Another Arsenal/Wenger thread

[Jon 0]

Arsene's softies

Self-confessed Gunners fan James Dall ponders whether Arsenal's meet with Man United could shape their season

 

Back in the summer, I penned Arsenal's preview for the 2008/09 campaign. Irked by media predictions of a disappointing season, I leapt to Arsene Wenger's defence and forecast glory days were just around the corner.

 

However, 11 games into the new term and Wenger is staring at the most testing period of his 12 years at the helm. For the first time, the professor's policies are being strongly called into question and, if truth be told, he has not of late helped his own cause.

 

In 1996, Arsenal unveiled a French visionary. He was their own Barack Obama. Three Premier League titles and four FA Cup trophies banished initial question marks over his largely unheard-of reputation. Indeed, his success rightly allowed the overlooking of the flaw; an inability to be magnanimous in defeat is rarely flagged up when you spend most of your time winning.

 

But the persistence of his most recent ideal is in danger of pulling away at the seams of his reputation. Wenger has been forced to re-stitch his side over the years - a titanic task for even the most experienced of seamstress. Le Boss chose to use his extensive scouting network to acquire the best young talent around with great success.

 

Golden boys - Cesc Fabregas, for example - emerged and football lovers purred at some of the pass-and-move play on display. But football is a results business, and three years without silverware brings its own problems.

 

Last term, however, there was tangible evidence that Wenger was close to getting it right. Late capitulation aside, it was a very promising season at Emirates Stadium. To lose just three league games all campaign and finish four points behind an exceptionally strong Manchester United team was proof of progression.

 

Progression is what any fan demands, prompting my pre-season prediction trophies were around the corner. But Arsenal appear to have taken an Emmanuel Adebayor-sized step backwards.

 

Regression

After just 11 games, the Gunners have already lost the same number of matches they did in the entirety of the last campaign. In 2007/08, their defeats came away from home against Middlesbrough, Chelsea and United. This term, falling against Fulham, Hull City and Stoke City screams regression.

 

Couple the most recent failure at the Britannia Stadium with Wenger's embarrassing accusations, and those who follow the North London outfit are left decidedly dumbfounded at the self-laid egg splattered on monsieur's face. The catalogue of excuses for his players' lack of bite is growing monotonous.

 

It offers the question of whether his nurtured charges know where the blame resides? Has the avoidance of blame become embedded in their genes? The weakest of displays at Stoke was indefensible. Where's the Martin Keown of the side today? The current side now appear more soft-centred.

 

The problem resides in a stubbornness from Wenger. His refusal to address the team's weaknesses (fragility in the air and Mathieu Flamini's departure) has cost him far more than money. He now faces a clich�©d 'make or break' clash against the Red Devils, where defeat, in all probability and honesty, is likely to end their quest for the title.

 

Wenger craves to take football to the next level, to make it a work of art. Most football fans visit galleries if they fancy a little culture; football is about glory, not art.

 

It is doubtful that a draw would even be enough to give true belief that the crown is a reality. Three points, ahead of a very tricky run of league November outings (Aston Villa, Manchester City and Chelsea), is a necessity if Wenger absolutely views his current troops as the best he has worked with. On an aesthetic level, probably yes. But in terms of medals, most are unconvinced.

 

Crazy, snap-judgement folk have gone as far as to more than murmur that now is the time to part company with the Frenchman. But for whom? Sam Allardyce? Juande Ramos? Sarah Palin? Such a move would surely be madness.

 

For now, Wenger must focus on his own squad - not the so-called intent of his opponents - with the January transfer window around the corner. Football has a powerful pull over emotions where a single result can flip a feeling on its head, serving as a wonderful antidote for repression and for the true die-hard - depression. And victory over Premier League champions Manchester United could do just that.

 

Worries for Wenger

Merse tipping United to take points from tired Arsenal

 

This is a big day for Arsenal because if they lose this it's completely and utterly over for them in the title race.

 

To be honest, I think it is already because they've lost too many games to lesser teams already this season. That means they need to start doing doubles over the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea, which is obviously going to be tough.

