If you’re a frequent surfer of this website, you’d know I have a uniform structure for most of the headings of my match reports. Generally, I tend to write the scoreline and add a word or a phrase that summed up the match, to describe it.
Except, what word (or group of words) could I have used here, that I haven’t before? Can’t use ‘disgraceful’, for I did that when we lost 3-2 to Manchester United. Can’t use ‘farce‘, as I did that when we lost to Swansea last season. Indeed, the whole practice of looking for newer adjectives to describe the same old has become so numbskullingly repetitive that I’ve even included ‘same old’ before.
‘What’s new?’ Indeed, what is new? We haven’t not had traumatic results as such before. We haven’t even not had them against Swansea before. The manner of the loss, well. Quality players like Alexis Sanchez and Olivier Giroud hitting the frame thrice? How unheard of, eh?
As always, it didn’t have to be like this, especially because we started so well – possibly our best start in months. We bossed possession, moved the ball well and scored a beautiful goal. In hindsight, it’s obvious that not capitalizing on that spell was failure. It was failure, but was it really a shocking one?
As per script, Swansea made us pay. Per Mertesacker bafflingly watched on as Wayne Routledge get behind him and slotted the ball past Petr Cech. They then laid back and hoped for us to play our part in the script – i.e. hopelessly employ Wengerball and try to get past a defence only too capable to stop it. We didn’t disappoint.
You just knew Arsenal were going to concede. And you just knew that when we did, we wouldn’t get back on the horse. Why on earth would we? We’re too nice. Aaron Ramsey flirted with booting the ball out of play when some Swansea player fabricated an injury. For their first goal, Swansea didn’t seem to care when Mesut Ozil claimed an infringement. They moved the ball quickly and scored.
Even on the off-chance we turn up on the right day with the right mentality, we have the added obstacle of defeating our own manager. Arsene Wenger seems to be adding obstacles to Arsenal’s victory than removing them. Out of sheer OCD or pre-plannedness, he took off Joel Campbell for Danny Welbeck. How did that substitution make send is beyond me, but then again, Wenger is beyond sense.
Work one day in football or one thousand, either way anyone would say that substitution blunted us in attack further. Alexis wasn’t having one of his best days (by far), but I’d still prefer an out-of-form Sanchez than an out-of-form Theo Walcott. Theo made absolutely no difference to the game, as is his status quo.
Those farcical substitutions compounded by that farcical a result, and Wenger has the ego to sarcastically thumbs-up the fans? What has he even done to deserve the condescension? Ten years ago one could grant him an angry press conference, or an irate demeanour. Today? After leading his team into failure when succeeding was actually easier?
And before we start blaming players, let’s not forget these are players who have won laurels for their previous teams. Alexis has won the La Liga, Ozil the World Cup, Giroud the Ligue 1, Cech has won practically everything. Isn’t it too suspicious a coincidence that all of them (except Ozil, in fairness) seem to lose that extra mile at Arsenal?
Every footballer wants to win trophies. Unless it’s Cristiano Ronaldo who didn’t get the chance to score the winning penalty, they don’t even care about the manner of the win. It could be a League 1 reserve defender or a top-class seasoned one like Mertesacker, but you can be sure the innate drive to win within both of them will be the same. It’s what footballers are. That’s their straightforward, uncomplicated psychology.
They also, however, look to their manager to know how to win trophies. It’s the manager who shows them the light when things aren’t looking rosy. Among all the intricacy of tactical analysis, it’s easy to forget that football is largely a confidence-based sport.
Arrogance.
Does Arsene Wenger exude confidence? Does he bring a calming, reassuring presence? Can any professional footballer worth his salt listen to his dated philosophy and think “I believe in him”? Wenger’s blasphemy, his arrogance – it’s no wonder people are worried about Ozil’s future.
It’s not just Ozil. What is new, is that slowly but surely, there has been a realization that Wenger is not good enough for Arsenal. They know what to expect from his Arsenals. Four years ago, if Arsenal were 2-1 down to a team like Swansea with five minutes left on the clock, the stadium would have been rocking with “Come on Arsenal” chants. Yesterday, not one bothered to exercise the same sadomasochism. They knew Arsenal had given up the ghost. They knew there was no point in expecting more.
Wenger is finished. His expiry date had approached around 2006; when George Graham’s last lieutenants retired, the board gave him overwhelmingly corrupt power and Patrick Vieira and Thierry Henry left questioning the club’s ambitions. We should have seen the grim foundations then. We saw it nearly seven years too late (I didn’t), and we’re paying the price for our foolishness.
It’s time to wonder what’s next in store for Arsene Wenger and Arsenal. Surely one fortunate win over Tottenham Hotspur (IF THAT HAPPENS) isn’t enough for everyone to forget the state of this club? Come May, there has to be a reaction. There must arrive someone on the board who can take the autonomy away from the manager. There must be someone who fires him as soon as possible – because we sure as hell know he doesn’t have the humility to resign.
If nothing happens, vote with your feet. Stop going to matches, stop buying merchandise and let Stan Kroenke know just how pissed off you are. Ironically, you should stop supporting the club if you want to save it.
That won’t happen though, will it?
Christ.
-Santi [Follow me on Twitter @ArsenalBlogz ]
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