Be careful what you wish for? Be careful what you settle for

I have never felt so disconnected and disinterested in the team

16 May, 2011 10:00

Ian Henry 14 comments

Be careful what you wish for? Be careful what you settle for

Arsene: Time to go

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First off, apologies to Le Grove for nicking the title of this post (nice one Pedro, my thoughts exactly). Losing at home to Villa sums up this Arsenal team. Can’t defend, can’t score, no plan B and, moreover, a plan A which patently isn’t working. The players are not up to it; there is no mental strength, there is no will to win, there is no desire and way too many of them, the captain especially, are either in the comfort zone, happy to take their pay cheques each month, or don’t want to be there.

In all my 40+ years of supporting and watching Arsenal, I have never felt so disconnected and indeed disinterested in the team as now. Of course I want my club to do well, but this group of players are just not good enough, especially working for the current manager. Our esteemed editor has previously suggested that a different manager could do better with these players. Maybe, but I doubt it.

Watching the team implode in the way it has since the Carling Cup Final shows how shallow all the rubbish the manager spouts about mental strength and this being the best squad he has ever worked with really is. How many of this squad will appear on the outside of the stadium along with the other greats? Not many I bet, because most of them will be long gone before this team wins again.

To those who say finishing in 3rd or more likely 4th is good and we should be happy – utter cr*p. To those who say we couldn’t do better than Wenger – again, utter cr*p.

I wrote last week in semi-jest about celebrating the anniversary of the 4-4 vs. Newcastle. Well, of course next season we may be celebrating the Europa League, Thursday night football, Channel 5 and the like. And then what? The manager will say that playing on a Thursday is too disruptive and we can’t win on Sundays because of that. You can see the excuses being prepared now.

A change has to come and it has to come soon. And it has to start at the top, with the manager. Time to go Arsene. Thanks for the memories, thanks for the Doubles and the Invincibles but no thanks for this season.

Time too for the board to show, in the words of Guardiola, some cojones and smell the coffee. Time to ship out the deadwood and re-build.

Doing nothing is no longer an option, but I fear that is what will happen.

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14
comments

edmund ne
May 19, 2011, 8:44 #7160

I luv Arsenal FC so much that it really pains me deep down in my heart to see them end a season in such a disgraceful manner.After failing to trash Liverpool at home,i knew the title race was over but further defeats from Stoke and Aston Villa are just not acceptable.Arsene Wenger must have learnd a horrible and bItter lesson this term.Addressing his current squade the very best he has ever worked with makes me feel he has absolutely no interest in winning trophies but feeling arsenals account with Money.With Kolo Toure and William Gallas in the Central defence,Arsenal would have picked up Silver Wear this year.Djourou and Koschieny are good but not good enough for Arsenal.It's time for AW to stop being stubborn and do the right think or else Fabregas Nasri and Clichy might find reasons to leave the club and it's going to be a bigger problem to find replacements for them.Arsene Wenger needs to get a strong Central defender with leadership qualities that will partner Vermaelen in the coming Season,a powerful midfielder alongside Song and Wilshere and a goal getter with the qualities of Darren Bent to work up-front with Van Persie or he can as well pack his back and creat room for someone with new ideas.Arsenal has seen this season through with an ineffective plan "A" and no plan "B".That's not what we expect from our club.AW do the right thing.
charlie sheen
May 17, 2011, 11:27 #7026

it may be true that Wenger needs to go - but we still have a dilemma on our hands. who do you think will actually replace him? will they do a better job or will they lead us in to a life of mediocrity in the middle of the table? i think we should stick with Wenger and our top 4 finish until there is someone that can come in and manage a trophy winning team because at the moment there arent that many that will be willing to come to arsenal.
Darren Clark
May 16, 2011, 22:47 #7010

It seems evident that most of you feel the way i have now for a couple of years. I fel no love for that team that have choked their way through the last 3 seasons. Its clear enough even to the uneducated lot down the road that we have needed some quality at the back and the total cost of koscielny, squillaci and silvestre would have got us a decent centre back. When was the last time wenger unearthed a gem, he's missed out on hernandez, tiote and hangelaand who would have been welcome additions and for very little money.
jayelljay
May 16, 2011, 20:24 #7003

You're spot on here, Ian. Nearly 50 years now I've been a regular and season ticket holder. I feel so frusteated this season I'm just looking at the renewal and wondering...should I bother ?
denis
May 16, 2011, 20:02 #7002

truely we need some big change.ive been an arsenal fan for over 18 years and im truely dissapointed.arsenal is not and should never be an average club who should be satisfied with qualify for a champions league spot we should be winning the trophies.im afraid to speak out infront of people im an arsenal fan and im down in africa kenya.and i believe none of the players there deserve to wear the gunners.if they cant live to and appreciate the great arsenal history.
GoonerGoal
May 16, 2011, 19:37 #7001