 

Personally I think a draw will be no good for them. They may only be six points behind, but they haven't played any of the big boys yet. When the fixtures came out at the start of the season I couldn't believe how kind the first 10 games were for Arsenal. They should have been running away at the top, but they're nowhere near. In fact they're already behind all of the big boys because they've dropped points against Hull, Stoke, Fulham and Sunderland - all sides who might finish in the bottom half.

 

It seems they haven't got the squad to live with the big boys. As we've seen year in, year out, it only takes one or two big players to be missing and Arsenal don't look half as good.

 

Despite the clean sheet on Wednesday I still don't think they're strong enough at the back and in the second half they didn't create a single clear-cut chance. I can't remember a 45 minutes like it from Arsenal. Usually when they draw 0-0 at the Emirates you're left scratching your head as to how they didn't get six or seven but that wasn't the case against Fenerbahce. They played some really great football in the first half, but the second half was some of the worst I've seen from them for ages.

 

Tired

Arsene Wenger says his team look tired. Well footballers get tired very quickly when they're not winning. I've been there myself; if you're winning games every week you never feel jaded.

 

There was a lot of booing on Wednesday and Arsene Wenger doesn't need that. Don't get me wrong, he has done a great job, but I don't know how long he will carry on with the boos. The days of 'The Invincibles' are long gone and he definitely needs to win something this year. I've said it before, every neutral loves Arsenal - but that's only because they don't win anything. Man United play great football too but nobody likes them because they win all the time.

 

That's the case again this year and you can safely say that whoever finishes above United will win the league. They're making chances, the front players are looking strong and the back four is as good as any in the world.

 

Just compare that to Arsenal's back four. One of their starting line-up could be Mikael Silvestre, a player who was a million miles away from getting in United's team. That's how big the gap is between these two sides now and that's why I think United will have no fear going to play Arsenal.

 

In days gone by, half the Arsenal team would be able to get in the United team, but that's not the case this Saturday. Cesc Fabregas would get in, but I don't know who else would. I wouldn't swap the goalkeeper and I wouldn't swap Vidic and Ferdinand. I'm big fans of Van Persie, Adebayor and Walcott but would they get in ahead of Rooney, Berbatov and Ronaldo? Not really.

 

I think Man United will be going there looking to win, not just looking to come away with a draw. Arsenal looked nervous at times on Wednesday and if they don't score first then United could pick them off and score two or three goals.

 

PAUL'S PREDICTION

Arsenal won't win - I simply can't see Arsenal winning. If Arsenal score first it will be 1-1, but if Man United score first I can see it being 2-0 or 3-0 as they pick Arsenal off when they attack.

 

MERSON'S MAGIC MAN

Arsenal's central defenders - With the injury situation, we don't know who will be playing centre-half for Arsenal but whoever it is will have to play extremely well to keep Rooney and Berbatov quiet.

 

Before anyone says, it's not meant as just another thread by me having a go at Wenger but merely points I found interesting to read from an Arsenal fan and an Arsenal legend......

[Jon 0]

A week is a long time in politics and football.

 

In terms of results, Arsenal have had a bad seven days. They collapsed against Tottenham, they had a very poor result at Stoke and then against Fenerbahce they drew a blank at the Emirates Stadium for the first time this season.

 

It's been a tough week for Arsene Wenger, but all great sides have tough weeks and the key to being a great side is being able to come back from that. I know they could be depleted for the Manchester United game on Saturday but they've got to dig deep and make sure they don't get too detached from the league's leaders. If they can do that they'll be okay because they're still a very good side.

 

Make no mistake, this team is capable of winning a trophy this season. I don't think anybody would argue that they can't win the FA Cup or the Champions League because on their day they can beat anybody.

 

As for the Premier League, I'm not so sure. Consistency is a key component of any title-winning side and that's the one area where I would question Arsene. Has he got his team consistent enough right now? I think he probably hasn't.

 

I feel that lack of consistency is down to the fact they've had a lot of problems with injuries and the team has never been settled. People keep telling me the inconsistency stems from Arsenal's inexperience and their supposed reliance on young players, but I simply don't accept that argument.

