Camgooner
I was unable to go to the Wigan game because of illness. My frustration is probably amplified by that. However, I'm starting this article at half time against Wigan. A farcical start left us 2-0 down inside the opening ten minutes, and the Verminator has halved the deficit. Now, we might win the second half 2-0 to get a come-from-behind win, but…
We were 2-0 down inside ten minutes to a team two points above the drop zone at start of play. We simply hadn't turned up. The team clearly didn't take Wigan seriously: they scored from our own corner. Too few players bust a gut, and Sagna's header and the corner were pathetic. Arteta is excused for obvious reasons.
For the second, no blame to Sagna, JD or TV, but Santos and a covering midfielder are static and either could easily have intervened. I am sure others will be harsher on the three I acquit, but the point stands. But these are the symptoms. The disease is that we have to have the best come-back record in the league. Why are we regularly falling behind? The lack of urgency that has been endemic in the club for years has found a new way of emerging.
Remember the season of one-shot wonders? We'd batter an opponent in possession but lose 1-0 to the only shot they have? Or those matches where we dropped points to late equalisers? Now our central midfield, and second-choice defence, is a little weaker than then, so a bit of early pressure leads to early goals because we aren't putting the effort in. Now, the AKB people are already rolling their eyes. We beat Wolves 3-0 due to early goals. True. But we also had to come from behind four times in a row.
The issue is the coaching staff. The lack of competition isn't the case today, as many of the team are playing for their place. Does Wenger's confidence in his team create complacency? Does the belief we can come from behind or score at any moment need to be tempered by a bit if steel? Do we have a culture of doing it by numbers: running through options in order that stifles the players? This is epitomised by the manager's use of substitutes.
My view a few months ago was a fairly standard sack-the-board, Wenger-out. I always knew the former simply wouldn't happen. I'm less sure about the second now. Perhaps the replacement for Pat Rice can provide some steel. Ideally, it will be someone to challenge Wenger. I firmly believe that a good scrap (in private!) between a manager and his number two helps. Look at Clough at his best with Taylor; or a different model in Ferguson changing his number two a few times.
If Wenger doesn't want it, then I want him to explain how next season will be different. More to the point, I want him to explain to RvP why he should stick around and play in a team who are so badly prepared that Wigan can score from an Arsenal corner.
