Kevin Whitcher
So, in the end, an improvement on last season’s league finish. 2010-11 saw Arsenal win 68 points, this time around they made 70, which was worth the extra place. It was interesting though that 49 goals were conceded this time around, six more than last season.
Presumably in response to the 3-3 draw with Norwich, Arsene Wenger dropped Kieran Gibbs and Aaron Ramsey, with Andre Santos and Carl Jenkinson coming in, and Francis Coquelin moving to Ramsey’s midfield spot. And the game that followed echoed the inconsistency of the season. It’s difficult to know what to make of it really. Arsenal did not play that well, but neither did West Brom. The tension of what was at stake carried it as entertainment, as I am not convinced it was actually a very good game. It is difficult to judge, with all the emotions you went through. Having said that, compared to events at Eastlands, this was almost straightforward, even if the goals came in the same sequence.
Once again, question marks about the Gunners’ defence were raised, but – largely thanks to injury to West Brom’s Ben Foster – errors by the Baggie’s stand-in keeper Fulop played a huge part in two of the visitors’ goals. Still, it was all about the result, and once Arsenal did manage to get back into the lead at 3-2, unlike last weekend, they saw the game out. Pat Rice had a happy goodbye, chaired onto the pitch by the players. Robin van Persie stayed out longest of all the players after the game and only time will tell if he was saying his goodbyes. At least now, the idea he might depart because he will not get Champions League football at his current club next season can be dismissed. He might claim he is joining another club with a greater chance of winning medals though.
And that is where Ivan Gazidis has to convince him it is worth staying put, with some swift transfer activity. I was told a story from a Dutch source that I hope is not true, but is especially worrying if it is. The story goes that Arsenal had agreed the terms with Jan Verthongen and a transfer fee with Ajax on May 3rd. However, subsequently, the club tried to change the personal terms with the defender who, as a consequence, has now said he will never join Arsenal. After the shambles of last summer’s transfer window, one hopes that lessons have been learnt when it comes to the consequences of penny pinching. If it is true, word will have also reached Van Persie, who might draw conclusions that the club’s ambitions might not match his own.
Pat Rice’s replacement, Steve Bould, having turned down the job a year ago, apparently had to be heavily persuaded to take it this time around. Maybe the former defender stuck his heels in to demand he actually be allowed to coach, because too often this season, the team’s defensive play has been very questionable indeed. The club has been crying out for some change on the coaching front to address the fragility that has seen the goals against total grow season after season, and it must be hoped that Bould’s promotion means a change for the better, because whatever the club were doing over the last couple of campaigns, improvement is quite obviously needed.
What the club – with the Champions League income guaranteed – must do is to also ring the necessary changes amongst the playing staff. Let us hope that Wenger’s comments before the game about not needing many fresh faces and his squad being as good as others is a smokescreen. Some of the disappointing results this season have been as a result of a lack of quality in squad depth, and the club undoubtedly have the finance to improve this situation. The manager also has to admit that certain of his buys have not worked out, and bite the bullet by taking a loss on them, rather than give them more chances to prove they were worthwhile. At least the process began last summer with Almunia, Denilson, Bendtner and Vela cast into the wilderness. There is a substantial list of candidates to join them.
The promotion of Steve Bould will hopefully address weaknesses such as poor organisation, complacency and concentration which have proved costly this campaign. Arsenal dropped 21 points to sides that finished in the bottom half of the table. They finished 19 points behind the champions Manchester City. Alex Ferguson’s side lost out on goal difference, but remain a demonstration that it is possible to compete and sometimes overcome teams with greater resources. Arsenal did achieve this by finishing above Chelsea, but so did Spurs and Newcastle with even less funding. The job now is to make the necessary changes to ensure they are challenging for first place rather than third next season. An announcement of RVP re-signing would be a big start, with the needed new faces joining him. It will mean offloading a number of first team squad players, but the indulgence must now come to an end. It’s time Arsene Wenger admitted to himself that sometimes, you have to be ruthless to win.
Arsenal finished third this season largely because of some big results with late, late goals –Sunderland away, Liverpool away and Newcastle at home all spring to mind. In the end, every single point mattered hugely. There were laurels on the club’s crest this season, but the achievement of finishing third after such a poor start should not mean they are rested upon. Now, for real, it is indeed time to say ‘Forward’. The financially profitable water treading needs to stop.
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