Michael Gregory
After reading the There are only three things wrong with Arsenal… article, I found the comments more enlightening than the piece itself and felt slightly concerned at the split in the camp. We all know the areas that need strengthening and wonder how Wenger cannot see it. His managerial style must be questioned. After all, he has only been in management for twenty-seven years, revolutionised the English game, gone 49 games unbeaten in arguably the best league in the world and brought in some of the greatest players the premiership has ever seen.
Now I’m not deluded enough to say he is beyond criticism, his reaction towards ‘King Kenny’ was unacceptable, especially considering Dalglish’s own contribution to football. Also Wenger’s consistent loyalty to below-par players who reward him with calamitous performances in key matches (there is no point naming names, we know who they are by now), is a constant source of frustration; but we all know this. However, I’m not going to counter argue this by listing the trophies Wenger has won, not because I am not grateful but because it is old ground. A bit like the ‘we need a decent centre back and goalkeeper argument.’
Prior to his arrival, expectations at Highbury were never lacking in ambition but we knew our limits. This all changed under Wenger. His era heralded an exciting style of play, ambition and best of all, trophies. We took this to be the norm and in the process, some forgot the old days of Arsenal and became a little spoilt in their attitude towards success. Wenger is stubborn, almost to the level of schoolboy belligerence but he is also a victim of his own accomplishments. In raising the standard of the team and allowing us to compete with the best, he also raised fans’ expectations and as a result, our current, temporary lull has been highlighted even more so. Six seasons feels like a long time, not because of Wenger’s failings but because of his achievements.
I am 28 and have supported Arsenal since 1990 and if I am being completely honest, I can only remember one ‘bad’ season during that time, 1994/95. 12th in the league, sounds okay, but this was the season when four teams were to be relegated and although it never became a serious threat, we did flirt with the possibility for a while. We also had Merson’s drug exploits, Hillier’s airport shame, Nayim (I still feel sick when I see the footage) and the ‘departure’ of George Graham, who at the time, felt irreplaceable. Not a great season by our standards but there are many teams who would have swapped places for 12th in the league and runner up in Europe.
Earlier I mentioned about forgetting the old days as if they were dark times for the club, which of course is ridiculous; Cup winners Cup victors, first team to do the domestic cup double and the nearly, nearly unbeaten championship winning 90/91 season. From 1987 to 2005, the longest wait we had for a trophy was four years, (94 to 98, 98 to 02) and on both these occasions we won the double. Six seasons without trophies look like becoming seven following United’s defeat of Everton.
For those Arsenal fans that grew up in the George Graham era (myself included) or the Wenger era, we have been so spoilt by the glut of trophies produced over the years (13 since 1987) that a sixth consecutive season without silverware seems unthinkable. Older fans, like my father who has supported Arsenal since the fifties, have seen much leaner times and much longer periods without any reward. Of course I would never want it to be like this again but our dismay at recent results suggests we have forgotten how far we have come as a club.
It may seem that I am harking back to the past and I am merely stating the obvious, but constantly reading and hearing from paid pundits and journalists that we lack a leader, and a top centre back, is also stating the obvious. It is easy to be negative and I would be hypocrite if I said I hadn’t been in recent times. How can the image of the flailing Almunia charging unnecessarily from his goal against West Brom provoke anything but criticism?
However those calling for Wenger to be sacked are wrong. His philosophy and approach are exactly the same as 2004, which suggests we need new players. So why doesn’t he spend? Well, is Wenger responsible for this? Is it the board? Some say the former, others the latter. We’ll never really know. Wenger is highly intelligent and an experienced manager, and contrary to popular belief, he knows what areas need to be strengthened. If he isn’t given the money what is he supposed to do? Unfortunately for Wenger, even if it isn’t his decision, he is the one who has to answer the questions because the chances of Peter Hill-Wood or Stan Kroenke owning up are very slim indeed. However with Kroenke in charge, I believe we will get a better indication of who is responsible for the lack of spending.
As I draw to my conclusion, we have just conceded to Bolton. The commentators believe this would not have happened in the days of Campbell and Vieira and that we need a leader and solid centre back. Such insight. My point is two-fold. Firstly, Wenger is the man for the job. I know there are some, maybe many who would firmly disagree and believe Wenger’s time is up, but he is creating something special. Yes, there are several players who need to be sold, but what about the positives, players like Wilshere, Nasri and Walcott. I also feel Sagna should get far more credit.
We also have Vermaelen, who in my opinion was our player of the season prior to his injury and the man who should be captaining us on his return. He is the leader. I also believe Koscielny will improve by playing alongside him. The goalkeeper situation has not been rectified but it is far more solid than nine months ago. Then we have RVP, 19 goals in all competitions is not bad considering his layoff earlier this season. Of course it is vital we spend and bring in some experience, but maybe the situation is not as drastic as we think or has been portrayed. Secondly we are Arsenal, we are not United or Liverpool, we will never be this dominant, but we have been and always will be successful. The trophies will return, sooner rather than later.