Ask me not to empty my purse without first giving me liberty from this turgid experience. After six years, another season of slow death suffering the exposed principles of a dullard is more than any man should be expected to endure. His lack of perception of the obvious will prevent him from extracting himself from the building malevolence that swirls around him. So tell me, how are we to rid ourselves of his inexorable omnipresence?
Mark
May 16, 2011, 16:41 #6990

good blog but i dont know how you can still want to stand by AW because everything that has happened is his fault. you wont hear fergie blaming his players - in fact when he doesnt win Fergy does 1 thing. he takes action! year in year out he always has. he has also always without fail had a large and strong coaching staff and not paraded around like a french emperor. i would love to see a team of Rijkaard / Berkhamp and Adams manage Arsenal. we need a mixture of grit and style and total commitment from all playing staff. i dont think Rosicky has broke sweat since he joined us. not acceptable ! wouldnt be accepted elsewhere. Under AW he probably goes for a massage with the physio when he feels a ''twinge''. we have become such a non physical playing group its just not funny anymore
Richard Ansell
May 16, 2011, 16:06 #6985

Same vintage fan as you Ian by the sound of it and I am feeling exactly the same.
TrueGooner
May 16, 2011, 15:44 #6981

I am an Arsenal supporter, and it is fair to say that Arsene should go. No manager, sports or corporate, will be allow to stay in place for six years of failure. However I think he should be given one more year, to see if he is willing to change things. We have some players that needs to go, but not a lot as most seems to suggest. For me, The players that needs to go are Rosicky, squalichi and Almunia. Others could be added if we need to sell to buy, but I think for the most part these players are talented, but hampered by a few things. The eboue, Bedtner, diaby that we love to hate put in good shift for their country, but why is it that at arsenal they are always the scape goat. When Bedtner played along side Ade, he had a pretty good goal tally. We have to look at what the manager is doing to these players at Arsenal. If you force players to play out of their comfort zone, they won't perform well. A young player has to play in is primary position constantly to master that role before being transition in another. AW forces these players to play else where and in formations that he does not have the personal for. Bedtner, a tall lanky fellow playing on the wings when he should be groomed to play in the middle. on top of that he doesn't get chances cause he's not performing in a role that is not his natural position. For me the manager inability to get the most out of his players and adopt his tactics to what's happening and buy what he needs is what's hurting this team the most. If a general does not adapt his army to the battle his troops gets slaughter.
DAWA
May 16, 2011, 15:42 #6980

I AGREE WITH U. IT IS ONLY IN ARSENAL THAT PARTICIPATION IN A COMPETITION IS CELEBRATED RATHER THAN WINNING IT. I PITY "IN ARSENE WE TRUST" SUPPORTES. THE TEAM COLLECTIVELY LACK AMBITION.
AndoverGooner
May 16, 2011, 13:28 #6961

I was at the game yesterday and never in my 20 years of going to The Arsenal have I seen so much anger with our manager. With so many fans now turning against Wenger I can't see how he cannot make wholesale changes to the squad. I'm not an AKB but I think Wenger should be given next season to put this mess right.
dan h
May 16, 2011, 13:13 #6956

The sad thing is we have been rebuilding for 5 years now since we left Highbury.The project has failed to the point that we will now lose the likes of Cesc & Nasri coming to the peak years of their careers.It just sends out the wrong messages again the lack of ambition is shocking for a club with our turnover.It's terrible that it has come to the point where loyal gooners have given up on the team im a fan of over 30 years also seen the good & bad times but agree this lot really need a shake up in all areas of the club.For me above all it's just gone stale & complacent real missed opportunity this season Newcastle away tells the story of our season in 90 mins imo.
RJ
May 16, 2011, 12:53 #6950

I share your disappointment, but equally I do not want to pay £18m to get Wenger out early. BY the time we ship out the 7 bits of deadwood (almunia, squillacci, abu diaby, denilson, eboue, bentner, rosciky), lose Nasri, Fabregas, Arshavin, Chamakh, maybe Van Persie (he must be seriously pissed off after the season he has had) and then find 10 players to replace them – I am not sure we have a Championship winning side (let alone a Premiership winning side)
Fozzy's mate
May 16, 2011, 12:48 #6945

Ian, in the programme he blamed too many cup games over the winter months but said in terms of attitude and quality this has been the best season in a long time. For me it has been the worst season in a long time and yesterday the lowest moment for me since the end of the GG era and possibly going back to the end of the Donnie Howe era! never has such a disconnect existed between club, manager and fans. We can descend with the sals of Cesc and/or Nasri towards mid table mediocrity or use this slump as a catlayst to regain former glory. My brother jokingly says they will install a totaliser showing the bank balance and share price in the gap between the trophy winning years on the ring around club level, but maybe there is some truth in this scurrilous rumour. Move on or die, progress or rust - which will it be. Has Mr Kroenke got the cojones to challenge OGL and risk him throwing his usual hissy fit. "Sun lounger" Rice knows how he works - yeah and won't do anything other than Polish his shoes, with PHW and Ivan G lining up behind him!