IN THE SPACE OF a week, the Gunners have gone from livewire 21.0 shots for the Premier League title to unconsidered 75.0 rags at the betting office. A 2-1 loss at Old Trafford, where old boy Robin van Persie was the architect of their downfall, began this seismic shift in odds. Not only were Arsenal outplayed, they were simply outclassed. Emmanuel Mpambi examines the likely causes.
A “winter of discontent” from Arsenal fans greeted the appointment of Arsene Wenger in October 1996 as a new manager for the club. Equally, the same discontent is again reverberating in the corridors of Emirates Stadium signalling the disapproval of Wenger’s rein in the winter of 2012.
Having witnessed ill equipped, less talented and badly remunerated Arsenal of the 1980s and 90s, one wonders how that team managed to grind results from overly talented teams like Nottingham Forests, Manchester United and Spurs in that era. It’s a tired argument now how some football pundits have continuously blamed Arsenal’s 7-year trophy drought on the team being set on a nucleus of mediocre foreign players with no local loyalty.
This reasoning, in fact tends to expand to the entire league. That the Premiership is built around the English passion for the game, which cannot be paralleled anywhere else in the world, in spite of the fact that the English talent at the moment is rather questionable.
This case is of course misplaced. Looking at the teams that are around Arsenal – by the current table standings – there are only about five English first teamers.
Motivation
The real issue with the current crop of Arsenal lies in a crisis of motivation.
Arsenal players look jaded even before the game even starts. For a perfect example, look no further than the Brazilian left back, Andre Santos.
In fact, Santos seems to care less about the pride of Arsenal shirt hence his attempt to get rid of it during Manchester United game at half time. I wonder what would have happened if he was in the same team with Martin Keown and co of the 1990s and early 2000s.
Although I loathe singling out players, I can understand the frustrations of most fans. A look at the social media, you will see how the likes of Aaron Ramsey, Gervinho and Per Mertesacker have had to bear the brunt of thousands of insults.
What fans want to see is more zeal, more passion and grit. With this lot, you just can’t see that love for the shirt. Where is the agony that comes with losing? Where is the feeling that gushes through veins when hearing fans singing one’s name as they jostle to find their way into Arsenal tube station? It is just not evident.
Wenger the architect of success and destruction
I believe the buck stops with Wenger and he appears oblivious of the current crisis. Has the Professor become so daft that he cannot see how he is gradually becoming a master of his own destruction?
Yesterday’s draw against Fulham when a win was easier, was another low point. It all adds up to the Gunners’ worst start to a top-flight campaign under Wenger – 16 points from 11 games, their lowest total in nearly 20 years.
The Frenchman, of course, has worked wonders during his long London tenure. Not only has he balanced the books and enhanced the club’s finances (which facilitated a smooth transition from Highbury to the Emirates), but he has also brought unprecedented success with Arsenal’s 11 individual team honours since 1996. Trouble is that those former glories are now stacked high on the shelf of memory (his last league title came in 2004), inaccessible and irrelevant to his team’s current players and their combined plight.
What is really in store for Arsenal’s future?
Rosy ledger books showing year on year profits can no longer appease the anger that is brewing beneath that cesspool of frustration from the fans. It won’t be long before Wenger‘s stubbornness is challenged.
Fans cannot be taken for ride for another season. Arsene Wenger and the club’s board should pay attention to discontent that is surrounding the club. We want to see the club buying more big names (M’Villa, Cavani, Fellaini have been mentioned recently), keeping our current stars such as Theo Walcott, and ship out the deadwood (Santos, Chamakh, Arshavin and others.)
Words by: @IKunta find more at thepeopleshub.com
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Have you just mentioned Arshavin and Chamarck as deadwood? C’mon!
Santos is the only deadwood there.He need to be sold.
When I read through you post, I started to think that you understood what the problem is at Arsenal. You ruined it in the end.
First of all, not singing or selling a player is not the problem.Our system at Arsenal is.
Next,Wallcot is not a star!