Top of the morning to yall
The topic of today’s blog suggests that there is a problem
at Arsenal. I have tried to convince myself otherwise that there is no problem
but it’s been a little difficult to after seeing my Arsenal these past few
weeks. I can’t even recognize her. Or him. She looked lost, devoid of ideas
upfront, flexibility in the middle and solidity at the back. She looked like a
shadow of her once gracious self and I wonder aloud Oh My Arsenal where have
thy gone!!!
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| Arsene Wenger: has his share of faults in Arsenals' problems |
Arsenal fans have never been as divided at any time in their
126 year history as they are right now. On one side are those that still
believe the manager is the right man for the job. They are quick to point out
that he is the most successive manager in Arsenal’s history and that he has
qualified us for the Champions’ League for 15 consecutive seasons and of course
that unprecedented unbeaten run that's unrivaled in the history of the English
game. They believe that Arsene knows best no matter what is going wrong on the
pitch.
On the other end of the line are those that believe Arsene Wenger’s
time is up. That he has lost his cutting edge and ability to adapt to the
modern game. They are quick to point to Arsenal’s 7 year trophy drought and the
annual sale of our best players, replacing them with players off lesser quality
and their inevitable poor performance on the pitch.
These people see Wenger as the beginning and the end of all
the problems at Arsenal and as such believe that he should be sacrificed at the
altar of the gods of football for trophies to return to Arsenaldom.
The truth in my opinion is that Arsene Wenger is somewhere between
the two sets of fans. While he is not the alpha and omega of the problems at
Arsenal, he definitely holds the key to solving some of the problems at the
club especially the on field ones.
We all know how Arsene likes his team to play, beautiful
free flowing football that's pleasing on the eye. In the past, teams have
played against us especially at the Emirates and tried to stifle our passing
game or park the bus for the entirety of the game. In those games yall would
agree is not a case of lack of chances created but chances finished.
In recent weeks, we have seen an Arsenal team that has found
it difficult to create chances and if chances are not created, what’s there for
the strikers to convert? One notable factor for this is the absence of Abou Diaby
in the Arsenal midfield. After limping off injured in the 19th
minute in the game against Chelsea, Arsenal have been a shadow of themselves. He
often operates as the fulcrum of the midfield driving into the oppositions’
area and linking the defence and attack in expert fashion.
After the Chelsea game, Diaby was pencilled for a return
after the international break 3weeks later but alas we are still waiting for
him to return. It’s not Diaby’s fault that he is always getting injured every
season, I would rather blame Arsene Wenger for putting so much hopes on a player
whose injury record speaks for itself. It worked with van Persie last season
but seems to be going horribly wrong with Diaby this term.
Another problem with the arsenal squad is the lack of
natural leaders on the pitch. Players that hate to lose and would make it sink
into everyone else when the chips are down. We have a squad captain in Tomas Vermaelen
who has made so many mistakes this season and I wonder is this really the
captain of Arsenal football club or some Sunday league football team. The 2
goals against Chelsea, van persie’s goal against Man U, Jefferson Farfan’s goal
in mid-week? It’s appalling!
What makes it worse is that it continues to happen week in
week out and if the manager is doing anything about it, it’s difficult to see.
Arsenal needs players who are not only specialists at what
they do but also natural leaders on the pitch. They hate to lose and they make
sure that trait goes through the whole team. For all of the criticisms thrown
at van Persie, we not only miss his abilities but also his leadership
qualities. I remember one game last season when Gervinho was clean on goal and
van Persie was in a better position to score. The Ivorian chose to shoot at
goal rather than pass and missed the chance and I remember van Persie shouting
at him and the Ivorian mouthed his apologies. Gervinho was to show he learnt
his lessons some weeks later against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge when he was
clean on goal but passed sideways to van Persie to score Arsenal’s first goal
of the game. Those are the qualities we need in a leader and not just someone
that would wear the armband because the FA allows it. DON’T THEY MAKE THEM LIKE
STEVEN GERARD ANYMORE!!!
Another problem with this current squad is that we lack a Plan
B. We are so rigid in our approach to every game that if our passing game doesn't
work, we just keep prodding and prodding till 90minutes is up. Arsenal is one
of 2 teams in the EPL that is yet to score with a header this season. Despite
all the corners we amass every game; we have scored just one of them and one
free kick as well.
In football, all these things are important. The season is
long and hard and we can’t definitely play to our best in all 38league games. It’s
these situations like free kicks, corners that we can earn points despite a
poor performance. I always wonder if the squad ever train for such situations
in a game because if they do, it’s not showing at all on the pitch during
games. Now that's Arsene’s fault as well.
People have always given Wenger stick for not spending big
on players’. Am saying it categorically here that is NOT his fault. You should ask
the board. He has made it clear on numerous occasions that he will like to
spend money IF he is given. He spoke this summer of his desire to sign EdenHazard and already said the same of Neymar. These are two of the biggest
talents in world football at the moment so who says if he is given the green
light he would not “splash the cash” like we all want.
These are my thoughts on the issue and I welcome all my
readers’ opinion as well. If you think Arsene has other faults in his role as
manager, please share in the comments section.
Follow me on twitter @NigerianGunners
That's all for now folks, be back on Monday for another blog.
God bless the Arsenal.
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