Marco Silva
Oh Arsenal, you just teased these words out of me! I have thus far this season, resisted the temptation to write to OnlineGooner. I was close to putting my moans to paper after Newcastle and I’m sure I typed and retyped a letter in my head after the Carling Cup debacle. After Liverpool I practically developed an OCD where I would pace around the room ready to cyber rant, but I resisted. But last night at Spurs was the straw that broke the camel’s back.
I guess the AKB brigade will have you believe that the professor knows what he is doing, but I don’t buy it anymore – to be honest, I haven’t for a few years, now. I admire their loyalty, I really do. I wish I was that blinkered. For me though, Wenger is becoming a parody of himself and it’s beyond a joke. He’s become so puritanical, I actually wince when I hear him speak after a game. His talk of “belief” and “spirit” was obviously a smokescreen, a distraction from what is really happening amongst the players – something blown wide open by Fabregas on Tuesday following his damning words aimed at Arsenal.
This season, however, the dynamics have shifted and even the most devoted fans are beginning to question the manager. Rule number one, Arsene, don’t bullsh*t the fans. We are not blind. It is such a simple rule, but so often forgotten by him. Maybe he is trying to convince himself?
There is no point in moaning at the players. Eboue can’t help being Eboue. Players are picked by a guy that sees them day in, day out. He knows them inside out. He knows their limitations. He instructs them how to play. It’s his team. It’s down to the manager, plain and simple. What’s discomforting though is that there is endemic failure at the heart of this team and it won’t go until the manager accepts his ways are flawed. Youth? Fine, but they need to be surrounded by world-class players to supplement and nurture them. Imagine a young Fabregas with an older Vieira, or Djourou with Adams? They start to learn. It’s often said that there was a direct relationship between Henry’s talent developing and Keown kicking his shins day in, day out. You learn to get better. You learn to not let pressure affect you. You learn to want to win. Ask yourselves this? Did you see real desire to win at WHL last night? All I saw was Spurs all over us and us panicking. Like we did against Newcastle or Liverpool. Do you think that Spurs were worried when Bentdner came on? Would United lose a two-goal lead in a key game of the final stages of the Premier League? And if they did, would Fergie come out and say they showed spirit? I very much doubt it…
So what’s the way forward? Well, he won’t leave or get sacked, as the Board love him because he doesn’t stress the profit and loss accounts and guarantees them revenue from Champions League qualification.
Me? I am fed up with second or third or fourth. I am fed up with teams like Spurs taking points off us, seemingly without a care from the players. I am tired of watching a team that takes commanding leads, only to leak like a sieve at the back. I am fed up to the back teeth of watching individual errors cost us important games. More importantly, I am fed up of being fed up with this team.
I just hope United put me out of my misery sooner rather than later. I can’t take the hope fading so slowly.
