reminder of the flaws that run managed to paper over. Take away a couple of defensive stalwarts, like Gallas and Almunia, and we’re defensively shambolic.
There some very generalised problems – we lack physical power and leadership, for example – but there are more specific issues too. Despite Song’s improvement in the tackle and on the ball, our back four still look terribly exposed – he doesn’t yet share Gilberto’s sense for sniffing out danger, or Flamini’s capacity to seemingly be everywhere at once. Central defence, meanwhile, is imbalanced and understocked.
With all that said, Chelsea would not have been able to grab the goals they did had we taken some of our early chances. The fact we didn’t meant that after they scored their opener from a set piece, they were able to sit back and catch us on the counter, following the route Manchester United used so effectively in midweek.
And yet it did all start so well. After their varying midweek misdemeanours, Adebayor and Bendtner were dropped, with Robin van Persie upfront alone. Abou Diaby came into the midfield, whilst Silvestre and Fabianski replaced Djourou and the injured Almunia.
In the opening twenty minutes, we were first to everything. The crowd roared their approval as we zipped the ball about delightfully, and Theo Walcott should probably have done better with several half-chances. He also provided a low cross that Abou Diaby ought to have converted – even in a first-half in which our midfield were dominant, Diaby managed to play poorly. He turns 23 today, and I have serious doubts about his capacity to mature into the player Arsene plainly believes he will be.
And then Chelsea pulled a goal-shaped rabbit out of their deep blue hat, and we were behind. Cesc Fabregas tripped Didier Drogba and then got foolishly booked for suggesting the Ivorian dived, before the striker dusted himself off and clipped a ball into the box which Alex met a header that gave Fabianski no chance.
Silence fell, as the players visibly reeled from yet another game in which they’d conceded against the run of play. And then, all of a sudden, just as against United, it was two. And what could be more painful that a screamer by Cristiano Ronaldo? Why, a screamer by Nicolas Anelka, of course. The Frenchman was allowed to turn in midfield by Samir Nasri, and the back four decided to back off. That gave Anelka space to shoot, and he punished us for our negligence with a swerving strike that Fabianski would possibly had saved had he been better positioned.
Their next two goals were, from our perspective, even worse. First Ashley Cole got in behind Sagna, untracked by Walcott, and his cross was turned into his own net by Kolo Toure. However, had Fabianski been stood in goal, he would have caught Toure’s tame toe-poke. As it was, he was heading off towards the corner flag. I have literally no idea what he intended.
There was a fourth. I can’t tell you very much about it, because as soon as the ball dropped to Florent Malouda I closed my eyes in horror.
In between the third and the fourth sub Nicklas Bendtner powered home an impressive headed consolation, but it was little more than that. There were more embarrassing moments when Emmanuel Adebayor, booed as he entered the field was play, dived twice.
Our defensive frailty saw us thrashed at home by Chelsea, in a week where we were also thumped at our own ground by Manchester United. Painful.
In the last few weeks we’ve faced Liverpool away, United home and away, and Chelsea at home. We’ve now lost all but one of those encounters, and that was only because of one man: Andrey Arshavin – sorely missed yesterday. It could yet get worse, with the possibility that failing to win at Old Trafford next week will see Man United crowned Champions.
Asked on the BBC last night about where Arsene might look to strengthen in the Summer, he advised Johnathan Pearce to “take a look at our goal differenceâ€. 36 goals conceded in 36 games does not make pretty reading.
Our hopes of coming third and now over, and thoughts will now inevitably turn to next season. There are so many questions to answer as regards the future of this team, and we may not get some of those responses until the 1st September.
It’s been a horrible week, but one that has served a timely reminder of the deficiencies that forced this side to go on a twenty-one game unbeaten streak in order to finish fourth. Arsene said yesterday:
“As long as we finish in the top four and get to the last four of the Champions League, that is not too bad.”