 

If you go through Arsenal's side then Manuel Almunia is 31, William Gallas is 31, Mikael Silvestre is 31 and Kolo Toure is 27 - all footballers who've played at a high level for a long time. Cesc Fabregas may only be 21 but he's a very experienced player, the same with Robin van Persie and Emmanuel Adebayor. Yes, Arsenal have a young team, but too much is made of their ages because despite their youth they've been given the chance to gain experience.

 

Rounded

Rather than that, I think their inconsistency is down to the fact they play the game a certain way and sometimes if it doesn't go right then they have a problem.

 

People talk about the need to have a 'Plan B' but what is that? I don't know what team has a 'Plan B' - most teams just play the way they play. To a lot of people, 'Plan B' means putting a big man up front and whacking it up to him - and Arsenal have that in Adebayor. They can go more direct than they have in the past when he's in the side. In fact, they are a more rounded team than they've ever been and they score more goals from headers now.

 

I thought they'd cracked it last year when they finished only four points behind Manchester United and I thought they'd move forward this year - and they still might. There is nothing wrong with Arsenal that a win over Manchester United wouldn't put right.

 

I don't see them having many more days like they did against Tottenham and Stoke, while Fenerbahce were always going to be difficult to break down at the Emirates after letting Arsenal score five past them two weeks earlier. Those were difficult games for them and they now have a big question to answer at the weekend. Can they respond by beating Manchester United?

 

They certainly can't afford to be beaten in that game. If they lose and Chelsea and Liverpool both win then they would be nine points off the top and I think that's too much to make up - on Chelsea in particular.

 

A draw won't be the end of the world for them, but they'll be looking to win the game. After what has gone on this week, a defeat would almost certainly be too much for them to bounce back from.

 

 

Complain

Arsene Wenger has been quoted saying Stoke were deliberately trying to injure his players last weekend. What I would say is the more Arsene complains, the more teams like Stoke - physical teams near the bottom of the league - are going to try to mess them about.

 

He has got to understand that this is the way of the league. Teams like Stoke are not going to stand back and say: 'On you go Arsenal, weave your pretty patterns and embarrass us.' That's not going to happen.

 

Arsene has to get on with the job and accept that to win this league you have to be able to cope with the abilities of a Manchester United, Chelsea or Liverpool one week and the spirit and physical presence of a Stoke or a Bolton the week after. That's the test the Premier League provides you with.

 

I suspect his comments will have a lot to do with trying to deflect the pressure away from his team and the flak that has been coming his way. There is some repair work to be done with Arsenal's confidence after the week they've had.

 

I noticed after the Stoke game that for the first time in 12 years there was a lot of phone calls coming in to certain radio stations questioning Arsene Wenger. For four years now they haven't won a trophy of any kind and that's not good enough for Arsenal. Arsene will know that and he cannot keep promising that the next generation is going to be the one.

 

He has to be able to bring players through while still winning trophies. Look at how many times Manchester United's team has evolved in the last 15 years. They've had three or four teams in that time but they've continued to win silverware.

 

That's why I think people are starting to question Arsene. They'll be saying that if Fergie can do it, why can't he? It's not an easy thing to do, but Arsene knows that very shortly he absolutely has to provide his club with a trophy.

 

 

Talent

I have no doubt that this Arsenal team can do that. Maybe not the league, but they can certainly win a cup competition because the talent and ability is there, if not the consistency.

 

Some people are suggesting they may not finish in the top four this year but people said that before last season and they almost ended up as champions. Some day one of the Big Four will fall out of the Champions League places but I don't think anybody will overtake them just yet.

 

The only team that's threatening at the moment is Aston Villa and I just don't think they are ready to do it this season. I can't see Hull finishing above Arsenal and they already have a five-point gap over the rest. I don't see that closing sufficiently, so I would be surprised if Arsenal aren't in the top four next May.

 

As I said earlier, there is not a lot wrong with Arsenal that a win over Manchester United wouldn't put right. That won't be easy, especially without some of their big players, but this is a big, big weekend for Arsenal and one where they must answer the questions that are being asked of them.

 

I like Andy Gray and thought this was a balanced opinion.....